Grahm's Guide
to Filming Locations
No Country for Old Men (2007) Filming Locations
The Movie
No Country for Old Men weaves a dark tale involving a Vietnam War veteran who stumbles upon a large sum of cash, a remorseless assassin who wants the money back, and a world-weary sheriff determined to prevent the inevitable confrontation, all set against the sunblasted desert of West Texas.
It is not a feel-good film. It's more like the anti-Dancer, Texas Pop. 81. But, it will certainly leave an indelible impression.
© 2007 Miramax Film Corp. and Paramount Vantage
The Locations
No Country for Old Men was filmed primarily in and around Marfa, Texas and Las Vegas, New Mexico.
If you have any tips on locations that I missed, please contact me on the Grahm's Guide Facebook page.
SPOILER ALERT: The descriptions below include plot points of the film. If you haven't seen the movie, you can buy the Blu-ray on Amazon.
When I first started researching location for this movie, the Silver Screen Sites page on Facebook was the best source of information, and their photo album "'No Country For Old Men' Location Photos" was a tremendous help with finding the sites when I visited Las Vegas, NM in November 2013. As usual, they do a terrific job of matching the on-screen images with the real-world locations.
Over the years, other web sites have documented some of the No Country for Old Men filming locations, including The Worldwide Guide To Movie Locations and the Then and Now Movie Locations site , so those have been helpful, too.
Opening Shot (Approximation)
The film opens with a shot of mountains silhouetted against the sunrise.
While it would be difficult to determine the exact location, due to the lack of features on-screen, I was able to line up a matching view of the mountains from a spot along Ranch Rd 2810, Marfa, TX 79843 near 30°16'09.6"N 104°07'44.1"W.
Reference: I was taking pictures in the area, and this was the closest match I could get to the silhouette of the mountains.
A view of the mountains seen at the start of No Country for Old Men, as seen in July 2015
Rolling hills from the opening of No Country for Old Men, as seen in August 2012
Rolling Hills and Mountains (Opening Montage)
Another shot in the opening montage shows rolling hills and mountains along a distant road.
Exclusive: The view is from a vantage point alongside Ranch Rd 2810, Marfa, TX 79843, near 30° 6'52.44"N, 104°25'1.91"W.
Reference: I assumed that this shot would be along this road due to some other locations in the area, and then I used Google Maps to determine the specific spot. I haven't seen this site listed anywhere else on the Internet.
Rolling Hills (Opening Montage)
Another one of the establishing shots from the opening montage shows other rolling hills.
The shot is from alongside Ranch Rd 2810, Marfa, TX 79843, near 30°07'35.8"N 104°24'36.3"W
Reference: I located this spot based on a photo posted on Google Maps, before they closed down Panoramio.
Rolling hills from the opening of No Country for Old Men, as seen in July 2015
A deputy drives past this spot in No Country for Old Men, as seen in July 2017
A Deputy Drives Away
After loading an unusual man into the back of his patrol car, a deputy sheriff (Zach Hopkins) drives away, racing down a lonely stretch of road.
The location of this shot is on Ranch to Market Road 2810, Marfa, TX 79843, near 30°13'05.5"N 104°12'58.5"W.
Reference: The Silver Screen Sites page posted a picture of the location in their "'No Country For Old Men' Location Photos" album, and, I found the spot by guessing that the site was along this road.
The Traffic Stop
After escaping the deputy’s custody and stealing a patrol car, the menacing man, who we come to know as Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), pulls over an innocent driver (Chip Love) in a traffic stop.
This scene was also filmed along Ranch Rd 2810, Marfa, TX 79843, at approximately 30°06'58.7"N 104°24'52.6"W.
Reference: After watching The A.V. Club visit the location with Chip Love in their "No Country For Old Men’s terrifying traffic stop" video, I knew that I just had to drive about 25 miles down the road until I found this spot. [See Extras below for more about Mr. Love.]
The Hunting Grounds Entrance
A day of hunting leads Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) to the aftermath of a gun battle and a large sum of money. He takes the ill-gotten loot back to his pickup truck, parked at a gate by the road. Later Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) and Wendell (Garret Dillahunt) investigate the scene.
The fence gate is on Ranch Road 505, near 30°32'38.37"N, 104°17'54.56"W.
Reference: I got a hint to the location from a comment on The Movie District page for these locations. [Warning: My anti-virus keeps warning me not to go to that page.]
