The Coordinated Entry System, a centralized citywide system used to track and fill supportive housing openings when they become available, shows that about 5,000 households experienced homelessness in 2018. Located in the Albuquerque Basin, the city is flanked by the Sandia Mountains to the east and the West Mesa to the west, with the Rio Grande and bosque flowing north-to-south through the middle of the city. 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. [130] The city's economy is highly diversified, centering on science, medicine, technology, commerce, education, media entertainment, and culture (particularly fine arts); construction, film production, and retail trade have seen the most robust growth since 2020.[131]. My dad has a quick wit. [52] More recently, a major winter storm in late February 2015 dropped up to a foot (30cm) of snow on most of the city. Albuquerque dining is best known for its unique local cuisine blending Native American and Spanish flavors and preparations with our signature ingredients: red and green chiles. During the 1990s, the urban contemporary music radio format had two major stations, on "KISS 97.3" KKSS and "WILD 106" KDLW. The majority of the surviving structures from the Route 66 era are on Central, though there are also some on Fourth. [8], Albuquerque is a hub for technology and media companies,[9][10] historic landmarks,[11] and the fine arts. 18. With approximately 1,000 sworn officers, APD is the largest municipal police department in New Mexico; in September 2008, it was the 49th largest police department in the country, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The mayor of Albuquerque holds a full-time paid position and is directly elected for four-year terms. The town of Alburquerque was built in the traditional Spanish villa pattern: a central plaza surrounded by government buildings, homes, and a church. Film studios have a major presence throughout New Mexico; Netflix maintains a major production hub at Albuquerque Studios. [132] Major nodes within the corridor include federal installations such as Kirtland Air Force Base, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories; private healthcare facilities such as Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute and Presbyterian Health Services; academic institutions such as the University of New Mexico and Central New Mexico Community College; and private companies such as Intel (which has a fabrication site in neighboring Rio Rancho), Facebook (with a data center in Los Lunas), Northrop Grumman, passive solar energy company Zomeworks, and Tempur-Pedic. The city of Albuquerque in New Mexico was named after the Viceroy of New Spain Don Francisco Fernandez de la Cueva y Enriquez de Cabrera, the Duke of . Outside city limits but surrounded by the city is a horse racing track and casino called The Downs Casino and Racetrack, and the pueblos surrounding the city feature resort casinos, including Sandia Resort, Santa Ana Star, Isleta Resort, and Laguna Pueblo's Route 66 Resort. The Spanish learned Native American styles of building, ate foods native to America, and traveled in Native canoes. These include various pre-high school religious (Christian, Jewish, Islamic) affiliates and Montessori schools, as well as Menaul School, Albuquerque Academy, St. Pius X High School, Sandia Preparatory School, the Bosque School, Evangel Christian Academy, Hope Christian School, Hope Connection School, Shepherd Lutheran School,[146] Temple Baptist Academy, and Victory Christian. "Tamalewood" Our personal version of Hollywood. [106] The Old Main Library was the first library of Albuquerque and from 1901 until 1948 it was the only public library. Forbes magazine rated Albuquerque the best city in America for business and careers in 2006,[137] and as the 13th best (out of 200 metro areas) in 2008. The total amount of parkland is 42.9 square miles (111 km2), or about 23% of the city's total areaone of the highest percentages among large cities in the U.S. About 82% of city residents live within walking distance of a park. Settlers also introduced the horse. Occasionally, snow will fall in late autumn in December; rarely in late November. ", "Opportunities knocking for NM tech economy", "New Mexico scientists have formed nearly 150 bioscience startups in just the past 10 years. Other fauna include reptilia and amphibia such as the southwestern fence lizard and New Mexico whiptail (Aspidoscelis neomexicanus), rattlesnake, the New Mexico garter snake, the bullsnake, Woodhouse toads, New Mexico spadefoot toads, and tadpole shrimp ("Triops"). More than 50 years after Coronado, Juan de Oate came north from the Valley of Mexico with 500 Spanish settlers and soldiers and 7,000 head of . [102][103][104] The city lights twinkle and glitter from views on Nine