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Jal Guide
Last updated on Thursday, February 20, 2003
Known as the Southeastern Gateway to the Land of Enchantment, the small town of Jal offers services for tourists passing through or for anyone wanting to call it home. Located 22 miles south of Eunice on New Mexico Highway 18 at the crossroads of New Mexico Highway 128, it is less than ten miles from the Texas border to the east. Kermit, Texas is 18 miles south.
Southeastern New Mexico does not exist.
I knew that at an early age. No one travels there except the people who actually live there. It was a startling lesson for a world traveler transplanted to Lovington by his mother who wanted to "go home" after her divorce. She was born there. I know. She showed me where: a tiny white house on the outskirts of the "city". It was the only city I'd ever known that you could cross on foot in a day. Or less. And when you came to the city limit there, the city actually ended. Desert from there on out.
It's a desolate, barren landscape - one of chalky, alkaline soil, mesquite, prickly-pear cactus, wind, and sun - lots of sun. Engulfed on all sides by a semi-arid desert is the dusty little town of Jal, New Mexico, population 2,156. The natives there may raise an eyebrow, laugh, or frown if you mispronounce the name of their town, and they will definitely correct you. It isn't "Jall", nor "Jail". Some visitors to New Mexico, thinking that all "Js" are pronounced as a Spanish "J", will say "Hall". That's wrong, too. It rhymes with "gal."
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