Everything about Albuquerque totally explained
Albuquerque (
Spanish ; known as
Bee'eldííldahsinil in
Navajo) 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
U.S. census. As of the 2007 census estimate, the city's population was 523,590, with a metropolitan population of 841,133 as of
July 1,
2007. In 2007, Albuquerque ranked as the
32nd-largest city as well as the 2nd fastest growing city in the country. Albuquerque has the
59th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. The
Albuquerque MSA population includes the city of
Rio Rancho, one of the fastest growing cities in the United States, a hub for many master-planned communities which are expected to draw future businesses and residents to the area.
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.
History
Early settlers
The city was founded in 1706 as the
Spanish colonial outpost of
Ranchos de Alburquerque; present-day Albuquerque retains much of the 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." "Old Town" was sometimes referred to as "La Placita" ("little plaza" in Spanish).
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. Some New Mexicans still prefer the spelling
Alburquerque; see for example the book by that name by
Rudolfo Anaya. In the 1990s, the Central Avenue Trolley Buses were emblazoned with the name
Alburquerque (with two "r"s) in honor of the city's historic name.
The Alburquerque family name dates from pre-12th century Iberia (Spain and Portugal) and is habitational in nature (de Alburquerque = from Alburquerque). The Spanish village of Alburquerque is within the Badajoz province of Spain, and located just fifteen miles from the Portugese border. Cork trees dominate the landscape and Alburquerque is a center of the Spanish cork industry. Over the years, this region has been alternately under both Spanish and Portugese rule. (It is interesting to note that the Portuguese spelling has only one 'r'). Historically, the land around Alburquerque was invaded and settled by the Moors (711 AD) and the Romans (218 BC) before them. Thus, the word Alburquerque may be rooted in the Arabic (Moorish) 'Abu al-Qurq', which means "father of the cork oak", or "land of the cork oak" (the land as father - fatherland). Alternately, it may be Latin (Roman) in origin and from 'albus quercus' or "white oak" (the wood of the cork oak is white after the bark has been removed). The seal of the Spanish village of Alburquerque is comprised of a white oak tree, framed by a shield, topped by a crown.
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
2 miles (3 km) east in what quickly became known as New Albuquerque or New Town. Old Town remained a separate community until the 1920s when it was absorbed by the City of Albuquerque, which had been incorporated in 1891.
Albuquerque High School, the city's first public high school, was established in 1879.
Early 20th century
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, Amtrak passenger trains, 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 West 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.
Decades of growth
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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. Signs between
Bernalillo and
Los Lunas along the old route now have brown, historical highway markers denoting it as
Pre-1937 Route 66.
The establishment of
Kirtland Air Force Base in 1939, Sandia Base in the early 1940s, and
Sandia National Laboratories in 1949, would make Albuquerque a key player of the Atomic Age. Meanwhile, the city continued to expand outward onto the West Mesa, reaching a population of 210,040 by 1960, in 1990 it was 350,402 and in 2007 it was 523,590.
Albuquerque's downtown entered the same phase and development (decline, "urban renewal" with continued decline, and gentrification) as nearly every city across the United States. 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, high-rises, and parking lots as part of the city's urban renewal phase. 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, in the
gentrification phase.
New millennium
During the 21st century, the Albuquerque population has continued to grow rapidly. The population of the city proper is estimated at 504,949 in 2006 and the last count by the city was 523,590 in 2007, up from 448,607 in the 2000 census, and is projected to reach 661,000 in 2010. The metropolitan area population is estimated at 816,811 in 2006, up from 712,738 in the 2000 census, and is projected to reach 993,211 in 2010, and surpass 1.3 million by 2020.
During 2005 and 2006, the city celebrated its tricentennial with a diverse program of cultural events.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau, Albuquerque has a total area of
181.3 square miles (469.6 km²).
180.6 square miles (467.8 km²) of it's land and
0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (0.35%) is water. The metro area has over 100 square miles developed.
