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History · Duran

Duran’s post office opened in 1902, and 54% of its homes were built before 1940

1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 56 buildings. Below: maps from 1981 on.

1902first post office
1on the National Register
54%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Duran began

When was Duran founded?

1902

The Duran post office opened in 1902, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 44124 years
Founding year: the first Duran post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Duran’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Duran are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.A historic districtThe Duran Historic District takes in 56 historic buildings.Old housesHalf of Duran’s homes were built before 1938.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Duran’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Duran’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the National Register

1 listing protects 56 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
56
each building in a district counts
first listed
2021
Duran Historic District
Duran Historic District
Districts
All 1 listings
Duran Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2021

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

The story

How Duran came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Duran.

Read it all →

Duran was laid out in 1902 when the railroad was extended to that point. A post office has been in operation at Duran since 1902.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Duran, decade by decade

Today1 recent
Duran, New Mexico2011Duran, New Mexico
On the map

Duran on the map in 1981

The U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Duran.

Duran on the 1981 USGS map1981Duran sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Duran.

Famous people

Famous people close to Duran

Nobody well known was born in Duran itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Rudolfo AnayaAmerican Chicano novelist, poet · b. 1937
L
Larry LarrañagaAmerican politician · b. 1937
Places that used to be

Old burying grounds

Duran’s post office has been open since 1902.

3cemeteries and burying grounds inside Duran
DuranDuran Old ChurchHindi Family

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Duran’s history

What year was Duran founded?

The Duran post office opened in 1902, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

What is on the National Register in Duran?

One place: the Duran Historic District (listed 2021).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.