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Santa Fe

Ogha P'o'ogeh
State capital of New Mexico
La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asís, New Mexico
Santa Fe's downtown area
Flag of Santa Fe Official logo of Santa Fe
Coat of arms
Etymology: Founded as Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asís  (Spanish)
Nickname(s): 
The City Different
Location in Santa Fe County, New Mexico
Santa Fe is located in New Mexico
Santa Fe
Santa Fe
Location in New Mexico
Santa Fe is located in the United States
Santa Fe
Santa Fe
Location in the United States
Country United States
State New Mexico
County Santa Fe
Founded 1610; 414 years ago (1610)
Founded by Pedro de Peralta
Named for St. Francis of Assisi
Area
 • City 52.34 sq mi (135.57 km2)
 • Land 52.23 sq mi (135.28 km2)
 • Water 0.11 sq mi (0.29 km2)
Elevation
7,199 ft (2,194 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • City 67,947
 • Estimate 
(2019)
84,683
 • Density 1,621.25/sq mi (625.97/km2)
 • Metro
144,170 (Santa Fe MSA)
1,146,049 (Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas CSA)
Demonym(s) Santa Fean; Santafesino, -na
Time zone UTC−7 (MST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−6 (MDT)
ZIP codes
87500-87599
Area code(s) 505
FIPS code 35-70500
GNIS feature ID 936823
Primary airport Albuquerque International Sunport
ABQ (Major/International)
Secondary airport Santa Fe Regional Airport-
KSAF (Public)

Santa Fe ( SAN-tə-_-fay-,_-_-fay; Spanish for 'Holy Faith'; Tewa: Oghá P'o'oge; Northern Tiwa: Hulp'ó'ona; Navajo: Yootó) is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. With a population of 84,683 as of 2019, it is the fourth-largest city in New Mexico. It is also the county seat of Santa Fe County. Its metropolitan area is part of the Albuquerque–Santa Fe–Las Vegas combined statistical area, which had a population of 1,178,664 in 2018. The city was founded in 1610 as the capital of Nuevo México, replacing the previous capital, San Juan de los Caballeros (near modern Española) at San Gabriel de Yungue-Ouinge, which makes it the oldest state capital in the United States. It is also at the highest altitude of any of the U.S. state capitals, with an elevation of 7,199 feet (2,194 m).

Santa Fe is widely considered one of the world's great art cities, due to its many art galleries and installations, and it is recognized by UNESCO's Creative Cities Network. Its cultural highlights include Santa Fe Plaza, the Palace of the Governors, the Fiesta de Santa Fe, numerous restaurants featuring distinctive New Mexican cuisine, and performances of New Mexico music. Among its many art galleries and installations are the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, a gallery by cartoonist Chuck Jones, and newer art collectives such as Meow Wolf.

The area around Santa Fe was occupied for thousands of years by indigenous people who built villages several hundred years ago on the current site of the city. It was known by the Tewa inhabitants as Ogha Po'oge ('white shell water place'). The name “Santa Fe” means 'Holy Faith' in Spanish, and the city's full name as founded remains La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asís ('The Royal Town of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi').

History

Spain and Mexico

The area of Santa Fe was originally occupied by indigenous Tanoan peoples, who lived in numerous Pueblo villages along the Rio Grande. One of the earliest known settlements in what today is downtown Santa Fe came sometime after 900. A group of Tewa indians built a cluster of homes that centered around the site of today's Plaza and spread for half a mile to the south and west; the village was called Ogapoge in Tewa The people settled along the Santa Fe River for its water and transportation.

The river had a year-round flow until the 1700s. By the 20th century the Santa Fe River was a seasonal waterway. As of 2007, the river was recognized as the most endangered river in the United States, according to the conservation group American Rivers.

Don Juan de Oñate led the first European effort to colonize the region in 1598, establishing Santa Fe de Nuevo México as a province of New Spain. Under Juan de Oñate and his son, the capital of the province was the settlement of San Juan de los Caballeros north of Santa Fe near modern Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo. New Mexico's second Spanish governor, Don Pedro de Peralta, however, founded a new city at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in 1607, which he called La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asís, the Royal Town of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi. In 1610, he designated it as the capital of the province, which it has almost constantly remained, making it the oldest state capital in the United States.

Santa fe nm 1846 47
Santa Fe, 1846–1847

Discontent with the colonization practices led to the Pueblo Revolt, when groups of different Native Pueblo peoples were successful in droving the Spaniards out of the area now known as New Mexico, maintaining their independence from 1680 to 1692, when the territory was reconquered by Don Diego de Vargas. Santa Fe remained Spain's provincial seat until the outbreak of the Mexican War of Independence in 1810. It was considered important to fur traders based in present-day Saint Louis, Missouri. When the area was still under Spanish rule, the Chouteau brothers of Saint Louis gained a monopoly on the fur trade, before the United States acquired Missouri under the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. The fur trade contributed to the wealth of St. Louis.

