Villa founded
1706
Residents
564.6K
Sandia Crest
10,678 ft
Sunny days a year
278
A few things that belong to this city, each with its source.
The Albuquerque box — In early October the winds blow from the north at low levels and from the south higher up, so balloon pilots can fly out over the city and return to the launch field. October. Source: en.wikipedia.org
Red or green? Christmas. — New Mexico’s official State Question is “Red or green?”, and asking for “Christmas” gets you both chiles on one plate. Source: en.wikipedia.org
A tram to a 10,000-foot ridge — The Sandia Peak Tramway lifts riders from the edge of town to the top of the Sandias in about fifteen minutes, on the longest aerial tramway in the Americas. Source: en.wikipedia.org
Luminarias on Christmas Eve — Candle-lit paper-bag lanterns line walls and walkways, especially in Old Town, and what to call them (luminarias or farolitos) is a long-running argument. December. Source: en.wikipedia.org
A theatre named for a mountain lion — The 1927 KiMo Theatre took its name from a newspaper contest won by a former governor of Isleta Pueblo. Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Albert D. Richardson
Journalist travelling the Santa Fe road in 1859, in Beyond the Mississippi · Beyond the Mississippi: from the great river to the great ocean · 1859
We passed Albuquerque, (population, three thousand,) one of the richest and pleasantest towns, with a Spanish cathedral and other buildings more than two hundred years old.
Source ↗Robert Julyan
Author of The Place Names of New Mexico, on why the mountains are called Sandia, as quoted in Wikipedia · Albuquerque, New Mexico
the most likely explanation is the one believed by the Sandia Pueblo Indians: the Spaniards, when they encountered the Pueblo in 1540, called it Sandia, because they thought the squash growing there were watermelons, and the name Sandia soon was transferred to the mountains east of the pueblo.
Source ↗Visit Albuquerque
The city’s tourism bureau · Turning Up the Heat: Chile Roasting Season in Albuquerque · 2026
In Albuquerque, we take our chile seriously.
Source ↗Visit Albuquerque
The city’s tourism bureau · Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
For nine days in October, the Albuquerque skies are colorfully painted as more than 500 balloons lift off from Balloon Fiesta Park.
Source ↗
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