Las Vegas, New Mexico | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 35°36′15″N105°13′21″W / 35.60417°N 105.22250°W | |
Country | United States |
State | New Mexico |
County | San Miguel |
Government | |
• Type | Mayor-council government |
• Mayor | David Romero [1] |
• City Manager | William Taylor [2] |
Area | |
• Total | 8.62 sq mi (22.34 km2) |
• Land | 8.62 sq mi (22.33 km2) |
• Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
Elevation | 6,441 ft (1,963 m) |
Population | |
• Total | 13,166 |
• Density | 1,527.02/sq mi (589.59/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−07:00 (Mountain (MST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−06:00 (MDT) |
ZIP Codes | 87701, 87745 |
Area code | 505 |
FIPS code | 35-39940 |
GNIS feature ID | 2411631 [4] |
Website | lasvegasnm.gov |
Las Vegas, often known simply as Vegas, is a city in and the county seat of San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. [6] Once two separate municipalities (one a city and the other a town), both were named Las Vegas: West Las Vegas ("Old Town") and East Las Vegas ("New Town"). They are separated by the Gallinas River and retain distinct characters and separate, rival school districts.
The population was 13,166 at the 2020 census. [7] Las Vegas is located 110 miles (180 km) south of Raton, 65 miles (105 km) east of Santa Fe, 122 miles (196 km) northeast of Albuquerque, 257 miles (414 km) south of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and 326 miles (525 km) south of Denver.
Las Vegas was established in 1835 after a group of settlers received a land grant from the Mexican government. (The land had previously been granted to Luis María Cabeza de Baca, whose family later received a settlement.) The town was laid out in the traditional Spanish Colonial style, with a central plaza surrounded by buildings which could serve as fortifications in case of attack. Las Vegas soon prospered as a stop on the Santa Fe Trail. During the Mexican–American War in 1846, Stephen W. Kearny delivered an address at the Plaza of Las Vegas claiming New Mexico for the United States. In 1847, the town was the site of the Battle of Las Vegas, which was a part of the broader Taos Revolt by local Hispanos and Pueblo peoples against United States occupation. In 1860, the United States Congress passed a law allowing the Cabeza de Baca heirs to choose other grants in lieu of their Las Vegas grant. [8]
In 1877 Las Vegas College, the precursor to Regis University, was founded in Las Vegas by a group of exiled Italian Jesuits. In 1887, Las Vegas College moved to Denver whereupon the name was changed. [9]
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad arrived at Las Vegas from the north on July 4, 1879. [10] To maintain control of development rights, it established a station and related development one mile (1.6 km) east of the Plaza, creating a separate, rival New Town, as occurred elsewhere in the Old West. The same competing development occurred in Albuquerque, for instance. During the railroad era Las Vegas boomed, quickly becoming one of the largest cities in the American Southwest. Turn-of-the-century Las Vegas featured all the modern amenities, including an electric street railway, the "Duncan Opera House" at the northeast corner of 6th Street and Douglas Avenue, a Carnegie library, the Castañeda Hotel (a major Harvey House), and the New Mexico Normal School (now New Mexico Highlands University). Since the decline and restructuring of the railroad industry began in the 1950s, the city's population has remained relatively constant. Although the two towns have been combined, separate school districts have been maintained (Las Vegas City Schools and West Las Vegas School District).
The anti-colonist organization Las Gorras Blancas was active in the area in the 1890s.
