Albuquerque, New Mexico

Albuquerque
Downtown Albuquerque
Sandia Peak Tramway
Alvarado Center
San Felipe de Neri Church
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
Nicknames: 
The Duke City, ABQ, The 505, Burque, The Q.
Interactive map of Albuquerque
Albuquerque
Location in New Mexico
Albuquerque
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 35°5′4″N 106°39′1″W / 35.08444°N 106.65028°W / 35.08444; -106.65028
CountryUnited States
StateNew Mexico
CountyBernalillo
Metropolitan areaAlbuquerque metropolitan area
Founded1706 (as Alburquerque)
Incorporated1891 (as Albuquerque)
Founded byFrancisco Cuervo y Valdés
Named afterFrancisco Fernández de la Cueva, 10th Duke of Alburquerque
Government
 • TypeMayor–council government
 • MayorTim Keller (D)
 • City Council
Councilors
 • State House
Representatives
 • State Senate
State senators
 • U.S. HouseMelanie Stansbury (D)
Gabe Vasquez (D)
Area
 • City
194.93 sq mi (489.39 km2)
 • Land188.27 sq mi (486.03 km2)
 • Water1.62 sq mi (4.35 km2)
Elevation5,312 ft (1,619 m)
Population
 • City
564,559
 • Estimate 
(2024)
560,326
 • Rank86th in North America
32nd in the United States
1st in New Mexico
 • Density3,014.68/sq mi (1,163.97/km2)
 • Urban
769,837 (US: 59th)
 • Urban density2,926.3/sq mi (1,129.9/km2)
 • Metro960,000 (US: 61st)
 • CSA
1,162,523
Demonym(s)Albuquerquean (uncommon), Burqueño, Burqueña
GDP
 • Metro$59.383 billion (2023)
Time zoneUTC−7 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
ZIP Codes
87101–87125, 87131,
87151, 87153, 87154,
87158, 87174, 87176,
87181, 87184, 87185,
87187, 87190–87199
Area codes505
FIPS code35-02000
GNIS feature ID2409678[2]
Websitewww.cabq.gov

Albuquerque,[b] also known as ABQ, Burque, Duke City, or the Q, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico,[7] and the county seat of Bernalillo County. Founded in 1706 as La Villa de Alburquerque by Santa Fe de Nuevo México governor Francisco Cuervo y Valdés, and named in honor of Francisco Fernández de la Cueva, 10th Duke of Alburquerque and Viceroy of New Spain, it was an outpost on El Camino Real, linking Mexico City to the northernmost territories of New Spain.

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 its bosque flowing north-to-south through the middle.[8] According to the 2020 census, Albuquerque had 564,559 residents,[9] making it the 32nd most populous city in the U.S. and the fourth largest in the Southwest. The Albuquerque metropolitan area had 955,000 residents in 2023, and forms part of the Albuquerque–Santa Fe–Los Alamos combined statistical area, which had a population of 1,162,523.[10]

Albuquerque is a hub for technology, fine arts, and mass media.[11][12] It hosts New Mexico's primary international airport, the Albuquerque International Sunport, and the state's flagship and largest university, the University of New Mexico. The U.S. federal government has a strong presence through Sandia National Laboratories, one of three laboratories of the National Nuclear Security Administration, and Kirtland Air Force Base, the largest installation in the Air Force Global Strike Command.

Albuquerque is home to several historic landmarks,[13] including over 160 sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Notable annual events include the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, the largest balloon festival in the world, the Gathering of Nations, the largest powwow in North America, and the New Mexico State Fair. Albuquerque is also known for its restaurant scene, which features both New Mexican and global cuisine,[14] and as a center of New Mexican music and architecture.

  1. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 31, 2023. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Albuquerque, New Mexico
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "2020 Population and Housing State Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 24, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  5. ^ "Total Gross Domestic Product for Albuquerque, NM (MSA)". Federal Reserve Economic Data.
  6. ^ "ALBUQUERQUE Definition & Meaning". Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster Incorporated. 2019. Archived from the original on May 30, 2025. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
  7. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Albuquerque city, New Mexico". Census Bureau QuickFacts. Archived from the original on September 15, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  8. ^ "30 Interesting Facts About Albuquerque". Isolated Traveller. October 6, 2021. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  9. ^ "QuickFacts: Albuquerque city, New Mexico". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 10, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  10. ^ "Combined Statistical Areas – 2020 Census – Data as of January 1, 2020". TIGERweb Redirect. January 1, 2020. Archived from the original on June 27, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  11. ^ Shankland, Stephen (May 3, 2021). "Intel investing $3.5B in New Mexico fab upgrade, boosting US chipmaking". CNET. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  12. ^ "Making Movies in the 505". ABQ Film Office. January 1, 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  13. ^ "Historic Landmarks". City of Albuquerque. March 14, 2022. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  14. ^ "An Albuquerque Appetite: Where to Eat in New Mexico's Biggest City". Food Com. May 24, 2018. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2022.


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