Albuquerque lies within the northern, upper edges of the
Chihuahuan Desert ecoregion, based on long-term patterns of climate, associations of plants and wildlife, and landforms, including drainage patterns. Located in central New Mexico, the city also has noticeable influences from the adjacent Colorado Plateau Semi-Desert, Arizona-New Mexico Mountains, and Southwest Plateaus and Plains Steppe ecoregions, depending on where one is located. Its main geographic connection lies with southern New Mexico, while culturally, Albuquerque is a crossroads of most of New Mexico.
Albuquerque has one of the highest 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
4,900 feet (1,490 m) above sea level near the Rio Grande (in the Valley) to over
6,700 feet (1,950 m) in the foothill areas of Sandia Heights and Glenwood Hills. At the airport, the elevation is
5,352 feet (1,631 m) above sea level.
The Rio Grande is classified, like the
Nile, as an 'exotic' river because it flows through a desert. The New Mexico portion of the Rio Grande lies within the
Rio Grande Rift Valley, bordered by a system of
faults, including those that lifted up the adjacent Sandia and
Manzano Mountains, while lowering the area where the life-sustaining Rio Grande now flows.
Albuquerque is located at (35.110703, -106.609991).
Climate
Albuquerque's climate is usually sunny and dry, with low relative humidity. Brilliant sunshine defines the region, averaging more than 300 days a year; periods of variably mid and high-level cloudiness temper the sun at other times. Extended cloudiness is rare. The city has four distinct seasons, but the heat and cold are mild compared to the extremes that occur more commonly in other parts of the country.
Winters are rather brief but definite; daytime highs range from the mid 40s to upper 50s
Fahrenheit, while the overnight lows drop into the low 20s to near 30 by sunrise; nights are often colder in the valley and uppermost foothills by several degrees, or during cold frontal passages from the Great Basin or Rocky Mountains. The occasional snowfall, associated with low pressure areas, fronts and troughs, often melts by the mid-afternoon; over half of the scant winter moisture occurs in the form of light rain showers, usually brief in duration. In the much higher and colder Sandia Mountains, moisture falls as snow; many years have enough snow to create decent skiing conditions at the local ski area.
Spring time starts off windy and cool, sometimes unsettled with some rain and even light snow, though spring is usually the driest part of the year in Albuquerque. March and April tend to see many days with the wind blowing at 20 to 30 mph, and afternoon gusts can produce periods of blowing sand and dust. In May, the winds tend to subside, as temperatures start to feel like summer.
Summer daytime highs range from the upper 80s to the upper 90's, while dropping into the low 60s to low 70s overnight; the valley and uppermost foothills are often several degrees cooler than that. The heat is quite tolerable because of low humidity, except during the late summer during increased humidity from surges in the monsoonal pattern; at that time, daytime highs drop slightly but the extra moisture in the air can cause nighttime temperatures to increase.
Fall sees mild days and cool nights with less rain, though the weather can be more unsettled closer to winter.
The city was one of several in the region experiencing a severe winter storm leaving between 10 and 26 inches of snow in just over 24 hours on
December 30,
2006.
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| Avg high °F | 48 |
55 |
62 |
71 |
80 |
90 |
92 |
89 |
82 |
71 |
57 |
48
|
| Avg high °C | 9 |
13 |
17 |
22 |
27 |
32 |
33 |
32 |
28 |
22 |
14 |
9
|
| Avg low °F | 24 |
28 |
34 |
41 |
50 |
59 |
65 |
63 |
56 |
44 |
32 |
24
|
| Avg low °C | -4 |
-2 |
1 |
5 |
10 |
15 |
18 |
17 |
13 |
7 |
0 |
-4
|
| Rainfall inches | .49 |
.44 |
.61 |
.50 |
.60 |
.65 |
1.27 |
1.73 |
1.07 |
1.00 |
.62 |
.49
|
| Rainfall mm | 12.4 |
11.2 |
15.5 |
12.7 |
15.2 |
16.5 |
32.3 |
43.9 |
27.2 |
25.4 |
15.7 |
12.4
|
Albuquerque's climate is classified as
arid (BWk or BWh, depending on the particular scheme of the
Köppen climate classification system one uses), meaning average annual precipitation is less than half of evaporation, and the mean temperature of the coldest month is above freezing (32F). Only the wettest areas of the Sandia foothills are barely
semi-arid, where precipitation is more than half of, but still less than, evaporation; such areas are localized and usually lie above 6000 feet in elevation and often in arroyo drainages, signified by a slightly denser, taller growth of evergreen oak - juniper - pinon chaparral and rarely, woodland, often mixed with taller desert grasses. These elevated foothill areas still border arid areas, best described as desert grassland or desert shrub, on their west sides.
