Albuquerque, New Mexico

"Albuquerque" redirects here. For other uses, see Albuquerque (disambiguation).

Albuquerque
City
A view of downtown Albuquerque.
Flag Official seal of Albuquerque Seal
Nickname(s):  The inbred city, Burque
Location in the state of New Mexico
Country	United States
State	New Mexico
County	Bernalillo County
Founded	1706 as: Alburquerque
Incorporated	1891 as: Albuquerque
Government
• Type	Mayor-council government
• Mayor	Richard J. Berry
• City Council	Councilors (Dist #1) Ken Sanchez (Dist #2) Debbie O'Malley (Dist #3) Isaac Benton (Dist #4) Bradley Winter (Dist #5) Dan Lewis (Dist #6) Rey Garduño (Dist #7) Michael D. Cook (Dist #8) Trudy Jones (Dist #9) Don Harris
• State House	Representatives Henry "Kiki" Saavedra (D) Rick Miera (D) Ernest H. Chavez (D) Eleanor Chavez (D) Miguel P. Garcia (D) Teresa Zanetti (R) Antonio "Moe" Maestas (D) Edward C. Sandoval (D) Gail Chasey (D) Sheryl M. Williams-Stapleton (D) Richard J. Berry (R) Mimi Stewart (D) Kathy McCoy (R) Eric A. Youngberg (R) Janice Arnold-Jones (R) Danice R. Picraux (D) Al Park (D) Lorenzo "Larry" Larranaga (R) Jimmie C. Hall (R) Karen Giannini (D) William Rehm (R)
• State Senate	State senators John Ryan (R) Linda Lopez (D) Jerry Ortiz y Pino (D) Dede Feldman (D) Eric Griego (D) H. Diane Snyder (R) Cisco McSorley (D) Mark Boitano (R) Sue Wilson Beffort (R) William H. Payne (R) Kent L. Cravens (R) Linda Lovejoy (D) Joseph J. Carraro (R) Bernadette Sanchez (D)
• U.S. House	Representative Martin Heinrich (D)
Area
• City	181.3 sq mi (469.5 km2)
• Land	180.6 sq mi (467.9 km2)
• Water	0.6 sq mi (1.7 km2)
Elevation	5,312 ft (1,619.1 m)
Population  (2008)
• City	521,999 (34th)
• Density	2,796.0/sq mi (1,079.9/km2)
• Metro	857,903 (MSA)
• Demonym	Albuquerquean
• Ethnicities	49.9% Caucasian 39.9% Hispanic 4.9% American Indian 4.3% Multiracial 3.1% African American 0.6% Vietnamese 14.8% Others
Time zone	UTC-7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
Zip Code(s)	87101–87125, 87131, 87151, 87153, 87154, 87158, 87174, 87176, 87181, 87184, 87185, 87187, 87190–87199
Area code	505
FIPS code	35-02000
GNIS feature ID	0928679
Primary Airport	Albuquerque International Sunport- ABQ (Major/International)
Secondary Airport	Double Eagle II Airport- KAEG (Public)
Website	http://www.cabq.gov/

Albuquerque (Template:Pron-en) 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 521,999 as of July 1, 2008, according to U.S. census estimates, and ranks as the 34th-largest city in the U.S. As of June 2007, the city was the sixth fastest-growing in America. With a metropolitan population of 857,903 as of July 1, 2009, Albuquerque is the 57th-largest United States metropolitan area. The Albuquerque MSA population includes the city of Rio Rancho, one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. Roughly half the people in New Mexico live in the Albuquerque area.

Albuquerque is home to the University of New Mexico (UNM), Kirtland Air Force Base, Sandia National Laboratories, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, 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

Etymology

It is generally believed that the growing village was named by the provincial governor Don Francisco Cuervo y Valdes in honour of Don Francisco Fernández de la Cueva, viceroy of New Spain from 1653 to 1660. One of de la Cueva's aristocratic titles was Duke of Alburquerque, referring to the Spanish town of Alburquerque.

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 Extremadura region, and located just fifteen miles (24 km) from the Portuguese 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 Portuguese rule. The name of the New Mexico city of Albuquerque follows the Portuguese spelling with 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 'alba 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 a white oak tree, framed by a shield, topped by a crown.

Western folklore offers a different explanation, tracing the name Alburquerque to the Arabic 'Al-Barquq', meaning "the plum", and the derivative Galician (Galicia = northwest Spanish Province) word 'albaricoque', the "apricot". The apricot was brought to New Mexico by Spanish settlers, possibly as early as 1743. As the story goes, the settlement of La Ciudad de Albaricoque was established near an apricot tree. As frontiersmen were unable to correctly pronounce the Spanish (Galician) word, they warped it to "Albuquerque."

Early settlers

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

Albuquerque was a farming community and strategically located military outpost along the Camino Real. Spain established a presidio (military garrison) in Albuquerque in 1706. After 1821, Mexico also had a military garrison there. 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).

After the American occupation of New Mexico, Albuquerque had a federal garrison and quartermaster depot, the Post of Albuquerque, from 1846 to 1867. During the Civil War Albuquerque was occupied in February 1862 by Confederate troops under General Henry Hopkins Sibley, who soon afterward 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 and fought the Battle of Albuquerque against a detachment of Union soldiers commanded by Colonel Edward R. S. Canby. This daylong engagement at long range led to few casualties.

