History
Petroglyphs carved into basalt in the western part of the city bear testimony to a Native American presence in the area dating back many centuries. These are preserved in the Petroglyph National Monument. The Tanoan and Keresan peoples had lived along the Rio Grande for centuries before European colonists arrived in the area that developed as Albuquerque. By the 1500s, there were around 20 Tiwa pueblos along a stretch of river from present-day Algodones to theGeography
Landforms and drainage
Albuquerque has one of the highest and most varied elevations of any major city in the United States, though the effects of this are greatly tempered by its southwesterly continental position. The elevation of the city ranges from 4,949 feet (1,508 m)Geology and ecology
Albuquerque lies in the Albuquerque Basin, a portion of the Rio Grande rift. The Sandia Mountains are the predominant geographic feature visible in Albuquerque. ''Sandía'' is Spanish for "Cityscape
Quadrants
Albuquerque is geographically divided into four unequal Address (geography)#Quadrants, quadrants that are officially part of mailing addresses, placed immediately after the street name. They are Northeast (NE), Northwest (NW), Southeast (SE), and Southwest (SW). Albuquerque's official quadrant system uses Central Ave for the north–south division and the railroad tracks for the east–west division. I-25 and I-40 are also sometimes used informally to divide the city into quadrants.=Northeast
= 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 foothills neighborhoods, which are significantly higher in elevation than the rest of the city. Running from Central Ave and the New Mexico Rail Runner Express, Railrunner tracks to the Sandia Peak Tramway, Sandia Peak Aerial Tram, this is the largest quadrant both geographically and by population. Martineztown, the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, the Uptown area, which includes three shopping malls (Coronado Center, ABQ Uptown, and Winrock Town Center), Hoffmantown, Journal Center, and Cliff's Amusement Park are all in this quadrant. Some of the most affluent neighborhoods in the city are here, including: High Desert, Albuquerque, New Mexico, High Desert, Tanoan, Sandia Heights, and North Albuquerque Acres. Parts of Sandia Heights and North Albuquerque Acres are outside the city limits proper. A few houses in the farthest reach of this quadrant lie in the Cibola National Forest, just over the line into Sandoval County, New Mexico, Sandoval County.=Northwest
= file:KiMo Albuquerque.jpg, KiMo Theater, KiMo Theatre in Downtown This quadrant contains historic Old Town Albuquerque, which dates to the 18th century, as well as the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. The area has a mixture of commercial districts and low to high-income neighborhoods. Northwest Albuquerque includes the largest section of Downtown Albuquerque, Downtown, Rio Grande Nature Center State Park and the Bosque ("woodlands"), Petroglyph National Monument, Double Eagle II Airport, the Paradise Hills neighborhood, Taylor Ranch, and Cottonwood Mall (Albuquerque, New Mexico), Cottonwood Mall. This quadrant also contains the North Valley, New Mexico, North Valley settlement, outside the city limits, which has some expensive homes and small ranches along the=Southeast
= file:Lobo Theater, Albuquerque NM.jpg, Lobo Theater in Nob Hill Kirtland Air Force Base, Sandia National Laboratories, Sandia Science & Technology Park, the MaxQ commercial campus, Albuquerque International Sunport, American Society of Radiologic Technologists, Central New Mexico Community College, University of New Mexico, UNM South Campus, Presbyterian Hospital, VA Medical Center, Duke City BMX, University Stadium, Albuquerque, University Stadium, Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park, The Pit (arena), The Pit, Mesa del Sol, Isleta Amphitheater, Albuquerque Studios, Netflix Studios, Isleta Resort & Casino, the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History, New Mexico Veterans Memorial, and Market are all located in the Southeast quadrant of Albuquerque. The Four Hills neighborhoods are located in and around the foothills on the outskirts of Southeast Albuquerque. The vast newer subdivision of Volterra lies west of the Four Hills area. Popular urban neighborhoods that can be found in Southeast Albuquerque include Nob Hill, Albuquerque, Nob Hill, Ridgecrest, Parkland Hills, Hyder Park, and University Heights.=Southwest
= Traditionally consisting of agricultural and rural areas and suburban neighborhoods, the Southwest quadrant comprises the south-end of Downtown Albuquerque, the Barelas neighborhood, the rapidly growing west side, and the community of South Valley, New Mexico, often called "The South Valley". The quadrant extends all the way to the Isleta Indian Reservation. Newer suburban subdivisions on the West Mesa near the southwestern city limits join homes of older construction, some dating as far back as the 1940s. This quadrant includes the old communities of Atrisco, Los Padillas, Huning Castle, Kinney, Westgate, Westside, Alamosa, Mountainview, and Pajarito. The Bosque ("woodlands"), the National Hispanic Cultural Center, the Rio Grande Zoo, and Tingley Beach are also here. A new adopted development plan, the Santolina Master Plan, will extend development on the west side past 118th Street SW to the edge of the Rio Puerco (Rio Grande), Rio Puerco Valley and house 100,000 by 2050.Climate
