Las Vegas is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

San Miguel County, New Mexico San Miguel County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, the population was 29,393. Its county seat is Las Vegas. San Miguel County comprises the Las Vegas Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in ...

, United States. Once two separate municipalities (one a city and the other a town), both were named Las Vegas—West Las Vegas ("Old Town") and East Las Vegas ("New Town"); they are separated by the Gallinas River and retain distinct characters and separate, rival school districts. The population was 13,166 at the 2020 census. Las Vegas is located south of Raton, east of Santa Fe, northeast of

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

, south of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and south of

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

History

New Mexico Insane Asylum, Las Vegas, New Mexico (1904)

Las Vegas was established in 1835 after a group of settlers received a land grant from the Mexican government. The town was laid out in the traditional Spanish Colonial style, with a central plaza surrounded by buildings which could serve as fortifications in case of attack. Las Vegas soon prospered as a stop on the

Santa Fe Trail The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century route through central North America that connected Franklin, Missouri, with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pioneered in 1821 by William Becknell, who departed from the Boonslick region along the Missouri River, th ...

. During the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

in 1846, Stephen W. Kearny delivered an address at the Plaza of Las Vegas claiming New Mexico for the United States. In 1847, the town was the site of the Battle of Las Vegas, which was a part of the broader

Taos Revolt The Taos Revolt was a populist insurrection in January 1847 by Hispano and Pueblo allies against the United States' occupation of present-day northern New Mexico during the Mexican–American War. Provisional governor Charles Bent and severa ...

by local Hispanos and Pueblo peoples against United States forces. In 1877 Las Vegas College, the precursor to Regis University, was founded in Las Vegas by a group of exiled Italian Jesuits. In 1887, Las Vegas College moved to

whereupon the name was changed. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad arrived at Las Vegas from the North on July 4, 1879. To maintain control of development rights, it established a station and related development one mile (1.6 km) east of the Plaza, creating a separate, rival New Town, as occurred elsewhere in the Old West. The same competing development occurred in

, for instance. During the railroad era Las Vegas boomed, quickly becoming one of the largest cities in the American Southwest. Turn-of-the-century Las Vegas featured all the modern amenities, including an electric street railway, the "Duncan Opera House" at the northeast corner of 6th Street and Douglas Avenue, a Carnegie library, the

Castañeda Hotel The Castañeda Hotel is a historic railroad hotel located in Las Vegas, New Mexico. It was built in 1898 and 1899 by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, and was operated by the Fred Harvey Company until 1948. After being mostly vacant for ...

(a major

Harvey House The Fred Harvey Company was the owner of the Harvey House chain of restaurants, hotels and other hospitality industry businesses alongside railroads in the Western United States. It was founded in 1876 by Fred Harvey to cater to the growing n ...

), and the New Mexico Normal School (now

New Mexico Highlands University New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU) is a public university in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Founded in 1893, it has satellite campuses in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Farmington and Roswell. NMHU has an average annual enrollment of approximate ...

). Since the decline and restructuring of the railroad industry began in the 1950s, the city's population has remained relatively constant. Although the two towns have been combined, separate school districts have been maintained ( Las Vegas City Schools and West Las Vegas School District). The anti-colonist organization

Las Gorras Blancas Las Gorras Blancas (Spanish for "The White Caps") was a group active in the New Mexico Territory and American Southwest in the late 1880s and early 1890s, in response to Anglo-American squatters. Founded in April 1889 by brothers Juan Jose, Pabl ...

was active in the area in the 1890s.

Cowboy Reunions

Beginning in 1915, the Las Vegas Cowboys' Reunions were held annually until 1931; then in 1939, the Cowboys' Reunions were re-established. Their slogan was, "Git Fer Vegas, Cowboy!" These reunions were organized by a group of ranching families and cowboys which soon became the Las Vegas Cowboys' Reunion Association. The Reunions celebrated ranching life, which began in northern

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

in the early 1800s and continues into the 21st century. The annual affair included pie eating contests, barbecues, parades, banquets, balls, and "ranch rodeos." In the early years, celebrities—cowhands as well as big-name bands, movie stars like

Tom Mix Thomas Edwin Mix (born Thomas Hezikiah Mix; January 6, 1880 – October 12, 1940) was an American film actor and the star of many early Western films between 1909 and 1935. He appeared in 291 films, all but nine of which were silent films. He w ...