Beginning in 1915, the Las Vegas Cowboys' Reunions were held annually until 1931; then in 1939, the Cowboys' Reunions were re-established. Their slogan was, "Git Fer Vegas, Cowboy!" These reunions were organized by a group of ranching families and cowboys which soon became the Las Vegas Cowboys' Reunion Association. The Reunions celebrated ranching life, which began in northern New Mexico in the early 1800s and continues into the 21st century. The annual affair included pie eating contests, barbecues, parades, banquets, balls, and "ranch rodeos." In the early years, celebrities—cowhands as well as big-name bands, movie stars like Tom Mix, and artists such as Randall Davey—came to Las Vegas for this event. In later years, famous cowhands participated in the Cowboys' Reunion Rodeos. The Cowboys' Reunions reflected the occupations of the area and attracted huge crowds for their four days of events. In 1952, the Cowboys' Reunion Association invited the Rough Riders Association to join them at the annual rodeo. [11]
The arrival of the railroad in 1879 brought with it businesses, development and new residents, both respectable and dubious. Murderers, robbers, thieves, gamblers, gunmen, swindlers, vagrants, and tramps poured in, transforming the eastern side of the settlement into a virtually lawless brawl. Among the notorious characters were such legends of the Old West as: dentist Doc Holliday and his girlfriend Big Nose Kate, Dave Rudabaugh, Jesse James, Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, Mysterious Dave Mather, Hoodoo Brown, and Handsome Harry the Dancehall Rustler. [12]
Historian Ralph Emerson Twitchell once claimed regarding the Old West, "Without exception there was no town which harbored a more disreputable gang of desperadoes and outlaws than did Las Vegas." [13]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.5 square miles (19 km2), all land.
Las Vegas has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification: BSk).
Climate data for Las Vegas, New Mexico, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1983–present | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 72 (22) | 74 (23) | 80 (27) | 85 (29) | 92 (33) | 98 (37) | 99 (37) | 95 (35) | 94 (34) | 88 (31) | 81 (27) | 74 (23) | 99 (37) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 64.0 (17.8) | 65.7 (18.7) | 72.8 (22.7) | 77.2 (25.1) | 86.2 (30.1) | 92.4 (33.6) | 93.0 (33.9) | 91.0 (32.8) | 86.7 (30.4) | 81.4 (27.4) | 71.8 (22.1) | 66.3 (19.1) | 94.5 (34.7) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 50.1 (10.1) | 52.8 (11.6) | 60.4 (15.8) | 67.2 (19.6) | 75.0 (23.9) | 84.7 (29.3) | 85.2 (29.6) | 84.2 (29.0) | 78.6 (25.9) | 69.2 (20.7) | 58.7 (14.8) | 50.2 (10.1) | 68.0 (20.0) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 30.7 (−0.7) | 33.6 (0.9) | 40.4 (4.7) | 47.7 (8.7) | 55.3 (12.9) | 64.9 (18.3) | 68.2 (20.1) | 67.2 (19.6) | 60.3 (15.7) | 49.3 (9.6) | 38.9 (3.8) | 30.8 (−0.7) | 48.9 (9.4) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 11.3 (−11.5) | 14.4 (−9.8) | 20.3 (−6.5) | 28.2 (−2.1) | 35.7 (2.1) | 45.2 (7.3) | 51.2 (10.7) | 50.2 (10.1) | 42.1 (5.6) | 29.4 (−1.4) | 19.0 (−7.2) | 11.5 (−11.4) | 29.9 (−1.2) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | −3.2 (−19.6) | −0.6 (−18.1) | 6.7 (−14.1) | 17.1 (−8.3) | 24.2 (−4.3) | 34.9 (1.6) | 43.2 (6.2) | 41.9 (5.5) | 30.0 (−1.1) | 15.0 (−9.4) | 3.0 (−16.1) | −5.1 (−20.6) | −11.3 (−24.1) |
Record low °F (°C) | −22 (−30) | −32 (−36) | −9 (−23) | 10 (−12) | 11 (−12) | 28 (−2) | 33 (1) | 30 (−1) | 20 (−7) | −3 (−19) | −16 (−27) | −32 (−36) | −32 (−36) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.42 (11) | 0.45 (11) | 0.56 (14) | 0.70 (18) | 1.49 (38) | 1.36 (35) | 3.19 (81) | 3.12 (79) | 2.43 (62) | 1.69 (43) | 0.57 (14) | 0.74 (19) | 16.72 (425) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 3.0 (7.6) | 3.8 (9.7) | 2.8 (7.1) | 1.3 (3.3) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 1.4 (3.6) | 4.0 (10) | 5.7 (14) | 22.0 (56) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 2.0 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.8 | 4.3 | 4.9 | 9.1 | 9.5 | 5.6 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 2.1 | 51.0 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 7.9 |
Source 1: NOAA [14] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: National Weather Service [15] |