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. To quell its then-rising rate of violent crime, gunman Milt Yarberry was appointed the town's first marshal that year. New Albuquerque was incorporated as a town in 1885, with Henry N. Jaffa its first mayor, and it was incorporated as a city in 1891. Old Town remained a separate community until the 1920s when it was absorbed by the city of Albuquerque. Albuquerque High School, the city's first public high school, was established in 1879.

Early 20th century

File:Centralave2.jpg

Depiction of Central Avenue, circa early 20th century

New Albuquerque quickly became a tidy southwestern town. By 1900, it 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 University of New Mexico campus on the East Mesa. In 1902, the famous Alvarado Hotel was built adjacent to the new passenger depot, and it 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. It also 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

Albuquerque at dusk in 2007.

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 201,189 by 1960. In 1990, it was 384,736 and in 2007 it was 518,271. In June 2007, Albuquerque was listed as the sixth fastest-growing city in America by CNN and the U.S. Census Bureau.

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. As of 2010, 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 such as 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 521,999 in 2008, up from 448,607 in the 2000 census. The Albuquerque metropolitan area has 857,903 residents, and it is projected to increase to 1 million people by 2030, according to projections from the University of New Mexico's Bureau of Business and Economic Research.

During 2005 and 2006, the city celebrated its tricentennial with a diverse program of cultural events.

Urban trends and issues

Aerial photo of Albuquerque as seen from I-40 and I-25 interchange northeast of downtown area. Rio Grande River shown in background

Government leaders and many citizens in the city have actively pursued urban projects taken on by cities many times larger. This has resulted in the successful revitalization of downtown, creating restaurants, offices, and residential lofts. The strip of Central Avenue between First and Eighth streets has become a hub of urban life. Alvarado Station provides convenient access to other parts of the city via the city bus system, ABQ RIDE.

The city wants to provide better public transportation opportunities to ease the city's growing traffic woes. A streetcar system is being considered, as of 2009. It would initially extend up the Central Avenue corridor from the West Side, through downtown, past UNM and the Nob Hill district, and into the Uptown Area.

On March 23, 2007, the city's then-mayor, Martin Chavez, announced his plan to brand the city "the Q". Despite various opinions as to what the city's nickname should be, Mayor Chavez continued to push his initiative.

Soy de Burque, "I am from Burque", is one response to the mayor's vision of a "hip" reincarnation". This group of Albuquerque residents feels it is unnecessary to spend taxpayer money to hire marketing companies to brand their city with a more palatable nickname, recognizing the city already has a brand and nickname. This selling of a city’s cultural identity to marketing and advertising firms to brand and sell has been dubbed by Soy de Burque as culture branding. One central issue to their response is the branding campaign was never voted on, but rather declared by Mayor Chavez, and outsourced to marketing and advertising firms.

The passage of the Planned Growth Strategy in 2002–2004 was the community's strongest effort to create a framework for a more balanced and sustainable approach to urban growth.

"A critical finding of the study is that many of the 'disconnects' between the public's preferences and what actually is taking place are caused by weak or non-existent implementation tools -- rather than by inadequate policies, as contained in the City/County Comprehensive Plan and other already adopted legislation."

Urban sprawl is limited on three sides -- by the Pueblo of Sandia to the north, the Pueblo of Isleta and Kirtland Air Force Base to the south, and the Sandia Mountains to the east. Suburban growth continues at a strong pace to the west, beyond Petroglyph National Monument, once thought to be a natural boundary to sprawl development.

Because of less-costly land and lower taxes, much of the growth in the metropolitan area is taking place outside of the city of Albuquerque itself. In Rio Rancho to the northwest, the communities east of the mountains, and the incorporated parts of Valencia County, population growth rates approach twice that of Albuquerque. The primary cities in Valencia County are Los Lunas and Belen, both of which are home to growing industrial complexes and new residential subdivisions. The Mid Region Council of Governments (MRCOG), which includes constituents from throughout the Albuquerque area, was formed to ensure that these governments along the middle Rio Grande would be able to meet the needs of their rapidly rising populations. MRCOG's cornerstone project is the New Mexico Rail Runner Express.

Geography

Sandia Peak Ski Area on the Sandia Mountains.

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 is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (0.35%) is water. The metro area has over 1,000 square miles (2,600 km²) 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°6′39″N 106°36′36″W (35.110703, -106.609991).Template:GR

Climate

Albuquerque
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     0.5     48 24     0.4     55 28     0.6     62 34     0.5     71 41     0.6     80 50     0.7     90 59     1.3     92 65     1.7     89 63     1.1     82 56     1     71 44     0.6     57 32     0.5     48 24 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches Source: NOAA
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     12     9 −5     11     13 −2     15     17 1     13     21 5     15     27 10     17     32 15     32     34 18     44     32 17     27     28 13     25     22 7     16     14 0     12     9 −4 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm

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 no month averages below freezing.

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 (32 to 48 km/h), 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 on December 28–30, 2006, with locations in Albuquerque receiving between 10.5 and 26 inches (27 and 66 cm) of snow.

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 6,000 feet (1,800 m) 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 is covered in savannas or woodlands of low juniper and pinon trees, reminiscent of the lower parts of the southern Rocky Mountains, which do not 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.