, and artists such as

Randall Davey Randall Davey (1887 – 1964) was an American painter and art educator. He taught art at several institutions, including the University of New Mexico, and he had his studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His artwork can be seen in museums across the U. ...

—came to Las Vegas for this event. In later years, famous cowhands participated in the Cowboys' Reunion Rodeos. The Cowboys' Reunions reflected the occupations of the area and attracted huge crowds for their four days of events. In 1952, the Cowboys' Reunion Association invited the Rough Riders Association to join them at the annual rodeo.

Outlaws

The arrival of the railroad in 1879 brought with it businesses, development and new residents, both respectable and dubious. Murderers, robbers, thieves, gamblers, gunmen, swindlers,

vagrants Vagrancy is the condition of homelessness without regular employment or income. Vagrants (also known as bums, vagabonds, rogues, tramps or drifters) usually live in poverty and support themselves by begging, scavenging, petty theft, tempora ...

, and

tramp A tramp is a long-term homeless person who travels from place to place as a vagrant, traditionally walking all year round. Etymology Tramp is derived from a Middle English verb meaning to "walk with heavy footsteps" (''cf.'' modern English ''t ...

s poured in, transforming the eastern side of the settlement into a virtually lawless brawl. Among the notorious characters were such legends of the Old West as: dentist Doc Holliday and his girlfriend

Big Nose Kate Mary Katherine Horony Cummings (November 7, 1850 – November 2, 1940), popularly known as Big Nose Kate, was a Hungarian-born American outlaw, gambler, prostitute and longtime companion and common-law wife of Old West gambler and gunfighter ...

Dave Rudabaugh David Rudabaugh (July 14, 1854February 18, 1886) was a cowboy, outlaw, and gunfighter in the American Old West. Modern writers often refer to him as "Dirty Dave" because of his alleged aversion to water, though no evidence has emerged to show ...

, Jesse James,

Billy the Kid Billy the Kid (born Henry McCarty; September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), also known by the pseudonym William H. Bonney, was an outlaw and gunfighter of the American Old West, who killed eight men before he was shot and killed at th ...

Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman and gambler in the American West, including Dodge City, Deadwood, and Tombstone. Earp took part in the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, during which l ...

Mysterious Dave Mather David Allen Mather (August 10, 1851 – unknown), also known by the nickname "Mysterious Dave," was an American lawman, gunfighter, and occasional criminal in the Old West. His taciturn personality may have earned him the nickname "Mysterious Da ...

, Hoodoo Brown, and Handsome Harry the Dancehall Rustler. Historian

Ralph Emerson Twitchell Ralph Emerson Twitchell (1859–1925) was an American attorney, historian, and politician who served as the mayor of Santa Fe, New Mexico and chairman of the Rio Grande Commission, which drafted a treaty between the United States and Mexico l ...

once claimed regarding the Old West, "Without exception there was no town which harbored a more disreputable gang of desperadoes and outlaws than did Las Vegas."

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Climate

Las Vegas has a

cold semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

: BSk).

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 14,565 people, 5,588 households, and 3,559 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 1,938.2 people per square mile (748.8/km²). There were 6,366 housing units at an average density of 847.1 per square mile (327.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 54.21%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 0.99%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 1.96% Native American, 0.61%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.10%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 37.19% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 4.95% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

people of any race were 82.94% of the population. As noted in the chart to the right, the population of Las Vegas peaked at 14,753 in 1990. By 2019, the estimated population had decreased 12.43% to 12,919. There were 5,588 households, out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.0% were married couples living together, 21.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.08. In the city the population was spread out, with 26.4% under the age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males. The median income in 2019 for a household in the city was $26,561 as compared to the New Mexico median income of $49,754 and the national median of $62,843. The median income for a family in Las Vegas was $29,797. Males had a median income of $26,319 versus $21,731 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $20.080 as compared to $34,103 nationally as noted in the 2019 Census estimate. In the past, 24.3% of families and 27.8% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 35.7% of those under age 18 and 20.1% of those age 65 or over. The most recent figures (2019) as provided by the U. S. Census Bureau estimate the total number of persons (all ages) at or below the poverty line has increased to 35.6%. This is significantly higher than the national average of 10.5% and the State average of 18.2%.

