New Mexico

New Mexico is a landlocked state in the Southwestern region of the United States. It is part of the Mountain States and sits in the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also borders Texas, Oklahoma, and meets an international border with Mexico.

Albuquerque is the largest city, while Santa Fe is the state capital and the oldest in the U.S., founded in 1610. New Mexico is the fifth-largest of the fifty states but has a relatively small population. Its landscapes vary widely, from forested mountains to dry deserts, with the Rio Grande running through its center.

The state has a rich history, with many different cultures living there over thousands of years. Today, New Mexico is known for its special mix of indigenous, Spanish, Mexican, and American traditions. This mix can be seen in its unique culture, cuisine, music, and architecture.

Etymology

New Mexico got its name long before the country of Mexico existed. The word "Mexico" comes from an ancient language called Nahuatl. It was first used by the Mexica people, who ruled a big empire called the Aztecs in a place called the Valley of Mexico.

When Spanish explorers came to the area in the 1500s, they named the land Nuevo México, hoping to find riches like they saw with the Aztecs. Even though they didn’t find those riches, the name stuck and has been used ever since.

History

Main article: History of New Mexico

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of New Mexico history.

See also: Territorial evolution of New Mexico

Prehistory

The first known people in New Mexico were members of the Clovis culture of early hunter-gatherers. Footprints found in 2017 show that people may have lived in the area as far back as 21,000–23,000 BC. Later groups included the Mogollon and Ancestral Pueblo cultures, known for their pottery and towns. Places like Acoma, Taos, and Chaco Culture National Historical Park show how large these towns were. These cultures were part of a bigger area called Oasisamerica in North America.

The trade networks of the Ancestral Puebloans created stories in places like Mesoamerica and the Aztec Empire (Mexico) about a powerful northern land they called Yancuic Mexico, meaning "a new Mexico".

Nuevo México

New Spain era

Main articles: Seven Golden Cities of Cibola and Santa Fe de Nuevo México

See also: Spanish peace treaties with the Comanche

Stories from the Aztecs about a rich land to the north led Spanish explorers to search for the Seven Cities of Gold after they conquered the Aztecs in the early 1500s. Famous explorers included Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, Andrés Dorantes de Carranza, Alonso del Castillo Maldonado, Estevanico, and Marcos de Niza.

The city of La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asís — today Santa Fe — was founded by Pedro de Peralta in 1610 at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. In the late 1600s, the Pueblo Revolt pushed the Spanish out for over ten years. After the leader Popé died, Diego de Vargas brought the Spanish back, allowing the Pueblo people more freedom in their culture and religion. Settlers created La Villa de Alburquerque in 1706 in Old Town Albuquerque as a trade place for nearby communities.

Spain gave land to settlers to encourage growth, but most lived in the Rio Grande valley because of limited water. Towns had walls with houses around a plaza, with streets leading to farms. By 1800, New Mexico had about 25,000 people.

Mexico era

When New Spain became part of the First Mexican Empire in 1821 after the Mexican War of Independence, New Mexico was included. In 1836, the Republic of Texas claimed land east of the Rio Grande, but a Mexican army from New Mexico stopped them.

In 1812, the U.S. claimed northeastern New Mexico, but Spain took it back in 1819. When Mexico changed governments, it ignored Santa Fe and Pueblo land rights, leading to the Chimayó Rebellion in 1837. After the governor Albino Pérez died in the revolt, later leaders agreed to some demands. New Mexico grew closer to the U.S. and traded often over the Santa Fe Trail.

Territorial phase

After the U.S. won the Mexican–American War (1846–48), Mexico gave up land including New Mexico. The U.S. treated former Mexican citizens harshly at first, leading to the Taos Revolt in 1847. The U.S. later promised to respect New Mexico land rights and offer citizenship. In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln gave special gifts called Lincoln Canes to the Pueblo people.

After the Republic of Texas became a state in 1846, it tried to take eastern New Mexico, but the U.S. stopped it. In 1853, the U.S. bought more land from Mexico in the Gadsden Purchase to help build a transcontinental railroad.

U.S. Civil War, American Indian Wars, and American frontier

When the U.S. Civil War began in 1861, both the Confederate and Union governments claimed New Mexico. The Confederacy tried to take the area but lost at the Battle of Glorieta Pass in 1862. Over 8,000 soldiers from New Mexico served in the Union Army.

After the war, New Mexico grew quickly with new people moving in. Characters from Western stories, like businesswoman Maria Gertrudis Barceló, outlaw Billy the Kid, and lawmen Pat Garrett and Elfego Baca, came from this time. Many people in New Mexico were of mixed Spanish and Native American heritage, called Hispanos. Newcomers from the eastern U.S. often had more power with the U.S. government.

Fighting with Native American tribes increased after the war. Brigadier General James Carleton led attacks to force tribes like the Navajo, Mescalero Apache, Kiowa, and Comanche onto reservations. Some battles continued into the late 1880s.

Statehood

Main articles: Admission to the Union and List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union

The United States Congress made New Mexico the 47th state on January 6, 1912. It could have joined earlier, but people thought its mainly Hispanic population didn’t fit U.S. culture. During World War I, many New Mexicans joined the military to show their loyalty. The state had many soldiers and some were lost in the war.