Climate data for Albuquerque, New Mexico
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Source 1: NOAA
Source 2: The Weather Channel (record temps)

Geology

Satellite image of Albuquerque taken by NASA.

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."

The Sandia foothills, on the west side of the mountains, have soils derived from that same rock material with varying sizes of decomposed granite, mixed with areas of clay and caliche (a calcareous clay common in the arid southwestern USA), along with some exposed granite bedrock.

Below the foothills, the area usually called the "Heights" consists of a mix of clay and caliche soils, overlain by a layer of decomposed granite, resulting from long-term outwash of that material from the adjacent mountains. This bajada is quite noticeable when driving into Albuquerque from the north or south, due to its fairly uniform slope from the mountains' edge downhill to the valley. Sand hills are scattered along the I-25 corridor and directly above the Rio Grande valley, forming the lower end of the Heights.

The Rio Grande valley, due to long-term shifting of the actual river channel, contains layers and areas of soils varying between caliche, clay, loam, and even some sand. It is the only part of Albuquerque where the water table often lies close to the surface, sometimes less than 10 feet (3.0 m).

The last significant area of Albuquerque geologically is the West Mesa: this is the elevated land west of the Rio Grande, including the sandy terrace immediately west and above the river, and the rather sharply defined volcanic escarpment above and west of most of the developed city. The west mesa commonly has soils often referred to as "blow sand", along with occasional clay and caliche and even basalt, nearing the escarpment.

Hydrology

Tingley Beach in downtown Albuquerque, along the Rio Grande river.

Albuquerque's drinking water presently comes from a delicate aquifer that was once described as an "underground Lake Superior". The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) has developed a water resources management strategy, which pursues conservation and the direct extraction of water from the Rio Grande for the development of a stable underground aquifer in the future.

The aquifer of the Rio Puerco is too saline to cost-effectively use for drinking purposes.

Much of the rainwater that Albuquerque receives does not recharge its aquifer. It is diverted through storm drains called arroyos, to the Rio Grande. The water flowing in the Rio Grande was thought to recharge Albuquerque's aquifer, however, it is actually separated from the rest of the water table.

Of the 62,780 acre-feet (77,440,000 m³) per year of the water in the upper Colorado River basin entitled to municipalities in New Mexico by the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact, Albuquerque owns 48,200. The water is delivered to the Rio Grande by the San Juan–Chama Project. The project's construction was initiated by legislation enacted by President John F. Kennedy in 1962, and completed in 1971. This diversion project transports water under the continental divide from Navajo Lake to Lake Heron on the Rio Chama, a tributary of the Rio grande. Presently, this water is resold to downstream owners in Texas. These arrangements will end in 2008 with the completion of the ABCWUA's Drinking Water Supply Project.

This project will, using a system of adjustable height dams, skim water from the Rio Grande into sluices which will lead to water treatment facilities for direct conversion to potable water. Some water will be allowed to flow through central Albuquerque, mostly to protect the endangered Rio Grande Silvery Minnow. Treated effluent water will be recycled into the Rio Grande to the South of the city. The ABCWUA expects river water to comprise up to seventy percent of its water budget in 2060. Groundwater will still be used. One of the policies of the ABCWUA's strategy is the acquisition of additional river water.

Cityscape

A panoramic view of the City of Albuquerque.

Architecture

Albuquerque Plaza is the headquarters to Bank of Albuquerque, 15 law firms and the Hyatt Hotel.

Albuquerque Petroleum Building is the southwestern headquarters to Bank of the West.

The Gold Building is the headquarters of the New Mexico Bank & Trust.

10 tallest buildings in Albuquerque

Name	Height	Floors
Albuquerque Plaza	351 feet (107 m)	22
Hyatt Regency Albuquerque	256 feet (78 m)	21
Compass Bank Building	238 feet (73 m)	18
Albuquerque Petroleum Building	235 feet (72 m)	15
Bank of the West Tower	213 feet (65 m)	17
Gold Building	203 feet (62 m)	14
Dennis Chavez Federal Building	197 feet (60 m)	13
PNM Building	184 feet (56 m)	12
Simms Building	180 feet (55 m)	13
Pete V. Domenici U.S. Courthouse	176 feet (54 m)	7

See also: List of tallest buildings in Albuquerque

John Gaw Meem, credited with developing and popularizing the Pueblo Revival style, was based in 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.

Due to the nature of the soil in the Rio Grande Valley, the skyline is lower than might be expected in a city of commensurate size elsewhere.

Albuquerque boasts a unique nighttime cityscape. Many building exteriors are illuminated in vibrant colors. The Wells Fargo Building is illuminated green. The DoubleTree Hotel and the Compass Bank building are illuminated blue. The 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.

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. These 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 km²) is divided into four 160-acre (0.65 km²) 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. The downside is that it is virtually impossible to go anywhere from home without driving.

Quadrants

Albuquerque is geographically divided into four quadrants which are officially part of the mailing address. They are NE (northeast), NW (northwest), SE (southeast), and SW (southwest). The north-south dividing line is Central Avenue (the path that Route 66 took through the city) and the east-west dividing line is the BNSF Railway tracks.