Desert Aire Trailer Park
Moss drives back home to the “Desert Aire Trailer Park / Sanderson, TX,” where he lives in a mobile home with his wife, Carla Jean (Kelly Macdonald).
The site is actually the Gallegos Mobile Home Park, 2329 N Grand Ave, Las Vegas, NM 87701, about 450 driving miles from the hunting location.
Reference: I determined this location with Google Maps, based on knowing filming was in Las Vegas. When I visited in 2013, I couldn’t find anything online about this filming location
Please respect the property and privacy of the residents of this private trailer park.
The gas station from No Country for Old Men, as seen in November 2013
Gas Station
At an isolated gas station, Chigurh provokes a tense conversation with the Gas Station Proprietor (Gene Jones). "Call it, friend-o."
The location is along New Mexico 104, Las Vegas, NM 87701 at 35°33'25.9"N 104°46'01.2"W.
Reference: I learned about the location on a City-Data.com discussion thread about Las Vegas, NM. When I finally visited the site, I realized that it's also the gas station from Red Dawn (1984). It's no longer used as a gas station, so please respect the property and privacy of the residents of this private home.
Bus Station - DEMOLISHED
Llewelyn travels from Sanderson to Del Rio, Texas, where he walks out of a bus station to catch a cab.
The bus station was formerly at 300 2nd St SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102, but it seems to have been demolished within a year of filming.
Reference: I determined the location based on the "300 Second SW” address seen above the door on-screen, and confirmed, via a Newspapers.com article, that there was once a transportation center here.
A bus station from No Country for Old Men
© 2007 Miramax Film Corp. and Paramount Vantage
Del Rio's Regal Motel
Llewelyn seeks refuge at the Regal Motor Hotel, Del Rio, Texas, but a ride back to the hotel with a reluctant cabbie (Jason Douglas) seems to indicate that danger is near.
The motel is actually the Regal Motel, 1809 N Grand Ave, Las Vegas, NM 87701, which is over 500 miles from the real Del Rio, Texas.
Reference: This has been online at such places as The Worldwide Guide To Movie Locations, and the hotel used to maintain a website that touted the filming at the hotel.
Chigurh's Payphone
With Llewelyn’s phone bill in hand, Chigurh makes a call from a payphone, presumably located in Sanderson, TX.
The payphone filming location is actually at East Lincoln Street at Railroad Avenue, Las Vegas, NM 87701, over 400 miles away from Sanderson.
Reference: This is filming location is captured in the Silver Screen Sites photo album "'No Country For Old Men' Location Photos".
Building near the payphone from No Country for Old Men, as seen in November 2013
This doesn't match a shot from the film, but the building is seen over Chigurh's shoulder
Eagle Hotel
Trouble in Del Rio forces Llewelyn to catch a ride out of town with a cautious driver (Mathew Greer) who drops Llewelyn off at the Eagle Hotel in Eagle Pass, Texas.
The hotel is actually the historic Plaza Hotel, 230 Plaza Park, Las Vegas, NM 87701, and there were interior and exterior scenes filmed here.
Reference: This is captured in the Silver Screen Sites photo album "'No Country For Old Men' Location Photos". The hotel's site lists this and other productions filmed at the hotel.
Out of the Alley and Down the Street
A bloody Llewelyn escapes the Eagle Hotel by running down an alley behind the hotel to reach a street. He runs down that street to a larger intersection where he stops a Pickup Driver (Luce Rains).
The alley Llewelyn runs out of is located over a half-mile away from the hotel, next to 615 6th St, Las Vegas, NM 87701. The alley does run parallel and next to Douglas Avenue, where Llewelyn stops the unlucky pickup driver. (Douglas Avenue is also seen prominently in Red Dawn).
Reference: The Silver Screen Sites team has great shots of this sequence in their "'No Country For Old Men' Location Photos" album.
Where the alley meets the street in No Country for Old Men, as seen in November 2013
This is the street Llewelyn reaches after fleeing the hotel by running down an alley
The site of the truck crash in No Country for Old Men, as seen in November 2013
The truck crashes near the fence to the left of this image
Pickup Truck Crash
Llewelyn and the hapless pickup driver careen around the block, until the vehicle slams into car parked along the street.
The crash into the car, and the subsequent confrontation, occur at approximately 525 Grand Ave, Las Vegas, NM 87701.
