La Union, NM

La Union is a Doña Ana County census-designated place along NM 182, with NM 28 linking it to the Las Cruces–El Paso area. The townsite traces its beginnings to the mid-1800s, when the pueblos of Los Ojitos and Los Amoles relocated to higher ground and joined under the name La Unión. Early settlers cultivated chile, cotton, and tomatoes in the desert soil, and farming still shapes the surrounding landscape. Water remains part of the local story: a dam rupture in 2013 flooded homes, farmland, and roads, while a major 2021 flood brought fresh attention to drainage work. The La Union Watershed District was established in 2018, and La Union Elementary serves students through sixth grade.