Las Cruces, New Mexico
Encyclopedia
Las Cruces, also known as "The City of the Crosses", is the county seat of Doña Ana County
, New Mexico
, United States. The population was 97,618 in 2010 according to the 2010 Census, making it the second largest city in the state.
Las Cruces is the economic and geographic center of the fertile Mesilla Valley
, which is the agricultural region on the flood plain of the Rio Grande which extends from Hatch, New Mexico
to the west side of El Paso, Texas
. Las Cruces is also 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
. Recently the city has been home to many of the retired from across the country. The majestic Organ Mountains
, ten miles (16 km) to the east, are dominant in the city's landscape, along with the Doña Ana Mountains
, Robledo Mountains
, and Picacho Peak.
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.
Growth of Las Cruces has been attributed to the university, government jobs and recent retirees. New Mexico State University
was founded in 1888. And as it has grown as Las Cruces has grown. The establishment of White Sands Missile Range
in 1944 and White Sands Test Facility
in 1963 have both been integral to growth because Las Cruces is the nearest city to each and provide many high paying, stable government jobs. In recent years the influx of retirees from out of state has 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 origin of the city's name is unknown. In Spanish "Las Cruces" means "the crosses". (Some have claimed an alternative meaning of "the crossroads" but this is grammatically implausible, as "cruce", the singular form of crossroad, is masculine and the phrase would be "Los Cruces".)
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 52.2 square miles (135.2 km²), of which 52.1 square miles (134.9 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) (0.25%) is water.
Las Cruces is the center of the Organ Caldera, the Doña Ana Mountains
and the Organ Mountains
are its margins. Its major eruption was 32 Ma.
Dona Ana County lies within the Chihuahuan Desert ecoregion, and the vegetation surrounding the built portions of the city are typical of this setting; it includes Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata), Soaptree (Yucca elata), Tarbush (Flourensia
cernua), Broom Dalea (Psorothamnus
scoparius), and various desert grasses such as Tobosa (Hilaria mutica or Pleuraphis mutica) and Black Grama (Bouteloua eriopoda).
The Rio Grande bisects the Mesilla Valley and Las Cruces proper, supplying irrigation water for the intensive agriculture surrounding the city. Prior to farming and ranching, desert shrub vegetation extended into the valley from the adjacent deserts, including extensive stands of Tornillo (Prosopis pubescens
) and Catclaw Acacia (Acacia greggii
). Desert grasslands extend in large part between the edges of Las Cruces and the lower slopes of the nearby Organ and Robledo Mountains, where grasses and assorted shrubs and cacti dominate large areas of this mostly rangeland as well as the occasional large-lot subdivision housing.
The desert and desert grassland uplands surrounding both sides of the Mesilla Valley are often dissected with arroyos, which are dry streams that often carry water following heavy thunderstorms. These arroyos often contain scattered small trees, and they serve as wildlife corridors between Las Cruces' urban areas and adjacent deserts or mountains.
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 the "Downtown Mall", a pedestrianized shopping area. The downtown mall has a farmers market each Wednesday and Saturday morning, where a variety of foods and cultural items can be purchased from a few small stands that are set up by local farmers, artists, and craftspeople. It also contains some businesses, churches, art galleries and theaters, which add a great deal to the changing character of Las Cruces by continuing to exist in the historic downtown.
Plans to re-open the whole mall to vehicular traffic besides the completed one-block example have drawn criticism from people who feel the multi-million dollar project is too costly and from others who enjoy the aesthetics, usually quiet, and the ever important shade of the fully covered area of the pedestrian mall. Nevertheless, the mall's north and south entrances have been torn down. Furthermore, in August 2005, a master plan was adopted, the centerpiece of which is the restoration of narrow lanes of two-way traffic on this model portion of Main Street shown to the right.
being over twice the average precipitation. Winters alternate between cool and windy weather following trough and frontal passages, with warm, sunny periods in between; light frosts occur many nights. Spring months are warm and can be windy, particularly in the afternoons, sometimes causing periods of blowing dust and short-lived dust storms. Summers begin with hot weather, with some extended periods of over 100 °F (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 quickly cool into warm to mild weather, and precipitation decreases.
Precipitation is often light from fall to spring, with some 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.
of 2000, there were 74,267 people, 29,184 households, and 18,123 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,425.7 people per square mile (550.5/km²). There were 31,682 housing units at an average density of 608.2 per square mile (234.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 69.01% White, 2.34% African American, 1.74% Native American, 1.16% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 21.59% from other races
, and 4.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 51.73% of the population.
There were 29,184 households out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% were married couples
living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 16.0% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,375, and the median income for a family was $37,670. Males had a median income of $30,923 versus $21,759 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,704. About 17.2% of families and 23.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.7% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.
's Population Estimates Program.
The Border Book Festival occurs the last weekend in April. It features a trade show, readings, workshops, panels, lucha libre
, and family storytelling.
The festival was founded in 1994 by authors Denise Chávez
and Susan Tweit, and Chávez is the Executive Director of the festival.
Two wine festivals are held each year, one over memorial day weekend and one over labor day weekend. They are held at the fairgrounds just West of the city.
The Whole Enchilada Fiesta, held the last weekend in September, is southern New Mexico's most popular festival, with about 50,000 people attending each year. The centerpiece is the making of a large flat enchilada
. The fiesta started in 1980 with a 6 feet (1.8 m) diameter enchilada, and it has grown over the years. In 2000 the fiesta's 10+1/2 ft enchilada was certified by Guinness World Records
as the world's largest. After the enchilada is assembled it is cut into many pieces and served to the fiesta attendees. The enchilada is the brainchild of local restaurant owner Roberto V. Estrada, who directs its preparation each year. The celebration also features a parade, live music, art and crafts, athletic events, a carnival, and a car and motorcycle show.
The Southern New Mexico State Fair, usually held the first week in October at the fairgrounds west of Las Cruces, promotes traditional agriculture
. Boasting one of the largest Junior Livestock Shows in the state, the fair invites youth from six counties in New Mexico and Texas
to participate.
The local Day of the Dead
(Día de los Muertos), originated in Mexico, and is a celebration of the lives of those now dead. It is held November 1–2. Activity is held at the plaza in Mesilla
, and the Branigan Cultural Center in downtown Las Cruces.
The Renaissance ArtsFaire, founded in 1971, includes a juried art show and is put on the by the Doña Ana Arts Council each year in November.
is state-operated and shows the history of farming and ranching in New Mexico. It is located just east of New Mexico State University
.
The University Museum (Kent Hall) at New Mexico State University
focuses on archeological and ethnographic collections and also has some history and natural science collections.
There are four city-owned museums. The Branigan Cultural Center examines local history through photographs, sculpture, paintings, and poetry. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places
. The Las Cruces Museum of Art offers art exhibits and classes. Las Cruces Museum of Natural History makes science and natural history more accessible to the general public and has an emphasis on local animals and plants. Las Cruces Railroad Museum is in the historic Santa Fe Railroad station. It exhibits the impact of the railroads on the local area.
The New Mexico Veterans Museum, a new state-owned museum, was announced in August 2008 and is planned to be constructed in Las Cruces.
, conducted by Dr. Lonnie Klein The orchestra consists of 47% students, 17% NMSU faculty, 20% other local musicians, and 16% professionals from outside Las Cruces.
The venue of the orchestra is the NMSU Music Center Recital Hall. The orchestra received some notoriety with the world premiere of Bill McGlaughlin
's Remembering Icarus, a tribute to local radio pioneer Ralph Willis Goddard, was performed by the LCSO on October 1, 2005.
The performance was taped and broadcast nationally on NPR
's Performance Today
on December 9, 2005
and on July 4, 2007 on Performance Today
and on Sirius Satellite Radio
.
s in Las Cruces have been painted with mural
s by Tony Pennock, including one at the intersection of Triviz Drive and Griggs Avenue.
Also multimedia artist group Keep Adding
have a large mural on Picacho Ave at the Lion's Park titled, Wave Nest.
The town of Mesilla is a suburb of Las Cruces. It avoided the urban renewal that Las Cruces went through in the 1960s and still has its historic downtown plaza. The Basilica of San Albino
and many shops and restaurants are on the town plaza. The Gadsden Museum is dedicated to the family of Albert Jennings Fountain
and includes artifacts from the time of the Gadsden Purchase
, which made Mesilla a US possession. There is a Visitor Center inside the Town Hall.
The Shalem Colony and Oahspe Museum commemorates the utopian Shalem Colony that existed near Las Cruces from 1884 to 1907 and the Oahspe bible
that they used.
The Space Murals Museum in Organ
has scale models of the Space Shuttle
and Space Station Freedom
and some relics of the Space Age
.
Fort Selden
State Monument is a former United States Army
post, active from 1865 to 1891. Buffalo soldiers were stationed here. Douglas MacArthur
lived here as a boy (his father was post commander). The fort is located in Radium Springs, New Mexico
, 13 miles (20.9 km) north of Las Cruces on Interstate 25
. There is a visitor center.
White Sands Missile Range
, about 20 miles (32.2 km) east of Las Cruces on US Highway 70, offers tourists a museum and a missile park. There is a refurbished V-2 rocket
on exhibit.
Aguirre Springs Campground is a hiking area in the Organ Mountains
. The entrance is on US Highway 70 on the east side of the mountains. Dripping Springs Natural Area is another hiking area, located farther south and on the west side of the mountains. Both areas are owned and managed by the Bureau of Land Management
.
Prehistoric Trackways National Monument
is the nation's newest national monument and is currently being developed just northwest of Las Cruces in the Robledo Mountains
. This national monument protects 280 million year old fossil
footprints and trackways discovered by Jerry P. MacDonald. These trackways include tracks from numerous extinct animals such as: Dimetrodon
and Edaphosaurus
.
Beginning in 2010 Season the Las Cruces Vaqueros were the first ever professional Sports Team in Las Cruces.
