Albuquerque Travel Info, Restaurant Districts, Colleges, and Churches

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Albuquerque combines a unique blend of multi-culturalism, natural beauty, profound historic attractions, and spectacular climate with four distinct seasons, museums, galleries and shopping to create a distinct and unforgettable visit for every kind of visitor.

Albuquerque City Information

Land Area: 181 miles
Parks: 189 city-owned
Number of radio stations: 43 (17 AM, 26 FM)
Number of television stations: 11
Number of newspapers: 2 (Albuquerque Tribune, Albuquerque Journal)
Elevation: 5,280 feet
Transportation: Albuquerque International Sunport

Albuquerque Weather and Climate:

Average daily temperature: 70? F
Average annual rainfall: 8 inches

Distances to other Metropolitan Areas from Albuquerque (in miles):

Atlanta, GA — 1,400
Boston, MA — 2,200
Chicago, IL — 1,310
Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX — 640
Houston, TX — 850
Las Vegas, NV — 590
Los Angeles, CA — 810
Memphis, TN — 1,010
Miami, FL — 1,970
Nashville, TN — 1,230
New Orleans, LA — 1,200
New York, NY — 2,000
Orlando, FL — 1,740
Philadelphia, PA — 1,950
Phoenix, AX — 460
Rapid City, SD — 820
Salt Lake City, UT — 600
San Antonio, TX — 730
San Diego, CA — 810
San Francisco, CA — 1,110
Seattle, WA — 1,450
Washington, DC — 1,850

Albuquerque Safety Phone #'s and Major Hospitals:

Police/Fire/Ambulance: 911
Presbyterian Hospital (1100 Central Ave. SE, 505-841-1234)
University of New Mexico Hospital (2211 Lomas Blvd. NE, 505-272-2111)

Albuquerque Top Tourism Draws and Seasons:

Season: April to October
Albuquerque Aquarium
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
Albuquerque Museum of Art and History
Explora Science Center and Children's Museum
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
National Atomic Museum
National Hispanic Cultural Center
Old Town
Petroglyph National Monument
Rio Grande Botanic Garden
Rio Grande Nature Center
Rio Grande Zoological Park
Sandia Peak Tramway
San Felipe de Neri Church & Museum
Turquoise Museum
University of New Mexico

Albuquerque Major Shopping Areas:

Sandia Pueblo
Bosque Farms Flea Market
Coronodo Center
Cottonwood Mall
First Plaza Galeria
Nob Hill
Old Town
Plaza Mercado
Santa Fe Premium Outlets
The Little Shops on Rio Grande
Traditions! A Festival Markeplace
Winrock Shopping Center

Albuquerque Major Dining Areas:

Historic Old Town
Downtown ("The District")
Nob Hill

Albuquerque Famous Landmarks & Historic Places:

Pueblo Ruins
Petroglyph National Monument

Albuquerque Famous Natives and Residents:

Pete Domenici - U.S. senator
Erna Fergusson - author
Annabeth Gish - actress
Fred Haney - baseball player
Ernie Pyle - war correspondent
Slim Summerville - actor
Al and Bobby Unser - auto racers

Notable Moments in Albuquerque History:

1100. Ancestral Puebloans built networks of trade and communication from Mexico to the Four Corners area. From 1100 to 1300, many of them settled in the middle Rio Grande Valley area.
1540. Francisco Vasquez de Coronado arrived via Mexico on a search for gold and the Seven Cities of Cibola. He and his men spent the winter of 1540-41 at Kuaua, a pueblo on the Rio Grande.
1706. By the 17th century, the region bore the name Bosque Grande de San Francisco Xavier. In
1706 it was established as the formal Villa of Alburquerque.
1821. On May 5, 1821, Mexico acquired New Mexico as part of its independence from Spain.
1846. In 1846, the territory fell under U.S. control, and Albuquerque was established as an outpost for the U.S. military.
1862. Albuquerque was surrendered briefly to the South during the 1862 battle of Glorieta in the American Civil War.
1880. With the railroad's arrival in 1880, Anglo settlers began moving here en masse. The railroad changed the ethnic and geographic structure of the city.
1885. Albuquerque was incorporated as a town in 1885. Six years later, in 1891, it was incorporated as a city.
1889. The University of New Mexico, the state's largest university, was founded in 1889.
1912. New Mexico was admitted to the U.S. as the 47th state.
1926. The route was designated in 1926 when the federal government first implemented its highway numbering system. The "Mother Road" supports a host of tourist and travel businesses.
1928. Albuquerque entered the age of air travel with the opening of its International Sunport. The Sunport now sees an average of 17,000 passengers come and go each day.
1940. Albuquerque's high-tech era began with World War II, which saw the founding of Kirtland Air Force Base in 1940 and Sandia National Labs in 1949.
1972. The first gathering of 13 balloons was held in the parking lot of Coronado Center in 1972. Today the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta? hosts over 1,000 balloons.

Interesting Facts about Albuquerque:

The famous Route 66 goes through Albuquerque.
The New Mexico State Fair comes to town in the second week of September, runs for two weeks, and is widely regarded as one of the finest in the United States.
The International Balloon Festival attracts almost a million spectators over nine days in October. When the balloon festival began in 1972, there were only 13 balloons. In 2000, there were over 1000 balloons.
The World's Longest Tramway at Sandia Peak provides an 11,000 square mile panoramic view of New Mexico.
New Mexico's largest city was founded in 1706 as a Spanish farming community. It was named after a province in Spain.
The American International Rattlesnake Museum houses the world's largest collection of rattlesnakes.