In 1924, a law gave all Native Americans U.S. citizenship and the right to vote, though some states still made it hard for them. New Mexico passed laws that treated Hispano and Native communities unfairly.

A big oil discovery near Hobbs in 1928 brought wealth to the state. Farming and ranching stayed important.

World War II changed New Mexico greatly. Many people joined the military, and the state had more volunteers and losses than most. The state became a place for important military and science work, including the Manhattan Project where the first atomic bombs were made at Los Alamos. The first test was at Trinity site near Alamogordo.

After the war, New Mexico kept getting money for military and science projects. The population grew from about 532,000 in 1940 to over 954,000 by 1960, with many moving from the northeast for the climate and taxes.

Native American veterans fought for their voting rights. In 1948, Miguel Trujillo Sr. from Isleta Pueblo sued when he was told he couldn’t vote, and the court said the rules were unfair.

In the mid-20th century, Santa Fe became famous for art, with artists like Georgia O'Keeffe drawing others there. Later, tribes could start casinos on their land, bringing money for their communities.

Today, New Mexico has jobs in technology, science, art, film, and food. Microsoft started there, and Intel has a big center. The state saw its population nearly double from 1940 to 1960 and kept growing.

The COVID-19 pandemic reached New Mexico on March 11, 2020. By December 23, 2020, there were over 133,000 cases and more than 2,200 deaths.

Geography

Further information: List of counties in New Mexico

See also: Geography of New Mexico and Delaware Basin

New Mexico is the fifth-largest state in the United States, with an area of 121,590 square miles. It shares borders with Oklahoma to the east, Texas to the east and southeast, the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Sonora to the south, Arizona to the west, and Colorado to the north. The state also meets Utah at the Four Corners point.

New Mexico has many different landscapes, from wide deserts and grassy plains to snowy mountain peaks. It has forests covering parts of the north and many rivers that help support life there.

Climate

New Mexico has a dry climate, with most areas getting little rain each year. Temperatures can vary widely, from very hot summers to cold winters, especially in the mountains.

Flora and fauna

New Mexico has many different plants and animals due to its varied landscapes. It is home to forests, deserts, and grasslands, supporting wildlife such as bears, deer, coyotes, and many bird species.

Public lands

New Mexico has a lot of land managed by the government, including national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges. These areas protect natural beauty and provide places for people to enjoy the outdoors.

National forests in New Mexico

National parks in New Mexico

New Mexico’s national parks, monuments, and trails managed by the National Park Service include:

• Aztec Ruins National Monument at Aztec
• Bandelier National Monument at White Rock
• Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail
• Capulin Volcano National Monument near Capulin
• Carlsbad Caverns National Park near Carlsbad
• Chaco Culture National Historical Park at Nageezi
• El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail
• El Malpais National Monument near Grants
• El Morro National Monument in Ramah
• Fort Union National Monument at Watrous
• Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument near Silver City
• Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Los Alamos
• Old Spanish National Historic Trail
• Pecos National Historical Park in Pecos
• Petroglyph National Monument near Albuquerque
• Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument at Mountainair
• Santa Fe National Historic Trail
• Valles Caldera National Preserve in the Jemez Mountains
• White Sands National Park near Alamogordo

National conservation lands in New Mexico

New Mexico’s national monuments, conservation areas, and other units of the National Landscape Conservation System managed by the Bureau of Land Management include:

• Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness near Farmington
• El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail
• El Malpais National Conservation Area near Grants
• Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument in Cochiti Pueblo
• Prehistoric Trackways National Monument near Las Cruces
• Old Spanish National Historic Trail
• Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument near Las Cruces
• Rio Grande del Norte National Monument near Taos
• Rio Chama Wild and Scenic River near Abiquiu
• Rio Grande and Red River Wild and Scenic Rivers near Questa

National wildlife refuges in New Mexico

New Mexico’s National Wildlife Refuges managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service include:

• Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge
• Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
• Grulla National Wildlife Refuge
• Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge
• Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge
• San Andres National Wildlife Refuge
• Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge
• Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge

State parks in New Mexico

Areas managed by the New Mexico State Parks Division include:

• Bluewater Lake State Park
• Bottomless Lakes State Park
• Brantley Lake State Park
• Cerrillos Hills State Park
• Caballo Lake State Park
• Cimarron Canyon State Park
• City of Rocks State Park
• Clayton Lake State Park
• Conchas Lake State Park
• Coyote Creek State Park
• Eagle Nest Lake State Park
• Elephant Butte Lake State Park
• El Vado Lake State Park
• Heron Lake State Park
• Hyde Memorial State Park
• Leasburg Dam State Park
• Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park
• Manzano Mountains State Park
• Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park
• Morphy Lake State Park
• Navajo Lake (Rio Arriba, NM and San Juan, NM)
• Oasis State Park
• Oliver Lee Memorial State Park
• Pancho Villa State Park
• Percha Dam State Park
• Rio Grande Nature Center State Park
• Rio Grande Valley State Park
• Rockhound State Park
• Santa Rosa Lake State Park
• Storrie Lake State Park
• Sugarite Canyon State Park
• Sumner Lake State Park
• Fenton Lake State Park
• Ute Lake State Park
• Villanueva State Park

Other nature reserves in New Mexico

Examples of locally administered nature reserves include:

• Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area in Valencia County
• Albuquerque Open Space, see Open Space Visitor Center

Environmental issues

In 2016, New Mexico took action after a spill polluted water in the state. The government is working to improve regulations and support cleaner energy use.