Libraries and museums

, founded 1893, is home to the Thomas C. Donnelly Library. It supports the teaching, research and community activities of New Mexico Highlands University. It acquires, organizes, preserves and provides access to pertinent information and scholarly materials for curricular needs, intellectual pursuits and personal enrichment of its clientele. It promotes programs and services that emphasize the diversity of the university's multicultural community and heritage. An addition increased the square footage from 23,700 to 53,500 and now holds a book collection of almost 200,000 volumes. Las Vegas' Carnegie Library, established in 1904, is the only surviving Carnegie Library in New Mexico. Built from a $10,000 donation from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, its Neo-Classical Revival architecture resembles Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. The library sits in the middle of a park that occupies an entire city block, bordered by Victorian-style homes and buildings. The City of Las Vegas Museum & Rough Rider Memorial on Grand Avenue, dedicated in 1940, was first established by the decision of Theodore Roosevelt's

Rough Riders The Rough Riders was a nickname given to the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, one of three such regiments raised in 1898 for the Spanish–American War and the only one to see combat. The United States Army was small, understaffed, and di ...

regiment (the first Volunteer Cavalry Regiment of the Spanish–American War), who named Las Vegas its official reunion home. Their first reunion was held in Las Vegas, June 1899. The museum, free and open to the public, houses a memorial collection of artifacts, archives and photographs from the Rough Riders and mementos in relation to the 1898 Cuban Campaign of the Spanish–American War, with information on over 200 members of the original regiment, RRR Association documents, etc. The museum illuminates the history of Las Vegas, its connection to the Rough Riders, the Santa Fe Trail and the development of New Mexico. It features collections of local Native American pottery, household items, costumes, ranching and farming equipment, agricultural and mercantile operations, and home life. Housed in a 1940

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

-funded building, the museum is built of stone, with Pueblo Revival nuances.

Architecture

Las Vegas has numerous historic structures (mostly railroad-era houses and commercial buildings), with over 900 listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. Although many buildings are in varying states of deterioration, others have been restored or are awaiting restoration. Some of the city's notable buildings include: * Dr. H.J. Mueller House, now a Bed and Breakfast called Crow's Nest Bed and Breakfast. An 1881 example of Victorian eclecticism with unusual octagonal tower * Plaza Hotel, 1881, site of the first reunion of Teddy Roosevelt's

in 1899 * Old City Hall, New Mexico's first municipal building, completed in 1892 * Louis Fort House, Queen Anne house on Carnegie Park, built in 1895 * Masonic Temple, Richardsonian Romanesque building erected in 1895 *

, mission-style Harvey House built in 1898 * Carnegie Library, built in 1903 at the center of Carnegie Park and modeled after

Monticello Monticello ( ) was the primary plantation of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, who began designing Monticello after inheriting land from his father at age 26. Located just outside Charlottesville, V ...

Education

Public schools

The City of Las Vegas is served by two public school districts. * Las Vegas City Schools serves the east side of Las Vegas. * West Las Vegas School District serves the west side of Las Vegas. The City of Las Vegas has two major high schools: *

Robertson High School Robertson High School (RHS) is a public senior high school in Las Vegas, New Mexico, United States. The school is part of the Las Vegas City Schools District in former East Las Vegas. The building dates from about 1945, when it was known as Las V ...

West Las Vegas High School West Las Vegas High School (WLVHS) is a public senior high school in Las Vegas, New Mexico and part of the West Las Vegas Schools District. Founded in 1947, it is the oldest high school in the city. The mascot of WLVHS is the Don, and the schoo ...

Colleges

Las Vegas is the home of

, an important university in New Mexico especially for teacher training. Highlands has long had an excellent science, drama, art, and foreign language faculty. The art department was nationally renowned in the 1950s to 1970s and beyond. Also nearby, north of Las Vegas, is

Luna Community College Luna Community College is a public community college in Las Vegas, New Mexico. The college also has campuses in Mora, Springer and Santa Rosa. History The college was founded in 1969 as the result of a 1967 act of authorization by the New Mexi ...