In late winter and spring of 2022, Las Vegas and surrounding areas of San Miguel and Mora counties experienced the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire. The fire burned 341,471 acres (1,382 km2), making it the largest blaze in New Mexico's recorded history. [16]
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1890 | 2,312 | — | |
1900 | 3,552 | 53.6% | |
1910 | 3,755 | 5.7% | |
1920 | 4,304 | 14.6% | |
1930 | 4,719 | 9.6% | |
1940 | 5,941 | 25.9% | |
1950 | 7,494 | 26.1% | |
1960 | 7,790 | 3.9% | |
1970 | 7,528 | −3.4% | |
1980 | 14,322 | 90.2% | |
1990 | 14,753 | 3.0% | |
2000 | 14,565 | −1.3% | |
2010 | 13,753 | −5.6% | |
2020 | 13,166 | −4.3% | |
2021 (est.) | 13,157 | [17] | −0.1% |
U.S. Decennial Census [18] [5] |
As of the census [19] of 2000, there were 14,565 people, 5,588 households, and 3,559 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,938.2 inhabitants per square mile (748.3/km2). There were 6,366 housing units at an average density of 847.1 per square mile (327.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 54.21% White, 0.99% African American, 1.96% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 37.19% from other races, and 4.95% from two or more races. Hispanic people of any race were 82.94% of the population.
As noted in the chart to the right, the population of Las Vegas peaked at 14,753 in 1990. By 2019, the estimated population had decreased 12.43% to 12,919.
There were 5,588 households, out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.0% were married couples living together, 21.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the city the population was spread out, with 26.4% under the age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.
The median income in 2019 for a household in the city was $26,561 as compared to the New Mexico median income of $49,754 and the national median of $62,843. The median income for a family in Las Vegas was $29,797. Males had a median income of $26,319 versus $21,731 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20.080 as compared to $34,103 nationally as noted in the 2019 Census estimate. In the past, 24.3% of families and 27.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.7% of those under age 18 and 20.1% of those age 65 or over. The most recent figures (2019) as provided by the U. S. Census Bureau estimate the total number of persons (all ages) at or below the poverty line has increased to 35.6%. [20] This is significantly higher than the national average of 10.5% and the State average of 18.2%.
New Mexico Highlands University, founded 1893, is home to the Thomas C. Donnelly Library. It supports the teaching, research and community activities of New Mexico Highlands University. It acquires, organizes, preserves and provides access to pertinent information and scholarly materials for curricular needs, intellectual pursuits and personal enrichment of its clientele. It promotes programs and services that emphasize the diversity of the university's multicultural community and heritage. An addition increased the square footage from 23,700 to 53,500 and now holds a book collection of almost 200,000 volumes. [21]
Las Vegas' Carnegie Library, established in 1904, is the only surviving Carnegie Library in New Mexico. Built from a $10,000 donation from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, its Neo-Classical Revival architecture resembles Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. The library sits in the middle of a park that occupies an entire city block, bordered by Victorian-style homes and buildings.
The City of Las Vegas Museum & Rough Rider Memorial on Grand Avenue, dedicated in 1940, was first established by the decision of Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders regiment (the first Volunteer Cavalry Regiment of the Spanish–American War), who named Las Vegas its official reunion home. Their first reunion was held in Las Vegas, June 1899.
The museum, free and open to the public, houses a memorial collection of artifacts, archives and photographs from the Rough Riders and mementos in relation to the 1898 Cuban Campaign of the Spanish–American War, with information on over 200 members of the original regiment, RRR Association documents, etc. The museum illuminates the history of Las Vegas, its connection to the Rough Riders, the Santa Fe Trail and the development of New Mexico. It features collections of local Native American pottery, household items, costumes, ranching and farming equipment, agricultural and mercantile operations, and home life.