Settlements

New Mexico has a low population density, with most people living in the north-central area around Albuquerque and in the south-central area around Las Cruces. The state also includes many tribal reservations and areas with basic services.

Demographics

See also: New Mexico locations by per capita income and List of New Mexico counties by socioeconomic factors

Population

The 2020 census recorded a population of 2,117,522, an increase of 2.8% from 2,059,179 in the 2010 census. This was the lowest rate of growth in the western U.S. after Wyoming, and among the slowest nationwide. Between 2000 and 2010, New Mexico's population had increased by 11.7% from 1,819,046—a faster rate than the national average. A report commissioned in 2021 by the New Mexico Legislature attributed the state's slow growth to a negative net migration rate, particularly among those 18 or younger, and to a 19% decline in the birth rate. However, growth among Hispanics and Native Americans remained healthy.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimated a slight decrease in population, with 3,333 fewer people from July 2021 to July 2022. This was attributed to deaths exceeding births by roughly 5,000, with net migration mitigating the loss by 1,389.

More than half of New Mexicans (51.4%) were born in the state; 37.9% were born in another state; 1.1% were born in either Puerto Rico, an island territory, or abroad to at least one American parent; and 9.4% were foreign born (compared to a national average of roughly 12%). Almost a quarter of the population (22.7%) was under the age of 18, and the state's median age of 38.4 is slightly above the national average of 38.2. New Mexico's somewhat older population is partly reflective of its popularity among retirees: It ranked as the most popular retirement destination in 2018, with an estimated 42% of new residents being retired.

Hispanics and Latinos constitute nearly half of all residents (49.3%), giving New Mexico the highest proportion of Hispanic ancestry among the fifty states. This broad classification includes descendants of Spanish colonists who settled between the 16th and 18th centuries, as well as recent immigrants from Latin America (particularly Mexico and Central America).

From 2000 to 2010, the number of persons in poverty increased to 400,779, or approximately one-fifth of the population. The 2020 census recorded a slightly reduced poverty rate of 18.2%, albeit the third highest among U.S. states, compared to a national average of 10.5%. Poverty disproportionately affects minorities, with about one-third of African Americans and Native Americans living in poverty, compared with less than a fifth of whites and roughly a tenth of Asians; likewise, New Mexico ranks 49th among states for education equality by race and 32nd for its racial gap in income.

New Mexico's population is among the most difficult to count, according to the Center for Urban Research at the City University of New York, due to the state's size, sparse population, and numerous isolated communities. Likewise, the Census Bureau estimated that roughly 43% of the state's population (about 900,000 people) live in such "hard-to-count" areas. In response, the New Mexico government invested heavily in public outreach to increase census participation, resulting in a final tally that exceeded earlier estimates and outperformed several neighboring states.

According to HUD's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 2,560 homeless people in New Mexico.

Race and ethnicity

New Mexico is one of seven "majority-minority" states where non-Hispanic whites constitute less than half the population. As early as 1940, roughly half the population was estimated to be nonwhite. Before becoming a state in 1912, New Mexico was among the few U.S. territories that were predominantly nonwhite, which contributed to its delayed admission into the Union.

The largest ethnic group is Hispanic and Latino Americans; according to the 2020 census they account for nearly half the state's population, at 47.7%; they include Hispanos descended from pre-United States settlers and more recent successions of Mexican Americans.

Some 200,000 residents, about one-tenth of the population, are of Indigenous descent, ranking third in size, and second proportionally, nationwide. There are 23 federally recognized tribal nations, each with its distinct culture, history, and identity. Both the Navajo and Apache share Athabaskan origin, with the latter living on three federal reservations in the state. The Navajo Nation, which spans over 16 million acres (6.5 million ha), mostly in neighboring Arizona, is the largest reservation in the U.S., with one-third of its members living in New Mexico. Pueblo Indians, who share a similar lifestyle but are culturally and linguistically distinct, live in 19 pueblos scattered throughout the state, which collectively span over 2 million acres (800,000 ha). Many indigenous New Mexicans have moved to urban areas throughout the state, and some cities such as Gallup are major hubs of Native American culture. New Mexico is also a hub for indigenous communities beyond its borders: the annual Gathering of Nations, which began in 1983, has been described as the largest pow wow in the U.S., drawing hundreds of native tribes from across North America.

Almost half of New Mexicans claim Hispanic origin; many are descendants of colonial settlers called Hispanos or Nuevomexicanos, who settled mostly in the north of the state between the 16th and 18th centuries; by contrast, the majority of Mexican immigrants reside in the south. Some Hispanos claim Jewish ancestry through descendance from conversos or Crypto-Jews among early Spanish colonists. Many New Mexicans speak a unique dialect known as New Mexican Spanish, which was shaped by the region's historical isolation and various cultural influences; New Mexican Spanish lacks certain vocabulary from other Spanish dialects and uses numerous Native American words for local features, as well as anglicized words that express American concepts and modern inventions.