Andrew Dunn was responsible for bringing the team to Las Cruces.
In the 2011 season the Vaqueros joined the Pecos League of Professional Baseball Clubs against White Sands Pupfish, Roswell Invaders, Ruidoso Osos, Alpine Cowboys and Carlsbad Bats.
Games will be played at Apodoca Park from May to August.
At the university level, the New Mexico State Aggies
, the New Mexico State University
teams, compete in the Western Athletic Conference
.
A list of parks, with facilities and maps, is available.
Las Cruces holds a Ciclovía
, a city-wide event featuring exercise and physical activities, on the last Sunday of each month at Meerscheidt Recreation Center.
(also called a home rule city) and has a council-manager
form of government. The City Council consists of six City Councilors
and one Mayor
, who chairs the meetings. The Mayor is elected at-large and each of the City Councilors represents one neighborhood district within the City. Each resident of Las Cruces is thus represented by the Mayor and by one City Councilor. The Mayor and City Council serve staggered four-year terms. As of the 2009–2011 term, the Mayor is Ken Miyagishima. Councilors are: Miguel G. Silva, Dist. 1; Greg Smith, Dist. 2; Olga Pedroza, Dist. 3; Nathan P. Small, Dist. 4; Gill M. Sorg, Dist. 5; Sharon K. Thomas, Mayor Pro-Tem, Dist. 6.
Other city officials are: City Manager, Robert Garza; Assistant City Manager/Chief Operating Officer, Brian Denmark; Assistant City Manager/Chief Administrative Officer, Mark Winson; Director of Communications, Udell Vigil; City Attorney, Harry "Pete" Connelly; Police Chief, Richard Williams; Fire Chief, Travis Brown.
Las Cruces is going through some major construction projects downtown involving government infrastructure. There is construction for a new 6 story federal building and a new 3 story city hall. The new federal building will become Las Cruces' third tallest building upon completion in 2010.
, the settlement of Doña Ana
, and the town of Mesilla. The system has 24 elementary schools, seven middle schools, and five high schools. Of the high schools, San Andres High School is an alternative
high school, and Mesilla Valley Training Center is a vocational
high school.
There are also three charter school
s within the Las Cruces Public Schools. Alma d'arte is a high school with a focus on an integrated arts curriculum. Las Montañas is new charter high school that opened in Fall 2007 and caters to at-risk students. La Academia Dolores Huerta Middle School is the only recognized dual language
program in the state.
Christian school
s. College Heights Kindergarten is a private Christian kindergarten
, founded in 1954.
Las Cruces Catholic School and Mesilla Valley Christian School are the other two Christian schools in the area. Also, a small independent Baptist Christian school called the Cornerstone Christian Academy located at the Cornerstone Baptist Church was established in 2005.
A secular non-profit private school
, Las Cruces Academy, aimed at gifted
and academically advanced students, is offering grades K-5 with plans to eventually enroll grades K–12.
, or NMSU, is a land-grant university that has its main campus in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The school was founded in 1888 as Las Cruces College, an agricultural college, and in 1889 the school became New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. It received its present name, New Mexico State University in 1960. The NMSU Las Cruces campus had approximately 16,000 students enrolled as of Fall 2008, and had a faculty-to-student ratio of about 1 to 19. NMSU offers a wide range of programs and awards associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees through its main campus and four community colleges. For 10 consecutive years, NMSU has been rated as one of America's 100 Best College Buys for offering "the very highest quality education at the lowest cost" by Institutional Research & Evaluation Inc., an independent research and consulting organization for higher education. NMSU is one of only two land-grant institutions classified as Hispanic-serving by the federal government. The university is home to New Mexico's NASA Space Grant Program and is one of 52 institutions in the United States to be designated a Space Grant College. During its most recent review by NASA, NMSU was one of only 12 space grant programs in the country to receive an excellent rating.
. When it opened its doors 28 years ago, it served 200 students through six programs. Today, over 4,000 students are enrolled in the 25 programs offered in Business and Information Technology, Health and Public Services and Technical Studies. General education courses are also provided.
In addition, ten thousand residents are served in noncredit classes through the Academy for Learning in Retirement, Community Education and Customized Training.
Along with DACC's main location, satellite locations serve outlying areas of the county at White Sands Missile Range, Sunland Park, Anthony, Chaparral, and Las Cruces' East Mesa.
is the city's public library. It was constructed in 1979
and has a collection of about 185,000 items.
The previous library building, also called Thomas Branigan Memorial Library, opened in 1935. That building is now the Branigan Cultural Center. and is on the National Register of Historic Places
.
The two university libraries at the New Mexico State University
campus, Branson Library and Zuhl Library, are open to the public. Any New Mexico resident can check out items from these libraries.
as defined by Nielsen Media Research
. The City of Las Cruces operates CLC-TV cable channel 20, an Emmy award-winning 24-hour Government-access television (GATV) and Educational-access television channel on Comcast
cable TV in Las Cruces. CLC-TV televises live and recorded Las Cruces city council meetings, Dona Ana County commission meetings and Las Cruces School board meetings. The channel also televises City Beat, a monthly news magazine, hosted by Denise LaFrance-Ojinaga, with information directly related to the City of Las Cruces. Also available for viewing is health news and other government/education related programming, as well as current weather reports and road and traffic information. CLC-TV is not a Public-access television
cable TV channel. In addition to a 2009 Emmy Award
by the Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
, CLC-TV received a 1st and 3rd place award by the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors
(NATOA) and five national Telly Awards
, four platinum and one gold. All CLC-TV programming is available for viewing online at clctv.com.clctv
----
Las Cruces Sun-News
is a daily newspaper published in Las Cruces by MediaNews Group
. Las Cruces Bulletin
is a weekly community newspaper published in Las Cruces by FIG Publications, LLC. It is tabloid size and covers local news, business, arts, sports, and homes. The Round Up is the student newspaper
at New Mexico State University
. It is tabloid size and published twice weekly. The Ink is a monthly tabloid published in Las Cruces, covering the arts and community events in southern New Mexico and west Texas.
Las Cruces has one television station, the PBS outlet KRWG-TV
, operated by New Mexico State University
. The Telemundo
outlet KTDO-TV is licensed in Las Cruces but serves El Paso. The city also receives several Albuquerque, El Paso
, and Ciudad Juárez
stations. Las Cruces is in Nielsen Media Research
's El Paso/Las Cruces television media market
.
Las Cruces has one local commercial independent cable television station called "The Las Cruces Channel
" (LCC98). It can be seen on Comcast cable channel 98. LCC-98 is not a Public-access television channel. The channel airs programs that are produced locally in their studio facility and by outside producers.
There are approximately ten commercial radio stations in the Las Cruces area, running a variety of formats
. Four of these stations are owned by Bravo Mic Communications, LLC, a Las Cruces company. The local NPR
outlet is KRWG-FM, operated by New Mexico State University
. NMSU also operates a college radio station, KRUX
. KRUC is a Spanish-language station in Las Cruces. Many El Paso
stations are received in Las Cruces. See list of radio stations in New Mexico for a complete list of stations. Las Cruces is in Arbitron
's Las Cruces media market
.
to El Paso, Texas
. Passenger service on this line was discontinued in 1968, due to low ridership numbers on the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway's (predecessor to the BNSF) El Pasoan train.
. RoadRUNNER Transit operates a total of nine routes running Mondays through Saturdays. There is no Sunday service. An adult fare is $1.00. The active fleet consists of three Nova Bus
RTS
(2000 model year) and 11 Gillig Advantage
(2004 and 2008 model years) transit buses, all of which are 35 feet (10.7 m) long and wheelchair-accessible.
is the electricity provider, Qwest
is the telephone land line provider, and Comcast
is the cable TV provider.
operated by LifePoint Hospitals Inc.. The physical plant is owned by the City of Las Cruces and the County of Doña Ana, who signed a 40-year, $150 million lease in 2004 with Province HealthCare, since absorbed into LifePoint.
Prior to 2004 it was leased to and operated by the nonprofit Memorial Medical Center Inc.
The hospital is a licensed 286-bed acute care
facility and is accredited by JCAHO. It offers a wide range of patient services.
The University of New Mexico
Cancer Center-South opened in 2006 on the MMC campus. It is 5300 square feet (492.4 m²) and has 9 exam rooms.
The original facility was called Memorial General Hospital and was opened in April 1950 at South Alameda Boulevard and Main Street after the city obtained a $250,000 federal grant. In 1971 the city and county joined to build a new hospital on South Telshor Boulevard. In 1990 it was renamed Memorial Medical Center.
MountainView Regional Medical Center is a for-profit general hospital operated by Community Health Systems
(formerly Triad Hospitals). It opened for business in August 2002. It is a 168-bed facility with a wide range of patient services.
Mesilla Valley Hospital is a 125-bed private psychiatric hospital operated by Psychiatric Solutions
. It is a residential facility offering a variety of treatments for behavioral health
issues.
Rehabilitation Hospital of Southern New Mexico is a 40-bed rehabilitative care hospital, operated by Ernest Health Inc.. It opened January 2005. It treats patients after they have been cared for at general hospitals for injuries or strokes.
Advanced Care Hospital of Southern New Mexico is a 20-bed long-term acute care
facility operated by Ernest Health Inc.. It opened in July 2007.
Ben Archer Health Centers
La Clinica de Familia
Pinnacle Family Health Care
, Mexico Nienburg
, Germany
Las Cruces Sister Cities Foundation is responsible for overseeing sister cities activities on behalf of the citizens of Las Cruces.
Doña Ana County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*74.1% White*1.7% Black*1.5% Native American*1.1% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.0% Two or more races*18.5% Other races*65.7% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, United States. The population was 97,618 in 2010 according to the 2010 Census, making it the second largest city in the state.