Housed in a 1940 Works Progress Administration-funded building, the museum is built of stone, with Pueblo Revival nuances. [22]
Las Vegas has numerous historic structures (mostly railroad-era houses and commercial buildings), with over 900 listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Although many buildings are in varying states of deterioration, others have been restored or are awaiting restoration. Some of the city's notable buildings include:
The City of Las Vegas is served by two public school districts. [23]
The City of Las Vegas has two major high schools:
Las Vegas is the home of New Mexico Highlands University, an important university in New Mexico especially for teacher training. Highlands has long had an excellent science, drama, art, and foreign language faculty. The art department was nationally renowned in the 1950s to 1970s and beyond. The university sponsors intercollegiate athletics and is a member of NCAA II and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
Also nearby, north of Las Vegas, is Luna Community College. The United World College in nearby Montezuma, New Mexico is a two-year international high school and one of the venues used by the International Baccalaureate Program for teacher training in the United States.
Railway
Airport
Major highways
Bus service
Movies and television shows filmed in and around Las Vegas include:
Las Vegas has a bi-weekly newspaper, the Las Vegas Optic . It is published on Wednesday and Friday.[ citation needed ]
The Fort Union Drive-in theater is located on 7th Street in Las Vegas. [32]
Mayor | Term start | Term end | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Eugenio Romero | 1881 | 1883 |
2 | John G. Wylie | 1888 | – |
3 | Edward Henry | 1890 | – |
4 | James S. Duncan | 1892 | 1892 |
5 | Andrieus A. Jones | 1893 | 1884 |
6 | Major Adin H. Whitmore | 1895 | – |
7 | Dr. Frederick Olney [33] | 1897 | – |
8 | George P. Money | 1902 | – |
9 | Karl D. Goodall | 1903 | – |
6 | Dr. Frederick Olney | 1905 | 1907 |
10 | Karl D. Goodall | 1911 | – |
11 | R. J. Taupert | 1912 | 1913 |
12 | Dr. H. M. Smith | 1915 | – |
13 | F. O. Blood | 1918 | 1920 |
14 | Thomas V. Truder | 1921 | 1934 |
15 | Frank W. Condon | 1935 | 1939 |
16 | Ivan J. Hilton | 1940 | 1946 |
17 | Ivan J. Hilton | 1950 | 1954 |
18 | LeRoy S. Wicks | 1956 | 1960 |
19 | Frank Olmsted | 1962 | 1966 |
20 | Ben Lingnau | 1967 | – |
21 | Alfred Nelson | 1968 | – |
22 | Fidel "Chief" Gonzales | 1970 | 1975 |
23 | Harold K. Brandt | 1977 | – |
24 | Max Madrid | 1978 | – |
25 | Steve Franken | 1980 | 1985 |
26 | Leroy "Huero" Sanchez | 1986 | 1987 |
27 | Tony Martinez Jr. | 1988 | 1997 |
28 | Matt Martinez | 1998 | 2001 |
29 | Henry O. Sanchez | 2002 | 2008 |
30 | Tony Marquez | 2009 | – |
31 | Alfonso E. Ortiz Jr. | 2010 | 2015 |
32 | Tonita Gurule-Giron | 2016 | 2020 |
33 | Louie Trujillo | 2020 | 2023 |
34 | David Romero | 2023 | present |
The Town of Crestone is a Statutory Town in Saguache County, Colorado. According to the 2020 United States Census, the town's population was 141. Crestone is located at the foot of the western slope of the Sangre de Cristo Range, in the northern part of the San Luis Valley. Crestone was platted in 1880 by George Adams, owner of the neighboring Luis Maria Baca Grant No. 4. In the 1970s, the Baca Grande land development was established on the lands of the Baca Grant to the south and west. Several hundred homes have been built there.
Santa Fe County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 154,823, making it New Mexico's third-most populous county, after Bernalillo County and Doña Ana County. Its county seat is Santa Fe, the state capital.
San Miguel County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,201. Its county seat is Las Vegas.
Rio Arriba County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,363. Its county seat is Tierra Amarilla. Its northern border is the Colorado state line.