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

Northeast Quadrant

This quadrant has been experiencing a housing expansion since the late 1950s. It abuts the base of the Sandia Mountains and contains portions of the Sandia Heights neighborhoods, which are situated in or near the foothills and are significantly higher, in elevation and price range, than the rest of the city. Running from Central Ave. and the railroad tracks to the Sandia Peak Aerial Tram, this is the largest quadrant both geographically and by population. The University of New Mexico, the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, the Uptown area which includes Coronado Center, Winrock Town Center, and the newly completed ABQ Uptown (outdoor shopping and fine dining), Journal Center (with over 2 million square feet (180,000 m²) of office space), Balloon Fiesta Park, and Albuquerque Academy are all located in this quadrant. Some of the most affluent neighborhoods in the city are located here, including High Desert, Primrose Pointe, Tanoan, Glenwood Hills, 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.

Northwest Quadrant

This quadrant contains historic Old Town Albuquerque, which dates back to the 1700s, as well as the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. The area has a mixture of commercial, low-income, middle-income, and some of the more expensive homes in the city. Northwest Albuquerque includes the largest section of downtown, the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park and the Bosque ("woodlands" Cottonwood forest), the Petroglyph National Monument, Double Eagle II Airport, the historic Martineztown neighborhood, the Paradise Hills Area, and Cottonwood Mall. Additionally, the "North Valley" area, which includes some small ranches and upscale residential homes along the Rio Grande, is located in this quadrant. The City of Albuquerque engulfs the village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque and borders Corrales in the northwest valley. The rapidly developing area on the west side of the river is known as the "westside" and consists primarily of traditional residential subdivisions. Here the city proper is bordered on the north by the City of Rio Rancho.

Southeast Quadrant

Eclipse Aviation, Kirtland Air Force Base, Sandia National Laboratories, the Central New Mexico Community College main campus, the Albuquerque International Sunport, Albuquerque Studios, University Stadium, Isotopes Park, and University Arena ("The Pit") are located in the Southeast (SE) quadrant.

The Nob Hill and East Downtown (EDo) neighborhoods lie along Central Avenue, the border between the Southeast and Northeast quadrants. The expensive residential developments of Four Hills, nestled in the Manzano foothills, Volterra, Willow Wood, and Ridgecrest are also variously located in this quadrant. In sharp contrast to these upscale developments, some of the most poverty-stricken neighborhoods in the city are also located in Southeast Albuquerque. During the past two decades, parts of the SE quadrant, mainly around Gibson Blvd. and Central Ave., have become high crime areas. However, recent developments in the neighborhood such as the Cesar Chavez Community Center, Veterans' Memorial, and the renovated Talin Market have shown that this area is reestablishing itself as one of many cultural centers in the city. In fact, the area surrounding Talin Market was named the 'International District' by the city in 2009. The so-called "Golden Heart of Albuquerque," Gold Street (In actuality Gold Avenue, S.E.), is a neighborhood resting nearly center in the city in the southeast quadrant, noted for the proud, unique and colorful inhabitants of urban Albuquerque. With a university (UNM), community college (CNMCC), three stadiums (Isotopes Ballpark, University Stadium, and the Pit), two major hospitals (University of New Mexico Hospital and Presbyterian Hospital), mixed-commercial district ("Brick-Light District") and famed "Frontier Restaurant" nearby, so-called Gold Street and surrounding environs are a hub of activity, distinctly urban, and distinctly New Mexican.

Southwest Quadrant

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

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

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	3,785		—
1900	6,238		64.8%
1910	11,020		76.7%
1920	15,157		37.5%
1930	26,570		75.3%
1940	35,449		33.4%
1950	96,815		173.1%
1960	201,189		107.8%
1970	244,501		21.5%
1980	332,920		36.2%
1990	384,736		15.6%
2000	448,607		16.6%
2008 (est.)	521,999
Sources: 1890–1990, 2000

Census 2000 data

As of the censusTemplate:GR 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.

2008 estimates

Albuquerque and the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area's July 1, 2008, populations were estimated at 521,999 and 845,913 respectively by the United States Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program.

At the 2005–2007 U.S. Census American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates, the city had 488,416 persons of a single race, divided as: White, 342,324 (70.1%); Black, 17,072 (3.5%); American Indian or Alaskan Native, 24,891 (5.1%); Asian, 12,848 (2.6%); Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 793 (0.2%); and some other race, 90,488 (18.5%).

There were 17,162 (3.4% of the population) of two or more races. There were 221,175 (43.7% of the population) Hispanics (of any race).

Economy

Albuquerque lies at the center of the New Mexico Technology Corridor, a concentration of high-tech private companies and government institutions along the Rio Grande. Larger institutions whose employees contribute to the population are numerous and include Sandia National Laboratories, Kirtland Air Force Base, and the attendant contracting companies which bring highly educated workers to a somewhat isolated region. Intel operates a large semiconductor factory or "fab" just outside the city boundaries of suburban Rio Rancho, in neighboring Sandoval County, with its attendant large capital investment. Northrop Grumman is located along I-25 in northeast Albuquerque, and TempurPedic is located on the West Mesa next to I-40.

The solar energy and architectural-design innovator Steve Baer located his company, Zomeworks, to the region in the late 1960s; and Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory cooperate here in an enterprise that began with the Manhattan Project. In January 2007, Tempur-Pedic opened an 800,000-square-foot (74,000 m²) mattress factory in northwest Albuquerque. SCHOTT Solar, Inc., announced in January 2008 they will open a 200,000-square-foot (19,000 m²) facility manufacturing receivers for concentrated solar thermal power plants (CSP) and 64MW of photovoltaic (PV) modules.

