Hobbs, NM
| The City of Hobbs | |
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| City | |
Hobbs Public Library
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| Motto: "It All Happens Here" | |
 Location of Hobbs, New Mexico |
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 The City of Hobbs
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| Coordinates: 32°42′44″N 103°8′26″W / 32.71222°N 103.14056°WCoordinates: 32°42′44″N 103°8′26″W / 32.71222°N 103.14056°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Mexico |
| County | Lea |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Sam Cobb |
| • City Manager | J.J. Murphy |
| Area | |
| • Total | 18.9 sq mi (49.0 km2) |
| • Land | 18.9 sq mi (49.0 km2) |
| • Water | 0 (sup) sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,622 ft (1,104 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 34,122 |
| • Estimate (2016) | 38,143 |
| • Density | 1,800/sq mi (700/km2) |
| Time zone | Mountain (MST) (UTC-7) |
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
| ZIP codes | 88240-88242 |
| Area code(s) | 575 |
| FIPS code | 35-32520 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0923609 |
| Website | www.hobbsnm.org |
Hobbs is a city in Lea County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 34,122 at the 2010 Census, increasing from 28,657 at the 2000 census.
Hobbs is the principal city of the Hobbs, New Mexico Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Lea County.
Hobbs was founded in 1907 when the James Hobbs family established a homestead and named the settlement. In 1910 the Hobbs post office opened, with James Hobbs as the first postmaster. By 1911 there were about 25 landowners in Hobbs.
The small, isolated settlement expanded rapidly following the discovery of oil by the Midwest Oil Company in 1927. A refinery was built in the following year and in 1929 the town of Hobbs was officially incorporated. At the peak of this oil boom, over 12,000 people lived in Hobbs. When the Great Depression hit in 1931, oil prices dropped and the population fell to only about 3,000. However, a few years later activity picked up in the oilfields and the population climbed to about 14,000 in 1940.
Following the outbreak of World War II, in 1942 Hobbs Army Air Base was built north of town. In 1948 the city bought the air base and converted it into the Hobbs Industrial Air Park, which is still used for soaring competitions.
The first college in Hobbs opened in 1956. It was initially the First Baptist College and in 1962 it became the College of the Southwest. A second college, New Mexico Junior College, opened in 1966.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.9 square miles (49 km2), all of it land.
As of 2011 there were 33,405 people, 10,040 households, and 7,369 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,514.0 people per square mile (584.5/km²). There were 11,968 housing units at an average density of 632.3 per square mile (244.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 63.52% White, 6.79% African American, 1.07% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 24.42% from other races, and 3.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 42.18% of the population.
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