Albuquerque's climate is classified as a cold semi-arid climate (''BSk'') according to the Köppen climate classification system, while The Biota of North America Program and the U.S. Geological Survey describe it as warm temperate semi-desert. file:Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020) - Albuquerque Area,NM (ThreadEx).svg, Climate chart for Albuquerque Albuquerque is located near the crossroads of several ecoregions. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the city is located in the southeastern edge of the Arizona/New Mexico Plateau, with the Arizona/New Mexico Mountains ecoregion defining the adjacent Sandia-Manzano mountains, including the foothills in the eastern edges of the city limits, above Juan Tabo Boulevard. Though the city lies at the northern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert transitioning into the Colorado Plateau, much of Albuquerque area west of the Sandia Mountains shares similar aridity, temperatures, and natural vegetation more with that of the Chihuahuan Desert, namely the desert grassland and sand scrub plant communities. The eastern portion of the greater Albuquerque area are known as the East Mountain area, and they are within the Southwestern Tablelands, sometimes considered a southern extension of the central high plains and northeast New Mexico highlands. To the north is the Southern Rockies ecoregion in the Jemez Mountains. The average annual precipitation is less than half of evaporation supporting an arid climate (''BWk''), and no month's daily temperature mean is below freezing. The climate is rather mild compared to parts of the country further north or further south. However, due to the city's high elevation, low temperatures in winter often dip below freezing. Varied terrain and elevations within the city and outlying areas cause daily temperature differentials to vary. The daily average temperatures in December and January, the coldest months, are above freezing at and , respectively. Albuquerque's climate is usually sunny and dry, with an average of 3,415 sunshine hours per year. Brilliant sunshine defines the region, averaging 278 days a year; periods of variably mid and high-level cloudiness temper the sun, mostly during the cooler months. Extended cloudiness lasting longer than two or three days is rare. Winter typically consists of cool days and cold nights, except following passage of the strongest cold fronts and arctic airmasses when daytime temperatures remain colder than average; overnight temperatures tend to fall below freezing between about 10 pm and 8 am in the city, except during colder airmasses, plus colder spots of the valley and most of the East Mountain areas. December, the coolest month, averages ; the median or normal coolest temperature of the year is , while the average or mean is about . It is typical for daily low temperatures in much of late December, and January, and February to be below freezing, with a long-term average of 93 days per year falling to or below freezing, and two days failing to rise above freezing. In March, winds dominate as the temperatures began to warm late in the winter. Spring is windy, sometimes unsettled with rain, though spring is usually the driest part of the year in Albuquerque. Late March and April tend to experience many days with the wind blowing at , and afternoon gusts can produce periods of blowing sand and dust. In May, the winds tend to subside as a summer-like airmass and temperatures begin to occur into with regularity. The warming and drying trend continues into June. By mid-June, temperatures can exceed . Summer is lengthy and very warm to hot, relatively tolerable for most people because of low humidity and air movement. The exception is some days during the New Mexico monsoon, when daily humidity remains relatively high, especially in July and August. 2.6 days of or warmer highs occur annually on average, mostly in June and July and rarely in August due in part to the monsoon; an average of 64 days experience or warmer highs. Despite the rarity of such heat, 28 days with highs at or above occurred in the summer of 1980 at Albuquerque's Sunport. In September, the monsoon begins to weaken. Portions of the valley and West Mesa locations experience more high temperatures above and as part of normal or extreme weather each summer. Autumn is generally cool in the mornings and nights but sees less rain than summer, though the weather can be more unsettled closer to winter, as colder airmasses and weather patterns build in from the north and northwest with more frequency. Occasionally, snow will fall in late autumn in December; rarely in late November. Precipitation averages per year. On average, January is the driest month, while July and August are the wettest months, as a result of shower and thunderstorm activity produced by the monsoon prevalent over the Southwestern United States. Most rain occurs during the late summer monsoon season, typically starting in early June and ending in mid-September. Albuquerque averages of snow per winter, and experiences several accumulating snow events each season. Locations in the Northeast Heights and Eastern Foothills tend to receive more snowfall due to each region's higher elevation and proximity to the mountains. The city was one of several in the region experiencing a severe winter storm on December 28–30, 2006, with locations in Albuquerque receiving between of snow. More recently, a major winter storm in late February 2015 dropped up to a foot (30 cm) of snow on most of the city. Such large snowfalls are rare occurrences during the period of record, and they greatly impact traffic movement and the workforce due to their rarity. The mountains and highlands east of the city create a rain shadow effect, due to the drying of air descending the mountains; the Sandia Mountain foothills tend to lift any available moisture, enhancing precipitation to about annually. Traveling west, north, and east of Albuquerque, one quickly rises in elevation and leaves the sheltering effect of the valley to enter a noticeably cooler and slightly wetter environment. One such area is considered part of Albuquerque Metropolitan Area, commonly called the East Mountain area; it is covered in woodlands of juniper and piñon trees, a common trait of southwestern uplands and the southernmost Rocky Mountains.Hydrology