Las Cruces is the economic and geographic center of the fertile Mesilla Valley
Mesilla Valley
The Mesilla Valley is a geographic feature of Southern New Mexico and far West Texas. It was formed by repeated heavy spring floods of the Rio Grande.The fertile Mesilla Valley extends from about Hatch, New Mexico to the west side of El Paso, Texas...
, which is the agricultural region on the flood plain of the Rio Grande which extends from Hatch, New Mexico
Hatch, New Mexico
Hatch is a village in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,673 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Las Cruces Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town is experiencing moderate growth, along with its outliers of Salem, Arrey, Derry, and Rincon...
to the west side of El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
. Las Cruces is also the home of New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
(NMSU), New Mexico's only land grant university. The city's major employer is the federal government on nearby White Sands Test Facility
White Sands Test Facility
White Sands Test Facility is a U.S. government rocket engine test facility and a resource for testing and evaluating potentially hazardous materials, space flight components, and rocket propulsion systems. NASA established WSTF on the White Sands Missile Range in 1963...
and White Sands Missile Range
White Sands Missile Range
White Sands Missile Range is a rocket range of almost in parts of five counties in southern New Mexico. The largest military installation in the United States, WSMR includes the and the WSMR Otera Mesa bombing range...
. Recently the city has been home to many of the retired from across the country. The majestic Organ Mountains
Organ Mountains
The Organ Mountains are a rugged mountain range in southern New Mexico in the Southwestern United States. They lie east of the city of Las Cruces, in Doña Ana County.-Geography:...
, ten miles (16 km) to the east, are dominant in the city's landscape, along with the Doña Ana Mountains
Doña Ana Mountains
The Doña Ana Mountains are a mountain range in Doña Ana County, New Mexico....
, Robledo Mountains
Robledo Mountains
The Robledo Mountains are a mountain range in Doña Ana County, New Mexico just northwest of Las Cruces. The range was named for Pedro Robledo, who died on May 21, 1598 and was buried nearby. Robledo was the first casualty of the Oñate expedition to colonize the upper Rio Grande valley...
, and Picacho Peak.
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 OñateJuan de Oñate
Don Juan de Oñate y Salazar was a Spanish explorer, colonial governor of the New Spain province of New Mexico, and founder of various settlements in the present day Southwest of the United States.-Biography:...
claimed all territory north of the Rio Grande for New Spain
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
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
First Mexican Empire
The Mexican Empire was the official name of independent Mexico under a monarchical regime from 1821 to 1823. The territory of the Mexican Empire included the continental intendencies and provinces of New Spain proper...
claimed ownership. The area was also claimed by the Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
during this time until the end of the Mexican-American War in 1846–48. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is the peace treaty, largely dictated by the United States to the interim government of a militarily occupied Mexico City, that ended the Mexican-American War on February 2, 1848...
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
Pat Garrett
Patrick Floyd "Pat" Garrett was an American Old West lawman, bartender, and customs agent who was best known for killing Billy the Kid...
is best known for his involvement in the Lincoln County War
Lincoln County War
The Lincoln County War was a 19th-century range war between two factions during the Old West period. Numerous notable figures of the American West were involved, including Billy the Kid, aka William Henry McCarty; sheriffs William Brady and Pat Garrett; cattle rancher John Chisum, lawyer and...
, but he also worked in Las Cruces on a famous case, the disappearance of Albert Jennings Fountain
Albert Jennings Fountain
Albert Jennings Fountain was a lawyer, Indian fighter, and Republican politician in Texas and New Mexico.-Biography:...
in 1896.
Growth of Las Cruces has been attributed to the university, government jobs and recent retirees. New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
was founded in 1888. And as it has grown as Las Cruces has grown. The establishment of White Sands Missile Range
White Sands Missile Range
White Sands Missile Range is a rocket range of almost in parts of five counties in southern New Mexico. The largest military installation in the United States, WSMR includes the and the WSMR Otera Mesa bombing range...
in 1944 and White Sands Test Facility
White Sands Test Facility
White Sands Test Facility is a U.S. government rocket engine test facility and a resource for testing and evaluating potentially hazardous materials, space flight components, and rocket propulsion systems. NASA established WSTF on the White Sands Missile Range in 1963...
in 1963 have both been integral to growth because Las Cruces is the nearest city to each and provide many high paying, stable government jobs. In recent years the influx of retirees from out of state has increased Las Cruces’ population.
In the 1960s Las Cruces undertook a large urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
project, intended to convert the old downtown into a modern city center. As part of this, St. Genevieve
Genevieve
St Genevieve , in Latin Sancta Genovefa, from Germanic keno and wefa , is the patron saint of Paris in Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox tradition...
'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 origin of the city's name is unknown. In Spanish "Las Cruces" means "the crosses". (Some have claimed an alternative meaning of "the crossroads" but this is grammatically implausible, as "cruce", the singular form of crossroad, is masculine and the phrase would be "Los Cruces".)
Geography
The approximate elevation of Las Cruces is 3908 feet (1,191 m) above sea level.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 52.2 square miles (135.2 km²), of which 52.1 square miles (134.9 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) (0.25%) is water.
Las Cruces is the center of the Organ Caldera, the Doña Ana Mountains
Doña Ana Mountains
The Doña Ana Mountains are a mountain range in Doña Ana County, New Mexico....
and the Organ Mountains
Organ Mountains
The Organ Mountains are a rugged mountain range in southern New Mexico in the Southwestern United States. They lie east of the city of Las Cruces, in Doña Ana County.-Geography:...
are its margins. Its major eruption was 32 Ma.
Dona Ana County lies within the Chihuahuan Desert ecoregion, and the vegetation surrounding the built portions of the city are typical of this setting; it includes Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata), Soaptree (Yucca elata), Tarbush (Flourensia
Flourensia
Flourensia is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family....
cernua), Broom Dalea (Psorothamnus
Psorothamnus
Psorothamnus is a genus of plants in the legume family. These are shrubs and small trees. Many are known by the general common name indigo bush. Some are referred to as daleas, as this genus was once included in genus Dalea. These are generally thorny, thickly branched, strongly scented bushes...
scoparius), and various desert grasses such as Tobosa (Hilaria mutica or Pleuraphis mutica) and Black Grama (Bouteloua eriopoda).
The Rio Grande bisects the Mesilla Valley and Las Cruces proper, supplying irrigation water for the intensive agriculture surrounding the city. Prior to farming and ranching, desert shrub vegetation extended into the valley from the adjacent deserts, including extensive stands of Tornillo (Prosopis pubescens
Prosopis pubescens
Prosopis pubescens, commonly known as Screwbean Mesquite or Tornillo, is a species of flowering shrub or small tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico .-Description:This plant grows to about...
) and Catclaw Acacia (Acacia greggii
Acacia greggii
Acacia greggii is a species of Acacia native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, from the extreme south of Utah south through southern Nevada, southeast California, Arizona, New Mexico and western Texas to Baja California, Sinaloa and Nuevo León in...
). Desert grasslands extend in large part between the edges of Las Cruces and the lower slopes of the nearby Organ and Robledo Mountains, where grasses and assorted shrubs and cacti dominate large areas of this mostly rangeland as well as the occasional large-lot subdivision housing.
The desert and desert grassland uplands surrounding both sides of the Mesilla Valley are often dissected with arroyos, which are dry streams that often carry water following heavy thunderstorms. These arroyos often contain scattered small trees, and they serve as wildlife corridors between Las Cruces' urban areas and adjacent deserts or mountains.
Layout
Unlike many cities its size, Las Cruces lacks a true central business district. This is because in the 1960s a large urban renewal project tore down a large part of the original downtown. Most Las Crucens would agree that the modern "heart" of the city, where most stores and restaurants are located, is the rapidly developing eastside area running north and south along Telshor Boulevard and east and west along Lohman Avenue. Las Cruces' only 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 the "Downtown Mall", a pedestrianized shopping area. The downtown mall has a farmers market each Wednesday and Saturday morning, where a variety of foods and cultural items can be purchased from a few small stands that are set up by local farmers, artists, and craftspeople. It also contains some businesses, churches, art galleries and theaters, which add a great deal to the changing character of Las Cruces by continuing to exist in the historic downtown.
Plans to re-open the whole mall to vehicular traffic besides the completed one-block example have drawn criticism from people who feel the multi-million dollar project is too costly and from others who enjoy the aesthetics, usually quiet, and the ever important shade of the fully covered area of the pedestrian mall. Nevertheless, the mall's north and south entrances have been torn down. Furthermore, in August 2005, a master plan was adopted, the centerpiece of which is the restoration of narrow lanes of two-way traffic on this model portion of Main Street shown to the right.
Climate
Las Cruces is classified as an arid, subtropical climate, with evapotranspirationEvapotranspiration
Evapotranspiration is a term used to describe the sum of evaporation and plant transpiration from the Earth's land surface to atmosphere. Evaporation accounts for the movement of water to the air from sources such as the soil, canopy interception, and waterbodies...
being over twice the average precipitation. Winters alternate between cool and windy weather following trough and frontal passages, with warm, sunny periods in between; light frosts occur many nights. Spring months are warm and can be windy, particularly in the afternoons, sometimes causing periods of blowing dust and short-lived dust storms. Summers begin with hot weather, with some extended periods of over 100 °F (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 quickly cool into warm to mild weather, and precipitation decreases.
Precipitation is often light from fall to spring, with some 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
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
weather pattern.
Census 2000 data
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 74,267 people, 29,184 households, and 18,123 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,425.7 people per square mile (550.5/km²). There were 31,682 housing units at an average density of 608.2 per square mile (234.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 69.01% White, 2.34% African American, 1.74% Native American, 1.16% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 21.59% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 4.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 51.73% of the population.
There were 29,184 households out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 16.0% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,375, and the median income for a family was $37,670. Males had a median income of $30,923 versus $21,759 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $15,704. About 17.2% of families and 23.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.7% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.
