Albuquerque Information

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO INFORMATION

Albuquerque

Points of Interest

More than 300 days of sunshine a year, geographical diversity, four distinct seasons, a strong economy, and one of the most eclectic cultural influences in the country – it’s no wonder Albuquerque is a great place to call home.

From our earliest residents, the Folson Paleo-Indians, to today’s assorted inhabitants, many cultures have called the “Land of Enchantment” home. Native Americans, the Spanish, Mexicans, African Americans, European Americans, Asians and more contribute to the cultural diversity of the area. New Mexico has existed under the flags of Spain, Mexico, the Confederacy (briefly) and the United States.

New Mexico has a rich history. Vasquez de Coronado searched for the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola in the "Land of Enchantment." Billy the Kid fought the Lincoln County War here. Cliff dwellings and pit houses give evidence of the area’s rich Native American heritage. The Santa Fe Trail and Route 66 helped ensure that the wonders of the 47th state would not escape the notice of the rest of the country.

In addition to our historical and cultural distinction, New Mexico offers some of the most distinctive and breathtaking landscapes and architecture in the Union. From beautiful mountain areas to lava flows, extinct volcanoes to gorgeous sunsets, New Mexico boasts some of the most awe-inspiring views in the country.

Approximately 20 million acres of forested land is extant throughout the area, nearly half of which is designated as National Forest areas. Despite being the fifth largest state in the country, New Mexico’s sparse population provides for much peace and tranquility.

Of the more than 1.5 million state residents, approximately one third live in Albuquerque, the metropolitan center of the “Land of Enchantment.” The city encompasses nearly 100 square miles, including the geographically awe-inspiring Petroglyph National Monument, Sandia and Manzano Mountains, the Rio Grande and the West Mesa.

Explore the information and links contained in this section to discover many exciting things your community has to offer.

The city has hosted the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta every October since 1972.

Back to top of Albuquerque Info Page

The city was founded in 1706 as the Spanish colonial outpost of Alburquerque; present-day Albuquerque retains much Spanish cultural and historical heritage.

Alburquerque was a farming community and strategically located military outpost along the Camino Real. The town of Alburquerque was built in the traditional Spanish village pattern: a central plaza surrounded by government buildings, homes, and a church. This central plaza area has been preserved and is open to the public as a museum, cultural area, and center of commerce. It is referred to as "Old Town Albuquerque" or simply "Old Town."

The village was named by the provincial governor Don Francisco Cuervo y Valdes in honour of the Duke of Alburquerque, viceroy of New Spain from 1702 to 1710. The first "r" in "Alburquerque" was dropped at some point in the 19th century, supposedly by an Anglo-American railroad station-master unable to correctly pronounce the city's name. In the 1990's, the Central Avenue Trolley Buses were emblazoned with the name Alburquerque (note the extra "r" as the fifth letter) in honor of the city's historic name. Throughout 2005 and 2006, the tricentennial celebration is taking place throughout the city. During the Civil War Albuquerque was occupied in February 1862 by Confederate troops under General Henry Hopkins Sibley, who soon afterwards advanced with his main body into northern New Mexico. During his retreat from Union troops into Texas he made a stand on April 8, 1862 at Albuquerque. A day-long engagement at long range led to few casualties against a detachment of Union soldiers commanded by Colonel Edward R. S. Canby.

When the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad arrived in 1880, it bypassed the Plaza, locating the passenger depot and railyards about two miles east in what quickly became known as New Albuquerque or New Town. Old Town remained a separate community until the 1940s when it was absorbed by the City of Albuquerque, which had been incorporated in 1891. Albuquerque High School, the city's first high school, was established in 1879.

New Albuquerque quickly became a tidy southwestern town which by 1900 boasted a population of 8,000 inhabitants and all the modern amenities including an electric street railway connecting Old Town, New Town, and the recently established UNM campus on the East Mesa. In 1902 the famous Alvarado Hotel was built adjacent to the new passenger depot and remained a symbol of the city until it was torn down in 1970 to make room for a parking lot. In 2002, the Alvarado Transportation Center was built on the site in a manner resembling the old landmark. The large metro station functions as the downtown headquarters for the city's transit department, and serves as an intermodal hub for local buses, Greyhound buses, and the Rail Runner commuter rail line, not to mention Albuquerque's growing light-rail transit system.