The city's status as the capital of the Mexican territory of Santa Fe de Nuevo México was formalized in the 1824 Constitution after Mexico achieved independence from Spain.

United States

Wpdms republic of texas
The Republic of Texas map showing lands claimed by Texas after 1836 and present-day outlines of states superimposed on the boundaries of 1836–1845.

When the Republic of Texas seceded from Mexico in 1836, it claimed Santa Fe as part of the western portion of Texas along the Rio Grande. In 1841, a small military and trading expedition set out from Austin, intending to take control of the Santa Fe Trail. Known as the Texan Santa Fe Expedition, the force was poorly prepared and was easily captured by the Mexican army. In 1846, the United States declared war on Mexico. Brigadier General Stephen W. Kearny led the main body of his Army of the West of some 1,700 soldiers into Santa Fe to claim it and the whole New Mexico Territory for the United States. By 1848 the U.S. officially gained New Mexico through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

Colonel Alexander William Doniphan, under the command of Kearny, recovered ammunition from Santa Fe labeled "Spain 1776." This showed that New Mexico had received munitions and other support under Mexican rule.

Some American visitors at first saw little promise in the remote town. One traveller in 1849 wrote:

I can hardly imagine how Santa Fe is supported. The country around it is barren. At the North stands a snow-capped mountain while the valley in which the town is situated is drab and sandy. The streets are narrow... A Mexican will walk about town all day to sell a bundle of grass worth about a dime. They are the poorest looking people I ever saw. They subsist principally on mutton, onions and red pepper.

—letter from an American traveler, 1849
Santa Fe, NM (1882)
Santa Fe, 1882. The railroad era.

In 1851, Jean Baptiste Lamy arrived, becoming bishop of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado in 1853. During his leadership, he traveled to France, Rome, Tucson, Los Angeles, St. Louis, New Orleans, and Mexico City. He built the Santa Fe Saint Francis Cathedral and shaped Catholicism in the region until his death in 1888.

As part of the New Mexico Campaign of the Civil War, General Henry Sibley occupied the city, flying the Confederate flag over Santa Fe for a few days in March 1862. Sibley was forced to withdraw after Union troops destroyed his logistical trains following the Battle of Glorieta Pass. The Santa Fe National Cemetery was created by the federal government after the war in 1870 to inter the Union soldiers who died fighting there.

On October 21, 1887, Anton Docher, "The Padre of Isleta", went to New Mexico where he was ordained as a priest in the St Francis Cathedral of Santa Fe by Bishop Jean-Baptiste Salpointe. After a few years serving in Santa Fe, Bernalillo and in Taos, he moved to Isleta on December 28, 1891. He wrote an ethnological article published in The Santa Fé Magazine in June 1913, in which he describes early 20th century life in the Pueblos.

Santa Fe (1885)
The re-construction of the St. Francis Cathedral with the plaza visible (1885)

As railroads were extended into the West, Santa Fe was originally envisioned as an important stop on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. But as the tracks were constructed into New Mexico, the civil engineers decided that it was more practical to go through Lamy, a town in Santa Fe County to the south of Santa Fe. A branch line was completed from Lamy to Santa Fe in 1880. The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad extended the narrow gauge Chili Line from the nearby city of Española to Santa Fe in 1886.

Neither were sufficient to offset the negative effects of Santa Fe having been bypassed by the main railroad route. It suffered gradual economic decline into the early 20th century. Activists created a number of resources for the arts and archaeology, notably the School of American Research, created in 1907 under the leadership of the prominent archaeologist Edgar Lee Hewett. In the early 20th century, Santa Fe became a base for numerous writers and artists. The first airplane to fly over Santa Fe was piloted by Rose Dugan, carrying Vera von Blumenthal as passenger. Together the two women started the development of the Pueblo Indian pottery industry, helping native women to market their wares. They contributed to the founding of the annual Santa Fe Indian Market.

In 1912, New Mexico was admitted as the United States of America's 47th state, with Santa Fe as its capital.

20th century

1912 plan

In 1912, when the town's population was approximately 5,000 people, the city's civic leaders designed and enacted a sophisticated city plan that incorporated elements of contemporary movements for the City Beautiful movement, city planning, and historic preservation; the latter particularly influenced by similar movements in Germany. The plan anticipated limited future growth, considered the scarcity of water, and recognized the future prospects of suburban development on the outskirts. The planners foresaw conflicts between preservationists and scientific planners. They set forth the principle that historic streets and structures be preserved and that new development must be in harmony with the city's character.