New Mexico has the fourth largest Native American community in the U.S., at over 200,000; comprising roughly one-tenth of all residents, this is the second largest population by percentage after Alaska. New Mexico is also the only state besides Alaska where indigenous people have maintained a stable proportion of the population for over a century: In 1890, Native Americans made up 9.4% of New Mexico's population, almost the same percentage as in 2020. By contrast, during that same period, neighboring Arizona went from one-third indigenous to less than 5%.

New Mexico's population consists of many mestizo Indo-Hispano groups, including Hispanos of Oasisamerican descent and Indigenous Mexican American with Mesoamerican ancestry.

In the 2020 Census, 45,904 New Mexico residents were identified as African American (2.2% of the total). . African Americans in the five counties of Bernalillo (21,344), Doña Ana (4,072), Sandoval (3,327), Curry (2,900), and Lea (2,801) make up more than 75% of all African Americans in the state.

According to the 2022 American Community Survey, the most commonly claimed ancestry groups in New Mexico were:

• Mexican (32.8%)
• Other Hispanic (Hispano/Spanish) (15.3%)
• English (8.0%)
• German (7.9%)
• Irish (6.4%)
• Navajo (6.3%)
• Pueblo (2.4%)

According to 2020 census data, 19.9% of the population identifies as multiracial/mixed-race, a population larger than the Native American, Black, Asian and NHPI population groups. Almost 90% of the multiracial population in New Mexico identifies as Hispanic or Latino.

Birth data

The majority of live births in New Mexico are to Hispanic whites, with Hispanics of any race consistently accounting for over half of all live births since 2013.

Immigration

A little over 9% of New Mexican residents are foreign-born, and an additional 6.0% of U.S.-born residents live with at least one immigrant parent. The proportion of foreign-born residents is below the national average of 13.7%, and New Mexico was the only state to see a decline in its immigrant population between 2012 and 2022.

In 2018, the top countries of origin for New Mexico's immigrants were Mexico, the Philippines, India, Germany and Cuba. As of 2021, the vast majority of immigrants in the state came from Mexico (67.6%), followed by the Philippines (3.1%) and Germany (2.4%).

Notwithstanding their relatively small population, immigrants play a disproportionately large role in New Mexico's economy, accounting for almost one-eighth (12.5%) of the labor force,15% of entrepreneurs, and 19.1% of personal care aides, as well as 9.1% of workers in STEM fields.

Languages

New Mexico ranks third after California and Texas in the number of multilingual residents. According to the 2010 U.S. census, 28.5% of the population age 5 and older speak Spanish at home, while 3.5% speak Navajo. Some speakers of New Mexican Spanish are descendants of pre-18th century Spanish settlers. Contrary to popular belief, New Mexican Spanish is not an archaic form of 17th-century Castilian Spanish; though some archaic elements exist, linguistic research has determined that the dialect "is neither more Iberian nor more archaic" than other varieties spoken in the Americas. Nevertheless, centuries of isolation during the colonial period insulated the New Mexican dialect from "standard" Spanish, leading to the preservation of older vocabulary as well as its own innovations.

Besides Navajo, which is also spoken in Arizona, several other Native American languages are spoken by smaller groups in New Mexico, most of which are endemic to the state. Native New Mexican languages include Mescalero Apache, Jicarilla Apache, Tewa, Southern Tiwa, Northern Tiwa, Towa, Keres (Eastern and Western), and Zuni. Mescalero and Jicarilla Apache are closely related Southern Athabaskan languages, and both are also related to Navajo. Tewa, the Tiwa languages, and Towa belong to the Kiowa-Tanoan language family, and thus all descend from a common ancestor. Keres and Zuni are language isolates with no relatives outside of New Mexico.

Official language

New Mexico's original state constitution of 1911 required all laws be published in both English and Spanish for twenty years after ratification; this requirement was renewed in 1931 and 1943, with some sources stating the state was officially bilingual until 1953. Nonetheless, the current constitution does not declare any language "official". While Spanish was permitted in the legislature until 1935, all state officials are required to have good knowledge of English; consequently, some analysts argue that New Mexico cannot be considered a bilingual state, since not all laws are published in both languages.

The state legislature remains constitutionally empowered to publish laws in English and Spanish and to appropriate funds for translation. Whenever a referendum to approve an amendment to the New Mexican constitution is held, ballots must be printed in both English and Spanish. Certain legal notices must be published in both English and Spanish, and the state maintains a list of newspapers for Spanish publication.

In the judiciary, witnesses and defendants have the right to testify in either language, and monolingual speakers of Spanish have the same right to serve on juries as English speakers. In public education, the state is constitutionally obligated to provide bilingual education and Spanish-speaking instructors in school districts where the majority of students are Hispanophone. The constitution also provides that citizens who speak neither English nor Spanish have a right to vote, hold public office, and serve on juries.

In 1989, New Mexico became the first of only four states to officially adopt the English Plus resolution, which supports acceptance of non-English languages. In 1995, the state adopted an official bilingual song, "New Mexico – Mi Lindo Nuevo México".^: 75, 81  In 2008, New Mexico was the first state to officially adopt a Navajo textbook for use in public schools.