Albuquerque's drinking water comes from a combination of Rio Grande water (river water diverted from the Colorado River basin through the San Juan–Chama Project) and a delicate aquifer that has been described as an "underground Lake Superior". The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) has developed a water resources management strategy that pursues water conservation, conservation and the direct extraction of water from the Rio Grande for the development of a stable underground aquifer in the future. file:Tingley Beach Albuquerque NM.jpg, Tingley Beach in Old Town, Albuquerque, a pond in a former watercourse by the Rio Grande The aquifer of the Rio Puerco (Rio Grande), Rio Puerco is too Brackish water, saline to be cost-effectively used for drinking. Much of the rainwater Albuquerque receives does not recharge its aquifer. It is diverted through a network of paved channels and arroyos, and empties into theDemographics
Residents of the city are demonym, known as ''Burqueños'' (masculine grammatical gender) or ''Burqueñas'' (feminine grammatical gender), or more rarely as simply "Albuquerqueans". The Spanish terms are from Chicano slang (Caló (Chicano), Caló). "Burqueño" is also sometimes used as an adjective for anything related to that city, or to specifically refer to someone who identifies with the Burqueños New Mexico prison gang, or one of the barrios within Albuquerque. Burqueños often speak New Mexican Spanish and Western American English#New Mexico, Western American English. According to the 2020 U.S. census, there were 564,559 people and 229,701 households in Albuquerque. The population density was , making Albuquerque one of the List of United States cities by population density, least densely populated large cities in the U.S. In 2020, the racial makeup of the city (including Latinos in the racial counts) was 60.3% White American, White, 4.5% Native American, 3.1% African American, Black or African American, 3% Asian American, Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, and 9.2% Multiracial American, Multiracial (two or more races). About half of all residents (47.7%) were Hispanic and Latino Americans, Hispanic or Latino, of any race while non-Hispanic whites accounted for 37.7%.2020 census
In 2010, about one-third of Albuquerque households (33.3%) had children under the age of 18, 43.6% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female 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 2010, the age distribution was 24.5% under 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 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. In 2010, 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. TheReligion
Of the residents of Albuquerque who are religious, the majority of them are Christian. Reflecting its long history as a Spanish city, Catholicism is the largest denomination; Catholics are served by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe, whose administrative center is located in Albuquerque. Collectively, other Christian churches and organizations, such as the Eastern Orthodox Church and Oriental Orthodoxy, among others, make up the second largest group. Baptists form the third largest Christian group, followed by Latter Day Saint movement, Latter Day Saints, Pentecostalism, Pentecostals, Methodism, Methodists, Presbyterianism, Presbyterians, Lutheranism, Lutherans and Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopalians. Judaism is the second-largest non-Christian religion in Albuquerque; Congregation Albert, aHomelessness
Like many major American cities, Albuquerque struggles with homelessness, which has become more visible since the 2000s. According to Rock at Noon Day, a homeless services center, there were an estimated 4,000 to 4,500 homeless people living in the Albuquerque metropolitan area in 2019, with millennials and elderly accounting for the fastest growing segments. Albuquerque Public Schools spokeswoman Monica Armenta said the number of homeless children enrolled in district schools (meaning children from families that have no permanent address) has consistently ranged from 3,200 to 3,500. The Coordinated Entry System, a centralized citywide system used to track and fill supportive housing openings when they become available, shows that about 5,000 households experienced homelessness in 2018. Homelessness is particularly concentrated around Downtown, and also in the International District, Albuquerque, New Mexico, International District off Central Avenue, which suffers from chronic urban decay and drug use.Arts and culture