2008 estimates
Las Cruces and the Las Cruces Metropolitan Statistical Area's July 1, 2008 populations were estimated at 91,865 and 201,603 respectively by the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
's Population Estimates Program.
Film and television shoots
Movies and TV series shot in Las Cruces include:- The 2 hour pilot episode for the TV series CannonCannon (TV series)Cannon is a CBS detective television series produced by Quinn Martin which aired from March 26, 1971 to March 3, 1976.The primary protagonist was the title character, Frank Cannon, played by William Conrad....
was shot in and around Las Cruces. - In 1970 the movie Up in the Cellar was shot in and around Las Cruces and New Mexico State University. The film features scenes where buildings were destroyed and a radio station transmitter tower is destroyed. (This was actually part of an urban renewal project that removed a large part of "Old" Downtown Las Cruces.) The film stars Larry HagmanLarry HagmanLarry Martin Hagman is an American film and television actor, producer and director known for playing J.R. Ewing in the 1980s primetime television soap opera Dallas and Major Anthony "Tony" Nelson in the 1960s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.-Early life and career:Hagman was born in Fort Worth, Texas...
. - The 1964 pilot Calhoun: County Agent, starring Jackie CooperJackie CooperJackie Cooper was an American actor, television director, producer and executive. He was a child actor who managed to make the transition to an adult career. Cooper was the first child actor to receive an Academy Award nomination...
and Barbara StanwyckBarbara StanwyckBarbara Stanwyck was an American actress. She was a film and television star, known during her 60-year career as a consummate and versatile professional with a strong screen presence, and a favorite of directors including Cecil B. DeMille, Fritz Lang and Frank Capra...
, was filmed in and around Las Cruces, but never aired. The process of writing and shooting the pilot is the subject of Merle MillerMerle MillerMerle Miller was an American novelist best known for his biographies of Presidents Harry Truman and Lyndon Johnson. Three years before his best-selling book Plain Speaking: An Oral Biography of Harry S...
and Evan Rhodes's book Only You, Dick Daring! - A scene for the movie Twins was filmed at Las Cruces International Airport, where Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
's character catches a flight to try to catch up to his twin brother, played by Danny DeVitoDanny DeVitoDaniel Michael DeVito, Jr. , better known as Danny DeVito, is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. He first gained prominence for his portrayal of Louie De Palma on the ABC and NBC television series Taxi , for which he won a Golden Globe and an Emmy.DeVito and his wife, Rhea Perlman,...
. - Several scenes from the movie TrafficTraffic (2000 film)Traffic is a 2000 American crime drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Stephen Gaghan. It explores the illegal drug trade from a number of perspectives: a user, an enforcer, a politician and a trafficker. Their stories are edited together throughout the film, although some of the...
were filmed outside the Las Cruces International Airport. - The 1984 movie Raw Courage (Ronny CoxRonny CoxDaniel Ronald "Ronny" Cox is an American character actor, singer-songwriter and guitarist.-Personal life:Cox, the third of five children, was born in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, the son of Lounette and Bob P. Cox, a carpenter who also worked at a dairy. He grew up in Portales, New Mexico...
, Art HindleArt HindleArthur Hindle is a Canadian actor and director.Hindle was born in Halifax. His family moved to Toronto while he was a child. Although shy as a youngster, he grew to be a rebellious and independent teenager...
, and M. Emmet WalshM. Emmet WalshMichael Emmet Walsh is an American actor who has appeared in over 100 film and television productions.-Life and career:Walsh was born in Ogdensburg, New York, the son of Agnes Kathrine and Harry Maurice Walsh, Sr., a customs agent...
) was filmed in and around Las Cruces. - In 2007–08, the movie The Burning PlainThe Burning PlainThe Burning Plain is a 2008 drama film directed and written by Guillermo Arriaga, the screenwriter of Amores perros , 21 Grams , and Babel . The film stars Charlize Theron, Jennifer Lawrence, Kim Basinger and Joaquim de Almeida...
by Guillermo ArriagaGuillermo ArriagaGuillermo Arriaga Jordán is a Mexican author, screenwriter, director and producer. Self-defined as “a hunter who works as a writer,” he authored Amores Perros, received a BAFTA Best Screenplay nomination for 21 Grams, and received the 2005 Cannes Best Screenplay Award for The Three Burials of...
was filmed in and around Las Cruces. - In October 2009, Due DateDue DateDue Date is a 2010 American comedy road film directed by Todd Phillips, co-written by Alan R. Cohen, Alan Freedland, and Adam Sztykiel, and starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Zach Galifianakis. The film was released on November 5, 2010...
with Robert Downey Jr filmed the car crash scene off the Rinconada bridge; and the overpass of 1-25 and Highway 70 for the escape from Mexico. The Organ Mountains immediately East of Las Cruces were used extensively as a backdrop for the movie, once being incorrectly cited as mountains in Houston, Texas, where there are no mountains.
Annual events
Most of Las Cruces's cultural events occur late in the year.The Border Book Festival occurs the last weekend in April. It features a trade show, readings, workshops, panels, lucha libre
Lucha libre
Lucha libre is a term used in Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, for a form of professional wrestling that has developed within those countries...
, and family storytelling.
The festival was founded in 1994 by authors Denise Chávez
Denise Chavez
Denise Elia Chavez is an American author, playwright, and stage director. She was born to an Hispano family in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States, and graduated from Madonna High School in Mesilla. She received her Bachelor's from New Mexico State University and Master's degrees in Dramatic...
and Susan Tweit, and Chávez is the Executive Director of the festival.
Two wine festivals are held each year, one over memorial day weekend and one over labor day weekend. They are held at the fairgrounds just West of the city.
The Whole Enchilada Fiesta, held the last weekend in September, is southern New Mexico's most popular festival, with about 50,000 people attending each year. The centerpiece is the making of a large flat enchilada
Enchilada
An enchilada is a corn tortilla rolled around a filling and covered with a chili pepper sauce. Enchiladas can be filled with a variety of ingredients, including meat, cheese, beans, potatoes, vegetables, seafood or combinations.-Etymology:...
. The fiesta started in 1980 with a 6 feet (1.8 m) diameter enchilada, and it has grown over the years. In 2000 the fiesta's 10+1/2 ft enchilada was certified by Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
as the world's largest. After the enchilada is assembled it is cut into many pieces and served to the fiesta attendees. The enchilada is the brainchild of local restaurant owner Roberto V. Estrada, who directs its preparation each year. The celebration also features a parade, live music, art and crafts, athletic events, a carnival, and a car and motorcycle show.
The Southern New Mexico State Fair, usually held the first week in October at the fairgrounds west of Las Cruces, promotes traditional agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. Boasting one of the largest Junior Livestock Shows in the state, the fair invites youth from six counties in New Mexico and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
to participate.
The local Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in many cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it attains the quality...
(Día de los Muertos), originated in Mexico, and is a celebration of the lives of those now dead. It is held November 1–2. Activity is held at the plaza in Mesilla
Mesilla, New Mexico
Mesilla is a town in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 2,180 at the 2000 census...
, and the Branigan Cultural Center in downtown Las Cruces.
The Renaissance ArtsFaire, founded in 1971, includes a juried art show and is put on the by the Doña Ana Arts Council each year in November.
Museums
The New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage MuseumNew Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum
The New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum is a interactive museum in Las Cruces, New Mexico, that chronicles the state’s 3,000-year history of farming and ranching. The museum is part of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs.- Facility :...
is state-operated and shows the history of farming and ranching in New Mexico. It is located just east of New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
.
The University Museum (Kent Hall) at New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
focuses on archeological and ethnographic collections and also has some history and natural science collections.
There are four city-owned museums. The Branigan Cultural Center examines local history through photographs, sculpture, paintings, and poetry. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The Las Cruces Museum of Art offers art exhibits and classes. Las Cruces Museum of Natural History makes science and natural history more accessible to the general public and has an emphasis on local animals and plants. Las Cruces Railroad Museum is in the historic Santa Fe Railroad station. It exhibits the impact of the railroads on the local area.
The New Mexico Veterans Museum, a new state-owned museum, was announced in August 2008 and is planned to be constructed in Las Cruces.
Symphony
The Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra is an 80-member orchestraOrchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
, conducted by Dr. Lonnie Klein The orchestra consists of 47% students, 17% NMSU faculty, 20% other local musicians, and 16% professionals from outside Las Cruces.
The venue of the orchestra is the NMSU Music Center Recital Hall. The orchestra received some notoriety with the world premiere of Bill McGlaughlin
Bill McGlaughlin
William "Bill" McGlaughlin is an American composer, conductor, music educator, and Peabody Award-winning classical music radio host...
's Remembering Icarus, a tribute to local radio pioneer Ralph Willis Goddard, was performed by the LCSO on October 1, 2005.
The performance was taped and broadcast nationally on NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
's Performance Today
Performance Today
Performance Today is a Peabody Award-winning classical music radio show, currently hosted by Fred Child. It is the most listened-to daily classical music radio program in the United States, with 1.2 million listeners on 237 stations...
on December 9, 2005
and on July 4, 2007 on Performance Today
Performance Today
Performance Today is a Peabody Award-winning classical music radio show, currently hosted by Fred Child. It is the most listened-to daily classical music radio program in the United States, with 1.2 million listeners on 237 stations...
and on Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
.
Other points of interest
Several water tankWater tank
A Water tank is a container for storing water. The need for a water tank is as old as civilized man, providing storage of water for drinking water, irrigation agriculture, fire suppression, agricultural farming, both for plants and livestock, chemical manufacturing, food preparation as well as many...
s in Las Cruces have been painted with mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
s by Tony Pennock, including one at the intersection of Triviz Drive and Griggs Avenue.
