FACTS ABOUT Albuquerque New Mexico
The City's Past - Albuquerque, New Mexico's largest city, was named to honor a Spanish
Duke, the 10th Duke of Albuquerque. Colonial Governor Don Francisco
Cuervo y Valdez elected the name but over the centuries, the first "r"
has been dropped.
In 1706, Albuquerque was founded by a group of colonists who had been
granted permission by King Philip of Spain to establish a new villa
(city) on the banks of the Rio Grande (which means big or great river).
The colonists chose a place along the river where it made a wide curve
providing good irrigation for crops, a source of wood from the bosque
(cottonwoods, willows and olive trees) and nearby mountains. The site
also provided protection and trade with the Indians from the pueblos in
the area.
The early Spanish settlers were religious people, and the first building
erected was a small adobe chapel. Its plaza was surrounded by small
adobe homes, clustered close together for mutual protection against any
threats posed by hostile forces in this vast and dangerous country. The
church, San Felipe de Neri, still stands on the spot. The building
itself has been enlarged several times and remodeled, but its original
thick adobe walls are still intact. The church is the hub of Old Town,
the historic and sentimental heart of Albuquerque, with activity
revolving around shopping and dining. To this day, special holidays and
feast days are still commemorated as part of the year-round attractions
of this "original" Albuquerque.
Albuquerque stands with one foot in the past, one foot in the present
and both eyes on the future. Home to some of the nation's finest
high-tech research facilities, Sandia National Laboratory, Phillips
Laboratory, and the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque is leading the
way in technology transfer. Civilian application of military technology
has provided the spark for many an entrepreneur and led to a
technological boon. Albuquerque continues to set the pace for success in
the southwest as a visitor destination and a great place to live.
Time Tour - Albuquerque is a combination of the very old and the highly
contemporary, the frontier town and the cosmopolitain city. It is a city
with a rich history.
1100 Indian Cultures Thrive -
Ancestral Puebloans built networks of trade and communication from
Mexico to the Four Corners area. From 1100 to 1300, many of them settled
in the middle Rio Grande Valley area.
1540 Europeans Greet Puebloan World -
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado arrived via Mexico on a search for gold
and the Seven Cities of Cibola. He and his men spent the winter of
1540-41 at Kuaua, a pueblo on the Rio Grande.
1706 Settlers Continue to Populate -
By the 17th century, the region bore the name Bosque Grande de San
Francisco Xavier. In 1706 it was established as the formal Villa of
Alburquerque.
1821 Mexico Acquires New Mexico -
On May 5, 1821, Mexico acquired New Mexico as part of its independence
from Spain.
1846 Albuquerque Under U.S. Control -
In 1846, the territory fell under U.S. control, and Albuquerque was
established as an outpost for the U.S. military.
1862 City Surrendered During Civil War - Albuquerque was surrendered briefly to the South during the 1862
battle of Glorieta in the American Civil War.
1880 Railroad Arrives - With the railroad's arrival in 1880, Anglo settlers began moving here
en masse. The railroad changed the ethnic and geographic structure of
the city.
1885 Albuquerque, the City - Albuquerque was incorporated as a town in 1885. Six years later, in
1891, it was incorporated as a city.
1889 UNM Founded - The University of New Mexico, the state's largest university, was
founded in 1889.
1912 New Mexico Joins the U.S. - In 1912, New Mexico was admitted to the U.S. as the 47th state.
1926 Route 66 Designated - The route was designated in 1926 when the federal government first
implemented its highway numbering system. The "Mother Road" supports a
host of tourist and travel businesses.
1928 Sunport Opens - In 1928, Albuquerque entered the age of air travel with the opening of
its International Sunport. The Sunport now sees an average of 17,000
passengers come and go each day.
1940 High-Tech Era - Albuquerque's high-tech era began with World War II, which saw the
founding of Kirtland Air Force Base in 1940 and Sandia National Labs in
1949.
1972 Balloon Fiesta Founded - The first gathering of 13 balloons was held in the parking lot of
Coronado Center in 1972. Today the Albuquerque International Balloon
Fiesta¨ hosts over 1,000 balloons.
Today Downtown Revitalization - Government and community organizations rally together to make Downtown
Albuquerque a business, entertainment and residential center
Weather, Climate and General Information
New Mexico is one of the nation's most sparsely populated states. The
Albuquerque Metro area, with approximately 700,000 residents, can't help
but retain its neighborhood feel. Albuquerque is bordered by the Sandia
and Manzano Mountains to the east, by the Petroglyph National Monument
to the west, by Sandia Pueblo to the north and by Isleta Pueblo to the
south. The city sprawls over more than 100 square miles at elevations
ranging from 4,500 feet above sea level in the Rio Grande Valley to
6,500 feet at the foot of the Sandia Mountains. Albuquerque enjoys blue
skies and sunshine 310 days out of the year. The weather makes
Albuquerque a sport lover's paradise and outdoor activities of all kinds
are popular with residents. Low humidity and warm temperatures make
Albuquerque a four-season destination.
Time & temperature line - 505-247-1611.
Month Highs/Lows (F) Humidity
January 47/23 55%
February 53/27 49%
March 61/33 39%
April 70/41 33%
May 79/50 32%
June 89/59 28%
July 92/64 42%
August 89/63 45%
September 82/56 49%
October 71/44 43%
November 57/31 48%
December 48/24 56%
Climate - Albuquerque is renowned for its pleasant year-round climate. Low
humidity and warm temperatures (70°F/21°C is the yearly average) combine
to make Albuquerque an enjoyable destination during any season.
Summers are warm and dry with the average daytime high near 70°F/21°C
and nighttime temperatures cooling down to 44°F/7°C . Highs around
90°F/32°C are common, but is not uncomfortable, due to low humidity.
Autumn in Albuquerque is often called "Indian Summer" because of warm
temperatures early in the season. Summer is still lingering in September
and early October, with sweater weather setting in during November.
Heavier outdoor clothing is necessary during Albuquerque's winter
months; however, sweatshirts or light jackets may be enough on those
famous Albuquerque sunny days. It will snow on occasion, but it seldom
lasts more than a day or two. Instead, snow remains in the nearby Sandia
Mountains where it creates a skier's delight. Sports enthusiasts can
often ski in the morning and play golf or tennis that same afternoon.
Albuquerque begins its warming trend in the spring with buds and
blossoms decorating the city in April and May. In just a matter of
weeks, the bare limbs of trees lining the banks of the Rio Grande turn
into billows of green, preparing themselves for the rising waters of
snowmelt from Northern New Mexico mountains.
Elevations
4,500 ft. in the Rio Grande Valley
6,500 ft. in the foothills of the Sandia Mountains
10,378 ft. at Sandia Peak
10,678 ft. at Sandia Crest
Albuquerque content reprinted with permission from
Albuquerque Area Chamber of Commerce
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