file:Sandia Peak Tramway New Mexico adamselby.jpg, Sandia Peak Tramway Albuquerque hosts the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, International Balloon Fiesta, the world's largest gathering of hot-air balloons, taking place every October at Balloon Fiesta Park, with its 47-acre launch field. Another large venue is Expo New Mexico, where other annual events are held, such as North America's largest pow wow at the Gathering of Nations, as well as the New Mexico State Fair. Other major venues throughout the metropolitan area include the National Hispanic Cultural Center, the University of New Mexico's Popejoy Hall, Santa Ana Star Center, and Isleta Amphitheater. Old Town Albuquerque's Plaza, Hotel, and San Felipe de Neri Church hosts traditional fiestas and events such as weddings, also near Old Town are the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Explora (Albuquerque, New Mexico), Explora, American International Rattlesnake Museum, and Albuquerque Biological Park. Other notable museums in Albuquerque include the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History and the Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum, Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta Museum and more can be found :Museums in Albuquerque, New Mexico, here. Located in Downtown Albuquerque are historic theaters such as the KiMo Theater, which is located across the street from the New Mexico Holocaust & Intolerance Museum, and the Albuquerque Little Theatre, Albuquerque Little Theater. Near the Albuquerque Plaza, Civic Plaza is the Al Hurricane Pavilion and Albuquerque Convention Center with its Kiva Auditorium. Due to its population size, the metropolitan area regularly receives most national and international music concerts, Broadway shows, and other large traveling events, as well as New Mexico music, and Music of New Mexico, other local music performances. file:Rio Grande Botanical Garden Pond.jpg, Albuquerque Botanical Gardens Sandia Peak Ski Area, adjacent to Albuquerque, provides both winter and summer recreation in the Sandia Mountains. It features Sandia Peak Tramway, the world's second-longest passenger aerial tramway, and the longest in the Americas. It stretches from the northeast edge of the city to Sandia Crest, Sandia Peak, the summit of the ski resort, and has the world's third-longest single span. Elevation at the summit is roughly above sea level, or "ten-three".Media and entertainment
Radio and music
One of the longest running AM broadcasting, AM broadcasts in the United States is an ABC News Radio station called KKOB (AM). The first officially licensed FM broadcasting, FM radio broadcast in Albuquerque was KANW which mostly broadcasts the New Mexico music genre and NPR programming. Performers such as Al Hurricane, Al Hurricane Jr., Al Hurricane Jr, Lorenzo Antonio, and Sparx (American band), Sparx popularized New Mexico's Hispano and Native American folk genre by blending it with rockabilly, jazz, Western music (North America), Western, Norteño (music), Norteño, Latin pop, and rock music. Then mayor Richard J. Berry named the center stage of Albuquerque Plaza the "Al Hurricane Pavilion". Regional folk and country music continues to be played on local radio, such as the New Mexico music genre–specific KANW, as well as KNMM on Saturdays, country radio stations KRST, KRST "92.1" and KBQI, KBQI "The Big-I 107.9", along with KBQI's classic country "98.1 The Bull", and Regional Mexican radio on KLVO (FM), KLVO "Radio Lobo 97.7". Other forms of American popular music are represented on FM radio: contemporary hit radio is featured on KOBQ. During the 1990s, the urban contemporary music radio format had two major stations, on KKSS, "KISS 97.3" KKSS and KXOT (FM), "WILD 106" KDLW. KISS 97.3 still exists today, though WILD has changed to a variety of formats. In the 2000s modern rock stations focusing on alternative rock, nu metal, and adult contemporary music became popular in the city, including the FM station KPEK, KPEK "100.3 The Peak". During this time, contemporary Christian music garnered success with KLYT, branded as M88 in its earlier days, due to the crossover of Christian rock and Christian hip hop with popular music. Music groups based in Albuquerque include A Hawk and A Hacksaw, Beirut (band), Beirut, The Echoing Green (band), The Echoing Green, The Eyeliners, Hazeldine (band), Hazeldine, Leiahdorus, Oliver Riot, Scared of Chaka, and The Shins. Talk radio has several outlets in the Albuquerque area. Including a public radio station run by The University of New Mexico KUNM, KUNM-FM, for conservative talk radio there is KIVA (AM), KIVA "The Rock of Talk" owned by Eddy Aragon, and KKOB (AM), KKOB has a Cumulus Media station affiliated with ABC News Radio. As for sports radio there is KNML "The Sports Animal" and KQTM "The Team".Food and agriculture
As a large and multicultural city, Albuquerque is home to a variety of global cuisines, in addition to local New Mexican cuisine. :Restaurants in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Many local restaurants receive statewide attention, with several becoming restaurant chain, chains; the city hosts the headquarters of Blake's Lotaburger, Little Anita's, Twisters (restaurant), Twisters, Dion's, Boba Tea Company, and Sadie's, most of which offer New Mexican fare. As the focus of the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, the city is punctuated by agricultural acequias that contrast with the otherwise heavily urban settings. Crops such as New Mexico chile are grown along the entire Rio Grande; the red or green chile pepper is a staple of New Mexican cuisine and widely available in restaurants, including national fast-food chains. Likewise, the Albuquerque metro is a major contributor to the Middle Rio Grande Valley AVA, where New Mexico wine is produced at several vineyards; the river also provides trade access to the Mesilla Valley to the south (containing Las Cruces, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas), with its Mesilla Valley AVA, own wine offerings, and the adjacent Hatch, New Mexico, Hatch Valley, which is well known for its New Mexico chile peppers. Albuquerque also has a burgeoning List of breweries in New Mexico, brewery scene.International Balloon Fiesta