Religion

See also: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Mexico

Religious self-identification, per Public Religion Research Institute's 2025 American Values Survey

1. Protestantism (34.0%)
2. Catholicism (25.0%)
3. Mormonism (1.00%)
4. Unaffiliated (33.0%)
5. Judaism (1.00%)
6. Other (6.00%)

Like most U.S. states, New Mexico is predominantly Christian. According to Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), the largest denominations in 2010 were the Catholic Church (684,941 members); the Southern Baptist Convention (113,452); The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (67,637), and the United Methodist Church (36,424). Approximately one-fifth of residents are unaffiliated with any religion, which includes atheists, agnostics, and deists. A 2020 study by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) determined 67% of the population were Christian, with Roman Catholics constituting the largest denominational group. In 2025, the PRRI estimated 62% of the population were Christian, with Protestants now having become the largest denominational group.

Roman Catholicism is deeply rooted in New Mexico's history and culture, going back to its settlement by the Spanish in the early 17th century. The oldest Christian church in the continental U.S., and the third oldest in any U.S. state or territory, is the San Miguel Mission in Santa Fe, which was built in 1610. Within the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, New Mexico belongs to the ecclesiastical province of Santa Fe. The state has three ecclesiastical districts: the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, the Diocese of Gallup, and the Diocese of Las Cruces. Evangelicalism and nondenominational Christianity have seen growth in the state since the late 20th century: The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has hosted numerous events in New Mexico, and Albuquerque has several megachurches, which have numerous satellite locations in the state, including Calvary of Albuquerque, Legacy Church, and Sagebrush Church.

New Mexico has been a leading center of the New Age movement since at least the 1960s, attracting adherents from across the country. The state's "thriving New Age network" encompasses various schools of alternative medicine, Holistic Health, psychic healing, and new religions, as well as festivals, pilgrimage sites, spiritual retreats, and communes. New Mexico's Japanese American community has influenced the state's religious heritage, with Shinto and Zen represented by Kagyu Shenpen Kunchab, Kōbun Chino Otogawa, Upaya Institute and Zen Center. Likewise, Holism is represented in New Mexico, as are associated faiths such as Buddhism and Seventh-day Adventism; a Tibetan Buddhist temple is located at Zuni Mountain Stupa in Grants.

Religious education, art, broadcasting, media exist across religions and faiths in New Mexico, including KHAC, KXXQ, Dar al-Islam, and Intermountain Jewish News. Christian schools in New Mexico are encouraged to receive educational accreditation, and among them are the University of the Southwest, St. Pius High School, Hope Christian, Sandia View Academy, St. Michael's High School, Las Cruces Catholic School, St. Bonaventure Indian School, and Rehoboth Christian School. Albuquerque's growing media sector has made it a popular hub for several national Christian media institutions, such as Trinity Broadcasting Network's KNAT-TV. Christian artistic expression includes the gospel tradition within New Mexico music, and contemporary Christian music such as KLYT radio station. Several indigenous and Christian religious sites are registered and protected as part of regional and global cultural heritage.

Reflecting centuries of successive migrations and settlements, New Mexico has developed a distinct syncretic folk religion that is centered on Puebloan traditions and Hispano folk Catholicism, with some elements of Diné Bahaneʼ, Apache, Protestant, and Evangelical faiths. This unique religious tradition is sometimes referred to as "Pueblo Christianity" or "Placita Christianity", referring to both the Pueblos and Hispanic town squares. Customs and practices include the maintenance of acequias, Pueblo and Territorial Style churches, ceremonial dances such as the matachines, religious artistic expression of kachinas and santos, religious holidays celebrating saints such as Pueblo Feast Days, Christmas traditions of bizcochitos and farolitos or luminarias, and pilgrimages like that of El Santuario de Chimayo. The luminaria tradition is a cultural hallmark of the Pueblos and Hispanos of New Mexico and a part of the state's distinct heritage. The luminaria custom has spread nationwide, both as a Christmas tradition as well as for other events. New Mexico's distinctive faith tradition is believed to reflect the religious naturalism of the state's indigenous and Hispano peoples, who constitute a pseudo ethnoreligious group.

New Mexico's leadership within otherwise disparate traditions such as Christianity, the Native American Church, and New Age movements has been linked to its remote and ancient indigenous spirituality, which emphasized sacred connections to nature, and its over 300 years of syncretized Pueblo and Hispano religious and folk customs. The state's remoteness has likewise been cited as attracting and fostering communities seeking the freedom to practice or cultivate new beliefs. Global spiritual leaders including Billy Graham and Dalai Lama, along with community leaders of Hispanic and Latino Americans and indigenous peoples of the North American Southwest, have remarked on New Mexico being a sacred space.

According to a 2017 survey by the Pew Research Center, New Mexico ranks 18th among the 50 U.S. states in religiosity, 63% of respondents stating they believe in God with certainty, with an additional 20% being fairly certain of the existence of God, while 59% considering religion to be important in their lives and another 20% believe it to be somewhat important. Among its population in 2022, 31% were unaffiliated.

Economy

Main article: Economy of New Mexico

New Mexico’s economy is powered by oil and gas, movies, high-tech science, tourism, and government spending. The state helps small businesses grow with special programs and support. In 2025, most businesses in New Mexico were small and employed many workers.

New Mexico’s economy has grown a lot. In 2025, its total value of goods and services was $152.778 billion, up from $80 billion in 2010. Even though there was a drop during the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy is doing better now. The average income for people in New Mexico was $61,645 in 2025, which is still among the lower incomes in the country. Many people still live below the poverty level, but this number has not changed much in recent years. As of May 2025, about 4.2% of people in the state did not have jobs.

