Dig Deeper on Lee Acres
Farmington is located in the high San Juan Plateau, along the San Juan River near the Four Corners at the edge of the large Navajo reservation that spreads west into Arizona. The town itself is fairly plain, but areas to the north and east into Durango, CO, the Colorado San Juan Mountains, Mesa Verde National Park and the Santa Fe National Forest offer excellent mountain recreation.
The city serves as a trading post and cultural center for the Navajo nation. The reservation and moderate oil, gas and coal industry support the local economy, and as reflected in job statistics, natural resource industries brings strong growth projections. Living costs are reasonable compared to Durango and San Juan Mountain areas just north but are a bit high for the region. There is local commuter air service but for bigger city services, Albuquerque is 180 fairly challenging miles southeast.
Farmington is in a relatively flat high desert valley, greened by the San Juan River and irrigation, inside a zone of sparse vegetation, erosion and abundant rock outcroppings. The climate and terrain are typical of the high-desert location, with large variations in daily and evening temperatures and sparse precipitation.
Summer days are sunny and warm but usually not too hot due to the altitude, while evenings cool considerably. Winters are mild and fairly dry with most nights below freezing, and occasional colder periods with snow as fronts pass through from the north.