Also multimedia artist group Keep Adding
Keep Adding
Keep Adding is an artist group formed in the year 2001.Keep Adding creates environments that address space, context, and site. These spaces are not simply the cube of a gallery or an abandoned house – they are the sites of complete sensory experiences...
have a large mural on Picacho Ave at the Lion's Park titled, Wave Nest.
Nearby points of interest
The following points of interest are within a few miles of Las Cruces:The town of Mesilla is a suburb of Las Cruces. It avoided the urban renewal that Las Cruces went through in the 1960s and still has its historic downtown plaza. The Basilica of San Albino
Basilica of San Albino
Basilica of San Albino, formerly known as San Albino Church of Mesilla, is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces and located in Mesilla, New Mexico. It has the distinction of being established in Mexico, and is now located in the United States...
and many shops and restaurants are on the town plaza. The Gadsden Museum is dedicated to the family of Albert Jennings Fountain
Albert Jennings Fountain
Albert Jennings Fountain was a lawyer, Indian fighter, and Republican politician in Texas and New Mexico.-Biography:...
and includes artifacts from the time of the Gadsden Purchase
Gadsden Purchase
The Gadsden Purchase is a region of present-day southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico that was purchased by the United States in a treaty signed by James Gadsden, the American ambassador to Mexico at the time, on December 30, 1853. It was then ratified, with changes, by the U.S...
, which made Mesilla a US possession. There is a Visitor Center inside the Town Hall.
The Shalem Colony and Oahspe Museum commemorates the utopian Shalem Colony that existed near Las Cruces from 1884 to 1907 and the Oahspe bible
Oahspe: A New Bible
Oahspe: A New Bible is a book published in 1882, purporting to contain "new revelations" from "...the Embassadors of the angel hosts of heaven prepared and revealed unto man in the name of Jehovih..." It was written by an American dentist, John Ballou Newbrough , who reported it to have been...
that they used.
The Space Murals Museum in Organ
Organ, New Mexico
Organ is an unincorporated community in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States.Organ was initially started as a mining camp prior to the American Civil War. However, it was not officially established as a community until 1883. President Chester A. Arthur granted the parcel of land under...
has scale models of the Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
and Space Station Freedom
Space Station Freedom
Space Station Freedom was a NASA project to construct a permanently manned Earth-orbiting space station in the 1980s. Although approved by then-president Ronald Reagan and announced in the 1984 State of the Union Address, Freedom was never constructed or completed as originally designed, and after...
and some relics of the Space Age
Space Age
The Space Age is a time period encompassing the activities related to the Space Race, space exploration, space technology, and the cultural developments influenced by these events. The Space Age is generally considered to have begun with Sputnik...
.
Fort Selden
Fort Selden
Fort Selden was a United States Army post, occupying the area in what is now Radium Springs, New Mexico. Established in 1865 for the purpose of protecting westward settlers from Native American raids, the post fell into disrepair after the American Civil War...
State Monument is a former United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
post, active from 1865 to 1891. Buffalo soldiers were stationed here. Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
lived here as a boy (his father was post commander). The fort is located in Radium Springs, New Mexico
Radium Springs, New Mexico
Radium Springs is a census-designated place in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,518 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Las Cruces Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, 13 miles (20.9 km) north of Las Cruces on Interstate 25
Interstate 25
Interstate 25 is an Interstate Highway in the western United States. It is primarily a north–south highway. I-25 stretches from Interstate 10 at Las Cruces, New Mexico, , to Interstate 90 in Buffalo, Wyoming, .Interstate 25 is the main north–south expressway through...
. There is a visitor center.
White Sands Missile Range
White Sands Missile Range
White Sands Missile Range is a rocket range of almost in parts of five counties in southern New Mexico. The largest military installation in the United States, WSMR includes the and the WSMR Otera Mesa bombing range...
, about 20 miles (32.2 km) east of Las Cruces on US Highway 70, offers tourists a museum and a missile park. There is a refurbished V-2 rocket
V-2 rocket
The V-2 rocket , technical name Aggregat-4 , was a ballistic missile that was developed at the beginning of the Second World War in Germany, specifically targeted at London and later Antwerp. The liquid-propellant rocket was the world's first long-range combat-ballistic missile and first known...
on exhibit.
Aguirre Springs Campground is a hiking area in the Organ Mountains
Organ Mountains
The Organ Mountains are a rugged mountain range in southern New Mexico in the Southwestern United States. They lie east of the city of Las Cruces, in Doña Ana County.-Geography:...
. The entrance is on US Highway 70 on the east side of the mountains. Dripping Springs Natural Area is another hiking area, located farther south and on the west side of the mountains. Both areas are owned and managed by the Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
.
Prehistoric Trackways National Monument
Prehistoric Trackways National Monument
Prehistoric Trackways National Monument is the 100th national monument in The United States of America. The monument is located in the Robledo Mountains, near Las Cruces in the southern region of the U.S. state of New Mexico...
is the nation's newest national monument and is currently being developed just northwest of Las Cruces in the Robledo Mountains
Robledo Mountains
The Robledo Mountains are a mountain range in Doña Ana County, New Mexico just northwest of Las Cruces. The range was named for Pedro Robledo, who died on May 21, 1598 and was buried nearby. Robledo was the first casualty of the Oñate expedition to colonize the upper Rio Grande valley...
. This national monument protects 280 million year old fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
footprints and trackways discovered by Jerry P. MacDonald. These trackways include tracks from numerous extinct animals such as: Dimetrodon
Dimetrodon
Dimetrodon was a predatory synapsid genus that flourished during the Permian period, living between 280–265 million years ago ....
and Edaphosaurus
Edaphosaurus
Edaphosaurus is a genus of prehistoric synapsid which lived around 303 to 265 million years ago, during the late Carboniferous to early Permian periods. The name Edaphosaurus means "ground lizard" and is derived from the Greek edaphos/εδαφος and σαυρος/sauros...
.
Sports
The Las Cruces Kings have been a long running semi-professional football team in Las Cruces.Beginning in 2010 Season the Las Cruces Vaqueros were the first ever professional Sports Team in Las Cruces.
Andrew Dunn was responsible for bringing the team to Las Cruces.
In the 2011 season the Vaqueros joined the Pecos League of Professional Baseball Clubs against White Sands Pupfish, Roswell Invaders, Ruidoso Osos, Alpine Cowboys and Carlsbad Bats.
Games will be played at Apodoca Park from May to August.
At the university level, the New Mexico State Aggies
New Mexico State Aggies
New Mexico State University's teams are called the Aggies, a nickname derived from the university's agricultural beginnings. Since 2005, they have competed in the Western Athletic Conference. The mascot is known as "Pistol Pete". NMSU's colors are crimson and white. The current athletics director...
, the New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
teams, compete in the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
.
Parks and recreation
City of Las Cruces operates 87 city parks, 18 tennis courts, and 4 golf courses.A list of parks, with facilities and maps, is available.
Las Cruces holds a Ciclovía
Ciclovía
Ciclovía is term which translates from Spanish into English as "bike path" and now used worldwide to describe either a permanently designated bicycle route or a temporary event, the closing of the street to automobiles for use by others.-Origins in Colombia:Each Sunday and holiday certain main...
, a city-wide event featuring exercise and physical activities, on the last Sunday of each month at Meerscheidt Recreation Center.
Government
Las Cruces is a charter cityCharter city
A charter city is a city in which the governing system is defined by the city's own charter document rather than by state, provincial, regional or national laws. In locations where city charters are allowed by law, a city can adopt or modify its organizing charter by decision of its administration...
(also called a home rule city) and has a council-manager
Council-manager government
The council–manager government form is one of two predominant forms of municipal government in the United States; the other common form of local government is the mayor-council government form, which characteristically occurs in large cities...
form of government. The City Council consists of six City Councilors
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
and one Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
, who chairs the meetings. The Mayor is elected at-large and each of the City Councilors represents one neighborhood district within the City. Each resident of Las Cruces is thus represented by the Mayor and by one City Councilor. The Mayor and City Council serve staggered four-year terms. As of the 2009–2011 term, the Mayor is Ken Miyagishima. Councilors are: Miguel G. Silva, Dist. 1; Greg Smith, Dist. 2; Olga Pedroza, Dist. 3; Nathan P. Small, Dist. 4; Gill M. Sorg, Dist. 5; Sharon K. Thomas, Mayor Pro-Tem, Dist. 6.
Other city officials are: City Manager, Robert Garza; Assistant City Manager/Chief Operating Officer, Brian Denmark; Assistant City Manager/Chief Administrative Officer, Mark Winson; Director of Communications, Udell Vigil; City Attorney, Harry "Pete" Connelly; Police Chief, Richard Williams; Fire Chief, Travis Brown.
Las Cruces is going through some major construction projects downtown involving government infrastructure. There is construction for a new 6 story federal building and a new 3 story city hall. The new federal building will become Las Cruces' third tallest building upon completion in 2010.
Public schools
Public schools are in the Las Cruces Public School District. The District covers the city of Las Cruces as well as White Sands Missile RangeWhite Sands Missile Range
White Sands Missile Range is a rocket range of almost in parts of five counties in southern New Mexico. The largest military installation in the United States, WSMR includes the and the WSMR Otera Mesa bombing range...
, the settlement of Doña Ana
Doña Ana, New Mexico
Doña Ana is a census-designated place in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, in the United States. The population was 1,379 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Las Cruces Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, and the town of Mesilla. The system has 24 elementary schools, seven middle schools, and five high schools. Of the high schools, San Andres High School is an alternative
Alternative school
Alternative school is the name used in some parts of the world to describe an institution which provides part of alternative education. It is an educational establishment with a curriculum and methods that are nontraditional...
high school, and Mesilla Valley Training Center is a vocational
Vocational school
A vocational school , providing vocational education, is a school in which students are taught the skills needed to perform a particular job...
high school.