1921 Fiesta, Santa Fe
1921 Fiesta parade, Santa Fe. Palace of the Governors in background.

Artists and tourists

After the mainline of the railroad bypassed Santa Fe, it lost population. However artists and writers, as well as retirees, were attracted to the cultural richness of the area, the beauty of the landscapes, and its dry climate. Local leaders began promoting the city as a tourist attraction. The city sponsored architectural this is the restoration projects and erected new buildings according to traditional techniques and styles, thus creating the Santa Fe Style. Edgar L. Hewett, founder and first director of the School of American Research and the Museum of New Mexico in Santa Fe, was a leading promoter. He began the Santa Fe Fiesta in 1919 and the Southwest Indian Fair in 1922 (now known as the Indian Market).

When he tried to attract a summer program for Texas women, many artists rebelled saying the city should not promote artificial tourism at the expense of its artistic culture. The writers and artists formed the Old Santa Fe Association and defeated the plan.

Japanese American internment camp

During World War II, the federal government ordered a Japanese American internment camp to be established. Beginning in June 1942, the Department of Justice arrested 826 Japanese-American men after the attack on Pearl Harbor; they held them near Santa Fe, in a former Civilian Conservation Corps site that had been acquired and expanded for the purpose. Although there was a lack of evidence and no due process, the men were held on suspicion of fifth column activity. Security at Santa Fe was similar to a military prison, with twelve-foot barbed wire fences, guard towers equipped with searchlights, and guards carrying rifles, side arms and tear gas. By September, the internees had been transferred to other facilities—523 to War Relocation Authority concentration camps in the interior of the West, and 302 to Army internment camps.

The Santa Fe site was used next to hold German and Italian nationals, who were considered enemy aliens after the outbreak of war. In February 1943, these civilian detainees were transferred to DOJ custody.

The camp was expanded at that time to take in 2,100 men segregated from the general population of Japanese American inmates. These were mostly Nisei and Kibei who had renounced their U.S. citizenship when asked to sign a loyalty oath that had confusing language, saying the person agreed to "give up loyalty to the Japanese emperor." Men born in America who had never identified with the emperor were insulted, especially as they were being asked to enroll in the armed forces while their Japanese-born parents were interned in camps. and other "troublemakers" from the Tule Lake Segregation Center. In 1945, four internees were seriously injured when violence broke out between the internees and guards in an event known as the Santa Fe Riot. The camp remained open past the end of the war; the last detainees were released in mid 1946. The facility was closed and sold as surplus soon after. The camp was located in what is now the Casa Solana neighborhood.

Geography

Santa Fe from space
February 2003 astronaut photography of Santa Fe, New Mexico taken from the International Space Station (ISS)

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 37.4 sq mi (96.9 km2), of which 37.3 sq mi (96.7 km2) is land and 0.077 sq mi (0.2 km2) (0.21%) is water.

Santa Fe is located at 7,199 feet (2,194 m) above sea level, making it the highest state capital in the United States.

Climate

Santa Fe experiences a dry steppe climate (BSk in Köppen climate classification), with chilly, dry winters and hot summers and high potential evaporation compared to precipitation. The 24-hour average temperature in the city ranges from 30.3 °F (−0.9 °C) in December to 70.1 °F (21.2 °C) in July. Due to the relative aridity and elevation, average diurnal temperature variation exceeds 25 °F (14 °C) in every month, and 30 °F (17 °C) much of the year. The city usually receives 6 to 8 snowfalls a year between November and April. The heaviest rainfall occurs in July and August, with the arrival of the North American Monsoon.

