Farmington, city, San Juan County, northwestern New Mexico, at the confluence of the San Juan, Animas, and La Plata rivers; founded 1876, incorporated as a city 1965. The community's economy boomed in the 1950s, when nearby petroleum and natural-gas deposits began to be exploited. Although this activity continues, retail trade is the principal economic activity. Farmington is also the center of a major irrigation project and large agricultural cooperative. A junior college is here, and a large Navajo reservation adjoins the city. Many archaeological sites, including some in Aztec Ruins National Monument, are in the vicinity. The community was named by early settlers for the area's good farming. Population 31,222 (1980); 33,997 (1990); 37,844 (2000).