There are also three charter school
Charter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...
s within the Las Cruces Public Schools. Alma d'arte is a high school with a focus on an integrated arts curriculum. Las Montañas is new charter high school that opened in Fall 2007 and caters to at-risk students. La Academia Dolores Huerta Middle School is the only recognized dual language
Dual language
Dual language is a form of education in which students are taught literacy and content in two languages. The majority of dual language programs in the United States teach in English and Spanish, although increasing numbers of programs use a partner language other than Spanish, such as Arabic,...
program in the state.
Private schools
There are three privatePrivate school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
Christian school
Christian school
A Christian school is a school run on Christian principles or by a Christian organization.The nature of Christian schools varies enormously from country to country, according to the religious, educational, and political cultures...
s. College Heights Kindergarten is a private Christian kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
, founded in 1954.
Las Cruces Catholic School and Mesilla Valley Christian School are the other two Christian schools in the area. Also, a small independent Baptist Christian school called the Cornerstone Christian Academy located at the Cornerstone Baptist Church was established in 2005.
A secular non-profit private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
, Las Cruces Academy, aimed at gifted
Intellectual giftedness
Intellectual giftedness is an intellectual ability significantly higher than average. It is different from a skill, in that skills are learned or acquired behaviors...
and academically advanced students, is offering grades K-5 with plans to eventually enroll grades K–12.
Four-year
New Mexico State UniversityNew Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
, or NMSU, is a land-grant university that has its main campus in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The school was founded in 1888 as Las Cruces College, an agricultural college, and in 1889 the school became New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. It received its present name, New Mexico State University in 1960. The NMSU Las Cruces campus had approximately 16,000 students enrolled as of Fall 2008, and had a faculty-to-student ratio of about 1 to 19. NMSU offers a wide range of programs and awards associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees through its main campus and four community colleges. For 10 consecutive years, NMSU has been rated as one of America's 100 Best College Buys for offering "the very highest quality education at the lowest cost" by Institutional Research & Evaluation Inc., an independent research and consulting organization for higher education. NMSU is one of only two land-grant institutions classified as Hispanic-serving by the federal government. The university is home to New Mexico's NASA Space Grant Program and is one of 52 institutions in the United States to be designated a Space Grant College. During its most recent review by NASA, NMSU was one of only 12 space grant programs in the country to receive an excellent rating.
Two-year
Dona Ana Community College is a branch of New Mexico State UniversityNew Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
. When it opened its doors 28 years ago, it served 200 students through six programs. Today, over 4,000 students are enrolled in the 25 programs offered in Business and Information Technology, Health and Public Services and Technical Studies. General education courses are also provided.
In addition, ten thousand residents are served in noncredit classes through the Academy for Learning in Retirement, Community Education and Customized Training.
Along with DACC's main location, satellite locations serve outlying areas of the county at White Sands Missile Range, Sunland Park, Anthony, Chaparral, and Las Cruces' East Mesa.
Libraries
Thomas Branigan Memorial LibraryThomas Branigan Memorial Library
Thomas Branigan Memorial Library is the public library serving Las Cruces, New Mexico.- History :The library was founded in 1935 and a library building constructed at 106 W. Hadley as the result of a bequest from Mrs. Alice Branigan in memory of her husband Capt...
is the city's public library. It was constructed in 1979
and has a collection of about 185,000 items.
The previous library building, also called Thomas Branigan Memorial Library, opened in 1935. That building is now the Branigan Cultural Center. and is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
The two university libraries at the New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
campus, Branson Library and Zuhl Library, are open to the public. Any New Mexico resident can check out items from these libraries.
Media
The metro area has TV broadcasting stations that serve the El Paso – Las Cruces Designated Market Area (DMA)Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
as defined by Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
. The City of Las Cruces operates CLC-TV cable channel 20, an Emmy award-winning 24-hour Government-access television (GATV) and Educational-access television channel on Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
cable TV in Las Cruces. CLC-TV televises live and recorded Las Cruces city council meetings, Dona Ana County commission meetings and Las Cruces School board meetings. The channel also televises City Beat, a monthly news magazine, hosted by Denise LaFrance-Ojinaga, with information directly related to the City of Las Cruces. Also available for viewing is health news and other government/education related programming, as well as current weather reports and road and traffic information. CLC-TV is not a Public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
cable TV channel. In addition to a 2009 Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
by the Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences or NATAS was created in 1955 to advance the arts and sciences of television. Headquartered in New York, NATAS's membership is national and the organization has local chapters around the country....
, CLC-TV received a 1st and 3rd place award by the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors
National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors
National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors is an American national trade association based in Alexandria, VA. The stated purpose of the organization is to assist with the communications needs and interests of local governments, and those who advise local governments.The...
(NATOA) and five national Telly Awards
Telly Awards
The Telly Award is an award presented by the namesake, New York City-based organization. The stated purpose of the award is to "honor the very best local, regional, and cable television commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions, and work created for the Web." The...
, four platinum and one gold. All CLC-TV programming is available for viewing online at clctv.com.clctv
----
Las Cruces Sun-News
Las Cruces Sun-News
Las Cruces Sun-News, founded in 1881, is a daily newspaper published in Las Cruces, New Mexico.-History:The Sun-News started in 1881 as the Rio Grande Republican and went through several mergers to become the Las Cruces Daily News in 1934...
is a daily newspaper published in Las Cruces by MediaNews Group
MediaNews Group
MediaNews Group, based in Denver, Colorado, is one of the largest newspaper companies in the United States. It is privately owned and operates 56 daily newspapers in 12 states, with combined daily and Sunday circulation of approximately 2.4 million and 2.7 million, respectively...
. Las Cruces Bulletin
Las Cruces Bulletin
Las Cruces Bulletin is a weekly community newspaper published in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The paper is distributed free to homes and businesses in Las Cruces and is available by paid subscription elsewhere.-History:...
is a weekly community newspaper published in Las Cruces by FIG Publications, LLC. It is tabloid size and covers local news, business, arts, sports, and homes. The Round Up is the student newspaper
Student newspaper
A student newspaper is a newspaper run by students of a university, high school, middle school, or other school. These papers traditionally cover local and, primarily, school or university news....
at New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
. It is tabloid size and published twice weekly. The Ink is a monthly tabloid published in Las Cruces, covering the arts and community events in southern New Mexico and west Texas.
Las Cruces has one television station, the PBS outlet KRWG-TV
KRWG-TV
KRWG-TV, digital channel 23 , is a Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station serving both southeastern New Mexico and nearby El Paso, Texas. The station, which is run by New Mexico State University, signed on the air on June 29, 1973 and is licensed to the Regents of New Mexico...
, operated by New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
. The Telemundo
Telemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
outlet KTDO-TV is licensed in Las Cruces but serves El Paso. The city also receives several Albuquerque, El Paso
El Paso
El Paso, a city in the U.S. state of Texas, on the border with Mexico.El Paso may also refer to:-Geography:Colombia:* El Paso, CesarSpain:*El Paso, Santa Cruz de TenerifeUnited States:...
, and Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
stations. Las Cruces is in Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
's El Paso/Las Cruces television media market
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
.
Las Cruces has one local commercial independent cable television station called "The Las Cruces Channel
Las Cruces Channel
The Las Cruces Channel was launched in April 2009 and is the only local independent TV station in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The channel broadcasts on the local cable company Comcast on channel 98. The channel airs programs that are produced locally in their studio facility and by outside producers....
" (LCC98). It can be seen on Comcast cable channel 98. LCC-98 is not a Public-access television channel. The channel airs programs that are produced locally in their studio facility and by outside producers.
There are approximately ten commercial radio stations in the Las Cruces area, running a variety of formats
Radio format
A radio format or programming format not to be confused with broadcast programming describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve...
. Four of these stations are owned by Bravo Mic Communications, LLC, a Las Cruces company. The local NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
outlet is KRWG-FM, operated by New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
. NMSU also operates a college radio station, KRUX
KRUX
KRUX is one of New Mexico State University's two radio stations, located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA. Student-run and operated, it serves southern New Mexico an eclectic mix of musical genres and more live performances than any other station in the region. Programming features over 20 different...
. KRUC is a Spanish-language station in Las Cruces. Many El Paso
El Paso
El Paso, a city in the U.S. state of Texas, on the border with Mexico.El Paso may also refer to:-Geography:Colombia:* El Paso, CesarSpain:*El Paso, Santa Cruz de TenerifeUnited States:...
stations are received in Las Cruces. See list of radio stations in New Mexico for a complete list of stations. Las Cruces is in Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
's Las Cruces media market
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
.
Airports
- Las Cruces International AirportLas Cruces International AirportLas Cruces International Airport is an international airport located 8 miles west of the city center of Las Cruces, New Mexico, on a Mesa overlooking the Mesilla Valley. The airport was the major hub for Zia Airlines in the 1970s and early 1980s. There have been no scheduled passenger flights to...
– No current regularly scheduled commercial passenger flights since July 25, 2005, when Westward AirwaysWestward Airways (Nebraska)Westward Airways was an airline based in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, USA. It was a regional airline operating scheduled services in Nebraska and New Mexico. Westward Airways ceased flight operations on July 25, 2005.- History :...
ceased operations. General aviationGeneral aviationGeneral aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
, private charters and CAPCivil Air PatrolCivil Air Patrol is a Congressionally chartered, federally supported, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force . CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded membership that includes people from all backgrounds, lifestyles, and...
use the airport, amongst others. - El Paso International AirportEl Paso International AirportEl Paso International Airport is a public airport located four miles northeast of the central business district of the City of El Paso, in El Paso County, Texas, USA....
– Nearest airport with regularly scheduled commercial flights.
Major highways
- Interstate 10Interstate 10Interstate 10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90, I-80, and I-40. It is the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway, although I-4 and I-8 are further south. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 in Santa Monica,...