Mile Hill, it was among Elvis Presley's favorite views. The mountainous parts of the city feature pion pine, desert live oak (Quercus turbinella), gray oak (Quercus grisea), hairy mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus breviflorus), oneseed juniper (Juniperus monosperma), pion (Pinus edulis), threeleaf sumac (Rhus trilobata), Engelmann prickly pear (Opuntia engelmannii), juniper prickly pear (Opuntia hystricina var. The elevation of the city ranges from 4,900feet(1,490m) above sea level near the Rio Grande (in the Valley) to over 6,700feet(1,950m) in the foothill areas of Sandia Heights and Glenwood Hills. [34][35] Located in central New Mexico, the city also has noticeable influences from the adjacent Colorado Plateau semi-desert, New Mexico Mountains forested with juniper and pine, and Southwest plateaus and plains steppe ecoregions, depending on where one is located. Other birds include the common raven, American crow, great-tailed grackle, Gambel's and scaled quail, several species of hummingbirds, house finch, robin, pigeon, mourning dove, white wing and European collared doves (both recent appearances), curve-billed thrasher, pinyon jay, and Cooper's, Swainson's, and red-tail hawks. For more information, email us at info@visitalbuquerque.org, call 011-505-842-9918 or fax 011-505-247-9101. . Albuquerque was a farming and shepherding community and strategically located trading and military outpost along the Camino Real, for the other already established for the Tiquex and Hispano towns in the area, such as Barelas, Corrales, Isleta Pueblo, Los Ranchos, and Sandia Pueblo. 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. [42] Despite the rarity of such heat, 28 days with highs at or above 100F (38C) occurred in the summer of 1980 at Albuquerque's Sunport. Albuquerque (/lbkrki/ (listen) AL-b-kur-kee; Spanish:[alukeke]),[a] abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. The largest city of New Mexico, in the central part of the state on the upper Rio Grande. The SandiaManzano Mountains and West Mesa also have many hiking trails, such as La Luz Trail and Petroglyph National Monument. Due to its population size, the metropolitan area regularly receives most national and international music concerts, Broadway shows, and other large traveling events, as well as New Mexico music, and other local music performances. The Rio Grande flows north to south through its center, while the West Mesa and Petroglyph National Monument make up the western part of the city. Some water is allowed to flow through central Albuquerque, mostly to protect the endangered Rio Grande Silvery Minnow. During the 21st century, Albuquerque's population has continued to grow rapidly. The downside is that it is virtually impossible to go anywhere without driving. Winter typically consists of cool days and cold nights, except following passage of the strongest cold fronts and arctic airmasses when daytime temperatures remain colder than average; overnight temperatures tend to fall below freezing between about 10 pm and 8 am in the city, except during colder airmasses, plus colder spots of the valley and most of the East Mountain areas. Built in 1793, it is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the city. New Mexico Gas Company provides natural gas services to more than 500,000 customers in the state, including the Albuquerque metro area. [163], A 2011 study by Walk Score ranked Albuquerque as the 28th most walkable of the fifty largest U.S. cities, indicating below average performance in metrics such as access to public transit and proximity to people or amenities. The climate is rather mild compared to parts of the country further north or further south. [20] Many Anglo merchants, mountain men, and settlers slowly filtered into Albuquerque, creating a major mercantile commercial center which is now Downtown Albuquerque. Numerous accredited private preparatory schools also serve Albuquerque students. Sandia Peak Ski Area, adjacent to Albuquerque, provides both winter and summer recreation in the Sandia Mountains. What does Albuquerque mean in Spanish? alburquerque (37) More examples Random Word Roll the dice and learn a new word now! The city is home to the University of New Mexico, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, the Gathering of Nations, the New Mexico State Fair, and a diverse restaurant scene, which features both New Mexican and global cuisine.[12]. Founded in 1706 by Don Francisco Cuervo y Valds, governor and captain general of New Mexico, it was named for the . 