New Mexico's dry climate brought many tuberculosis patients to the city in search of a cure during the early 1900s, and several sanitaria sprang up on the East Mesa to serve them. Presbyterian Hospital and St. Joseph Hospital, two of the largest hospitals in the Southwest, had their beginnings during this period. Influential New Deal-era governor Clyde Tingley and famed southwestern architect John Gaw Meem were among those brought to New Mexico by tuberculosis.

The first travelers on Route 66 appeared in Albuquerque in 1926, and before long dozens of motels, restaurants, and gift shops had sprung up along the roadside to serve them. Route 66 originally ran through the city on a north-south alignment along Fourth Street, but in 1937 it was realigned along Central Avenue, a more direct east-west route. The intersection of Fourth and Central downtown was the principal crossroads of the city for decades. The majority of the surviving structures from the Route 66 era are on Central, though there are also some on Fourth.

The establishment of Kirtland Air Force Base and Sandia National Laboratories, in 1939 and 1949, respectively, would make Albuquerque a key player the Atomic Age, and the IT Age of the 21st Century. Meanwhile, the city continued to expand outward onto the East Mesa, reaching a population of 200,000 by 1960.

As Albuquerque spread outward, the downtown area fell into a decline. Many historic buildings were razed in the 1960s and 1970s to make way for new plazas, highrises, and parking lots as part of the city's urban renewal project. Only recently has downtown come to regain much of its urban character, mainly through the construction of many new loft apartment buildings and the renovation of historic structures like the KiMo Theater. It was also the site of the new movie, High School Musical.

Now in the 21st century, Albuquerque continues to grow quite fast. The population of the city proper is estimated at 484,246 in 2004, up from 448,607 in the 2000 census, and is projected to reach 537,704 in 2010. Also, the metropolitan area population is estimated at 780,439 in 2005, up from 712,738 in the 2000 census, and is projected to reach 868,615 in 2010, and surpass 1 million by 2020.

Back to top of Albuquerque Info Page

Albuquerque Recently, government leaders and many citizens in the city have actively pursued urban projects taken on by cities many times larger. A huge push has resulted in the amazingly successful revitalization of downtown, creating restaurants, offices, and residential lofts. The strip of Central Avenue between First and Eighth streets has become a bustling, exciting, hub of urban life, with a big-city feel to match its population. Alvarado provides convenient access to other parts of the city. Now, the mayor wants to tackle a rapid transit project to ease some of the city's traffic woes. Light rail is being considered and would initially extend up the Central Avenue corridor from the westside, through downtown, past UNM and the Nob Hill district, and into the Uptown Area [1]. The system would later be expanded to cover Rio Rancho and the Northeast. Construction is expected to start very soon, and will become one of the best systems in Western America.

Some citizens and city councilors, especially from the semi-rural pockets in the city, fear Albuquerque may be "growing up too quickly." Their idea is to keep Albuquerque small and sleepy, avoiding increasing crime and traffic, worsening air quality, and encroachment of the fragile bosque. For instance, 1995's controversial construction of the Montaño Bridge crossing at the Rio Grande resulted in the corridor only being striped for two lanes. Recognizing the need for all four lanes of travel originally intended, the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce passed a board position in 2003 supporting the opening of two additional lanes [2]. They claim this measure is necessary to ease West Side traffic woes. These lanes were eventually opened in March 2006, but only under the outcry of local residents. However, The vast majority of Albuquerque residents support the four lanes, as well as the initial construction of the bridge in 1995. Another road issue is the extension of Paseo del Norte on the westside, which could cause increased traffic through Petroglyph National Monument. This much needed road extension project has wide support among Albuquerque residents, but a powerful, elite few have opposed it for years, causing much debate and painfully stalling the process for over a decade.

Elsewhere, a sort of middle ground has been struck with the passage of the West Side Strategic Plan, which provides strict rules concerning building permits for the extreme western fringes of the city [3]. This act is to encourage in-filling developments and discourage the fleeing of wealthy residents to outlying suburban areas. In fact, Albuquerque has always made efficient use of land. Urban sprawl is roughly bound by the Pueblo of Sandia to the north, the Pueblo of Isleta and Kirtland Air Force Base to the south, the Sandia Mountains to the east and Petroglyph National Monument to the west, making sense to reuse land within the city. For instance, a gas station along Eubank Boulevard that closed in 2001 was replaced by a strip mall in a matter of months.

