Albuquerque

Albuquerque

Albuquerque, New Mexico

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.