Traveling to the 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 still considered part of metro Albuquerque, commonly called the "East Mountain" area; it's covered in savannas or woodlands of low juniper and pinon trees, reminiscent of the lower parts of the southern Rocky Mountains, which don't actually contact Albuquerque proper.
Those mountains and highlands beyond the city create a "rain shadow" effect, due to the drying of descending air movements; the city usually receives very little rain or snow, averaging 8-9 inches (216 mm) of precipitation per year. Valley and west mesa areas, farther from the mountains are drier, averaging 6-8 inches of annual precipitation; the Sandia foothills tend to lift any available moisture, enhancing precipitation to about 10-17 inches annually. Most precipitation occurs during the summer monsoon season (also called a
chubasco in Mexico), typically starting in early July and ending in mid-September.
Geology
The
Sandia Mountains are the predominant geographic feature visible in Albuquerque. "Sandía" is
Spanish for "
watermelon", and is popularly believed to be a reference to the brilliant coloration of the mountains at sunset: bright pink (melon meat) and green (melon rind). The pink is due to large exposures of
granodiorite cliffs, and the green is due to large swaths of
conifer forests. However, Robert Julyan notes in
The Place Names of New Mexico, "the most likely explanation is the one believed by the
Sandia Pueblo Indians: the Spaniards, when they encountered the Pueblo in 1540, called it Sandia, because they thought the squash growing there were watermelons, and the name Sandia soon was transferred to the mountains east of the pueblo." He also notes that the Sandia Pueblo Indians call the mountain
Bien Mur, "big mountain."
Old town contains numerous shops and restaurants as well as a ghost tour performed by the Southwest Ghosthunters Association.
The city is also home to the annual Gathering of Nations
Pow-Wow, an international event featuring over 3,000 indigenous
Native American dancers and singers representing more than 500 tribes from Canada and the United States. Dancers and singers participate socially and competitively at the event, held in April.
The Sandia Mountains to the East offer interesting and varied rock climbing. Climbs from one to 10 pitches can be found at all ability levels.
The
Sandia Peak Tramway, located adjacent to Albuquerque is the world's longest passenger aerial tramway. It also has the world's third longest single span. It stretches from the Northeast edge of the city to the crestline of the Sandia Mountains.
Albuquerque also annually hosts
Bubonicon which is among the largest Science Fiction conventions in the South West.
Sports
Duke City Derby, Roller Derby, a member of WFTDA, Club Fanticisa.
Media
Albuquerque is a media hub for much of
New Mexico. The city is served by one major newspaper, the
Albuquerque Journal. Albuquerque is also home to several radio and television stations that serve the metropolitan area.
Notable people
For a list of notable people see:
List of famous people from Albuquerque
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 448,607 people, 183,236 households, and 112,690 families residing in the city. The
population density was 2,483.4 people per square mile (958.9/km²). There were 198,465 housing units at an average density of 1,098.7/sq mi (424.2/km²). 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% Multiracial (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
The city is home to
University of New Mexico, one of the two large state universities in New Mexico. UNM includes a School of Medicine which was ranked in the top 50 primary care-oriented medical schools in the country . Albuquerque is also home to the
National American University,
Trinity Southwest University, and the
University of St. Francis College of Nursing and Allied Health Department of Physician Assistant Studies. The
Central New Mexico Community College serves most of the area, as do several technical schools including
ITT Technical Institute and the
University of Phoenix. Furthermore,
The Art Center Design College offers bachelor's degrees in Graphic and Interior Design, animation, illustration, Photography as well as several other disciplines.
