Chimayo is a census-esignated place (CDP) in Rio Arriba and Santa Fe Counties in the U.S. state of New Mexico; the community's name is more correctly spelled Chimayó, a name that derives from a Tewa Indian name for a local landmark, the hill of Tsi Mayoh. The town is unincorporated and includes many neighborhoods, called plazas or placitas, each with its own name, including el Potrero de Chimayó (Potrero means commons or pasture land), and the Plaza del Cerro, which means "plaza by the hill." The cluster of plazas called Chimayó lies near Santa Cruz about 25 miles north of Santa Fe. The population was 2,924 at the 2000 census.