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Website. cabq .gov. Albuquerque ( / ˈælbəkɜːrki / ⓘ AL-bə-kur-kee; Spanish: [alβuˈkeɾke] ), [a] also known as ABQ, Burque, and the Duke City, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. [5]
- 4,967 ft (1,514 m)
- New Mexico
- Overview
- Character of the city
- City site
- Climate
- City layout
Albuquerque, city, seat (1883) of Bernalillo county, west-central New Mexico, U.S., located on the Rio Grande opposite a pass between the Sandia and Manzano mountains to the east. The area was the site of Native American pueblos (villages) when Europeans first arrived in 1540. Founded in 1706 by Don Francisco Cuervo y Valdés, governor and captain general of New Mexico, it was named for the duke of Alburquerque, then viceroy of New Spain (the first r was later dropped). It became an important trading centre on the Chihuahua Trail from Mexico.
As a modern-day cultural and political centre, Albuquerque has long played a secondary role to the state capital, Santa Fe, which lies some 60 miles (100 km) to the northeast. Albuquerque is New Mexico’s largest city and its economic capital, however, and it is served by an extensive network of railroads, airlines, and highways. At the heart of the city’s economy are the military and high-technology sectors. Area 181 square miles (469 square km). Pop. (2010) 545,852; Albuquerque Metro Area, 887,077; (2020) 564,559; Albuquerque Metro Area, 916,528.
Enclosed by mountains, the Rio Grande, lava cliffs, military bases, and Native American pueblos, Albuquerque seemingly has reached its physical limits, barring expansion into adjacent valleys. Much of the city is made up of suburban developments. Older neighbourhoods line the banks of the broad Rio Grande, with Spanish-style adobe homes nestled amo...
Albuquerque lies in the Chihuahuan Desert, in a broad valley that stretches about 30 miles (48 km) east-west. The valley is bounded for most of its length by the Sandia Mountains to the north, the slightly lower Manzano Mountains to the east, and the low but rugged lava escarpments to the south and west. The Rio Grande bisects the western end of the valley, and a highway follows the river’s course through the city southward to the Texas border. To the west of the Rio Grande is a lava field and a cluster of dormant volcanoes. At the eastern end of the valley lies Tijeras Canyon, a rugged, boulder-strewn gorge that opens onto a broad plateau; a multilane highway passes through the canyon. The entire region is part of the tectonic Rio Grande rift valley, and minor earthquakes are common.
Most of the city proper lies on hilly terraces composed of gravels from the Miocene (about 23 million to 5.3 million years ago) and Pliocene (about 5.3 million to 2.6 million years ago) epochs. These terraces were formed over millennia by soils and rocks washing down from the nearby Sandia and Manzano mountains and deposited by periodic floods. Rich in nutrients, these soils have provided the basis for the region’s long tradition of floodplain agriculture.
Albuquerque’s climate is mild and dry, with an annual average of more than 200 clear days. The average annual temperature is in the mid-50s F (about 13 °C). The Manzano Mountains to the east block much of the moisture-laden air that flows northward from the Gulf of Mexico, creating a rain shadow. As a result, the city receives only about 9 inches (230 mm) of rainfall annually, most of it falling in the summer. The Sandia Mountains receive about 30 inches (760 mm) of rain in the summer and about the same amount of snow in the winter.
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Suburbs and satellite communities have grown rapidly while the heart of the original city—the 18th-century Old Town and the 19th-century Downtown—long languished, despite the government’s attempt to attract attention to these historic districts with new civic plazas, museums, and parks. In the early 21st century, however, Downtown again became attractive, especially to faculty from the University of New Mexico and students and artists. Like many cities in the western United States, Albuquerque has several widespread centres in place of a single downtown core.
The Uptown district, to the north of Old Town, boasts shopping centres, hotels, and office and industrial parks. The Downtown area south of Old Town comprises government buildings, hospitals, and museums. To the east of Old Town is the home of the University of New Mexico as well as a number of attractive, tree-lined neighbourhoods. Extending from Uptown to the foothills of the Sandia Mountains is Far Heights, mainly a sprawl of suburban homes, retail giants, and restaurants. Beyond the city proper to the north and south, respectively, lie the North Valley and the South Valley, which comprise several old farming settlements; both areas are largely Hispanic and industrial or agricultural in character. To the far northwest of Old Town lies Rio Rancho, an independent entity that was a retirement centre but is now a small upscale city.
Albuquerque soon resembled a typical small American city, and was incorporated in 1891. The city grew rapidly in the early 20th century, spurred in part by the tuberculosis treatment industry, and then even faster after World War II when it became a major scientific and military hub.
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Start planning your Albuquerque vacation! Find information on Albuquerque attractions, shopping and dining, browse maps, order a guide and more.
As one of the oldest cities in the United States, Albuquerque boasts a unique multicultural history and heritage. Native American , Hispanic & Latino cultural influences are a part of everyday life.
2 - 14 ºC. Winter. -1 - 13 ºC. Major Airports: Albuquerque (ABQ) States: New Mexico. Southwestern culture and outdoor adventures in a high-altitude city. Bisected by the mighty Rio Grande River and set in the shadow of the pink-hued Sandia Mountains, this high-altitude city of more than a half million people is New Mexico’s largest.