Mora County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, its population was 4,189. Its county seat is the census-designated place (CDP) Mora. The county has another CDP, Watrous, a village, Wagon Mound, and 12 smaller unincorporated settlements. Mora became a formal county in the US, in what was then the New Mexico Territory, on February 1, 1860. Ecclesiastically, the county is within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe. County population peaked at about 14,000 circa 1920, declining to about 4,000 to 5,000 since the 1970s; the 2018 estimate was 4,506.
Colfax County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,387. Its county seat is Raton. It is south from the Colorado state line. This county was named for Schuyler Colfax (1823–1885), seventeenth Vice President of the United States under U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant.
Baca County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,506. The county seat is Springfield. Located at the southeast corner of Colorado, the county shares state borders with Kansas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.
Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, also known simply as "Los Ranchos", is a village in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. The population was 6,024 at the time of the 2010 Census.
Reserve is a village in Catron County, New Mexico, United States. The town population was 293 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Catron County. Currently the village has two grocery stores, a hardware store, a bar, fairgrounds, and a health clinic. It is the site where Elfego Baca held off a gang of Texan cowboys who wanted to kill him for arresting cowboy Charles McCarty.
Wagon Mound is a village in Mora County, New Mexico, United States. It is named after and located at the foot of a butte called Wagon Mound, which was a landmark for covered wagon trains and traders going up and down the Santa Fe Trail and is now Wagon Mound National Historic Landmark. It was previously an isolated ranch that housed four families that served as local traders. The shape of the mound is said to resemble a Conestoga wagon. As of the 2020 census, the village population was 266. It was also called Santa Clara for many years. The village, with brightly painted houses and several stores and shops, is located on the plains of northeastern New Mexico. Interstate 25, which skirts the western side of town, gives a view of the majority of the town. Wagon Mound is not growing rapidly, but it has seen new construction along I-25, with new buildings on the northeast side of town as well.
Edgewood is a town in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States. Through annexations, its town boundaries now extend into Bernalillo and Torrance counties. Although in Santa Fe County, Edgewood is geographically closer to Albuquerque than to the city of Santa Fe. The town's population grew 97% between 2000 and 2010, from 1,893 to 3,735.
Galisteo is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States. It is part of the Santa Fe, New Mexico Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 253 at the 2020 census.
Glorieta is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States. It is part of the Albuquerque–Santa Fe–Las Vegas combined statistical area. The population was 430 at the 2010 census. The community is located in the southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains, along Interstate 25 on the east side of Glorieta Pass.
Socorro is a city in Socorro County in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is in the Rio Grande Valley at an elevation of 4,579 feet (1,396 m). At the 2020 census, the population was 8,707. It is the county seat of Socorro County. Socorro is located 74 miles (119 km) south of Albuquerque and 146 miles (235 km) north of Las Cruces.
Belén is the second most populated city in Valencia County, New Mexico, the United States, after its county seat, Los Lunas. The population was 7,360 as of the 2020 Census.
New Mexico Highlands University is a public university in Las Vegas, New Mexico, United States. Founded in 1893, it has satellite campuses in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Farmington and Roswell. NMHU has an average annual enrollment of approximately 3,000 students and offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate degree programs across six schools and colleges, as well as online.
Ribera is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in San Miguel County, New Mexico. Located in the northern part of the state, it is at the foot of Rowe Mesa and along the Pecos River, 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Santa Fe.
The Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area, sometimes referred to as Tiguex, is a metropolitan area in central New Mexico centered on the city of Albuquerque. The metro comprises four counties: Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, and Valencia. As of the 2010 United States Census, the MSA had a population of 887,077. The population is estimated to be 923,630 as of July 1, 2020, making Greater Albuquerque the 61st-largest MSA in the nation. The Albuquerque MSA forms a part of the larger Albuquerque–Santa Fe–Los Alamos combined statistical area with a 2020 estimated population of 1,165,181, ranked 49th-largest in the country.
Doña Ana County is a county located in the southern part of the New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 219,561, which makes it the second-most populated county in New Mexico. Its county seat is Las Cruces, the second-most populous municipality in New Mexico after Albuquerque, with 111,385 as of the 2020 U.S. Census.
Valle Vista is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States. It was first listed as a CDP prior to the 2020 census.