Navajo Lake is a 3800 feet long and 400 feet deep reservoir located in northeastern San Juan County, created from a dam completed in 1962.
The La Plata Mountains, seen from San Juan County, are a small subrange of the San Juan Mountains in sw Colorado, and includes Hesperus Mountain at 13,332 feet.
Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness (Bisti Badlands) is a 45,000-acre wilderness area full of rock formations made of sandstone, shale, mudstone, and silt.
The San Juan River is a 383 mile long major tributary of the Colorado River and a primary drainage for the Four Corners.
Shiprock (Tsé Bitʼaʼí, "rock with wings") is a 27 million year old volcanic rock formation, designated as a National Natural Landmark, rising 1,583 feet above the desert.
The Aztec Ruins National Monument, on 318 acres, consists of dwellings and sacred structures built by Ancient Pueblo Indians in the 12th and 13th Centuries.
Angel Peak Scenic Area is located 15 miles south of Bloomfield in San Juan County, with over 10,000 acres of rugged terrain, badlands and deep canyons.
The eggs and hoodoos in the Bisti Wilderness were formed in sand and silt revealed 73 million years ago when the Western Interior Seaway receded.

Employment

Category: Economics & Housing

Unemployment

The unemployment rate in San Juan County (in August 2026) is 5.3%, just slightly above but similar to New Mexico's rate of 4.7% and the U.S. rate. of 4.1%. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment rates in the range of 5-6% represent a "tipping point" that may signify slowing economic momentum and/or reduced hiring.

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Unemployment Rate (August 2026)

Trends in Unemployment

San Juan County's unemployment rate reached a peak in mid-2020 of 11.6%. The County's rate generally follows state and national trends, but also shows local trends reflecting fluctuations in the oil and gas industry, such as the increase seen in mid-2016.

There has been a gradual upward trend since early 2023, when the rate was below 4%.

Employment by Industry

The chart below shows the proportions of employment within major industries.

The proportion employed in Mining/Oil and Gas decreased from an average of 10% in years 2013-2018, to 6.1% in 2024. The county has seen corresponding increases in Healthcare and Retail Trade, which are currently the county's two leading employment industries.

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Monthly Unemployment Rates: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Unemployment Rate in San Juan County, NM [NMSANJ0URN], retrieved from FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis)

Employment by Industry: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024.

Updated/Checked: Sept-Oct 2026

FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis) is an excellent source, particulalrly for Census trend data as well as Bureau of Labor Statistics, such as monthly unemployment rates.