. The

United World College United World Colleges (UWC) is an international network of schools and educational programmes with the shared aim of "making education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future." The organization was founde ...

in nearby

Montezuma, New Mexico Montezuma is an unincorporated community in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. It is located approximately five miles northwest of the city of Las Vegas. The town was best known for many years for its natural hot springs, and was in fa ...

is a two-year international high school and one of the venues used by the

International Baccalaureate Program The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in 140 countries around the world. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into ...

for teacher training in the United States.

Transportation

Railway * Las Vegas Amtrak Station is a stop on the ''

Southwest Chief The ''Southwest Chief'' (formerly the ''Southwest Limited'' and ''Super Chief'') is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on a route between Chicago and Los Angeles through the Midwest and Southwest via Kansas City, Albuquerque, and Flagsta ...

'' route. Airport *

Las Vegas Municipal Airport Las Vegas Municipal Airport is five miles (8 km) northeast of Las Vegas, in San Miguel County, New Mexico. The airport was a stop on the first air route between Denver and El Paso that began in 1929. Mid-Continental Air Express first fle ...

serves single engine planes, small commercial jets, and helicopters. Major highways * Interstate 25 *

Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to ea ...

(55 miles to the south via

U.S. Route 84 U.S. Route 84 (US 84) is an east–west U.S. Highway that started as a short Georgia–Alabama route in the original 1926 scheme. Later, in 1941, it had been extended all the way to Colorado. The highway's eastern terminus is a short dista ...

) Bus service * None

Films and television

Movies and television shows filmed in and around Las Vegas include: * Many silent

Western films Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US * Western, New York, a town in the US * Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia * Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that ...

were made in and around Las Vegas, especially in the years 1913–1915, including several that starred

. * The 1962–1963

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

western

series Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used in ...

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'' and its second-season version entitled '' Redigo'' were filmed in Santa Fe and near Storrie Lake in Las Vegas. * In the 1969 movie ''

Easy Rider ''Easy Rider'' is a 1969 American independent drug culture road drama film written by Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Terry Southern, produced by Fonda, and directed by Hopper. Fonda and Hopper play two bikers who travel through the American So ...

'', Las Vegas, New Mexico, is the town where the two bikers ride behind a parade, are arrested for "parading without a permit," and meet

Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...

's character in jail. The name of the town can be viewed in the background in one scene during this part of the movie. * The town was the filming location for parts of the 1978 movie ''

Convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

'', a film about truck drivers inspired by the 1975 song of the same name. * Las Vegas stood in for the fictional

Calumet Calumet may refer to: Places United States *Calumet Region, in northern Illinois and Indiana **Calumet River **Calumet Trail, Indiana ** Calumet (East Chicago) * Calumet, Colorado *Calumet, Iowa * Calumet, Michigan *Calumet, Minnesota * Calumet ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

in John Milius' 1984 film ''

Red Dawn ''Red Dawn'' is a 1984 American action drama film directed by John Milius with a screenplay by Milius and Kevin Reynolds. The film depicts a fictional World War III centering on a land invasion of the continental United States by an alliance ...

''. As of 2022, many of the buildings and structures seen in the film remained. * Parts of the 1994 film '' Speechless'', with

Geena Davis Virginia Elizabeth "Geena" Davis (born January 21, 1956) is an American actor

and

Michael Keaton Michael John Douglas (born September 5, 1951), known professionally as Michael Keaton, is an American actor. He is known for his various comedic and dramatic film roles, including Jack Butler in ''Mr. Mom'' (1983), Betelgeuse in '' Beetlejuice'' ...

, about a fictional New Mexico senatorial campaign, were filmed in Las Vegas. * Most of the 1994 film ''

'', with

Kevin Costner Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor, producer, film director and musician. He has received various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actor ...

was filmed in Las Vegas, though it was set in

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

. * Several scenes in the 1998 film '' John Carpenter's Vampires'' were filmed on the plaza. * ''

The Hi-Lo Country ''The Hi-Lo Country'' is a 1998 American Western film directed by Stephen Frears, starring Billy Crudup, Penélope Cruz, Woody Harrelson, Cole Hauser, Sam Elliott, Patricia Arquette, Enrique Castillo, and Katy Jurado. It is set in post-World Wa ...