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. Both men took their names from Alburquerque, a town in Spain near the Portuguese border, the name of which means "white oak;" it is said to be ultimately from Latin albus "white" (see alb) and quercus "oak" (see Quercus). The federal government spends roughly $4 billion annually in research and development in and around Albuquerque. Groundwater will constitute the remainder. Founded in 1889, UNM offers bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional degree programs. After suffering some fire damage in 1923 the city decided it was time to construct a building for the library to be moved to, however, by 1970 even after additions were made the population and library needs had outgrown the building for its use as a main library and it was turned into Special Collections. The per capita income for the city was $20,884. Traveling west, north, and east of Albuquerque, one quickly rises in elevation and leaves the sheltering effect of the valley to enter a noticeably cooler and slightly wetter environment. [28] During 2005 and 2006, the city celebrated its tricentennial with a diverse program of cultural events. "Duke City" gained popularity when the city's baseball team was the Albuquerque Dukes, which boasted a loyal fan base throughout the city.When the city . Albuquerque has ten sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International: Albuquerque has one of the highest elevations of any major city in the U.S., ranging from 4,900 feet (1,500m) above sea level near the Rio Grande to over 6,700 feet (2,000m) in the foothill areas of Sandia Heights and Glenwood Hills. Pueblo Deco architecture was derived from Pueblo and Territorial styles meeting the Art Deco movement, and it is richly featured in downtown Albuquerque. Talk radio has several outlets in the Albuquerque area. [68] There are several Buddhist temples and centers throughout the city, representing different movements and schools, such as Zen and Soka Gakki. It is diverted through a network of paved channels and arroyos and empties into the Rio Grande. In Beyond the Mississippi (1867), Albert D. Richardson, traveling to California via coach, passed through Albuquerque in late October 1859its population was 3,000 at the timeand described it as "one of the richest and pleasantest towns, with a Spanish cathedral and other buildings more than two hundred years old."[19]. As the focus of the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, the city is punctuated by agricultural acequias that contrast with the otherwise heavily urban settings. The section of the line running south to Belen is served less frequently.[153]. One such area is considered part of Albuquerque Metropolitan Area, commonly called the East Mountain area; it is covered in woodlands of juniper and pion trees, a common trait of southwestern uplands and the southernmost Rocky Mountains. noun a city in central New Mexico, on the Rio Grande. Alburquerque Origin of albuquerque From Spanish Alburquerque ("a town in Spain"), after Spanish viceroy Francisco Fernndez de la Cueva, 8th Duke of Alburquerque (1619-1676). Alburquerque Origin of albuquerque From Spanish Alburquerque ("a town in Spain"), after Spanish viceroy Francisco Fernndez de la Cueva, 8th Duke of Alburquerque (1619-1676). Non-native plants such as Siberian elm, Russian olive, saltcedar, mulberries, Ailanthus, and ravenna grass also exist in large quantities. By 1900, Albuquerque 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. The Four Hills neighborhoods are located in and around the foothills on the outskirts of Southeast Albuquerque. The last significant area of Albuquerque geologically is the West Mesa: this is the elevated land west of the Rio Grande, including "West Bluff", 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. [23] Islam is the next largest minority religion, with an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 adherents, representing 85% of the state's Muslim population. "Albuquerque is a place where you encounter ancient civilization of the pueblos, hispanic culture that reaches over 300 years," said Robert Martinez, New Mexico assistant state historian. [30], 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. Trash and recycling in the city are managed by the City of Albuquerque Solid Waste Management Department. [158], Albuquerque has a well-developed network of trails, bicycle routes, and paths totaling over 400 miles. In May, the winds tend to subside as a summer-like airmass and temperatures begin to occur into with regularity. Congregation Albert, a Reform synagogue established in 1897, is the oldest continuing Jewish organization in the city.[23]. Microsoft was founded on April 4, 1975, by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The newer areas generally feature four- to six-lane roads in a 1mile(1.61km) grid. Albuquerque has one of the highest and most varied elevations of any major city in the United States, though the effects of this are greatly tempered by its southwesterly continental position.