Moving to or from Clovis?
Eastern New Mexico's largest city — home to Cannon Air Force Base, the Clovis Music Festival (honoring the Norman Petty Recording Studios where Buddy Holly recorded), and a major agricultural and railroad economy.
- 38,000 City population
- 50,000 Metro area
- 1906 Founded
- Eastern New Mexico / High Plains Region
Why people move to Clovis.
- Norman Petty Recording Studios — where Buddy Holly recorded his hits
- Cannon Air Force Base (27th Special Operations Wing)
- Clovis Music Festival
- Being the archaeological source of the 'Clovis culture' (first widespread Paleo-Indian culture in North America)
- Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad junction
- Cattle ranching and dairy heritage
Buddy Holly's biggest hits — including 'That'll Be the Day,' 'Peggy Sue,' and 'Maybe Baby' — were recorded at the Norman Petty Recording Studios in Clovis between 1956 and 1958. The small recording studio also produced Roy Orbison's early material and other 1950s rock and roll classics. The studios are now a museum and are still considered a pilgrimage site for rock and roll history enthusiasts. Clovis celebrates this heritage with an annual Clovis Music Festival.
Where people live in Clovis.
A quick guide to Clovis's most moved-to neighborhoods.
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Downtown
Historic core
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Central Clovis
Established residential
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Cannon AFB-adjacent
Military family housing
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North Clovis
Newer residential
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Portales (nearby)
Eastern NM University town
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Texico (nearby, at state line)
Tiny town on TX border
Where people spend their time in Clovis.
- Norman Petty Recording Studios Museum Central Clovis
- Blackwater Draw (Clovis culture archaeological site) Portales
- Hillcrest Park & Zoo Central Clovis
- Clovis Music Festival Downtown
- Cannon AFB Aviation Heritage Cannon AFB
- Clovis Depot Model Train Museum Central Clovis
Planning a Clovis move.
- Cannon AFB PCS moves dominate May-September
- Extremely remote; Amarillo TX is 90 miles east, Albuquerque is 3.5 hours west
- High desert climate; wind is a constant factor
- New Mexico has state income tax
Moving in Clovis: FAQ.
Why did Buddy Holly record in Clovis?
Norman Petty's studio in Clovis was known in the 1950s for producing excellent-sounding rock and roll records at low cost — Petty had innovative recording techniques and a uniquely reverberant studio space. Holly traveled from Lubbock TX (about 100 miles) to record. The studio's distinctive sound shaped several classic hits. Buddy Holly fans still make pilgrimages to the preserved studio.
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