Partly because of the aforementioned geographical and legislative constraints, much of the growth in the metropolitan area is taking place outside of the City of Albuquerque itself. In Rio Rancho to the northwest, the communities east of the mountains, and the incorporated parts of Valencia County population growth is upwards of twice that of the city. The primary cities in Valencia County are Los Lunas and Belen, both of which are home to booming industrial complexes and new residential subdivisions. Rapid growth in the area is a very real thing. The Mid Region Council of Governments (MRCOG), which includes constituents from throughout the Albuquerque area, was formed to insure that these governments along the middle Rio Grande would be able to meet the needs of their rapidly rising populations. MRGOC's cornerstone project is the New Mexico Rail Runner Express, a commuter rail line that serves the region [4]. Phase I, which runs on existing BNSF Railway tracks between Belen and Bernalillo, is set to begin operation in Fall, 2005, with stops at the urban centers along the way.

In the summer of 2005, ACORN community groups placed a minimum wage initiative on the October 4th ballot. The initiative would have created a city wide minimum wage of $7.50. The measure was defeated by less than one percent.

Back to top of Albuquerque Info Page

Albuquerque's climate is usually sunny and dry with low amounts of humidity. The sun shines more than 300 days a year. Average winter daytime highs are in the upper 40s to low 50s Fahrenheit while dropping into the mid 20s F overnight. The occasional snowfall often melts by the mid-afternoon. Summer daytime highs are normally in the low to mid 90s F while dropping into the 60s F overnight, and the heat is quite tolerable because of low humidity. The Sandia Mountains - named for the watermelon red the mountains turn at dusk - are the predominant geographical feature visible in Albuquerque. The mountains create a rain shadow, and the city receives very little rain: only 8.5 inches (216 mm) a year. The clouds as well as the mountains often turn spectacular colors in the evening.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 469.5 km² (181.3 mi²). 467.9 km² (180.6 mi²) of it is land and 1.7 km² (0.6 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.35% water. The metro area has over 1,000 square miles developed, and is expanding at a serious pace.

Albuquerque is located at 35°6'39" North, 106°36'36" West (35.110703, -106.609991)GR1.

Distances

Dallas, Texas: 1,038 km (645 mi) east.
Denver, Colorado: 716 km (445 mi) north-northeast.
Phoenix, Arizona: 748 km (465 mi) west-southwest.
Salt Lake City, Utah: 998 km (620 mi) northwest.


Terrain

Satellite Image of Albuquerque, New Mexico Courtesy of NASAThe Sandia Mountains which include Sandia Peak are situated to the East of the city. The Sandia Peak Tramway runs from the base of the mountain to the peak, and is the longest single span aerial tramway in the world.

"Sandia" comes from the Spanish for "watermelon". The name is a reference to the mountain's reddish color during sunsets.

The Rio Grande (Spanish for "big river") flows North to South through the city and supports a riparian forest habitat called a "bosque."

Interestingly enough, Albuquerque has one of the highest altitudes of any major city in the United States. The elevation of the city ranges from 4900 feet (1490 m) above sea level near the Rio Grande (in the Valley) to 6500 feet (1980 m) in the Northeast Heights. At the airport, the elevation is 5352 feet (1631 m) above sea level.

Quadrants
Albuquerque is geographically divided into four quadrants which are officially part of the mailing address. They are NE (northeast), NW (northwest), SE (southeast), and SW (southwest). The north-south dividing line is Central Avenue (the path that Route 66 took through the city) and the east-west dividing line is the BNSF Railway tracks. Although this is technically the division of the city, in casual conversation Albuquerqueans sometimes use the perpendicular interstates I-25 and I-40 to divide the city into quadrants.