New Mexico used to rely on farming, mining, and trains, but now it focuses more on services, making special products, and welcoming tourists. Since 2017, more visitors have come each year, with a peak of 39.2 million tourists in 2021, bringing $10 billion to the state’s economy. There is also more money being spent on movies and scientific research.

Transportation

New Mexico has long been an important route for travel and movement of people. The builders of the ruins at Chaco Canyon created a network of roads from their settlement. Trade from Chaco Canyon later shifted to Casas Grandes in present-day Mexico, but north–south trade continued. Trade before European contact included birds, shells, and copper moving north, and turquoise, pottery, and salt moving south along the Rio Grande. This trade was remarkable because it was done on foot. The trade route later became a path for colonists arriving from New Spain and was called El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro. It was one of four important roads for Spanish colonies in North America.

The Santa Fe Trail was the main commercial and military road link to the Eastern United States in the 19th century. Several trails ending in northern New Mexico, including the Camino Real, the Santa Fe Trail, and the Old Spanish Trail, are recognized as National Historic Trails. New Mexico's location and low passes made it a good route for travel between east and west. As a territory, the Gadsden Purchase increased New Mexico's land area to build a southern transcontinental railroad for the Southern Pacific Railroad. Another transcontinental railroad was completed by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. These railroads replaced earlier trails but caused a population increase. Early transcontinental auto trails later crossed the state, bringing more people. Railroads were later supplemented or replaced by highways and airports. Today, New Mexico's Interstate Highways follow the routes of earlier land paths like the Camino Real, the Santa Fe Trail, and the transcontinental railroads.

Road

See also: Speed limits in the United States by jurisdiction § New Mexico, and List of New Mexico highways

Personal cars are the main way most people in New Mexico get around, especially in rural areas. The state had 59,927 miles of highways in 2000, of which 7,037 received federal aid. That year there were 1,003 miles of freeways, including 1,000 miles of Interstate Highways. This number has grown with road improvements near Pojoaque, Santa Fe, and Las Cruces. Notable bridges include the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge near Taos. Larger cities in New Mexico usually have some form of public transportation by road; ABQ RIDE is the state's largest system. Rural and intercity public transportation by road is provided by Americanos USA, LLC, Greyhound Lines, and several government operators.

New Mexico has had problems with road conditions, with about a third of its roads suffering from poor funding. As of 2001, 703 highway bridges, or one percent, were declared structurally weak or outdated. Data from 2019 found 207 bridges and more than 3,822 miles of highway in poor condition, leading to longer travel times and higher vehicle maintenance costs.

Highways

See also: List of U.S. Routes in New Mexico

New Mexico has only three Interstate Highways: Interstate 10 travels southwest from the Arizona state line near Lordsburg to the area between Las Cruces and Anthony, near El Paso, Texas; Interstate 25 is a major north–south highway starting from Las Cruces to the Colorado state line near Raton; and Interstate 40 is a major east–west highway starting from the Arizona state line west of Gallup to the Texas state line east from Tucumcari. In Albuquerque, I-25 and I-40 meet at a stack interchange called The Big I. The state shares with Delaware, North Dakota, Puerto Rico, and Rhode Island the fewest primary interstate routes, partly due to its rugged geography and sparse population.

New Mexico currently has 15 United States Highways, which account for over 2,980 miles of its highway system. All but seven of its 33 counties are served by U.S. routes, with most of the remainder connected by Interstate Highways. Most routes were built in 1926 by the state government and are still managed and maintained by state or local authorities. The longest is U.S. 70, which spans over 448 miles across southern New Mexico, making up roughly 15% of the state's total U.S. Highway length; the shortest is U.S. 160, which runs just 0.86 miles across the northwestern corner of the state, between the Arizona and Colorado borders.

The most famous route in New Mexico, if not the United States, was U.S. 66, known as the nation's "Mother Road" for its scenic beauty and importance to people moving west from the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. The road crossed through northern New Mexico, connecting the cities of Albuquerque and Gallup, before being replaced by I-40 in 1985. Much of U.S. 66 remains in use for tourism and has been preserved for historical significance. Another famous route was U.S. 666, which ran south to north along the western portion of the state, serving the Four Corners area. It was known as the "Devil's Highway" due to the number denoting the "Number of the beast" in Christianity; this numerical designation, as well as its high crash rate, was subject to controversy and cultural references. U.S. 666 was subsequently renamed U.S. Route 491 in 2003. Many existing and former highways in New Mexico are recognized for their aesthetic, cultural, or historical significance, particularly for tourism purposes. The state hosts ten out of 184 "America's Byways", which are federally designated for preservation due to their scenic beauty or national importance.

Rail

See also: List of New Mexico railroads

There were 2,354 miles of railroads in 2000; this number increased with the opening of the Rail Runner's extension to Santa Fe in 2006. In addition to local railroads and tourist lines, the state jointly owns and operates a heritage narrow-gauge steam railroad, the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railway, with the state of Colorado since 1970. Narrow-gauge railroads once connected many communities in the northern part of the state, from Farmington to Santa Fe. No fewer than 100 railroads of various names and histories have operated in the state at some point. New Mexico's rail transportation system peaked in length after it became a U.S. state; in 1914, eleven railroads operated 3,124 route miles.

