Why Raton is Great for Your Business
Business Opportunity
Raton, New Mexico, is one of the state’s best-kept secrets, boasting a burgeoning entrepreneur and business community. Sitting at the crossroads of two major highways, the greater Raton area is perfectly poised for business expansion and opportunity. While this charming community offers the relaxed pace of small-town living, the bustle of Denver, Colorado and Santa Fe/Albuquerque, New Mexico is just a three-hour drive away when needed. Watch these videos to learn why the greater Raton area is a great fit for your business or practice.
We’re Open for Business!
Raton, New Mexico, we are open for business! While we are sincere about the importance of economic development, we try not to take ourselves too seriously. Play Video
Why Raton?
Uncover the best-kept secret in the Southwest for business opportunities. Listen to local business owners explain why Raton, New Mexico is a great place to open a business. Play Video
What We Can Do For You
Connecting you with information for every stage of your business journey, from developing a business plan to opening a new business, and from nurturing the success of seasoned entrepreneurs to succession planning. We can help with that! Play Video
Why We Help
Why does GrowRaton help? Because we want to see your local business thrive. Together we will succeed! See what entrepreneurs and small business owners are saying. Play Video
Vacant Lots
The Properties page on our website showcases vacant lots and properties ripe for business growth. With the municipal airport just 10 minutes from downtown Raton, opportunities abound. Hundreds of acres for manufacturing or residential development. Raton is located on the future Ports to Plains Corridor. Daily Greyhound and Amtrak Service located on First Street. Explore opportunities to grow in a beautiful place and a unique community. Play Video
180̊ Video
See a 180-degree bird’s-eye view of the City of Raton, New Mexico, from the top down. Travel south down historic First Street and then back north. Jump to Second Street in the middle of downtown Raton, New Mexico headed south and, then, north towards Bartlett Mesa. Skip to an aerial view centered over the city, looking south across the Capulin volcanic field in the distance. Watch as the camera pans east toward Johnson Mesa, north towards Bartlett Mesa again, and back to center looking south. Play Video
360̊ Video
Take the driver’s seat and see a 360-degree view of Raton, New Mexico, from end to end, east to west, north to south. Start out on Highway 555 headed east towards town. Take a left on Second Street bearing north down the main drag. Jump to Sugarite Avenue headed west with a left hook back onto Second Street going south, another quick turn on Clark Avenue and right on historic First Street going south. Cruise by the first Wells Fargo building, now the Old Pass Gallery. See the Amtrak Station and Johnson Mesa off in the distance. Jump back on Sugarite Avenue, this time going east with a right turn at Alpine Lumber onto Round House Road headed south through Round House Memorial Park and parallel to the walking path. You can see historic First Street on the other side of the railroad tracks and Goat Hill further behind it. See the Amtrak station with its arches glide by. Jump to Highway 67 headed northeast into Raton. Jump again to Highway 67/84 as you head west into Raton from the southeast. Finally, jump to Hill Street as you make your way to the top of Goat Hill, high above the city. Play Video
Film Locations Abound
Lights, Camera, Action—Colfax County Film Locations!
Colfax County in northeastern New Mexico sits at the gateway to the Rockies, where the high desert prairie meets the mountains. This unique geographic intersection offers a wide variety of stunning backdrops and vistas, from wide-open grasslands to rugged mountain canyons. Steeped in history, the county’s numerous historical, turn-of-the-century buildings and ranches make for authentic period pieces. Take a look at these dynamic film locations and make plans for your next movie, short, or TV series project.
Short Montage
Colfax County Has So Many Amazing Diverse Locations to Meet all Your Needs! Play Video
Vermejo River Ranch in Maxwell, NM
This charming and rugged 300-acre ranch with river access has a ranch house and cabins among other visually diverse buildings, and a corral with bleachers set in high desert grasslands and prairie terrain. Play Video
Downtown Cimarron in historic Cimarron, NM
Established in 1857, this notorious “Heart of the West” is located on the Santa Fe Trail and offers five hotels and four restaurants. Home to historic attractions, its preserved locations are perfect for period pieces, including an 1872 jailhouse that was used until the 1960s. Cimarron covers 1,300 acres and is surrounded by beautiful views of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains. Play Video
Downtown Raton, New Mexico – Historic District
Raton, New Mexico, was established in 1878. Nestled at the base of Goat Hill with a Hollywood-style Raton sign, the town enjoys easy access to I-25. The historic district covers 120 acres and features architectural variety spanning from 1880 to 1940. Daily Amtrak service at the old Raton train station. Passengers can take a 24-hour ride from Raton to Los Angeles or Chicago. Play Video
Downtown Springer – Historic District
Springer, New Mexico, was established in 1880 and is located 40 Miles south of Raton. See the historic R.W. Cowan Livery Stables built in 1880. Rare and authentic memorabilia available for prop rentals. Springer offers six restaurants and four hotels. Film your next period piece at the Mills Mansion, built in 1887. Play Video
Climax Canyon
Climax Canyon Park, located in Raton, New Mexico, is just half a mile west of Downtown Raton. The park has stunning scenic views overlooking the town. It is an easy-to-moderate, figure-8 loop trail with an elevation gain of 446 feet and spans approximately 2.7 miles in length. The park is dog-friendly and well-maintained. It is perfect for walking, trail-running, or biking, and has ample parking. Designated by the secretary of interior in 2018, Climax Canyon Park is a National Recreation Trail. Play Video
Maxwell Group
Maxwell Locations: Colfax Tavern & Diner @ Cold Beer, NM; Raton Municipal Airport; The Armory/Blü Dragonfly Brewing.
Colfax Tavern & Diner Cold in Beer, NM, is a rustic yet quaint honky-tonk bar with mountain views. This venue has indoor and outdoor stages for live entertainment! Jump to jet-accessible Raton Municipal Airport with two runways, full-service SBO, and rental vehicles. The Raton Airport covers an area of 1,208 acres. The Armory is an industrial building set in a majestic landscape. The Armory houses Blü Dragonfly Brewing, a fully operational brewery serving their craft beers in bars and restaurants across Colfax County, NM. Play Video
Moore Ranch
Moore Ranch, Raton, New Mexico. Moore Ranch is nestled between unique mesas and mountain peaks. This working ranch manages 350+ cattle and covers 26,000 acres. Play Video
Krusi Ranch
Krusi Ranch on Johnson Mesa, Colfax County, New Mexico. Located 21 miles from Raton, Krusi Ranch has working structures, and encompasses about 800 acres including two bodies of water. On the ranch, see diverse landscapes and majestic scenery unfold around you. Play Video
Horror Apocalypse
Haunted/Post-Apocalyptic Film Locations, Colfax County, New Mexico. Colfax County has history. The Mills Mansion, built in 1887 for Melvin Mills, was once a thriving orchard and cattle ranch. The great flood in 1904 brought Mills to ruin. At his request, Mills passed away in his home. Some say he still inhabits the mansion to this day. The Mills Manson is three stories, 32 rooms, and has the tallest staircase in New Mexico! What could be lurking here in this old barn? Capture windswept plains littered with relics of the past. La Mesa Park opened in 1946, New Mexico’s first horse racing track. Crowds dwindled after the 1980s oil glut and left it abandoned since 1992. Downtown Raton has its own haunts and abandoned lots. See abandoned schools, churches, and hospitals, desolate convenience stores, and forsaken motels and restaurants. Play Video