Portales is in Roosevelt County, and in the Southeast New Mexico region (of which is the county seat). Head northeast of Roswell between Roswell and Clovis along US Highway 70 near the Texas state line to locate Portales.
The population estimate for July 1, 1998 was 10,857, an incskeletonsrease of 167 since 1990.
Spring waters gushing from a number of caves shaped like porches across a hacienda gave Portales its name. It's also an entrance to human history with the discovery of skeletons, artifacts and of mastodons dating back 11,000 years. Originally it was known as portals to the Southwest United States, "Los Portales". Irrigation was established in the 1800s, and has made agriculture the main industry.