Climate data for Santa Fe, New Mexico (1981–2010 normals), elevation 6,756 ft (2,059.2 m)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 65
(18)
73
(23)
77
(25)
84
(29)
96
(36)
99
(37)
99
(37)
96
(36)
94
(34)
87
(31)
75
(24)
65
(18)
99
(37)
Average high °F (°C) 43.5
(6.4)
48.2
(9.0)
55.9
(13.3)
64.7
(18.2)
74.2
(23.4)
83.5
(28.6)
85.9
(29.9)
83.4
(28.6)
77.7
(25.4)
66.5
(19.2)
53.1
(11.7)
43.2
(6.2)
65.0
(18.3)
Daily mean °F (°C) 30.5
(−0.8)
34.9
(1.6)
41.0
(5.0)
48.5
(9.2)
57.6
(14.2)
66.5
(19.2)
70.1
(21.2)
68.4
(20.2)
62.1
(16.7)
51.0
(10.6)
38.9
(3.8)
30.3
(−0.9)
50.0
(10.0)
Average low °F (°C) 17.5
(−8.1)
21.5
(−5.8)
26.1
(−3.3)
32.3
(0.2)
41.0
(5.0)
49.4
(9.7)
54.4
(12.4)
53.3
(11.8)
46.5
(8.1)
35.5
(1.9)
24.6
(−4.1)
17.4
(−8.1)
35.0
(1.7)
Record low °F (°C) −14
(−26)
−24
(−31)
−6
(−21)
10
(−12)
19
(−7)
28
(−2)
37
(3)
36
(2)
26
(−3)
5
(−15)
−12
(−24)
−17
(−27)
−24
(−31)
Average precipitation inches (mm) .60
(15)
.53
(13)
.94
(24)
.77
(20)
.94
(24)
1.29
(33)
2.33
(59)
2.23
(57)
1.54
(39)
1.33
(34)
.85
(22)
.83
(21)
14.18
(360)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 4.0
(10)
2.9
(7.4)
4.4
(11)
.4
(1.0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
1.0
(2.5)
2.3
(5.8)
8.0
(20)
23
(58)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 3.4 3.7 4.7 4.0 4.7 5.6 9.6 10.3 6.3 5.2 4.0 4.2 65.7
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 1.9 1.5 1.3 .4 0 0 0 0 0 .3 .8 2.2 8.4
Source: NOAA
Sangre de Christo Mountains-Winter sunset
Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the East of Santa Fe: a winter sunset after a snowfall

Santa Fe style and "The City Different"

This year we are making a studied conscious effort not to be studied or conscious. Santa Fe is now one of the most interesting art centers in the world and you, O Dude of the East, are privileged to behold the most sophisticated group in the country gamboling freely. ... And Santa Fe, making you welcome, will enjoy itself hugely watching the Dude as he gazes. Be sure as you stroll along looking for the quaint and picturesque that you are supplying your share of those very qualities to Santa Fe, the City Incongruous. ... Be yourself, even if it includes synthetic cowboy clothes, motor goggles and a camera.

—1928 Santa Fe Fiesta Program
NewMexicoPalaceSantaFe
Palace of the Governors, established 1609–10

The Spanish laid out the city according to the "Laws of the Indies", town planning rules and ordinances which had been established in 1573 by King Philip II. The fundamental principle was that the town be laid out around a central plaza. On its north side was the Palace of the Governors, while on the east was the church that later became the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi.

An important style implemented in planning the city was the radiating grid of streets centering from the central Plaza. Many were narrow and included small alley-ways, but each gradually merged into the more casual byways of the agricultural perimeter areas. As the city grew throughout the 19th century, the building styles evolved too, so that by statehood in 1912, the eclectic nature of the buildings caused it to look like "Anywhere USA". The city government realized that the economic decline, which had started more than twenty years before with the railway moving west and the federal government closing down Fort Marcy, might be reversed by the promotion of tourism.

To achieve that goal, the city created the idea of imposing a unified building style – the Spanish Pueblo Revival look, which was based on work done restoring the Palace of the Governors. The sources for this style came from the many defining features of local architecture: vigas (rough, exposed beams that extrude through supporting walls, and are thus visible outside as well as inside the building) and canales (rain spouts cut into short parapet walls around flat roofs), features borrowed from many old adobe homes and churches built many years before and found in the Pueblos, along with the earth-toned look (reproduced in stucco) of the old adobe exteriors.

After 1912 this style became official: all buildings were to be built using these elements. By 1930 there was a broadening to include the "Territorial", a style of the pre-statehood period which included the addition of portales (large, covered porches) and white-painted window and door pediments (and also sometimes terra cotta tiles on sloped roofs, but with flat roofs still dominating). The city had become "different". However, "in the rush to pueblofy" Santa Fe, the city lost a great deal of its architectural history and eclecticism. Among the architects most closely associated with this new style are T. Charles Gaastra and John Gaw Meem.

By an ordinance passed in 1957, new and rebuilt buildings, especially those in designated historic districts, must exhibit a Spanish Territorial or Pueblo style of architecture, with flat roofs and other features suggestive of the area's traditional adobe construction. However, many contemporary houses in the city are built from lumber, concrete blocks, and other common building materials, but with stucco surfaces (sometimes referred to as "faux-dobe", pronounced as one word: "foe-dough-bee") reflecting the historic style.

NM 2
Homes are territorial or pueblo style and stuccoed with flat roofs

In a September 2003 report by Angelou Economics, it was determined that Santa Fe should focus their economic development efforts in the following seven industries: Arts and Culture, Design, Hospitality, Conservation Technologies, Software Development, Publishing and New Media, and Outdoor Gear and Apparel. Three secondary targeted industries for Santa Fe to focus development in are health care, retiree services, and food & beverage. Angelou Economics recognized three economic signs that Santa Fe's economy was at risk of long term deterioration. These signs were; a lack of business diversity which tied the city too closely to fluctuations in tourism and the government sector; the beginnings of urban sprawl, as a result of Santa Fe County growing faster than the city, meaning people will move farther outside the city to find land and lower costs for housing; and an aging population coupled with a rapidly shrinking population of individuals under 45 years old, making Santa Fe less attractive to business recruits.