Railroad surveyors arrived in New Mexico in the 1850s shortly after it became a U.S. territory. The first railroads were incorporated in 1869, and the first railway became operational in 1878: the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway (ATSF), which entered via the Raton Pass. The ATSF reached El Paso, Texas in 1881, and with the entry of the Southern Pacific Railroad from the Arizona Territory in 1880, created the nation's second transcontinental railroad, with a junction at Deming. The Denver & Rio Grande Railway, which generally used narrow gauge equipment in New Mexico, entered the territory from Colorado, beginning service to Española in December 1880. These first railroads were built as long-distance routes; later railroad construction also targeted resource extraction.

The rise of rail transportation was a major source of demographic and economic growth, with many settlements expanding or established shortly thereafter. As early as 1878, the ATSF promoted tourism in the region with an emphasis on Native American imagery. Named trains often reflected the territory they traveled: Super Chief, the streamlined successor to the Chief; Navajo, an early transcontinental tourist train; and Cavern, a through car operation connecting Clovis and Carlsbad (by the early 1950s as train 23–24), were some of the named passenger trains of the ATSF that represented New Mexico. The Super Chief became a favorite of early Hollywood stars and among the most famous named trains in the U.S.; it was known for its luxury and exoticness, with cars bearing the name of regional Native American tribes and outfitted with the artwork of many local artists, but also for its speed, taking as little as 39 hours 45 minutes to reach Los Angeles from Chicago.

At its height, passenger train service connected nine of New Mexico's present ten most populous cities (the sole exception is Rio Rancho); only Albuquerque and Santa Fe are still connected by rail. With the decline of most intercity rail service in the U.S. in the late 1960s, New Mexico was left with minimal services; no less than six daily long-distance roundtrip trains, supplemented by many branch-line and local trains, served New Mexico in the early 1960s. Declines in passenger revenue, but not necessarily ridership, prompted many railroads to turn over their passenger services in truncated form to Amtrak, a state-owned enterprise. Amtrak began operating the two extant long-distance routes on May 1, 1971. Resurrection of passenger rail service from Denver to El Paso, a route once plied in part by the ATSF's El Pasoan, has been proposed; in the 1980s, Governor Toney Anaya suggested building a high-speed rail line connecting the two cities with New Mexico's major cities. In 2004, the Colorado-based nonprofit Front Range Commuter Rail was established, with the goal of connecting Wyoming and New Mexico with high-speed rail; it became inactive in 2011.

Since 2006, a state-owned, privately run commuter railway, the New Mexico Rail Runner Express, has served the Albuquerque metropolitan area, connecting the city proper with Santa Fe and other communities. The system expanded in 2008 with the addition of the BNSF Railway's line from Belen to a few miles south of Lamy. Phase II of Rail Runner extended the line northward to Santa Fe from the Sandoval County station, the northernmost station under Phase I service; the service now connects Santa Fe, Sandoval, Bernalillo, and Valencia counties. Rail Runner operates scheduled service seven days per week, connecting Albuquerque's population base and central business district to downtown Santa Fe with up to eight roundtrips in a day; the section of the line running south to Belen is served less frequently.

Amtrak's Southwest Chief passes through daily at stations in Gallup, Albuquerque, Lamy, Las Vegas, and Raton, offering connections to Los Angeles, Chicago and intermediate points. A successor to the Super Chief and El Capitan, the Southwest Chief is permitted a maximum speed of 90 mph in various places on the tracks of the BNSF Railway; it also operates on New Mexico Rail Runner Express trackage. The Sunset Limited makes stops three times a week in both directions at Lordsburg, and Deming, serving Los Angeles, New Orleans and intermediate points. The Sunset Limited is the successor to the Southern Pacific Railroad's train of the same name and operates exclusively on Union Pacific trackage in New Mexico.

New Mexico is served by two of the nation's ten class I railroads, which denote the highest revenue railways for freight: the BNSF Railway and the Union Pacific Railroad. Together, they operate 2,200 route miles of railway in the state.

Aerospace

See also: List of airports in New Mexico

New Mexico has four primary commercial airports that are served by most major domestic and international airliners. Albuquerque International Sunport is the state's main aerial port of entry and by far the largest airport: It is the only one designated a medium-sized hub by the Federal Aviation Administration, serving millions of passengers annually.

The only other comparatively large airports are Lea County Regional Airport, Roswell International Air Center, and Santa Fe Regional Airport, which have varying degrees of service by major airlines. Most airports in New Mexico are small, general aviation hubs operated by municipal and county governments, and usually served solely by local and regional commuter airlines.

Due to its sparse population and many isolated, rural communities, New Mexico ranks among the states most reliant on Essential Air Service, a federal program that maintains a minimal level of scheduled air service to communities that are otherwise unprofitable for commercial airlines.

Spaceport America

New Mexico hosts the world's first operational and purpose-built commercial spaceport, Spaceport America, located in Upham, near Truth or Consequences. It is operated by the state-backed New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA). Rocket launches began in April 2007, with the spaceport officially opening in 2011. Tenants include HAPSMobile, UP Aerospace, SpinLaunch, and Virgin Galactic.

Over 300 suborbital flights have been successfully launched from Spaceport America since 2006, with the most notable being Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity on May 22, 2021, which made New Mexico the third U.S. state to launch humans into space, after California and Florida.