file:ABQ Balloon Fiesta.jpg, alt=, Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta takes place at Balloon Fiesta Park the first week of October. Although the global COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the 2020 event, The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta successfully returned in 2021. It is one of Albuquerque's biggest attractions. Hundreds of hot-air balloons are seen every day, and there is live music, arts and crafts, and food.Architecture
file:2013, A Walk in Old Town Albuquerque - panoramio.jpg, 225px, Old Town Albuquerque is filled with Territorial Style architecture and design. The original architecture of ''La Villa de Albuquerque'' is referred to as the Territorial Style, it was revitalized as the Territorial Revival architecture. Architect John Gaw Meem is often credited with this revival. John Gaw Meem is also credited with developing and popularizing the Pueblo Revival style, which was based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe but received an important Albuquerque commission in 1933 as the architect of the University of New Mexico. He retained this commission for the next quarter-century and developed the university's distinctive Southwest style. Meem also designed the Cathedral Church of St. John (Albuquerque, New Mexico), Cathedral Church of St. John in 1950. Pueblo Deco architecture was derived from Pueblo and Territorial styles meeting the Art Deco movement, and it is richly featured in downtown Albuquerque. Albuquerque boasts a unique nighttime cityscape, personified in the lights of Albuquerque, a common motif in art and song. The city lights twinkle and glitter from views on Nine Mile Hill, it was among Elvis Presley's favorite views. Route 66 era neon signs, and LED style versions of the neon-style are common throughout the city. Many building exteriors are illuminated in vibrant colors such as green and blue. The Wells Fargo Building is illuminated green. The DoubleTree, DoubleTree Hotel changes colors nightly, and the Compass Bank building is illuminated blue. The rotunda (architecture), rotunda of the county courthouse is illuminated yellow, while the tops of the Bank of Albuquerque and the Bank of the West are illuminated reddish-yellow. Due to the nature of the soil in the Rio Grande Valley, the skyline is lower than might be expected in a city of comparable size elsewhere, and it was used to highlight the low-lying architecture of heritage Pueblo and Hispano architectural styles. file:Albuquerque Roosevelt Park.JPG, Roosevelt Park (Albuquerque, New Mexico), Roosevelt Park is a historic park in central Albuquerque. Albuquerque has expanded greatly in area since the mid-1940s. During those years of expansion, the planning of the newer areas has considered that people drive rather than walk. The pre-1940s parts of Albuquerque are quite different in style and scale from the post-1940s areas. The older areas include the North Valley, the South Valley, various neighborhoods near downtown, and Corrales. The newer areas generally feature four- to six-lane roads in a 1 mile (1.61 km) grid. Each 1 square mile (2.59 km) is divided into four neighborhoods by smaller roads set 0.5 miles (0.8 km) between major roads. When driving along major roads in the newer sections of Albuquerque, one sees strip malls, signs, and cinderblock walls. The upside of this planning style is that neighborhoods are shielded from the worst of the noise and lights on the major roads.Libraries
The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Library system consists of nineteen libraries to serve the city, including the Main Library (Albuquerque, New Mexico), Main Library, Special Collections branch (Old Main Library (Albuquerque, New Mexico), Old Main Library), and Ernie Pyle House/Library, Ernie Pyle branch, which is located in the former home of noted war correspondent Ernie Pyle. The Old Main Library was the first library of Albuquerque and from 1901 until 1948 it was the only public library. The original library was donated to the state by Joshua and Sarah Raynolds. After suffering some fire damage in 1923 the city decided it was time to construct a building for the library to be moved to, however, by 1970 even after additions were made the population and library needs had outgrown the building for its use as a main library and it was turned into Special Collections. The Old Main Library was recognized as a landmark in September 1979. It was not until 1974 with the movement of the South Valley Library into a new building that the Bernalillo built and administered a public library. Not long after, in 1986, the Bernalillo and Albuquerque government decided that joint powers would work best to serve the needs of the community and created the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System.Parks and recreation