The seven industries recommended by the report "represent a good mix for short-, mid-, and long-term economic cultivation."

In 2005/2006, a consultant group from Portland, Oregon, prepared a "Santa Fe Downtown Vision Plan" to examine the long-range needs for the "downtown" area, roughly bounded by the Paseo de Peralta on the north, south and east sides and by Guadalupe Street on the west. In consultation with members of community groups, who were encouraged to provide feedback, the consultants made a wide range of recommendations in the plan now published for public and city review.

Arts and culture

Adobe in Santa Fe at the Plaza - Hotel Inn and Spa at Loretto
The Inn at Loretto, a Pueblo Revival style building near the Plaza in Santa Fe

The city is well known as a center for arts that reflect the multicultural character of the city; it has been designated as a UNESCO Creative City in Design, Crafts and Folk Art. Each Wednesday the alternative weekly newspaper, The Santa Fe Reporter, publishes information on the arts and culture of Santa Fe; and each Friday, the daily Santa Fe New Mexican publishes Pasatiempo, its long-running calendar and commentary on arts and events.

In 2012, the city was listed among the 10 best places to retire in the U.S. by CBS Money Watch and U.S. News.

Visual art and galleries

The city and the surrounding areas have a high concentration of artists. They have come over the decades to capture the natural beauty of the landscape, the flora and the fauna. One of the best known New Mexico–based artists was Georgia O'Keeffe, who lived for a time in Santa Fe, but primarily in Abiquiu, a small village about 50 mi (80 km) away. The New Mexico Museum of Art and Georgia O'Keeffe Museum own several of her works. O'Keeffe's friend, western nature photographer Eliot Porter, died in Santa Fe.

Canyon Road, east of the Plaza, has the highest concentration of art galleries in the city, and is a major destination for international collectors, tourists and locals. The Canyon Road galleries showcase a wide array of contemporary, Southwestern, indigenous American, and experimental art, in addition to Russian, Taos Masters, and Native American pieces.

Santa Fe also contains a lively contemporary art scene, with Meow Wolf as its main art collective. Backed by author George R. R. Martin, Meow Wolf opened an elaborate art installation space, called House of Eternal Return, in 2016.

Sculpture

Dinosaur family, Cerillos Rd industrial Park
Dinosaur family sculpture, south of I-25 off Cerrillos Road, 2008

There are many outdoor sculptures, including many statues of Francis of Assisi, and several other holy figures, such as Kateri Tekakwitha. The styles run the whole spectrum from Baroque to Post-modern. Notable sculptors connected with Santa Fe include John Connell, Luis Jiménez, Rebecca Tobey and Allan Houser.

Literature

Numerous authors followed the influx of specialists in the visual arts. Well-known writers like D. H. Lawrence, Cormac McCarthy, Kate Braverman, Douglas Adams, Roger Zelazny, Alice Corbin Henderson, Mary Austin, Witter Bynner, Dan Flores, Paul Horgan, Rudolfo Anaya, George R. R. Martin, Mitch Cullin, David Morrell, Evan S. Connell, Richard Bradford, John Masters, Jack Schaefer, Hampton Sides and Michael McGarrity, Aaliyah Mcvey

were residents of Santa Fe. Walker Percy lived on a dude ranch outside of Santa Fe before returning to Louisiana to begin his literary career.

Music, dance, and opera

Santa Fe Opera interior view from section 10
The interior of the Crosby Theatre at the Santa Fe Opera; viewed from the mezzanine

Performance Santa Fe, formerly the Santa Fe Concert Association, is the oldest presenting organization in Santa Fe. Founded in 1937, Performance Santa Fe brings celebrated and legendary musicians as well as some of the world's greatest dancers and actors to the city from August through May. The Santa Fe Opera's productions take place between late June and late August each year. The city also hosts the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival which is held at about the same time, mostly in the St. Francis Auditorium and in the Lensic Theater. Also in July and August, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale holds its summer festival. Santa Fe has its own professional ballet company, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, which performs in both cities and tours nationally and internationally. Santa Fe is also home to internationally acclaimed Flamenco dancer's Maria Benitez Institute for Spanish Arts which offers programs and performance in Flamenco, Spanish Guitar and similar arts year round. Other notable local figures include the National Dance Institute of New Mexico and German New Age musician Deuter.

