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Las Cruces, NM
Las Cruces is the seat of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 97,618, and in 2018 the estimated population was 102,926, making it the second largest city in the state, after Albuquerque. Las Cruces is the largest city in both Doña Ana County and southern New Mexico. The Las Cruces metropolitan area had an estimated population of 213,849 in 2017. It is the principal city of a metropolitan statistical area which encompasses all of Doña Ana County and is part of the larger El Paso–Las Cruces combined statistical area.
Las Cruces is the economic and geographic center of the Mesilla Valley, the agricultural region on the floodplain of the Rio Grande which extends from Hatch to the west side of El Paso, Texas. Las Cruces is the home of New Mexico State University (NMSU), New Mexico’s only land-grant university. The city’s major employer is the federal government on nearby White Sands Test Facility and White Sands Missile Range. The Organ Mountains, 10 miles (16 km) to the east, are dominant in the city’s landscape, along with the Doña Ana Mountains, Robledo Mountains, and Picacho Peak. Las Cruces lies 225 miles (362 km) south of Albuquerque, 42 miles (68 km) northwest of El Paso, Texas and 41 miles (66 km) north of the Mexican border at Sunland Park.
Spaceport America, which has corporate offices in Las Cruces, operates from 55 miles (89 km) to the north, and has completed several successful manned, suborbital flights. The city is also the headquarters for Virgin Galactic, the world’s first company to offer sub-orbital spaceflights.]
History:
The area where Las Cruces rose was previously inhabited by the Manso people, with the Mescalero Apache living nearby. The area was later colonized by the Spanish beginning in 1598, when Juan de Oñate claimed all territory north of the Rio Grande for New Spain and later became the first governor of the Spanish territory of New Mexico.
The area remained under New Spain’s control until September 28, 1821, when the first Mexican Empire claimed ownership. The area was also claimed by the Republic of Texas during this time until the end of the Mexican–American War in 1846–48. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 established the United States as owner of this territory, and Las Cruces was founded in 1849 when the US Army laid out the town plans.
Mesilla became the leading settlement of the area, with more than 2,000 residents in 1860, more than twice what Las Cruces had. When the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway reached the area, the landowners of Mesilla refused to sell it the rights-of-way, and instead residents of Las Cruces donated the rights-of-way and land for a depot in Las Cruces. The first train reached Las Cruces in 1881. Las Cruces was not affected as strongly by the train as some other villages, as it was not a terminus or a crossroads, but the population did grow to 2,300 in the 1880s. Las Cruces was incorporated as a town in 1907.
Pat Garrett is best known for his involvement in the Lincoln County War, but he also worked in Las Cruces on a famous case, the disappearance of Albert Jennings Fountain in 1896.
New Mexico State University was founded in 1888, and it has grown as Las Cruces has grown. Growth of Las Cruces has been attributed to the university, government jobs, and recent retirees. The establishment of White Sands Missile Range in 1944 and White Sands Test Facility in 1963 has been integral to population growth. Las Cruces is the nearest city to each, and they provide Las Cruces’ work force many high-paying, stable, government jobs. In recent years, the influx of retirees from out of state has also increased Las Cruces’ population.
In the 1960s Las Cruces undertook a large urban renewal project, intended to convert the old downtown into a modern city center. As part of this, St. Genevieve‘s Catholic Church, built in 1859, was razed to make way for a downtown pedestrian mall. The original covered walkways are now being removed in favor of a more traditional main street thoroughfare.
The exact origin of the city’s name is unknown. In the 18th century, a party consisting of a priest, bishop, colonel, captain, 4 trappers and 4 choir boys were attacked at the nearby Rio Grande. Multiple crosses were erected in their honor, providing for the name of El Pueblo del Jardin de Las Cruces, (the City of the Garden of Crosses,) which then evolved and shortened to Las Cruces. Later, a group of about 40 travelers coming along the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro died nearby, resulting in a similar group of crosses. Similarly, crosses on a hillside marking the graves of bandits echo an old tale of the valley of “Los Hermanos”. The name may also be a mistranslation of the Spanish for “crossing” or “crossroads”, as cruce, the singular form of “crossroad”, is masculine and the phrase would be Los Cruces.