Albuquerque Public Schools, one of the largest
school districts in the nation, provides educational services to over 87,000 children across the city.
Transportation
Highways
Roads
Many of the roads have undergone recent rehabilitation projects. Numerous intersections of the city have been outfitted with red-light cameras to issue fines for running red-lights as well as speeding.
Mass transit
ABQ RIDE is the local transit agency in Albuquerque. ABQ RIDE operates a variety of city bus routes including the
Rapid Ride BRT route.
Rail
The city has recently incorporated a
commuter rail line that serves the region. The
New Mexico Rail Runner Express system began operation in July 2006 on existing
BNSF Railway. Stops are open serving
Sandoval County,
Bernalillo, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque and the North Valley, downtown Albuquerque, Albuquerque's airport and the South Valley,
Los Lunas, Sandia Pueblo, Isleta Pueblo and
Belen. A major expansion to
Santa Fe is currently under construction, and is estimated to be complete and in service by the end of 2008.
Amtrak's
Southwest Chief, which travels between
Chicago and
Los Angeles, also serves the Albuquerque area.
Airports
Albuquerque is served by two airports, the larger of which is
Albuquerque International Sunport. It is located 3 miles (5 km) southeast of the central business district (CBD) of Albuquerque.
Double Eagle II Airport is the other airport. It is primarily used as an
Air ambulance, corporate flight, military flight, training flight,
charter flight, and private flight facility.
Distances
Dallas, Texas: 645 mi (1,038 km) east-southeast.
Denver, Colorado: 445 mi (716 km) north-northeast.
Phoenix, Arizona: 465 mi (748 km) west-southwest.
Salt Lake City, Utah: 620 mi (998 km) northwest.
Tucson, Arizona: 505 mi (813 km) southwest.
Sister cities
Albuquerque has nine sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI)
:
| - Alburquerque, Spain
- Aşgabat, Turkmenistan
- Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico
- Gijón,Spain
- Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
|
- Helmstedt, Germany
- Hualien, Taiwan
- Lanzhou, China
- Sasebo, Japan
|
Cultural influence
The Simpsons episode Hungry Hungry Homer Springfield Isotopes baseball team relocating to Albuquerque. Albuquerque Isotopes.
In another episode of The Simpsons, titled E Pluribus Wiggum, Krusty states that the presidential candidates have more hot air than the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
In Bugs Bunny shorts where Bugs is travelling underground and doesn't end up where he thought he was going, while consulting a map, he'd often say, "I knew I should've taken a left turn at Albuquerque."
"Weird Al" Yankovic wrote a song for his Running with Scissors album called Albuquerque.
The Hit Disney Channel Original Movies High School Musical and High School Musical 2 are both set in Albuquerque. The teenagers attend the fictious East High School. Neither of the films were shot in Albuquerque.
In Little Miss Sunshine, the family travel from Albuquerque to the pageant.
Neil Young wrote a song called "Albuquerque" for his album Tonight's the Night from 1975.
The Partridge Family had a song called "Point Me In the Direction of Albuquerque" that was played in one of the episodes of the show.
Ethel Mertz, a fictional character played by Vivian Vance in the 1950s sitcom I Love Lucy, is from Albuquerque, which is featured in the episode "Ethel's Hometown." Vance, like her character, hails from Albuquerque.
Prefab Sprout mention Alburquerque in the chorus of their song The King Of Rock 'N' Roll.
Albuquerque has an active live music scene.
Avant-Garde musician Frank Zappa in his song "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats" tells a story set in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The show Breaking Bad(2008) on AMC was filmed and takes place in and around Albuquerque.
Johnny Cash was wanted in Albuquerque, at least in the song "Wanted Man" he wrote with Bob DylanFurther Information
Get more info on 'Albuquerque'.
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