The Bosque is a major outdoors area in the city; it has numerous hiking and biking trails. The Sandia–Manzano Mountains and West Mesa also have many hiking trails, such as La Luz Trail and Petroglyph National Monument. According to the Trust for Public Land, Albuquerque has 291 public parks as of 2017, most of which are administered by the city Parks and Recreation Department. The total amount of parkland is 42.9 square miles (111 km2), or about 23% of the city's total area—one of the highest percentages among large cities in the U.S. About 82% of city residents live within walking distance of a park. The Albuquerque Biological Park manages the ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden, ABQ BioPark Aquarium, Tingley Beach, and ABQ BioPark Zoo. Amusement parks in the city include Cliff's Amusement Park and Hinkle Family Fun Center; there was formerly The Beach (waterpark), The Beach waterpark, which became a vacant lot on Desert Surf Circle for several years, until Topgolf made a driving range in the lot. There are numerous golf courses in the city area; Arroyo Del Oso Golf Course, Isleta Eagle Golf Course, Ladera Golf Course, Los Altos Golf Course, Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club, Paradise Hills Golf Course, Puerto del Sol Golf Course, Sandia Golf Club, Santa Ana Golf Club, Twin Warriors Golf Club, and University of New Mexico's Championship Golf Course.Traditional arts
Albuquerque is home to over 300 other visual arts, music, dance, literary, film, ethnic, and craft organizations, museums, festivals and associations, and the state's capital Santa Fe is known for being a major arts city. One of the major art events in the state is the summertime New Mexico Arts and Crafts Fair, a nonprofit show exclusively for New Mexico artists and held annually in Albuquerque since 1961.Sports
file:Isotopes Park Albuquerque.jpg, Albuquerque Isotopes, Isotopes baseball park The Albuquerque Isotopes are a minor league affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, having derived their name from ''The Simpsons'' season 12 episode "Hungry, Hungry Homer", which involves the Springfield Isotopes baseball team considering relocating to Albuquerque. On June 6, 2018, the USL Championship division announced its latest soccer expansion club with New Mexico United, who play their home matches at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park. Having been home to boxing mainstays Brenda Burnside, Bob Foster (boxer), Bob Foster, and Johnny Tapia, Albuquerque later became home to Jackson Wink mixed martial arts, MMA gym. Several MMA world champions and fighters, including Holly Holm and Jon Jones, train in that facility. The Professional Golfers' Association of America, PGA of America offers Albuquerque golf tournaments with Sun Country Golf House, including the Sun Country PGA Championship and the New Mexico Open which have been hosted in the metropolitan area several times. Roller sports are finding a home in Albuquerque as they hosted USARS Championships in 2015, and are home to Roller hockey, and Roller Derby teams. While no longer operating in an official capacity, the defunct Albuquerque Dukes minor league baseball team still has a major following, and the Major League Baseball organization is aware of the team's continued popularity. The Isotopes sometimes hold a Dukes Retro Night where they wear Dukes uniforms, and The Duke mascot continues to be an icon of the city.Government and politics
Albuquerque is a charter city, exercising Home rule in the United States, home rule as opposed to being directly General-law municipality, governed by state law. Its charter was adopted in 1917 and has been amended several times, most notably in 1974, when the municipal government was changed from a Council–manager government, commission-manager system to its current mayor–council government, mayor–council system. Under this arrangement, power is divided between a mayor who serves as chief executive, and a nine-member council that holds legislative authority. The current mayor is Tim Keller (politician), Tim Keller, who was elected in 2017. The mayor of Albuquerque holds a full-time paid position and is directly elected for four-year terms. Members of the Albuquerque City Council serve part-time, paid positions and are elected from their nine respective districts for four-year terms, with four or five councilors elected every two years. Elections for mayor and councilor are Non-partisan democracy, nonpartisan. Each December, a new council president and vice-president are chosen by and among council members. The city council has the power to adopt all ordinances, resolutions, or other legislation. It meets twice a month in the Vincent E. Griego Council Chambers of the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Government Center. Ordinances and resolutions passed by the council are presented to the mayor for his approval; if the mayor vetoes an item, the council can override the veto by a two-thirds vote of councilors. Each year, the mayor submits a city budget proposal for the next year to the council by April 1, and the council acts on the proposal within the next 60 days. Albuquerque's judicial system consists of the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court, which serves other municipalities and unincorporated areas in the county; the main Metropolitan Courthouse is located in downtown Judges serve in nineteen divisions and are subject to partisan elections by county voters every four years. The Albuquerque Police Department (APD) is the chief law enforcement entity within city limits; the unincorporated area of Bernalillo County is policed primarily by the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department. With approximately 1,000 sworn officers, APD is the largest municipal police department inEconomy