Northeast quadrant
This quadrant has been experiencing a housing expansion since the late 1950s. It abuts the base of the Sandia Mountains and contains portions of the Sandia Heights neighborhoods, which are situated in or near the foothills and are significantly higher, in elevation and price range, than the rest of the city. Running from Central Ave. and the railroad tracks to the Sandia Peak Aerial Tram, this is the largest quadrant both geographically and by population. The University of New Mexico, the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, the Uptown area which includes both Coronado and Winrock malls, and many skyscrapers, Journal Center (with over 2 million square feet of office space), Balloon Fiesta Park, and Albuquerque Academy are all located in this quadrant. Some of the most affluent regions of the city are located here, including Las Lomas-Roma, Netherwood Park, Academy Hills, Tanoan West & East, High Desert, Glenwood Hills, Sandia Heights, North Albuquerque Acres and many residences in the far northeast corner stretching beyond the actual city limits into Sandoval County.

Northwest quadrant
This quadrant contains historic Old Town Albuquerque, which dates back to the 1700s, as well as the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. The area has a mixture of commercial, low-income, middle-income, and some of the most expensive homes in the city. Northwest Albuquerque includes the largest section of downtown, the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park and the Bosque ("woodlands" Cottonwood forest), the Petroglyph National Monument, Double Eagle II Airport, the historic Martineztown neighborhood, and Cottonwood Mall. Additionally, the "North Valley" area, which includes some small ranches and expensive residential homes along the Rio Grande, is located in this quadrant. The City of Albuquerque engulfs the village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque and borders Corrales in the northwest valley. The rapidly-developing area on the west side of the river is known as the "West Side" or "West Mesa" and consists primarily of traditional residential subdivisions. Here the city proper is bordered on the north by the City of Rio Rancho. This is one of the fastest growing areas in America; most of the suburban communities in the extreme northwest are characterized by endless sprawl and terrible traffic. Average one-way commutes for Westsiders are nearly 67 minutes. With two brand new high schools (to relieve overcrowding in Cibola and West Mesa Highs, both with over 5,000 students), the area is experiencing massive growth.

Southeast quadrant
Eclipse Aviation, Kirtland Air Force Base, Sandia National Laboratories, the Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute main campus, the Albuquerque International Sunport, University Stadium, Isotopes Park, and University Arena ("The Pit") are located in the Southeast (SE) quadrant.

The Nob Hill and East Downtown (EDo) neighborhoods lie along Central Avenue, the border between the Southeast and Northeast quadrants. The expensive residential developments of Four Hills and Ridgecrest are also located in this quadrant. In sharp contrast to these upscale developments, however, some of the most poverty-stricken neighborhoods in the city are also located in Southeast Albuquerque. During the past twenty years, the SE area, mainly around Gibson Blvd. and Central Ave., has become the highest crime area in the city. These neighborhoods are sometimes referred to as the "war zone", and have been the subject of police attention in an attempt to reduce crime.

Southwest quadrant
Traditionally consisting of agricultural and rural areas, the Southwest quadrant is often referred to as the "South Valley". Although the city limits of Albuquerque do not include all of the area, the South Valley is considered to extend all the way to the Isleta Indian Reservation. This includes the old communities of Kinney, Los Padillas, Mountainview, and Pajarito. The south end of downtown Albuquerque and the Bosque ("woodlands" cottonwood forest), the historic Barelas neighborhood, the National Hispanic Cultural Center, the Rio Grande Zoo, and Tingley Beach are also located here.

The southwest area is currently undergoing rapid and controversial development, including large retail stores and quickly-built subdivisions.

Back to top of Albuquerque Info Page

Back to top of Albuquerque Info Page

CULTURE and ARTS

Back to top of Albuquerque Info Page

Back to top of Albuquerque Info Page

As of the census of 2000, there were 448,607 people, 183,236 households, and 112,690 families residing in the city. The population density was 958.9/km² (2,483.4/mi²). There were 198,465 housing units at an average density of 424.2/km² (1,098.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 71.59% White, 3.09% Black or African American, 3.89% Native American, 2.24% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 14.78% from other races, and 4.31% from two or more races. 39.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 183,236 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.5% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $38,272, and the median income for a family was $46,979. Males had a median income of $34,208 versus $26,397 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,884. 13.5% of the population and 10.0% of families were below the poverty line. 17.4% of those under the age of 18 and 8.5% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Back to top of Albuquerque Info Page

Back to top of Albuquerque Info Page