Museums

Santa Fe has many museums located near the downtown Plaza:

Several other museums are located in the area known as Museum Hill:

Sports

The New Mexico Style were an American Basketball Association franchise founded in 2005, but reformed in Texas for the 2007–8 season as the El Paso S'ol (which folded without playing an ABA game in their new city). The Santa Fe Roadrunners were a North American Hockey League team, but moved to Kansas to become the Topeka Roadrunners. Santa Fe's rodeo, the Rodeo De Santa Fe, is held annually the last week of June. In May 2012 Santa Fe became the home of the Santa Fe Fuego of the Pecos League of Professional Baseball Clubs. They play their home games at Fort Marcy Park. Horse racing events were held at The Downs at Santa Fe from 1971 until 1997.

Science and technology

Santa Fe has had an association with science and technology since 1943 when the town served as the gateway to Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), a 45-minute drive from the city. In 1984, the Santa Fe Institute (SFI) was founded to research complex systems in the physical, biological, economic, and political sciences. It hosts such Nobel laureates as Murray Gell-Mann (physics), Philip Warren Anderson (physics), and Kenneth Arrow (economics). The National Center for Genome Resources (NCGR) was founded in 1994 to focus on research at the intersection among bioscience, computing, and mathematics. In the 1990s and 2000s several technology companies formed to commercialize technologies from LANL, SFI, and NCGR.

Due to the presence of Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories and the Santa Fe Institute, and because of its attractiveness for visitors and an established tourist industry, Santa Fe routinely serves as a host to a variety of scientific meetings, summer schools, and public lectures, such as International q-bio Conference on Cellular Information Processing, Santa Fe Institute's Complex Systems Summer School, LANL's Center For Nonlinear Studies Annual Conference, and others.

Tourism

Touch the country [of New Mexico] and you will never be the same again.

—D. H. Lawrence, c. 1917.
Santa Fe San miguel chapel
San Miguel Chapel in Santa Fe is said to be the oldest standing church structure in the US. The adobe walls were constructed around A.D. 1610

Tourism is a major element of the Santa Fe economy, with visitors attracted year-round by the climate and related outdoor activities (such as skiing in years of adequate snowfall; hiking in other seasons) plus cultural activities of the city and the region. Tourism information is provided by the convention and visitor bureau and the chamber of commerce.

Most tourist activity takes place in the historic downtown, especially on and around the Plaza, a one-block square adjacent to the Palace of the Governors, the original seat of New Mexico's territorial government since the time of Spanish colonization. Other areas include "Museum Hill", the site of the major art museums of the city as well as the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, which takes place each year during the second full weekend of July. The Canyon Road arts area with its galleries is also a major attraction for locals and visitors alike.

Some visitors find Santa Fe particularly attractive around the second week of September when the aspens in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains turn yellow and the skies are clear and blue. This is also the time of the annual Fiestas de Santa Fe, celebrating the "reconquering" of Santa Fe by Don Diego de Vargas, a highlight of which is the burning Zozobra ("Old Man Gloom"), a 50-foot (15 m) marionette.

Popular day-trips in the Santa Fe area include locations such as the town of Taos – about 70 mi (113 km) north of Santa Fe. The historic Bandelier National Monument and the Valles Caldera can be found about 30 mi (48 km) away. In addition, Santa Fe's ski area, Ski Santa Fe, is about 16 mi (26 km) north of the city. Chimayo is also nearby and many locals complete the annual pilgrimage to the Santuario de Chimayo.

Architectural highlights

Our Lady of Guadalupe Church 2
El Santuario de Guadalupe, 100 S. Guadalupe St. (downtown), is the oldest extant shrine to the Virgin of Guadalupe in the United States.

Districts

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 4,846
1860 4,635 −4.4%
1870 4,756 2.6%
1880 6,635 39.5%
1890 6,185 −6.8%
1900 5,603 −9.4%
1910 5,073 −9.5%
1920 7,326 44.4%
1930 11,176 52.6%
1940 20,325 81.9%
1950 27,998 37.8%
1960 34,394 22.8%
1970 41,167 19.7%
1980 48,053 16.7%
1990 52,303 8.8%
2000 61,109 16.8%
2010 67,947 11.2%
2020 86,099 26.7%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the 2010 census, there were 67,947 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city residents was 78.9% White, 2.1% Native American; 1.4% Asian; and 3.7% from two or more races. A total of 48.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Non-Hispanic Whites were 46.2% of the population.

As of the census of 2000, there were 62,203 people, 27,569 households, and 14,969 families living in the city. The population density was 1,666.1 people per square mile (643.4/km2). There were 30,533 housing units at an average density of 817.8 per square mile (315.8/km2). According to the Census Bureau's 2006 American Community Survey, the racial makeup of the city was 75% White, 2.5% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 0.4% African American, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 16.9% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 44.5% of the population.

