City of Albuquerque website

Central Avenue Streetscape

Albuquerque is located on the Rio Grande. It is served by Interstate Highways 25 (north-south) and 40 (east-west), an international airport, Amtrak, and the Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railroad. The City is bounded on the east by the Sandia Mountains and the Sandia Mountain Wilderness. Immediately southeast of the City is Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB). On the west side of the City is the Petroglyph National Monument. The University of New Mexico (UNM) and the New Mexico State Fair Grounds are within the City.

Founded in 1706 as the Villa of San Francisco de Alburquerque by Governor Francisco Cuervo y Valdez in honor of the Spanish Duke of Alburquerque. The name was soon changed to San Felipe de Alburquerque and in the 19th century the spelling was changed to Albuquerque. The original villa is now Old Town, which is preserved as a historic district and is a major tourist destination. In 1880, the railroad arrived which created a "new town" east of the existing settlement. The area around the railroad depot has developed into the current downtown.

Statue in Albuquerque's Old Town

The University of New Mexico was established in Albuquerque in 1889. Today, UNM is the State's largest university with 24,000 students on its Albuquerque campus which includes a nationally recognized medical school and a law school. UNM provides the community with educational opportunities as well as a full range of sports and cultural activities.

The largest sectors in the Albuquerque economy are services, retail trade, and government. Please refer to the section on Bernalillo County since most of the economic activity in Bernalillo County is either in or near the City of Albuquerque.
 

1980 Median Age (Census): 27.8
1990 Median Age (Census): 32.5
2000 Median Age (Census): 28.9
 

2000 Average Household Size (Census): 2.40

Median Household Income

1989 (Census): $27,555 (92% of the U.S. median)
1999 (Census): $38,272

Government

A mayor and nine councilors are elected. Terms are four-years with staggered council terms. Councilors are elected by districts. The mayor appoints a Chief Administrative Officer.

Utilities

• Water: Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority
• Source of Water: Ground water
• Sewer: City of Albuquerque maintains a system of lines and a sewer treatment plant
• Solid Waste: Collection and landfill services are by the City of Albuquerque
• Electric: Public Service Company of New Mexico
• Natural Gas: Public Service Company of New Mexico
• Telephone: QWEST

Transportation

• Air: Albuquerque International Airport and two general aviation airports
• Intercity Bus: Scheduled service by Greyhound and TNM&O
• Train, Passenger: Amtrak
• Train, Freight: Burlington Northern & Santa Fe provides freight service Transit: City of Albuquerque operates a bus fleet
• Private taxi service

Services

• Police: City of Albuquerque
• Fire: City of Albuquerque
• Parks: The City maintains an extensive network of parks, open space, and trails. In addition, the City maintains a zoo, aquarium, botanical gardens, and museums. There is also the New Mexico Natural History Museum.
• There is currently one professional sports team: The WPHL hockey Scorpions.

Education

All of Albuquerque is within the Albuquerque Public School District. There are also a number of private schools. Post secondary education is provided by the University of New Mexico and the Central New Mexico Community College (CNM), both publicly supported institutions, and a number of specialized
schools and colleges (primarily private).