Reference: The Silver Screen Sites team has great shots of this sequence in their "'No Country For Old Men' Location Photos" album.
Car Lot on the Border
Llewelyn parks the pickup in front of a car lot next to a border crossing.
The site where the pickup is parked is along 5th Street at University Ave, Las Vegas, NM 87701.
Reference: The Silver Screen Sites team has shots of this sequence in their "'No Country For Old Men' Location Photos" album.
Llewelyn's parking spot near the border in No Country for Old Men, as seen in November 2013
Mexican Border Crossing Bridge
Llewelyn ditches the briefcase at a border crossing between the U.S. and Mexico, presumably at the bridge crossing over the Rio Grande between Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras, and we later see Carson Wells (Woody Harrelson) searching the area.
The bridge where the border crossing was filmed is actually on University Avenue as it crosses over Railroad Ave, Las Vegas, NM 87701, which crosses over railroad tracks, not the Rio Grande.
Reference: The creation of this fictional border crossing is mentioned on the New Mexico Tourism Department site. See a more detailed look at the creativity behind the elaborate set on the web site of Gregory Hill, a graphic designer on the film.
Mike Zoss Pharmacy
A wounded Chigurh gathers supplies at the Mike Zoss Pharmacy, after creating a loud distraction outside.
The pharmacy location is 610 Douglas Ave, Las Vegas, NM 87701, which is now an SPC Office Products store.
Reference: The Silver Screen Sites team has shots of this sequence in their "'No Country For Old Men' Location Photos" album.
(This fictional pharmacy is named after a Mike Zoss Drugs, where the Coens spent time when they were young.)
Stopping the Flatbed Truck
Sheriff Bell spots a flatbed pickup truck with a suspicious load and has the driver pull over on the outskirts of town.
Exclusive: The stop occurs on State Highway 17, Marfa, TX 79843, near 30°19'41.5"N 104°01'22.7"W.
Reference: I determined this location by doing a Google Maps recon, guessing that this scene was probably near Marfa. I haven't seen information about this location listed anywhere else on the Internet.
Chicken Farmer Stops
A helpful chicken farmer (Richard Jackson) stops to offer assistance to Chigurh, whose vehicle has broken down on a desolate road.
Exclusive: The site is along Ranch Rd 505, Fort Davis, TX 79734, near 30°31'35.8"N 104°22'55.7"W.
Reference: I determined this location by doing a Google Maps recon, guessing that this scene was probably near the other Marfa filming locations. I haven't seen information about this location listed anywhere else on the Internet.
Chigurh's Intersection
Chigurh’s drive through an intersection in a quiet neighborhood takes an unexpected turn.
The intersection is at 6th Street & Baca Avenue, Las Vegas, NM 87701.
Reference: I determined the site by driving around Las Vegas, NM, based on the Silver Screen Site shots of this sequence in their "'No Country For Old Men' Location Photos" album.
Extras
In July 2018, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Chip Love in Marfa, Texas, and I’ve never been more excited to chat with a bank president. Of course, he’s much more famous for his unforgettable role as “Man in Ford” in the notorious "Traffic Stop" scene.
Mr. Love initially helped the Coen brothers explore potential filming locations around Marfa, and with his modest demeanor belying a quick wit and obvious intelligence, it’s easy to see why the Coens were drawn to him to play the “everyman” who’s waylaid by unspeakable evil while going about his day.
Chip Love (left), of No Country for Old Men, as seen in July 2018
Photo by Marci Wonsowski
Mr. Love was quite gracious in answering my many questions about his involvement with the No Country for Old Men, and even discussed some of the other projects filmed in the area. I am extremely grateful for his generous hospitality.
Comments
Filmmaking brothers Joel and Ethan Coen had first earned critical acclaim for their debut movie, Blood Simple, a neo-noir film released in 1985. By the time No Country for Old Men was released on November 9, 2007, the “Coen Brothers” were widely recognized for their uniquely stylized films, which they generally developed from their own material.
With No Country for Old Men, however, the Coen brothers were adapting a novel from esteemed American author Cormac McCarthy. (Despite his Irish-sounding name, author Cormac McCarthy was raised in Tennessee and had been living in El Paso for almost 20 years when No Country for Old Men was published, so he had a feel for Texas.)
The adaptation certainly worked out well. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards®, and it ended up with four Oscar® wins at the 80th Academy Awards ceremony on February 24, 2008.