, east-west travel: south-southeast to El Paso, TexasEl Paso, TexasEl Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
; west to Tucson, ArizonaTucson, ArizonaTucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
. - Interstate 25Interstate 25Interstate 25 is an Interstate Highway in the western United States. It is primarily a north–south highway. I-25 stretches from Interstate 10 at Las Cruces, New Mexico, , to Interstate 90 in Buffalo, Wyoming, .Interstate 25 is the main north–south expressway through...
, north-south travel: north to AlbuquerqueAlbuquerque, New MexicoAlbuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
. Las Cruces is the southern terminus for Interstate 25Interstate 25Interstate 25 is an Interstate Highway in the western United States. It is primarily a north–south highway. I-25 stretches from Interstate 10 at Las Cruces, New Mexico, , to Interstate 90 in Buffalo, Wyoming, .Interstate 25 is the main north–south expressway through...
where it intersects Interstate 10Interstate 10Interstate 10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90, I-80, and I-40. It is the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway, although I-4 and I-8 are further south. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 in Santa Monica,...
. - U.S. Route 70U.S. Route 70U.S. Route 70 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,385 miles from eastern North Carolina to east-central Arizona. As can be derived from its number, it is a major east–west highway of the Southern and Southwestern United States...
, east-west travel: northeast to AlamogordoAlamogordo, New MexicoAlamogordo is the county seat of Otero County and a city in south-central New Mexico, United States. A desert community lying in the Tularosa Basin, it is bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains. It is the nearest city to Holloman Air Force Base. The population was 35,582 as of the 2000...
; to the west it is merged with Interstate 10Interstate 10Interstate 10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90, I-80, and I-40. It is the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway, although I-4 and I-8 are further south. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 in Santa Monica,...
. - U.S. Route 180U.S. Route 180U.S. Route 180 is an east–west United States highway. Like many three-digit routes, US 180 no longer meets its "parent", US 80. US 80 was decommissioned west of Mesquite, Texas, and was replaced in Texas by Interstate 20 and Interstate 10. The highway's eastern terminus is in Hudson Oaks,...
- NM 28
- NM 101
- NM 185
- NM 188
- NM 292
- NM 320
- NM 373
- NM 478
Rail
Las Cruces is served by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, via a branch line that extends from Belen, New MexicoBelen, New Mexico
Belen is a city in Valencia County, New Mexico, United States. Belen is Spanish for Bethlehem, and over time has gained the nickname "Hub City" because of the Belen Cutoff of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The Cutoff made it possible for many more trains to travel east and west across...
to El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
. Passenger service on this line was discontinued in 1968, due to low ridership numbers on the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway's (predecessor to the BNSF) El Pasoan train.
Bus Transit
The city operates a small transit authority known as RoadRUNNER TransitRoadRUNNER Transit
-Routes:All bus routes operate Monday-Saturday. There is no Sunday service.*10 Desert Orange *20 Sun Yellow...
. RoadRUNNER Transit operates a total of nine routes running Mondays through Saturdays. There is no Sunday service. An adult fare is $1.00. The active fleet consists of three Nova Bus
Nova Bus
Nova Bus is a Canadian bus manufacturer in North America, owned by Volvo Buses, and headquartered in Saint-Eustache, Quebec, Canada.- History :The factory was originally a General Motors plant for building city transit buses intended for the Canadian market...
RTS
Rapid Transit Series
The Rapid Transit Series bus is a long-running series of transit buses originally manufactured by General Motors and is currently produced by Millennium Transit Services as the RTS Legend. Millennium had produced the buses from 2006 until it shut down production in 2009, only to be bought back...
(2000 model year) and 11 Gillig Advantage
Gillig
Gillig Corporation, formerly Gillig Bros., is a manufacturer of heavy-duty low-floor transit buses located in Hayward, California. Prior to 1993, Gillig had also been a manufacturer of school buses.-History:...
(2004 and 2008 model years) transit buses, all of which are 35 feet (10.7 m) long and wheelchair-accessible.
Utilities
City of Las Cruces provides water, sewer, natural gas, and solid waste services, including recycling centers. El Paso ElectricEl Paso Electric
El Paso Electric is an Electric utility that provides electricity to western Texas and southern New Mexico. Its service area covers an area from Van Horn, Texas in the east and goes west to Luna, New Mexico and from the United States-Mexico border north to Holloman Air Force Base...
is the electricity provider, Qwest
Qwest
Qwest Communications International, Inc. was a large United States telecommunications carrier. Qwest provided local service in 14 western U.S. states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.On April...
is the telephone land line provider, and Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
is the cable TV provider.
Hospitals
Memorial Medical Center is a for-profit general hospitalHospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
operated by LifePoint Hospitals Inc.. The physical plant is owned by the City of Las Cruces and the County of Doña Ana, who signed a 40-year, $150 million lease in 2004 with Province HealthCare, since absorbed into LifePoint.
Prior to 2004 it was leased to and operated by the nonprofit Memorial Medical Center Inc.
The hospital is a licensed 286-bed acute care
Acute care
Acute care is a branch of secondary health care where a patient receives active but short-term treatment for a severe injury or episode of illness, an urgent medical condition, or during recovery from surgery...
facility and is accredited by JCAHO. It offers a wide range of patient services.
The University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
Cancer Center-South opened in 2006 on the MMC campus. It is 5300 square feet (492.4 m²) and has 9 exam rooms.
The original facility was called Memorial General Hospital and was opened in April 1950 at South Alameda Boulevard and Main Street after the city obtained a $250,000 federal grant. In 1971 the city and county joined to build a new hospital on South Telshor Boulevard. In 1990 it was renamed Memorial Medical Center.
MountainView Regional Medical Center is a for-profit general hospital operated by Community Health Systems
Community Health Systems
Community Health Systems Inc. is a Fortune 500 company based in Franklin, Tennessee. It is the largest non-urban provider of general hospital healthcare services in the United States in terms of number of acute care facilities. As of May 2009, it operates 120 hospitals in 28 states. After...
(formerly Triad Hospitals). It opened for business in August 2002. It is a 168-bed facility with a wide range of patient services.
Mesilla Valley Hospital is a 125-bed private psychiatric hospital operated by Psychiatric Solutions
Psychiatric Solutions
Psychiatric Solutions, Inc. is a subsidiary of Universal Health Services and operates psychiatric hospitals in 32 states.-History:Joey Jacobs, a former executive of Hospital Corporation of America for over 20 years, founded Psychiatric Solutions, Inc. in 1997...
. It is a residential facility offering a variety of treatments for behavioral health
Behavioral health
In psychology behavioral health, as a general concept, refers to the reciprocal relationship between human behavior, individually or socially, and the well-being of the body, mind, and spirit, whether the latter are considered individually or as an integrated whole...
issues.
Rehabilitation Hospital of Southern New Mexico is a 40-bed rehabilitative care hospital, operated by Ernest Health Inc.. It opened January 2005. It treats patients after they have been cared for at general hospitals for injuries or strokes.
Advanced Care Hospital of Southern New Mexico is a 20-bed long-term acute care
Acute care
Acute care is a branch of secondary health care where a patient receives active but short-term treatment for a severe injury or episode of illness, an urgent medical condition, or during recovery from surgery...
facility operated by Ernest Health Inc.. It opened in July 2007.
General clinics
Rio Grande Medical GroupBen Archer Health Centers
La Clinica de Familia
Pinnacle Family Health Care
Notable natives and residents
- Anwar al-AwlakiAnwar al-AwlakiAnwar al-Awlaki was an American and Yemeni imam who was an engineer and educator by training. According to U.S. government officials, he was a senior talent recruiter and motivator who was involved with planning operations for the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda...
, former Al Qaeda spokesman and regional leader who was born in Las Cruces. - Jerry ApodacaJerry ApodacaRaymond S. "Jerry" Apodaca was the 24th Governor of New Mexico.Apodaca graduated from the University of New Mexico, and went into the insurance business. In 1965, he was elected to the New Mexico Senate, serving four terms from 1966 to 1974. Apodaca was elected governor of New Mexico as a Democrat...
was the 24th Governor of New Mexico and was born in Las Cruces. - Richard ArtschwagerRichard ArtschwagerRichard Artschwager is an American painter, illustrator and sculptor, born in 1923 in Washington, D.C.. Artschwager is best known for his stylistic independence; although he has associations with the Pop Art movement, Conceptual art and Minimalism....
is an American painter and sculptor who grew up in Las Cruces. - Rich BeemRich BeemRichard Michael Beem is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.Beem was born in Phoenix, Arizona, grew up in El Paso, Texas, and played golf at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico....
is an American professional golfer who played high school and college golf at Las Cruces High School and New Mexico State UniversityNew Mexico State UniversityNew Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
. Beem won the 2002 PGA ChampionshipPGA ChampionshipThe PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
. - Barnard Elliott Bee, Jr.Barnard Elliott Bee, Jr.Barnard Elliott Bee Jr. was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was mortally wounded at the First Battle of Bull Run, one of the first general officers to be killed in the war. During that battle, he was responsible for the...
was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. Bee spent six years in Las Cruces prior to the Civil War. - Joseph BenavidezJoseph BenavidezJoseph Rolando Benavidez is an American mixed martial artist. After fighting in smaller shows while working as a screen printer in Las Cruces, New Mexico, he joined up with Urijah Faber's Team Alpha Male in 2007. He has since fought in Dream and most recently the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion...
– Mexican-American mixed martial arts fighter - Billy the KidBilly the KidWilliam H. Bonney William H. Bonney William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr. est. November 23, 1859 – c. July 14, 1881, better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier...
– 19th century frontier outlaw - Baxter BlackBaxter BlackBaxter Black is an American cowboy, poet, philosopher, former large-animal veterinarian, and radio commentator.Black grew up in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He was trained as a large-animal veterinarian at New Mexico State University and Colorado State University, but began writing and speaking in the...
is an American cowboy, poet, philosopher, former large-animal veterinarian, and radio commentator, who grew up in Las Cruces and attended New Mexico State UniversityNew Mexico State UniversityNew Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
.