Forbes Magazine rated Albuquerque the best city in America for business and careers in 2006 and the 13th best (out of 200 metro areas) in 2008.

Arts and culture

Albuquerque is home to 300 visual arts, music, dance, literary, film, ethnic, and craft organizations, museums, festivals and associations. Those with international and national appeal include:

Albuquerque Studios, a 28-acre city-operated campus includes eight sound stages, production office space, mill space, and an ample back lot. The lot sits on a 9,000-acre development on Albuquerque’s southeast mesa which incorporates the best practices of planned and sustainable urban development. A government web site has info on filming in Albuquerque.

Baila! Baila! Dance Company is an internationally renowned Mexican folkloric dance company that has appeared at Epcot Center, Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Olympics.

The Flamenco Program at the University of New Mexico is the only program in the United States to offer a fully developed curriculum in Flamenco technique and choreography and a minor in Flamenco. Every year in June, the Program’s director, Eva Encinias-Sandoval, organizes the two-week Festival Flamenco Internacional, including master classes with guest artists from Spain and the U.S., a children’s component, and a series of performances in venues around Albuquerque.

Gathering of Nations PowWow is one of the largest in the western hemisphere, attracting over 3,000 dancers, singers and drummers from 500 tribes across Canada, the U.S., Central America and South America. The event includes the Miss Indian World pageant, and the Indian Traders’ Market. It is held on the last weekend in April at a University of New Mexico sports arena.

The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center showcases the arts and culture of the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico, including a museum, excellent gift shop, travel center, restaurant and outdoor performance area for multiple Indian dance presentations throughout the year. The Center offers information about visiting the pueblos, with a calendar of feast days and events. It also features exhibits of weaving, pottery, jewelry, clothing and photography.

National Hispanic Cultural Center of New Mexico is the largest cultural center of its kind in the United States, with programs in the visual, performing and literary arts, as well as year-round family programming through its acclaimed education program. The Center is home to an 11,000 square foot art museum, state-of-the-art performing arts center, genealogy center and library, gift shop and restaurant. Part of the State of New Mexico’s Department of Cultural Affairs, the Center sits on 50+ acres in the historic Albuquerque neighborhood of Barelas.

Outpost Performance Space has, for 20 years, presented hundreds of performances and classes on jazz (from dixie to avant-garde), folk, blues and roots music, experimental music, classical music, international music, poetry and spoken word, theater and performance art, featuring local, regional, national and international established and emerging artists.

The Tamarind Institute was founded in 1960 to train fine art lithographers who have, in turn, created important print shops throughout the country.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is the largest hot air balloon gathering in the world, held in early October. Founded in 1972 with 13 balloons, today it hosts 700 balloons in a variety of ascensions and activities in this 9-day event attracting thousands. Its new balloon museum is a major attraction. The Fiesta is one of the most photographed events in the world.

Those with regional and local appeal include:

ArtStreet, art for the homeless, operated by Albuquerque Healthcare for the Homeless.

516 ARTS, an independent nonprofit venue for contemporary visual and literary art, film/video and music dedicated to featuring local artists in a museum-style gallery in downtown Albuquerque. New Mexico has a multitude of visual artists working in as many media. 516 ARTS offers adventurous programs that address current issues in world culture, presenting innovative and interdisciplinary exhibitions, events and educational activities.

Los Reyes de Albuquerque is a band of seven musicians headed by Roberto Martinez, winner of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Heritage Fellowship. The group is dedicated to presenting, preserving, and perpetuating traditional New Mexican and Mexican folk music. Since 1962, the group has performed in nursing homes and homeless shelters throughout New Mexico, as well as at the Smithsonian Institution’s Folklife Festivals and in films like Robert Redford’s 1988 “Milagro Beanfield War.”

Mariachi Spectacular, a five-day celebration of mariachi music held in several indoor and outdoor venues around Albuquerque, featuring mariachi groups from Mexico, New Mexico and across the nation. Workshops, competitions, concerts, a mass, and more.

National Dance Institute of New Mexico is the largest arts education organization in New Mexico, providing outstanding dance instruction and performance experience to thousands of school children around the state. NDI was founded by famed dancer Jacques d’Amboise, who has a home in Santa Fe.

New Mexico Ballet Company was founded in 1963 to provide training and performances to hundreds of dancers and to provide audiences with traditional and contemporary repertoire while serving as a launching point for dancers seeking careers in dance.

New Mexico Jazz Workshop an Albuquerque institution presenting a variety of performances and educational programs, including Salsa Under the Stars, Jazz Under the Stars, Summer Music Festival, Women’s Voices, Blues Fest, Jam sessions, and Yule Struttin’, among others.

New Mexico Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Guillermo Figueroa, reaching 130,000 audience members annually, including a large music education program.

Duke City Improv Festival is Albuquerque's only national improv festival. Hosted yearly by The Box Performance Space this festival has included teams from New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver, Phoenix and Albuquerque and brings a variety of formats and styles. Having completed its third year the festival is growing in scope and popularity.

Teatro Nuevo Mexico, Albuquerque’s only Latino theater company presents standard repertoire and contemporary works by local and regional playwrights, as well as zarzuela (Spanish musical theater) utilizing national and international performers.