There were 27,569 households, out of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.6% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.7% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals living alone, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.90.

The age distribution was 20.3% under 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.7 males. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 89.0 men.

The median income for a household in the city was $40,392, and the median income for a family was $49,705. Men had a median income of $32,373 versus $27,431 for women. The per capita income for the city was $25,454. About 9.5% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.2% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

Twin towns – Sister cities

Transportation

Air

Santa Fe is served by the Santa Fe Municipal Airport. American Airlines provides regional jet service to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. United Airlines has regional jet service to Denver International Airport.

Road

Santa Fe is located on I-25. In addition, U.S. Routes 84 and 285 pass through the city, along St. Francis Drive. NM-599 forms a limited-access road bypass around the northwestern part of the city.

In its earliest alignment (1926–1937), U.S. Route 66 ran through Santa Fe.

Public transportation

Rail runner nmrx-104
The New Mexico Rail Runner Express, with its northern terminus in Santa Fe, services multiple locations in the state.

Santa Fe Trails, run by the city, operates a number of bus routes within the city during business hours and also provides connections to regional transit.

The New Mexico Rail Runner Express is a commuter rail service operating in Valencia, Bernalillo (including Albuquerque), Sandoval, and Santa Fe Counties. In Santa Fe County, the service uses 18 miles (29 km) of new right-of-way connecting the BNSF Railway's old transcontinental mainline to existing right-of-way in Santa Fe used by the Santa Fe Southern Railway. Santa Fe is currently served by four stations, Santa Fe Depot, South Capitol, Zia Road, and Santa Fe County/NM 599.

New Mexico Park and Ride, a division of the New Mexico Department of Transportation, and the North Central Regional Transit District operate primarily weekday commuter coach/bus service to Santa Fe from Torrance, Rio Arriba, Taos, San Miguel and Los Alamos Counties in addition to shuttle services within Santa Fe connecting major government activity centers. Prior to the Rail Runner's extension to Santa Fe, Park and Ride operated commuter coach service between Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

Greyhound Lines serves Santa Fe on its route from Denver to El Paso, Texas. Groome Transportation provides shuttles between Santa Fe and the Albuquerque International Sunport.

Rail

Along with the New Mexico Rail Runner Express, a commuter rail line serving the metropolitan areas of Albuquerque and Santa Fe, the city or its environs are served by two other railroads. The Santa Fe Southern Railway, now mostly a tourist rail experience but also carrying freight, operates excursion services out of Santa Fe as far as Lamy, 15 miles (24 km) to the southeast. The Santa Fe Southern line is one of the United States' few rails with trails. Lamy is also served by Amtrak's daily Southwest Chief for train service to Chicago, Los Angeles, and intermediate points. Passengers transiting Lamy may use a special connecting coach/van service to reach Santa Fe.

Trails

Multi-use bicycle, pedestrian, and equestrian trails are increasingly popular in Santa Fe, for both recreation and commuting. These include the Dale Ball Trails, a 24.4-mile (39.3 km) network starting within two miles (3.2 km) of the Santa Fe Plaza; the long Santa Fe Rail Trail to Lamy; the Atalaya Trail up Atalaya Mountain; and the Santa Fe River Trail. Santa Fe is the terminus of three National Historic Trails: El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail, the Old Spanish National Historic Trail, and the Santa Fe National Historic Trail.

Education

SantaFeNMLibraryPublic
The Santa Fe Public Library, located downtown, 2009

Santa Fe has three public high schools:

  • Santa Fe High School (1,500 students)
  • Capital High School (1,300 students)
  • New Mexico School for the Arts (200 students)

Public schools in Santa Fe are operated by Santa Fe Public Schools, with the exception of the New Mexico School for the Arts, which is a public/private partnership comprising the NMSA-Art Institute, a nonprofit art educational institution, and NMSA-Charter School, an accredited New Mexico state charter high school.

The city's institutions of higher education include St. John's College, a liberal arts college; the Institute of American Indian Arts, a tribal college for Native American arts; Southwestern College, a graduate school for counseling and art therapy; and Santa Fe Community College.

The city has six private college preparatory high schools: Santa Fe Waldorf School, St. Michael's High School, Desert Academy, New Mexico School For The Deaf, Santa Fe Secondary School, Santa Fe Preparatory School, and the Mandela International Magnet School. The Santa Fe Indian School is an off-reservation school for Native Americans. Santa Fe is also the location of the New Mexico School for the Arts, a public-private partnership, arts-focused high school. The city has many private elementary schools as well, including Little Earth School, Santa Fe International Elementary School, Rio Grande School, Desert Montessori School, La Mariposa Montessori, The Tara School, Fayette Street Academy, The Santa Fe Girls' School, The Academy for the Love of Learning, and Santa Fe School for the Arts and Sciences.