Albuquerque is New Mexico's leading economic center, accounting for half the state's economic activity. The city's economy is highly diversified, centering on science, medicine, technology, commerce, education, media entertainment, and culture (particularly fine arts); construction, film production, and retail trade have seen the most robust growth since 2020. Albuquerque is the center of the New Mexico Technology Corridor, a concentration of institutions engaged in Research and development, scientific research and development, which in turn forms part of the larger Rio Grande Technology Corridor that stretches from southern Colorado to southwestern Texas. Major nodes within the corridor include federal installations such as Kirtland Air Force Base, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories; private healthcare facilities such as Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute and Presbyterian Health Services; academic institutions such as the University of New Mexico and Central New Mexico Community College; and private companies such as Intel (which has a List of Intel manufacturing sites, fabrication site in neighboring Rio Rancho, New Mexico, Rio Rancho), Facebook (with a data center in Los Lunas), Northrop Grumman, Passive solar building design, passive solar energy company Steve Baer, Zomeworks, and Tempur-Pedic. The city was also the founding location of Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems, MITS and Microsoft. Beginning with the Manhattan Project in the 1940s, Department of Energy (United States), federal labs such as Los Alamos, Sandia National Laboratories, Sandia, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have cooperated on multidisciplinary research in the region; contractors for these facilities bring highly educated workers and researchers to an otherwise relatively isolated area, many of whom establish or work with local tech companies. The federal government spends roughly $4 billion annually in research and development in and around Albuquerque. Pursuant to the CHIPS and Science Act—Education
Albuquerque is home to the University of New Mexico, the largest university in the state and the flagship of the state public university system. Central New Mexico Community College is a county-funded junior college serving new high school graduates and adults returning to school. file:unm zimmermanlibrary.jpg, Zimmerman Library at University of New Mexico Albuquerque hosts several programs and nonprofit schools of higher learning, including Southwest University of Visual Arts, Trinity Southwest University, the University of St. Francis College of Nursing and Allied Health Department of Physician Assistant Studies, and the St. Norbert College Master of Theological Studies program. Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) is in an unincorporated area adjacent to Albuquerque. The Ayurvedic Institute, one of the first Ayurveda colleges specializing in Ayurvedic medicine outside India, was established in 1984. Other state and nonprofit institutions of higher learning have moved some programs into Albuquerque; these include New Mexico State University, Highlands University, Lewis University, Wayland Baptist University, and Webster University. Several for-profit technical schools including Brookline College, Pima Medical Institute, National American University, Grand Canyon University, the University of Phoenix and several barber/beauty colleges have established their presence in the area. Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) is the school district covering all of Albuquerque. Schools within APS include both public and charter entities. Numerous accredited private preparatory schools also serve Albuquerque students. These include various pre-high school religious (Christian, Jewish, Islamic) affiliates and Montessori schools, as well as Menaul School, Albuquerque Academy, St. Pius X High School (Albuquerque), St. Pius X High School, Sandia Preparatory School, the Bosque School, Evangel Christian Academy, Hope Christian School, Hope Connection School, Shepherd Lutheran School, Temple Baptist Academy, and Victory Christian. Accredited private schools serving students with special education needs in Albuquerque include: Desert Hills, Pathways Academy, and Presbyterian Ear Institute Oral School. The New Mexico School for the Deaf runs a preschool for children with hearing impairments in Albuquerque.Infrastructure
Since the city's founding, it has continued to be included on travel and trade routes including the historic El Camino Real, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, Santa Fe Railway (ATSF), Route 66, and the modern Interstate 25 in New Mexico, Interstate 25, Interstate 40 in New Mexico, Interstate 40, New Mexico State Road 45, and Albuquerque International Sunport. Albuquerque is the second largest city in the United States (after Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix) to have at least two Interstate Highways, but no List of auxiliary Interstate Highways, three-digit Interstates.Transportation
Main highways
Some of the main highways in the metro area include: * Interstate 25 in New Mexico, Pan-American Freeway: More commonly known as Interstate 25 or "I-25", it is the main north–south highway on the city's eastern side of theBridges
There are six road bridges that cross theRail
file:downtown Albuquerque stn look south.JPG, Rail Runner Express Downtown Albuquerque station train platform The state owns most of the city's rail infrastructure which is used by a commuter rail system, long-distance passenger trains, and the freight trains of the BNSF Railway.Freight service
BNSF Railway operates a small yard operation out of Abajo yard, located just south of the César E. Chávez Ave. overpass and the New Mexico Rail Runner Express yards. Most freight traffic through the Central New Mexico region is processed via a much larger hub in nearby Belen, New Mexico.Intercity rail
Intercity Bus Services