- Frank BormanFrank BormanFrank Frederick Borman, II is a retired NASA astronaut and engineer, best remembered as the Commander of Apollo 8, the first mission to fly around the Moon, making him, along with fellow crew mates Jim Lovell and Bill Anders, the first of only 24 humans to do so...
– retired NASA astronaut and engineer - Randy BrownRandy BrownRandy Brown is a retired American basketball player. A 6'2" guard who played at New Mexico State University, Brown was selected by the Sacramento Kings in the second round of the 1991 NBA Draft...
is an American professional basketball player who played for the Chicago BullsChicago BullsThe Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
while winning three NBA titles during 1996–98. Brown played basketball at New Mexico State UniversityNew Mexico State UniversityNew Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
. - Pamela BurfordPamela BurfordPamela Burford is an American novelist. She is an award-winning author of 14 contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels, and she is the twin sister of the author Patricia Ryan...
is an American novelist who was born in Las Cruces. - Denise ChávezDenise ChavezDenise Elia Chavez is an American author, playwright, and stage director. She was born to an Hispano family in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States, and graduated from Madonna High School in Mesilla. She received her Bachelor's from New Mexico State University and Master's degrees in Dramatic...
– author, playwright, and stage director - John A. D. CooperJohn A. D. CooperJohn A. D. Cooper 1918-2002 was an American physician and educator.Dr. John Allen Dicks Cooper was born on December 22, 1918 in El Paso, Texas. He grew up in the bilingual and bicultural environment of Las Cruces, New Mexico and attended the New Mexico State University from which he graduated with...
was an American physician and educator, and the first president of the Association of American Medical CollegesAssociation of American Medical CollegesThe Association of American Medical Colleges is a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC and established in 1876. It administers the Medical College Admission Test...
, who grew up in Las Cruces. - Albert Fall – United States Senator from New Mexico and Secretary of the InteriorSecretary of the InteriorThe Secretary of the Interior may refer to:* The United States Secretary of the Interior* The Secretario de Gobernación Secretary of the Interior...
. - Richard FarrerRichard FarrerRichard Farrer is a retired South African-American soccer player who spent five seasons in the USISL, half a season each in South Africa and England and seven seasons with the Dallas Burn in Major League Soccer...
– retired South African–American soccer player who grew up in Las Cruces. - Col. Albert Jennings FountainAlbert Jennings FountainAlbert Jennings Fountain was a lawyer, Indian fighter, and Republican politician in Texas and New Mexico.-Biography:...
– lawyer, Indian fighter, and Republican politician in Texas and New Mexico whose disappearance remains a mystery. - Pat Garrett – American Old West lawman who killed Billy the KidBilly the KidWilliam H. Bonney William H. Bonney William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr. est. November 23, 1859 – c. July 14, 1881, better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier...
- Mimi Reisel GladsteinMimi Reisel GladsteinMimi Reisel Gladstein is a professor of English and Theatre Arts at the University of Texas at El Paso. Her specialties include authors such as Ayn Rand and John Steinbeck, as well as women's studies, theatre arts and 18th-century British literature.-Life and scholarship:Gladstein was born in...
– professor of English and Theatre Arts at the University of Texas at El PasoUniversity of Texas at El PasoThe University of Texas at El Paso is a four-year state university, and is a component institution of the University of Texas System. Its campus is located on the bank of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. The school was founded in 1914 as The Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy,...
, and is a specialist on authors Ayn RandAyn RandAyn Rand was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her two best-selling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism....
and John SteinbeckJohn SteinbeckJohn Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden and the novella Of Mice and Men...
. - Lou HensonLou HensonLou Henson is a former college basketball coach. He retired as the all time leader in victories at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with 423 victories and New Mexico State with 289 victories...
– American basketball coach who coached the New Mexico State UniversityNew Mexico State UniversityNew Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
and the University of Illinois teams to the Final FourFinal fourFinal Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
. - Po JamesPo JamesRonald "Po" James is a former American football running back who played for four seasons in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1972–1975. He was drafted by the Eagles in the fourth round of the 1972 NFL Draft...
– former American football running back who played for four seasons in the National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. James played collegiately at New Mexico State UniversityNew Mexico State UniversityNew Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
. - Charley JohnsonCharley JohnsonCharley Lane Johnson is a former quarterback in the NFL. During his 15-year career he played for 3 teams; the St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Oilers, and Denver Broncos. During his collegiate career at New Mexico State he became the only person to date to be named Most Valuable Player of the Sun Bowl...
– former NFL quarterback who resides in Las Cruces and works for New Mexico State University. - Paul Wilbur Klipsch was an American engineer and high fidelity audio pioneer, known for developing the high-efficiency folded horn loudspeaker. Klipsch graduated from New Mexico State UniversityNew Mexico State UniversityNew Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
. - Kiki LaraKiki LaraRicardo "Kiki" Lara is a retired American soccer player who last played for the USL First Division side Portland Timbers. Lara played college soccer in San Antonio, Texas at the University of the Incarnate Word. He captained the team from 2001 to 2003 and was also named an All-American in each of...
– American soccer player who was born in Las Cruces.
- Delano LewisDelano LewisDelano Eugene Lewis is an American attorney, businessman, and diplomat. He was the ambassador to South Africa from 1999 to 2001, and previously held leadership roles with the Peace Corps, National Public Radio, and the U.S...
– former U.S. ambassador to South Africa and former president and CEO of National Public Radio, resides in Las Cruces. - Kerry LocklinKerry LocklinKerry Barth Locklin is an American football coach, most recently the defensive line coach for the New York Jets in the National Football League....
– American football coach, most recently the defensive line coach for the New York JetsNew York JetsThe New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. - Mireille MarokviaMireille MarokviaMireille Marokvia was a French writer best known for her two books about her ordeals during World War II in Nazi Germany.-Biography:She was born in a village near Chartres, France in December 1908...
– French writer best known for her two books about her ordeals during World War II in Nazi Germany. Marokvia lived in Las Cruces later in life until her death in 2008. - Mark MedoffMark MedoffMark Medoff is an American playwright, screenwriter, film and theatre director, actor, and professor. His play Children of a Lesser God received both the Tony Award and the Olivier Award...
– Tony Award winning American playwright and author of Children of a Lesser GodChildren of a Lesser GodChildren of a Lesser God is a 1986 American romantic drama film directed by Randa Haines and written by Hesper Anderson and Mark Medoff. An adaptation of Medoff's Tony Award-winning stage play of the same name, the film stars William Hurt and Marlee Matlin as two employees at a school for the deaf:...
.
- Rose Marie PangbornRose Marie PangbornRose Marie Pangborn was an American scientist, born in Las Cruces, New Mexico. She was a pioneer in the sensory analysis of food.-Education:Professor Pangborn earned a B.S. at New Mexico State University and a M.S...
– American scientist, born in Las Cruces, who was a pioneer in the sensory analysis of food. - Buck PierceBuck PierceBuck James Pierce is a professional Canadian football quarterback for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. Pierce signed with the Blue Bombers for the 2010 CFL season after he was released by the BC Lions, the team he spent the first five years of his professional career with...
– professional Canadian football quarterback who played football for New Mexico State UniversityNew Mexico State UniversityNew Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
and lives in Las Cruces during the off-season. - Bashir RamzyBashir RamzyBashir Ramzy is a male American long jumper.He won the bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Games...
– American long jumper in track and field, who won a bronze medal in the 2007 Pan American Games, was born in Las Cruces. - Patricia RyanPatricia Ryan (author)Patricia Burford Ryan is an American writer of romance novels as Patricia Ryan, mystery novels as P.B. Ryan and erotica novels as Louisa Burton...
– American writer of romance, mystery and erotic novels, was born in Las Cruces. - Mai ShanleyMai ShanleyMai Therese Shanley , Miss New Mexico USA, Miss USA 1984, is a former beauty queen. Her mother is ethnically Taiwanese and is from Taiwan, while her father is Irish American....
– beauty queen who was crowned Miss USA in 1984. - Tom SmithTom Smith (playwright)Tom Smith is an American playwright, theatre director, and associate professor of theatre arts. Originally trained as an improvisational comedian, Smith founded Walla Walla TheatreSports in 1988....
, playwright and director, resides in Las Cruces, and teaches at New Mexico State UniversityNew Mexico State UniversityNew Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
. - Clyde TombaughClyde TombaughClyde William Tombaugh was an American astronomer. Although he is best known for discovering the dwarf planet Pluto in 1930, the first object to be discovered in what would later be identified as the Kuiper Belt, Tombaugh also discovered many asteroids; he also called for serious scientific...
– discovered PlutoPlutoPluto, formal designation 134340 Pluto, is the second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth-most-massive body observed directly orbiting the Sun...
, lived in Las Cruces until his death in 1997. - Fredd YoungFredd YoungFredd Young is a former professional American football player who played linebacker for seven seasons for the Seattle Seahawks and the Indianapolis Colts. He was selected to four Pro Bowls - two on the special teams and two as linebacker...
– was a four-time pro-bowl football player for the Seattle SeahawksSeattle SeahawksThe Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
and the Indianapolis ColtsIndianapolis ColtsThe Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
– played for New Mexico State and currently lives in Las Cruces.
Sister cities
LerdoLerdo
Ciudad Lerdo is a small city in the northeastern portion of the Mexican state of Durango. It serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of the same name....
, Mexico Nienburg
Nienburg, Lower Saxony
Nienburg is a town and capital of the district Nienburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany.-Geography:Situated on the scenic German Framework Road, Nienburg lies on the river Weser, approximately southeast of Bremen, and northwest of Hanover...
, Germany
- Phoenix, Arizona(2011)
Las Cruces Sister Cities Foundation is responsible for overseeing sister cities activities on behalf of the citizens of Las Cruces.