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Albuquerque, New Mexico

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This article is about the largest city of New Mexico. For other uses, see Albuquerque (disambiguation).
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County, and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 448,607 as of the 2000 census. In 2005, the city had an estimated population of 494,236. The metropolitan area has a population of roughly 797,940 and includes the city of Rio Rancho, one of the fastest growing cities in the United States.

ABQ (the code for the city's airport and also a colloquialism for the city) is located where the Interstate highways I-40 and I-25 meet in an interchange which locals refer to as the "Big I."

Albuquerque is home to the University of New Mexico (UNM) and Kirtland Air Force Base as well as Sandia National Laboratories and Petroglyph National Monument. The Sandia Mountains run along the eastern side of Albuquerque and the Rio Grande flows through the city north to south. Albuquerque's climate is usually sunny and dry, averaging around 8-9 inches (250 to 300 mm) of precipitation per year. With more than 300 days of sunshine annually, Albuquerque is considered as having one of the best climates in North America.

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

Contents

History

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 Don Francisco Fernández de la Cueva, Duke of Alburquerque, viceroy of New Spain from 1653 to 1660. 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.

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 of the Atomic Age. 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.

Now in the 21st century, Albuquerque continues to grow quite fast. The population of the city proper is estimated at 494,236 in 2005, up from 448,607 in the 2000 census, and is projected to reach 540,279 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 855,285 in 2010, and surpass 1 million by 2020.

Urban trends and issues

Albuquerque
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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 [link]. 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 [link]. 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.

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 [link]. 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 [link]. Phase I, which runs on existing BNSF Railway tracks between Belen and Bernalillo, is set to begin operation in July, 2006, 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. In April of 2006, the Albuquerque City Council and Mayor Martin Chavez worked together to enact a minimum wage ordinance. Under this ordinance, the minimum wage will increase to $6.75 on January 1, 2007 and will eventually be raised to $7.50 by 2009.

Climate and geography

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 averaging 8-9 inches (216 mm) of precipitation a year, most of which occurs during the summer monsoonal season that typically starts in July and usually ends in mid-September. During this period, winds originate more from the south to southeast direction and carry moisture from the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of California and the Gulf of Mexico into the region. As this moisture moves into the Albuquerque area (and many other areas in the southwest), a combination of orographic uplift from the mountains, and daytime heating from the sun, causes thunderstorms to develop across the region. This is what causes most of the rain in the Albuquerque area. 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 (0.35%) is 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″N, 106°36′36″W] (35.110703, -106.609991)[Geographic references#1GR1].

Distances

Terrain

Satellite Image of Albuquerque, New Mexico Courtesy of NASA
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Satellite Image of Albuquerque, New Mexico Courtesy of NASA

The 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.

Points of interest

Historic landmarks

The Pueblo Deco style KiMo Theater is one of Albuquerque's best-known landmarks.
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The Pueblo Deco style KiMo Theater is one of Albuquerque's best-known landmarks.

Albuquerque's skyline, seen from the southeast.
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Albuquerque's skyline, seen from the southeast.

10 Tallest Buildings in Albuquerque
Rank Name Height Floors
1 Bank of Albuquerque Tower 107 m / 351 ft 22
2 Hyatt Regency Albuquerque 78 m / 256 ft 21
3 Compass Bank Building 73 m / 238 ft 18
4 Albuquerque Petroleum Building 72 m / 235 ft 15
5 Bank of the West Tower 65 m / 213 ft 17
6 Gold Building 62 m / 203 ft 14
7 Dennis Chavez Federal Building 60 m / 197 ft 13
8 PNM Building 56 m / 184 ft 12
9 Simms Building 55 m / 180 ft 13
10 Pete V. Domenici U.S. Courthouse 54 m / 167 ft 7

Culture, technology, and popular culture

Demographics

As of the census[Geographic references#2GR2] 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. About 10.0% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.4% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.

Educational institutions

Colleges and universities

Primary schools

Secondary schools

Sports

Club Sport League Venue Logo
Albuquerque Isotopes Baseball AAA PCL affiliated with the Florida Marlins Isotopes Park Albuquerque Isotopes Logo
Albuquerque Thunderbirds Basketball NBA D-League Tingley Coliseum Albuquerque Thunderbirds Logo
New Mexico Scorpions AA Minor League Ice Hockey CHL Tingley Coliseum* New Mexico Scorpions Logo

''*The Scorpions plan to move to a new arena currently being built in neighboring Rio Rancho in 2006. ''

Transportation

Airports

Passenger rail

Interstate highways

Local transit

Media

Albuquerque is a media hub for much of New Mexico. These organizations are based in or have a significant presence in Albuquerque:

Newspapers

Radio Stations

(major stations - main article)

Television

(main article) "Project for Excellence in Journalism" rating of local TV news http://www.journalism.org/resources/research/reports/localTV/2002/Local_TV_2002_study.pdf

Online

Trivia

Sister cities

Albuquerque has nine sister cities, as designated by [Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI)]:

See also

External links

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Metropolitan area
North Valley | Rio Rancho | South Valley
Bernalillo | Carnuel | Corrales | Isleta Village Proper | Los Ranchos de Albuquerque | Santa Ana Pueblo

State of New Mexico
Regions
Central New Mexico | Eastern New Mexico | Llano Estacado | Northern New Mexico | Sangre de Cristo Mountains | Southwestern New Mexico
Cities & Towns
Albuquerque | Las Cruces | Rio Rancho | Roswell | Santa Fe
Alamogordo | Artesia | Belen | Carlsbad | Clovis | Deming | Española | Farmington | Gallup | Grants | Hobbs | Las Vegas | Lovington | Los Alamos |
Los Lunas | Portales | Raton | Ruidoso | Silver City | Socorro | Taos | Truth or Consequences | Tucumcari
Counties
Bernalillo | Catron | Chaves | Cibola | Colfax | Curry | De Baca | Doña Ana | Eddy | Grant | Guadalupe | Harding | Hidalgo | Lea | Lincoln | Los Alamos | Luna | McKinley |
Mora | Otero | Quay | Rio Arriba | Roosevelt | San Juan | San Miguel | Sandoval | Santa Fe | Sierra | Socorro | Taos | Torrance | Union | Valencia
Colleges and universities
Albuquerque Technical-Vocational Institute | College of Santa Fe | College of the Southwest | Eastern New Mexico University | New Mexico Highlands University |
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology | New Mexico Military Institute | New Mexico State University | St. John's College, Santa Fe |
University of New Mexico | Western New Mexico University

 

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