'' and '' All the Pretty Horses'', released in 1998 and 2000 respectively, were almost entirely shot here. * In the 2001 documentary ''

Freedom Downtime ''Freedom Downtime'' is a 2001 documentary film sympathetic to the convicted computer hacker Kevin Mitnick, directed by Emmanuel Goldstein and produced by 2600 Films. The documentary centers on the fate of Mitnick, who is claimed to have been mi ...

'', a cross-country road trip to

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, ends up in Las Vegas, New Mexico, by mistake. * The 2003 film ''

Blind Horizon ''Blind Horizon'' is a 2003 American conspiracy mystery thriller film directed by Michael Haussman. The screenplay was co-written by F. Paul Benz and Steve Tomlin. The leading cast includes Val Kilmer, Neve Campbell, Sam Shepard, Amy Smart and ...

'' * In 2006, the film '' Fanboys'' used Las Vegas as one of its film locations. The film is about a dying ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...

'' fan and was released in 2009. * Portions of the 2006 movie ''

The Astronaut Farmer ''The Astronaut Farmer'' is a 2006 American drama film directed by Michael Polish, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Mark. The film stars Billy Bob Thornton, Virginia Madsen, Bruce Dern and Max Thieriot. The plot is about a Texas rancher ...

'' were filmed here. * The 2007 film ''

Wild Hogs ''Wild Hogs'' is a 2007 American biker road comedy film directed by Walt Becker and starring Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy. It was released nationwide in the United States and Canada on March 2, 2007. It was the la ...

'' starring John Travolta included scenes filmed around Las Vegas. * Most of the 2007

Coen brothers Joel Daniel Coen (born November 29, 1954) and Ethan Jesse Coen (born September 21, 1957),State of Minnesota. ''Minnesota Birth Index, 1935–2002''. Minnesota Department of Health. collectively known as the Coen brothers (), are American film ...

' ''

No Country for Old Men ''No Country for Old Men'' is a 2007 American neo-Western crime thriller film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, based on Cormac McCarthy's 2005 novel of the same name. Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin, th ...

'' was filmed here. * The 2008 music video ''

Beer for My Horses "Beer for My Horses" is a song recorded by American country music artists Toby Keith and Willie Nelson. It was written by Keith and Scotty Emerick for Keith's seventh studio album, '' Unleashed''. The song was released as the album's fourth and f ...

'' starring

Toby Keith Toby Keith Covel (born July 8, 1961), known professionally as Toby Keith, is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer. He released his first four studio albums—1993's '' Toby Keith'', 1994's '' Boomtown'', 19 ...

and

Rodney Carrington Rodney Scott Carrington (born October 19, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, country music artist and songwriter. He has released six major-label studio albums and a greatest hits package, on Mercury Records and Capitol Records. His ...

was filmed in and around Las Vegas. * The 2009 thriller '' Not Forgotten'' was shot in Las Vegas for incentive reasons. * The 2010 film ''

Due Date ''Due Date'' is a 2010 American black comedy road film directed by Todd Phillips, who wrote the screenplay with Alan R. Cohen, Alan Freedland, and Adam Sztykiel. The film follows a man (Robert Downey Jr.) who must get across the country to Los An ...

'' starring

Robert Downey Jr. Robert John Downey Jr. (born April 4, 1965) is an American actor and producer. His career has been characterized by critical and popular success in his youth, followed by a period of substance abuse and legal troubles, before a resurgence of ...

and

Zach Galifianakis Zachary Knight Galifianakis (born October 1, 1969) is an American actor and comedian. He appeared in ''Comedy Central Presents'' special and presented his show '' Late World with Zach'' on VH1. Galifianakis has starred in films including ''T ...

was partly filmed in Las Vegas, and was used as a fake border crossing into Mexico. * Scenes for the 2011 film ''

Paul Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...