Blackout Theatre Company is Albuquerque's only "Full Spectrum" theatre company, providing a wide range of productions. Past productions have included Improvisation, Sketch Comedy, previously published works, original scripted works and original ensemble created works. Blackout is the Theatre Company in Residence at The Box Performance Space.

Tricklock Theater Company is an international theater organization founded in 1993 to create, tour and produce theatrical performances as a permanent resident company committed to artistic risk, physicality, absurdism and poetic work.

Other Albuquerque music groups specialize in Baroque music, New Mexico traditional music, girl choir, boy choir, chamber music, folk music festival, youth symphony, music in hospitals, wind quintet, barbershop music, pipes/drums, mariachi, cathedral music, men’s chorus, gay men’s chorus, women’s chorus, Balkan chorus, renaissance choir, jazz band, hand bells, gamelan music, concert band, guitar, gospel, piano, taiko drummers, Medieval/Renaissance music, old time fiddling, world music, klezmer/Judaic music, blues band, jug band and amateur orchestra.

Dance groups include ballet, airdance, folk dance, Mexican folkloric, New Mexican dance, contemporary dance, Aztec dance, Scottish dance, belly dance, Eagle dance, flamenco/Spanish dance, Indian dance, Japanese folk dance, dance for persons with disabilities, Irish dance, Step dance, children’s dance, Greek dance, jazz dance and tango.

Theater groups include two opera companies, one musical theater company, eight theater companies, two bilingual companies (Spanish/English), a Shakespeare project, five theaters companies for and by children and young people, storytellers association, and one theater guild.

Literary organizations include a center for book arts, poetry slams, press women association, mystery writers, romance writers, National Pen Women, Book Co-op, Southwest Writers, Universal Writers Group, Writers to Writers Workshop, Women in Communication, Soc. Of children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, Maxwell Museum of Anthropology

Visual arts: Albuquerque is home to 30 arts associations, artists’ cooperatives and other organizations that support artists.

Crafts: Albuquerque is home to 22 craft guilds and associations.

Museums: New Mexico Holocaust & Intolerance Museum, Albuq. Museum of Arts and History, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Balloon Museum, Explora! Science Center and Children’s Museum, National Atomic Museum, UNM Art Museum, Alice Hoppes African American Pavilion

Festivals not listed above: Rio Grande Valley Celtic Festival, Albuquerque Wine Festival, Albuquerque Folk [music] Festival, State Fair, New Mexico Wine Festival,

There is a complete list of arts organizations and cultural activities in Albuquerque.

A Panoramic View of the 2007 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

Other points of interest

Albuquerque contains a variety of museums, galleries, shops and other points of interest. Some of these include the Albuquerque Biological Park, Museum of Natural History and Science, and Old Town Albuquerque.

The majority of locally owned boutiques and fine dining establishments are scattered throughout Downtown, Old Town, and Uptown. Old Town features an intriguing ghost tour performed by the Southwest Ghosthunters Association.

The Sandia and Manzano Mountains to the east offer interesting trails, open spaces, and 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.

Further information: [[:List of points of interest in Albuquerque, List of historic landmarks in Albuquerque]]

References in popular culture

Bill Gates' mugshot from a traffic violation in 1977

• Bugs Bunny cartoons often feature Bugs getting lost while traveling underground. When this occurs, he tends to remark, while consulting a map, "I knew I should've taken that left turn at Albuquerque."
• The Simpsons episode "Hungry Hungry Homer" involves the Springfield Isotopes baseball team considering relocating to Albuquerque. The Albuquerque Isotopes are now a minor league affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• 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.
• "Weird Al" Yankovic wrote a song for his Running with Scissors album called "Albuquerque", an 11-minute ode to his (fictional) life in the city.
• The Disney Channel Original Movies High School Musical, High School Musical 2 and High School Musical 3: Senior Year are all set in Albuquerque, though none of them were filmed there. The main characters attend East High School. It is not a fictitious school, and was filmed at the actual East High School in Salt Lake City, Utah.
• In Little Miss Sunshine the family travels from Albuquerque to the pageant. The film, as with High School Musical above, was not filmed in New Mexico, but rather in parts of Arizona and California. (As a semi-interesting contrast, Hamlet 2 which "took place" in Tucson, Arizona, was in fact filmed in and around Albuquerque.)
• Neil Young wrote a song called "Albuquerque" for his album Tonight's the Night from 1975.
• The city of Albuquerque is mentioned in the American pop song "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" written by songwriter Jimmy Webb
• 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 mentions Albuquerque in the chorus of their song "The King of Rock 'N' Roll".
• In his song "The Jazz Discharge Party Hats," Frank Zappa tells a story set in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
• The show Breaking Bad (2008–) on AMC is filmed and takes place in and around Albuquerque.
• Albuquerque was mentioned by Johnny Cash in the song "Wanted Man" he wrote with Bob Dylan.
• The USA Show In Plain Sight takes place in Albuquerque, and prominently features many local landmarks.
• The 1976 movie Track Of The Moonbeast was filmed in Albuquerque. Early in the movie you can see the old (west) entrance into the St. Joseph Healthcare hospital. St. Joe's is now called Lovelace Medical Center.
• The 2009 movie Sunshine Cleaning featured and was filmed almost entirely in Albuquerque
• The city of Albuquerque is mentioned in the American rock and roll classic "Promised Land" written and recorded by Chuck Berry.
• Bill Gates' mugshot picture taken in Albuquerque in 1977 is frequently shown in popular culture when referencing to him.
• Albuquerque is mentioned in the song "Everywhere" by American country music artist Tim McGraw.
• Albuquerque is mentioned in the song "Bring Em Out" by American rapper T.I.

