Albuquerque

About Albuquerque

Albuquerque is the largest city in New Mexico, stretched along the Rio Grande valley at about 5,000 feet, with the Sandia Mountains rising steeply on its eastern edge. Pueblo peoples farmed this valley for centuries, and Spanish colonists founded the Villa de Alburquerque in 1706, naming it for a Spanish duke. The adobe plaza and San Felipe de Neri Church they built remain the heart of Old Town, while the arrival of the railroad in 1880 and later Route 66, which ran along Central Avenue, shaped the modern city.

Today Albuquerque has more than 560,000 residents and a culture that blends Native American, Hispanic and Anglo traditions. That heritage shows in its adobe architecture, its art and above all its food, built around red and green New Mexico chile. The city is also known for its high-tech and scientific community around Sandia National Laboratories and Kirtland Air Force Base, its role as a filming location, and over 300 days of sunshine a year.

The city's most famous event is the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta each October, when hundreds of hot air balloons rise together in one of the most photographed events in the world. Year round, the Sandia Peak Tramway carries riders more than 10,000 feet up for vast views, Petroglyph National Monument protects thousands of ancient rock carvings, and the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center introduces the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico. Old Town, the ABQ BioPark with its zoo, aquarium and gardens, the Rio Grande bosque trails and the neon signs of Route 66 round out the visit.