'' starring

Simon Pegg Simon John Pegg (né Beckingham; born 14 February 1970) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. He came to prominence in the UK as the co-creator of the Channel 4 sitcom ''Spaced'' (1999–2001), directed by Edgar Wright. H ...

and

Nick Frost Nicholas Jonathan Frost (born 28 March 1972) is a British actor, author, comedian, painter, producer and screenwriter. He has appeared in the ''Three Flavours Cornetto'' trilogy of films, consisting of ''Shaun of the Dead'' (2004), ''Hot Fuzz ...

with

Kristen Wiig Kristen Carroll Wiig (; born August 22, 1973) is an American actress, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Born in Canandaigua, New York, she was raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Rochester, New York. She moved to Los Angeles, where she jo ...

, Jason Bateman,

Bill Hader William Thomas Hader Jr.''Finding Your Roots'', January 26, 2016, PBS. (born June 7, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is the creator, producer, writer, director, and star of the HBO dark comedy series ''Barry'' (201 ...

Seth Rogen Seth Aaron Rogen (; born April 15, 1982) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian and filmmaker. Originally a stand-up comedian in Vancouver, he moved to Los Angeles for a part in Judd Apatow's series '' Freaks and Geeks'', and then got a part o ...

Joe Lo Truglio Joseph Vincent Lo Truglio (; born December 2, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, writer and producer. Best known for his role as Charles Boyle on the Fox/NBC sitcom '' Brooklyn Nine-Nine'', he also was a cast member on the television series ' ...

and

Sigourney Weaver Susan Alexandra "Sigourney" Weaver (; born October 8, 1949) is an American actress. A figure in science fiction and popular culture, she has received various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Gramm ...

, were filmed in and around Las Vegas. * The 2012 A&E TV series '' Longmire'' starring Robert Taylor and

Katee Sackhoff Katee Sackhoff (born April 8, 1980) is an American actress known for playing Lieutenant Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on the Sci Fi Channel's television program ''Battlestar Galactica'' (2004–2009), Niko Breckenridge on the Netflix series '' Another ...

and set in

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

was filmed in Las Vegas. * The TV series ''

House of Cards A house of cards (also known as a card tower or card castle) is a structure created by stacking playing cards on top of each other, often in the shape of a pyramid. "House of cards" is also an expression that dates back to 1645 meaning a structu ...

'' filmed in Las Vegas in November 2014 for two weeks. The footage was used in the third-season finale. *The TV series ''

Good Luck Charlie ''Good Luck Charlie'' is an American sitcom that originally aired on Disney Channel from April 4, 2010, to February 16, 2014. The series' creators, Phil Baker and Drew Vaupen, wanted to create a program that would appeal to entire families, no ...

'' aired episode " Weekend in Vegas" in which one of the main characters travels to Las Vegas with her best friend and her family, thinking they were going to the city of the same name in Nevada. *The ''

Criminal Minds ''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created and produced by Jeff Davis. The series premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005, and originally concluded on February 19, 2020; it was revived in 2022. It ...

'' season 11 episode "Outlaw" takes place in Las Vegas, New Mexico.

Media

Las Vegas is served by an award-winning bi-weekly newspaper, the '' Las Vegas Optic''. It is published on Wednesday and Friday. The Fort Union

Drive-in theater A drive-in theater or drive-in cinema is a form of cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor movie screen, a projection booth, a concession stand, and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers can view movi ...

is located on 7th Street in Las Vegas. The Indigo Theater is located at 146 Bridge Street in Las Vegas.

Notable people

Antonia Apodaca Antonia Apodaca (November 1, 1923 – January 25, 2020) was an American musician and songwriter known for her performances of traditional New Mexico music. She came to wider prominence through her performances in the ''La Música de los Viejitos' ...

(1923-2020), musician *

Paula Angel Paula Angel (c. 1842 – April 26, 1861) was a Mexican-American woman executed for the murder of her lover. She was hanged from a cottonwood tree in Las Vegas, New Mexico, following a brief and somewhat abnormal legal process. She is the only wo ...

(1842–1861), murderer, only woman to be executed in post-colonial New Mexico *

S. Omar Barker S. Omar Barker (June 16, 1894 – April 2, 1985), was an American cowboy poet, politician rancher, and teacher in New Mexico. He published many books, including ''Vientos de las Sierras'' (1924), ''Buckaroo Ballads'' (1928) and ''Rawhide Rhymes: ...

