Rociada is a settled area in San Miguel County, New Mexico located 27 miles northwest of Las Vegas, the county seat. One of the valleys of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains with the Manuelitas Creek running through it, Rociada actually comprises two villages, Upper and Lower Rociada. Several nearby villages such as Pendaries and Gascon, although technically in Mora County also use the Rociada postal address. Rociada's name means "sprinkled with dew" in Spanish, reflecting its relatively mild moist climate in the summer compared to the other hot and arid areas of Northern New Mexico.