Layout
Unlike many cities its size, Las Cruces lacks a true central business district. This is because in the 1960s an urban-renewal project tore down a large part of the original downtown. Many chain stores and national restaurants are located in the rapidly developing east side. Las Cruces’ shopping mall and a variety of retail stores and restaurants are located in this area.However, the historic downtown of the city is the area around Main Street, a six-block stretch of which was closed off in 1973 to form a pedestrianized shopping area. The downtown mall has an extensive farmers market each Wednesday and Saturday morning, where a variety of foods and cultural items can be purchased from numerous small stands that are set up by local farmers, artists and craftspeople. It also contains museums, businesses, restaurants, churches, art galleries and theaters, which add a great deal to the changing character of Las Cruces’ historic downtown.
In August 2005, a master plan was adopted, the centerpiece of which was the restoration of narrow lanes of two-way traffic on this model portion of Main Street shown to the right. Main Street was reopened to vehicular traffic in 2012.
In February 2013, Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima announced during his “State of the City” address that a 700-acre (280 ha) park in the area behind the Las Cruces Dam was under construction, in cooperation with the Army Corps of Engineers. The area features trails through restored wetlands and serves as a major refuge for migratory birds and a key recreational area for the city.
Climate:
Las Cruces has a desert climate (Köppen BWk). Winters alternate between colder and windier weather following trough and frontal passages, and warmer, sunnier periods; light frosts occur many nights. Spring months can be windy, particularly in the afternoons, sometimes causing periods of blowing dust and short-lived dust storms. Summers begin with the hottest weather of the year, with some extended periods of over 100 °F or 37.8 °C weather not uncommon, while the latter half of the summer seeing increased humidity and frequent afternoon thunderstorms, with slightly lower daytime temperatures. Autumns feature decreasing temperatures and precipitation.
Precipitation is very light from October to June, with only occasional winter storm systems bringing steady precipitation to the Las Cruces area. Most winter moisture is in the form of rain, though some light snow falls most winters, usually enough to accumulate and stay on the ground for a few hours, at most. Warm season precipitation is often from heavy showers, especially from the late summer monsoon weather pattern.
Since records began in 1892, the lowest temperature recorded at State University has been −10 °F or −23.3 °C on January 11, 1962 – though only ten nights have ever fallen to or below 0 °F or −17.8 °C – and the highest 110 °F or 43.3 °C on June 28, 1994. The lowest maximum on record is 16 °F or −8.9 °C on January 28, 1948 and the highest minimum 80 °F or 26.7 °C on July 5, 1920. The wettest calendar year has been 1941 with 19.60 inches or 497.8 millimetres, although 1905 with 17.09 inches or 434.1 millimetres is the only other year to exceed 15 inches (380 mm). The only months to exceed 6 inches (150 mm) have been September 1941 with 7.53 inches or 191.3 millimetres and August 1935 with 7.41 inches or 188.2 millimetres. The wettest single day has been August 30, 1935 with 6.49 inches or 164.8 millimetres and the driest calendar year 1970 with 3.44 inches or 87.4 millimetres.
Recognition and Awards
AARP – Top 10 Sunny Places to Retire, 2012
Forbes – One of the Best Places to Retire in 2014
PARADE Magazine – Top 25 Hardest Working Towns in America , 2012
Guidebook America – One of the country’s Top 10 Spring Break Destinations for Families, 2012
US News & World Report – 10 Cities for Real Estate Steals, 2010, Best Retirement Destination, 2015
US News & World Report, National Universities Rankings – Tier 1 Institution (NMSU), 2014
Sunset Magazine – 20 Best Towns of the Future, 2010
AARP The Magazine – Dream Towns to Retire, 2006, 2010
Facilities & Destinations Magazine – Top Destination, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009
Inc. Magazine – One of 2007’s Top 20 Boomtowns
Money Magazine – One of the Best College Towns to Retire, 2005
National Motorcoach Network – Top 50 Motorcoach Destinations in the United States 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
National Motorcoach Network – Top 50 Motorcoach Destinations in the United States 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Hispanic Magazine – Top 10 Cities for Hispanics to Live, 2002, 2003
Forbes/Milken Institute – Best Small Metro Area for Business & Careers, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2013
Family Digest – Best Place to Live, 2002
Money Magazine – One of the Best Places to Retire, 2002
Where to Retire Magazine – One of America ’s Top 100 Retirement Towns, 2001
Global Trade Magazine – Las Cruces named a “Best City for Global Trade 2015”
KaBOOM! In partnership with the Humana Foundation – “Playful City USA” Community 2013, 2014
First STAR Community to be recognized in New Mexico as a sustainable community that includes a healthy environment, a strong economy and the well-being of the people living in Las Cruces, 2015