Sports

Isotopes Baseball Park

Club	Sport	League	Venue	Capacity
Albuquerque Isotopes	Baseball	AAA PCL	Isotopes Park	12,500
New Mexico Thunderbirds	Basketball	NBA D-League	Santa Ana Star Center	8,000
New Mexico	Ice hockey	NAHL	Santa Ana Star Center	8,000
University of New Mexico Lobos	NCAA Division I Football	Mountain West Conference	University Stadium	41,000
University of New Mexico Lobos	NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Basketball	Mountain West Conference	University Arena (also known as The Pit)	18,018

Parks and recreation

A tramway car ascending the Sandia Mountains

Albuquerque has numerous parks, bike paths, and hiking areas scattered throughout the metro area. Most of the city's best biking and hiking areas are concentrated in and around the Sandia and Manzano foothills.

The city was ranked #1 as the fittest city in the United States, according to a March 2007 issue of Men's Fitness magazine. The critera used in the study included the availability of gyms and bike paths, commute times, and federal health statistics on obesity-related injuries and illnesses.

• http://www.cabq.gov/bike/ Documents the extensive network of bicycle trails and lanes
• http://www.cabq.gov/recreation/ An overview of available recreation activities
• http://www.cabq.gov/gis/park.php A comprehensive list of parks in the area
• Petroglyph National Monument
• Sandia Tramway

Government

Albuquerque City Council

President	Isaac Benton (since 2008).
Vice-President	Vacant until 2010
District 1	Ken Sánchez
District 2	Debbie O'Malley
District 3	Isaac Benton
District 4	Bradley Winter
District 5	Dan Lewis
District 6	Rey Garduño
District 7	Michael D. Cook
District 8	Trudy Jones
District 9	Don Harris

The Pete Domenici Federal Courthouse on Lomas Blvd.

Albuquerque is a charter city City government is divided into an executive branch, headed by a Mayor and a nine-member Council that holds the legislative authority. The form of city government is therefore mayor-council government. The mayor is Richard J. Berry, who was elected in 2009.

The Mayor holds a full-time paid elected position with a four-year term. The Council members hold part-time paid positions and are elected from the nine Council districts for four-year terms, with four or five Councilors elected every two years. Elections for Mayor and Councilor are nonpartisan. Each year in December one of the Council members is elected by the members of the Council to be the Council President, and one is elected to be the Vice-President. On December 1, 2008, Isaac Benton was elected President of the Council for the next year and Sally Mayer was elected Vice-President.

The Council is the legislative authority of the city, and has the power to adopt all ordinances, resolutions, or other legislation. The Council meets two times a month, with meetings held in the Vincent E. Griego Council Chambers in the basement level of 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 with a vote of two-thirds of the membership of the Council.

Each year, the Mayor submits a city budget proposal for the year to the Council by April 1, and the Council acts on the proposal within the next 60 days.

Education

University of New Mexico

The city is home to the University of New Mexico, one of 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.

Further information: [[:List of middle schools in Albuquerque, List of high schools in Albuquerque, List of colleges and universities in Albuquerque]]

Media

Further information: [[:Media in Albuquerque, New Mexico]]

Albuquerque is a media hub for much of New Mexico. The city is served by one major newspaper, the Albuquerque Journal, and several smaller daily and weekly papers. Albuquerque is also home to numerous radio and television stations that serve the metropolitan and outlying rural areas. Many small public relations and advertising firms are headquartered in Albuquerque. During the past decade, various national magazines have ranked Albuquerque amongst their top ten cities to live in. Albuquerque was voted once again as the best place in 2009, based on a list of factors including the climate and state of the local economy.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Main highways

Some of the main highways in the city include:

• 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 the Rio Grande. It is also the main north–south highway in the state (by connecting Albuquerque with Santa Fe and Las Cruces) and a plausible route of the eponymous Pan American Highway. Since Route 66 was decommissioned in the 1980s, the only remaining US highway in Albuquerque, unsigned US-85, shares its alignment with I-25. US-550 splits off to the northwest from I-25/US-85 in Bernalillo.
• Coronado Freeway – More commonly known as Interstate 40 or "I-40", it is the city's main east–west traffic artery and an important transcontinental route. The freeway's name in the city is in reference to 16^th century conquistador and explorer Francisco Vazquez de Coronado.
• Paseo del Norte – Concurrent with State Highway 423, Paseo del Norte connects two parts of Albuquerque that are separated by the North Valley and by Los Ranchos de Albuquerque. Paseo del Norte is a freeway from Jefferson Street to Eagle Ranch Road, as it crosses the Rio Grande. A controversial extension of this road through Petroglyph National Monument was finally opened in 2007. Roughly parallel to Interstate 40 and approximately five miles to the north, Paseo Del Norte connects Interstate 25 and Coors Boulevard.
• Coors Boulevard – Coors is the main north-south artery to the west of the Rio Grande in Albuquerque. There is one full interchange where it connects with Interstate 40. The rest of the route has stoplights, sidewalks and bike lanes. To the north of Interstate 40, part of the route is numbered as State Highway 448, while to the south, part of the route is numbered as State Highway 45.
• Central Avenue – Central is one of the historical routings of Route 66, it is no longer a main through highway, its usefulness having been supplanted by Interstate 40.
• Tramway Boulevard – Serves as a bypass around the northeastern quadrant, the route is designated as NM-556. Tramway Boulevard starts at I-25 near Sandia Pueblo, and heads east as a two-lane road. It turns south near the base of the Sandia Peak Tramway and becomes a divided highway until its terminus near I-40 and Central Avenue by the western entrance to Tijeras Canyon.