(1894–1985), oft-recited cowboy poet; born in a log cabin in New Mexico, where he lived his entire life as a rancher, legislator, WW1 veteran, teacher and writer * Margaret Herrera Chávez (1912–1992), painter *

Ann Nolan Clark Ann Nolan Clark, born Anna Marie Nolan (December 5, 1896 – December 13, 1995), was an American writer who won the 1953 Newbery Medal. Biography Born in Las Vegas, New Mexico in 1896, Clark graduated from New Mexico Normal School (now New Mexic ...

(1896–1995), teacher in public schools and reservations, writer of children's multicultural books *

Teresa Leger Fernandez Teresa Isabel Leger Fernandez ( ; born July 1, 1959) is an American attorney and politician representing New Mexico's 3rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. Early life and education Leger Fernandez was born ...

(born 1959), attorney, member of the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

(current) *

Wally Funk Mary Wallace Funk (born February 1, 1939) is an American aviator, commercial astronaut, and Goodwill Ambassador. She was the first female air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, the first female civilian flight in ...

(born 1939), aviator, astronaut, and Goodwill Ambassador * Fabiola Cabeza de Baca Gilbert (1894–1991), educator, nutritionist, activist, writer, inventor of the u-shaped fried taco shell * Pelham D. Glassford (1883–1959), U.S. Army brigadier general *

Eddie Guerrero Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes (October 9, 1967 – November 13, 2005) was an American professional wrestler. He was a prominent member of the Guerrero wrestling family, being the son of first-generation wrestler Gory Guerrero. Eddie Guerrero i ...

(1967–2005), professional wrestler for

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...

, wrestled for New Mexico Highlands University *

Edgar Lee Hewett Edgar Lee Hewett (November 23, 1865 – December 31, 1946) was an American archaeologist and anthropologist whose focus was the Native American communities of New Mexico and the southwestern United States. He is best known for his role in ...

(1865-1946), archaeologist and anthropologist, founder of the

Museum of New Mexico The Museum of New Mexico is a collection of museums, historic sites, and archaeological services governed by the State of New Mexico. It currently consists of six divisions : the Palace of the Governors state history museum, the New Mexico Museum o ...

and first president of the New Mexico Normal School (now New Mexico Highlands University) * Mari-Luci Jaramillo (1928–2019), educator and U.S. Ambassador to Honduras under

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...

* Andrieus A. Jones (1862–1927), school principal and attorney, mayor of Las Vegas (1893–1894),

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

(1917–1927) * Margaret Larkin (1899–1967), writer and musician; born in Las Vegas *

Ray Leger Ray Leger (January 6, 1925 – October 14, 2009) was an American politician and educator who served as a member of the New Mexico Senate for the 8th district from 1973 to 1980. Early life and education Leger was born on January 6, 1925, in L ...

(1925–2009), educator and member of the

New Mexico Senate The New Mexico Senate ( es, Senado de Nuevo México) is the upper house of the New Mexico State Legislature. The Senate consists of 42 members, with each senator representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts across the stat ...

* Pola Lopez (born 1954), artist *

George J. Maloof Sr. George Joseph Maloof Sr. (April 11, 1923 – November 29, 1980) was an American heir and businessman of Lebanese descent. Biography Early life George Joseph Maloof Sr. was born on April 11, 1923, in Las Vegas, New Mexico. His father, Joseph Malo ...

(1923–1980), heir and businessman; born in Las Vegas * Frank Olmstead (1923–2004), mayor of Las Vegas and 18th Auditor of New Mexico *

Patrick Swayze Patrick Wayne Swayze (; August 18, 1952 – September 14, 2009) was an American actor, dancer, and singer known for playing distinctive lead roles, particularly romantic, tough, and comedic characters. He was also known for his media image and ...

(1952–2009), actor, dancer and singer-songwriter; owned a ranch on the Gallinas River near Las Vegas

References

External links

City website

Chamber of Commerce
{{Authority control Cities in New Mexico Cities in San Miguel County, New Mexico Santa Fe Trail County seats in New Mexico Populated places established in 1835 1835 establishments in Mexico