Notable people

Tom Ford 2009 - 1
Fashion designer and filmmaker Tom Ford was raised in Santa Fe after moving from Texas.
  • David W. Alexander (1812–1886), Los Angeles politician and sheriff
  • Antonio Armijo (1804–1850), explorer and merchant who led the first commercial caravan between Santa Fe, Nuevo México and Los Angeles, Alta California in 1829–1830
  • Mary Hunter Austin (1868–1934), writer
  • Gustave Baumann (1881–1971), print-maker, marionette-maker and painter; resident artist for more than fifty years; died in Santa Fe
  • William Berra (born 1952), painter
  • Florence Birdwell (1924–2021), musician, teacher
  • Dana Tai Soon Burgess (born 1968), dancer, choreographer
  • Paul Burlin (1886–1969), modern and abstract expressionist painter
  • Witter Bynner (1881–1968), poet
  • Julia Cameron (1948), author of The Artist's Way
  • Dana B. Chase (1848–1897), photographer
  • Zach Condon (born 1986), lead singer and songwriter of band Beirut
  • Bronson M. Cutting (1888–1935), politician, newspaper publisher and military attaché
  • Chris Eyre (born 1968), actor, director
  • Tom Ford (born 1961), fashion designer
Anna Gunn (42886671084)
Actress Anna Gunn moved to Santa Fe from Oklahoma during her childhood.
  • Garance Franke-Ruta (born 1972), journalist
  • T. Charles Gaastra (1879–1947), architect in the Pueblo Revival Style
  • Greer Garson (1904–1996), actress and philanthropist
  • Laura Gilpin, (1891–1979), photographer and author
  • John Grubesic (born 1965), New Mexico State Senator, representing the 25th District as a Democrat
  • Anna Gunn (born 1968), Emmy-winning actress
  • Gene Hackman (born 1930), Oscar-winning actor
  • Edgar Lee Hewett (1865–1946), archaeologist and anthropologist
  • Dorothy B. Hughes (1904–1993), novelist and literary critic
  • John Brinckerhoff Jackson (1909–1996), landscape architect
  • Jeffe Kennedy, author
  • Jean Kraft (1927–2021), operatic singer (mezzo-soprano)
Georgia O'Keeffe MET DT10256
Visual artist Georgia O'Keeffe took up residency in Santa Fe during the later years of her life, eventually dying in the city. The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum was built in her honor.
  • Oliver La Farge (1901–1963), writer
  • Jean Baptiste LeLande (1778–1821), merchant
  • Jean-Baptiste Lamy (1814–1888), first Archbishop of Santa Fe
  • Marjorie Herrera Lewis (born 1957), author
  • Ali MacGraw (born 1939), actress
  • Shirley MacLaine (born 1934), actress
  • George R. R. Martin (born 1948), author and screenwriter, Game of Thrones
  • Cormac McCarthy (born 1933), author, winner of Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
  • Christine McHorse (1948–2021), ceramic artist
  • Dorothy McKibbin (1897–1985), gatekeeper and point-of-contact for personnel at the Manhattan Project
  • John Gaw Meem (1894–1983) Architect who popularized the Pueblo Revival style
  • Sylvanus Morley (1883–1948), archaeologist and Mayanist
  • John Nieto (1936–2018), contemporary artist
  • Jesse L. Nusbaum (1887–1975), archaeologist, anthropologist, photographer and National Park Service Superintendent
  • Georgia O'Keeffe (1887–1986), artist, winner of National Medal of Arts
  • Elliot Porter (1901–1990), photographer
  • Robert Redford (born 1936), actor, director
  • Wendy Rule (born 1966) Australian-born musician
  • Hib Sabin (born 1935), indigenous-style sculptor
  • Manuel de Sandoval, colonial governor of Texas. He was the only native of New Mexico that governed Spanish Texas
  • Brad Sherwood (born 1964), actor and comedian
  • Wes Studi (born 1947), actor and musician
  • Teal Swan (born 1984), spiritual guru and author
  • Sheri S. Tepper (1929–2016), writer
  • Charlene Teters (born 1952), artist, activist
  • Michael Charles Tobias (born 1951), author and global ecologist
  • Stanislaw Ulam (1909–1984), mathematician associated with the Manhattan Project
  • Jeremy Ray Valdez (born 1980), actor
  • Lew Wallace (1827–1905), territorial governor 1878–1881, and author of Ben-Hur
  • Josh West (born 1977), Olympic medalist rower and Earth Sciences professor
  • Roger Zelazny (1937–1995), writer

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Santa Fe (Nuevo México) para niños

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Santa Fe, New Mexico Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.