• Wyoming Boulevard and Eubank Boulevard - Two of the most heavily traveled roads in the city as they connect I-40 with Kirtland Air Force Base and Sandia National Laboratories and are the two principal arteries in the Northeast Heights.

• Paseo Del Volcan - Connects I-40 to Double Eagle II Airport and provides access to Volcanoes Park on the West Mesa. Currently a two-lane road, Paseo Del Volcan will eventually be incorporated into the planned Northwest Loop Highway that, when built, will provide a direct freeway link between I-40 and I-25 north of Bernalillo via Rio Rancho.

The interchange between I-40 and I-25 is known as the "Big I". Originally built in 1966, it was rebuilt in 2002.

Numerous major intersections of the city have been outfitted with red-light cameras to issue fines for running red lights as well as speeding.

Bridges

There are six road bridges that cross the Rio Grande and serve the municipality on at least one end if not both. The eastern approaches of the northernmost three all pass through adjacent unincorporated areas, the Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, or the North Valley. In downstream order they are:

• Alameda Bridge
• Paseo del Norte Bridge
• Montano Bridge
• I-40 Bridge
• Old Town Bridge
• Barelas Bridge

Two more bridges serve urbanized areas contiguous to the city's perforated southern boundary.

• Rio Bravo Bridge (NM 500)
• I-25 Bridge (near Isleta Pueblo)

Rail

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.

Intercity rail

Amtrak's Southwest Chief, which travels between Chicago and Los Angeles, serves the Albuquerque area daily with one stop in each direction at the Alvarado Transportation Center in downtown.

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 right-of-way which was purchased by New Mexico in 2005. Service expanded to Valencia County in December 2006 and to Santa Fe on December 17, 2008. Rail Runner now connects Santa Fe, Sandoval, Bernalillo, and Valencia Counties with twelve 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

New intermodal transportation hub in downtown Albuquerque.

ABQ RIDE is the local transit agency in the city. ABQ RIDE operates a variety of bus routes, including the Rapid Ride express bus service.

In 2006 the City of Albuquerque under the mayorship of Martin Chavez had planned and attempted to "fast track" the development of a "Modern Streetcar" project. Funding for the US$270 million system was not resolved as many citizens vocally opposed the project. The city and its transit department maintain a policy commitment to the streetcar project. The project would run mostly in the southeast quadrant on Central Avenue and Yale Boulevard.

Albuquerque was one of two cities in New Mexico to have had electric street railways. Albuquerque's horse-drawn streetcar lines were electrified during the first few years of the twentieth century. The Albuquerque Traction Company assumed operation of the system in 1905. The system grew to its maximum length of 6 miles (9.7 km) during the next ten years by connecting destinations such as Old Town to the west and the University of New Mexico to the east with the town's urban center near the former Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway depot. The Albuquerque Traction Company failed financially in 1915 and the vaguely named City Electric Company was formed. Despite traffic booms during the first world war, and unaided by lawsuits attempting to force the streetcar company to pay for paving, that system also failed later in 1927, leaving the streetcar's "motorettes" unemployed.

Bicycle transit

Albuquerque has a well developed bicycle network. In and around the City there are trails, bike routes, and paths that provide the residents and visitors with alternatives to motorized travel. The city was recently reviewed as having a major up and coming bike scene in North America. The City of Albuquerque also recently opened its first Bicycle Boulevard on Silver Avenue. There are plans for more investment in bikes and bike transit by the city in the coming years.

Airports

Albuquerque International Sunport

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 of Albuquerque. The Albuquerque International Sunport served over 6,000,000 passengers in 2008. 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.

Utilities

Energy

PNM Resources, New Mexico's largest electricity provider, is based in Albuquerque. They serve about 487,000 electricity customers statewide.

New Mexico Gas Company provides natural gas services to more than 500,000 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.

Further information: Albuquerque § Hydrology

Healthcare

Albuquerque is the medical hub of New Mexico, hosting numerous state-of-the-art medical centers. Some of the city's top hospitals include the VA Medical Center, Presbyterian Hospital, Heart Hospital of New Mexico, and Lovelace Women's Hospital. University of New Mexico Hospital is the only level I trauma center in the state.

Notable natives and residents

Main article: List of famous people from Albuquerque

Sister cities

Banner at the Albuquerque International Sunport listing Albuquerque's sister cities

Albuquerque has ten sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:

– Alburquerque, Spain – Aşgabat, Turkmenistan – Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico – Gijón, Spain – Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

– Helmstedt, Germany – Hualien, Republic of China – Lanzhou, People's Republic of China – Rehovot, Israel – Sasebo, Japan

External links

• Official government website
• 1905 Magazine Article with historical photos
• Template:Dmoz
• Template:Wikitravel