Greyhound Lines and FlixBus offer intercity transportation services to the Albuquerque metropolitan area, Albuquerque Metro Area as well as transportation to other cities around the United States.Commuter rail
The New Mexico Rail Runner Express, a commuter rail line, began service between Sandoval County and Albuquerque in July 2006 using an existing BNSF Railway, BNSF right-of-way which was purchased by New Mexico in 2005. Service expanded to Valencia County in December 2006 and to Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe on December 17, 2008. Rail Runner now connects Santa Fe County, Santa Fe, Sandoval, Bernalillo County, Bernalillo, and Valencia Counties with thirteen station stops, including three stops within Albuquerque. The trains connect Albuquerque to downtown Santa Fe with eight roundtrips per weekday. The section of the line running south to Belen is served less frequently.Local mass transit
file:Albuquerque Alvarado Transportation Hub.jpg, up Alvarado Transportation Center, an intermodal transportation hub in downtown Albuquerque The primary mass transit system is ABQ RIDE, which operates a variety of bus routes throughout the city, including the Albuquerque Rapid Transit, Albuquerque Rapid Transit (ART) express bus service. The central nexus for public transportation is the Alvarado Transportation System, which connects ABQ RIDE toBicycle transit
Albuquerque has a well-developed network of trails, bicycle routes, and paths totaling over 400 miles. A 2021 study by Walk Score ranked it 26th out of 130 U.S. cities in bike friendliness, based on indicators such infrastructure, terrain, and connectivity. In 2009, Albuquerque opened its first Bicycle Boulevard on Silver Avenue. In 2015, the city adopted the "Bikeway & Trails Facility Plan" to invest in its bicycle infrastructure, including improving and expanding the existing system, adding new routes, and establishing bike sharing programs.Walkability
A 2011 study by Walk Score ranked Albuquerque as the 28th-most walkable of the fifty largest U.S. cities, indicating below average performance in metrics such as access to public transit and proximity to people or amenities. A follow-up study a decade later ranked the city 73rd out of 130 cities nationwide, with a walkability score of 42.6 compared to an average of 48, classifying it as "car-dependent".Airports
file:AlbuquerqueSunportentrance.JPG, Albuquerque International Sunport Albuquerque is served primarily by the Albuquerque International Sunport, located southeast of the city's central business district. It is the largest airport in New Mexico and the state's sole international airport, serving over 5 million passengers per year. The city owns and operates the much smaller Double Eagle II Airport, which is primarily used for air ambulances, corporate flights, military flights, charter flights, aviation training, and private flights.Utilities
Energy
PNM Resources, New Mexico's largest electricity provider, is based in Albuquerque. They serve about 487,000 electricity customers statewide. In September 2021, PNM entered final merger talks with Avangrid, the U.S. subsidiary of Spanish power giant Iberdrola. New Mexico Gas Company, a subsidiary of Canadian utility company Emera, provides natural gas services to more than 540,000 customers in the state, including the Albuquerque metro area.Sanitation
The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority is responsible for the delivery of drinking water and the treatment of wastewater. Trash and recycling in the city are managed by the City of Albuquerque Solid Waste Management Department. South Side Water Reclamation Plant.Healthcare
Albuquerque is the medical hub of New Mexico, hosting numerous medical centers. The University of New Mexico Hospital is the largest hospital in New Mexico with 628 licensed beds and is the primary teaching hospital for the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, the state's only medical school. It provides a large residency training program in the state, one of many; a children's hospital, burn center, and level I pediatric and adult trauma centers, as well as a certified advanced primary stroke center and the largest collection of adult and pediatric specialty and subspecialty programs in the state. Albuquerque's other largest hospitals are Presbyterian Hospital (Presbyterian Healthcare Services) with 543 licensed beds, Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center (Veterans Health Administration) with 298 beds, and Lovelace Medical Center (Lovelace Health System) with 263 beds. Smaller specialty hospitals include the Heart Hospital of New Mexico and Lovelace Women's Hospital.Notable people
Sister cities
* Alburquerque, Badajoz, Alburquerque, Spain * Ashgabat, Turkmenistan * Chihuahua City, Chihuahua, Mexico * Guadalajara, Mexico * Helmstedt, Germany * Hualien City, Hualien, Taiwan * Lanzhou, China * Lusaka, Zambia * Rehovot, Israel * Sasebo, Japan * Kharkiv, UkraineSee also
* Alburquerque, Spain * List of municipalities in New Mexico * National Old Trails Road * ''Breaking Bad'' and ''Better Call Saul'', TV shows set in Albuquerque * Albuquerque (song), ''Albuquerque'' (song) 1999 song by "Weird Al" Yankovic named for and set primarily in AlbuquerqueNotes
References
Further reading
* Ciotola, Nicholas P. "Italian immigrants in Albuquerque, 1880 to 1930: A study in Western distinctiveness." ''Journal of the West'' 43.4 (2004): 41–48. * Luckingham, Bradford. ''The urban southwest: a profile history of Albuquerque, El Paso, Phoenix, Tucson'' (Texas Western Press, 1982) * Simmons, Marc. ''Albuquerque: a narrative history'' (University of New Mexico Press, 1982)External links
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