On October 22, 2021, Spaceport America was the site of the first successfully tested vacuum-sealed "suborbital accelerator", which aims to offer a significantly more economical alternative to launching satellites via rockets. Conducted by Spaceport tenant SpinLaunch, the test is the first of roughly 30 demonstrations being planned.

Government and politics

Main article: Government of New Mexico

The Constitution of New Mexico was created in 1911. It sets up a government with clear roles for leaders and courts, based on ideas like leaders being chosen by the people and having separate groups handle different jobs. New Mexico has rights for people, like privacy and fair treatment, in its laws.

Governmental structure

Mirroring the federal system, New Mexico’s government has three parts: leaders, law-makers, and judges. The leader group is headed by the governor and includes other important people chosen by voters. The governor has more power than in many other states.

The law-making group is called the New Mexico Legislature and has two parts: a group of 70 representatives and another of 42 senators. They make laws for the state.

The judges are led by the New Mexico Supreme Court, the highest court. It has five judges chosen by voters.

Politics

See also: Elections in New Mexico, Political party strength in New Mexico, and New Mexico Legislature

Since 2018, New Mexico has been led by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and Lieutenant Governor Howie Morales, both from the Democratic Party. Most leaders in the state are from this party.

Both parts of the New Mexico Legislature have more Democrats than Republicans. New Mexico’s leaders in the United States government are also Democrats.

New Mexico used to be a place where elections were very close, but it has become more supportive of Democratic leaders in recent years.

Local government

Main article: Local government in New Mexico

See also: Government of Albuquerque

Local leaders in New Mexico work in areas called counties and cities. There are 33 counties, with Bernalillo being the largest, home to Albuquerque. Each county has leaders chosen by voters. Cities can be called villages, towns, or cities, and their leaders are also chosen by voters.

Law

New Mexico does not allow the death penalty.

The state has easy rules for owning guns, allowing people to buy most guns without special permits.

New Mexico allowed same-sex marriages after its highest court decided in 2013 that all couples should be treated the same.

Fiscal policy

New Mexico’s government spends a lot of money for each person. It has special money set aside for schools and other important things, coming from oil, gas, and mining.

Education

New Mexico has many people with advanced degrees, especially in areas with research labs. However, its schools often rank low in quality compared to other states. Many students do not finish high school or go to college.

In 2018, a judge decided that New Mexico was not giving enough support to students who needed extra help, like those who are native speakers of other languages or come from families with low income. The state responded by raising teacher pay, extending the school year, and adding more programs for young children.

New Mexico has many colleges and universities. Students there often graduate with less debt than students in other states. The state offers scholarships through its lottery and made college free for all residents in 2022. This means anyone living in New Mexico can attend public colleges without paying tuition, no matter their income or background.

Culture

Main article: Culture of New Mexico

See also: List of people from New Mexico, New Mexican cuisine, New Mexico chile, New Mexico wine, List of breweries in New Mexico, Music of New Mexico, and New Mexico music

New Mexican culture mixes ideas from many groups, including indigenous peoples, Spanish, Hispanic, and American traditions. This mixing is seen in the state's people, place names, food, way of speaking, and overall identity. Compared to other western states, New Mexico's Spanish and Mexican history is more visible and lasting. This is because New Mexico was one of the oldest, most crowded, and most important areas in the northern part of Spain's old lands. However, some historians think this history has been overlooked or not given enough attention because of common ideas in America that misunderstand Spanish history.

Like other states in the American Southwest, New Mexico has a history from the "Old West" time of American growth westward. This includes cattle ranching, cowboys, pioneers, the Santa Fe Trail, and conflicts between settlers and Native Americans. The state's big and different landscape, not many people living there, and many old abandoned towns have helped keep its wild, frontier feeling alive. Many stories and movies about the Western genre happen or were made in New Mexico.

Architecture

Examples of New Mexico's building styles go back to the Ancestral Puebloans in Oasisamerica.^{[citation needed]} The Hispanos of New Mexico used Pueblo styles in their buildings. After Albuquerque was started in 1706, the Territorial Style mixed these styles. Small towns added both styles to create a New Mexico style. After becoming a state, modern styles like Pueblo Revival and Territorial Revival became popular, especially starting in the 1930s. These styles are often mixed with other modern styles, like in Pueblo Deco architecture.

Art, literature, and media

See also: Art of the American Southwest; New Mexican literature; and Media in Albuquerque, New Mexico

The earliest New Mexico artists whose work we still have today are the Mimbres Indians. Their black and white pottery looks like modern art, but it was made before the year 1130. You can see examples at the Deming Luna Mimbres Museum and the Western New Mexico University Museum.

Santa Fe has been a busy place for artists for a long time. Famous people such as Bruce Nauman, Richard Tuttle, John Connell, Steina Vasulka, and Ned Bittinger have worked there. The city has many art museums, including the New Mexico Museum of Art, Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, Museum of International Folk Art, Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, SITE Santa Fe, and others. Artist and writer communities are strong, and the city has many art galleries. In August, the city holds the Santa Fe Indian Market, the oldest and biggest show for Native American art in the world. There are also performances such as the Santa Fe Opera, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, and the Lensic Theater. After Labor Day, there is a big event called Zozobra during the Fiestas de Santa Fe.

Albuquerque, the largest city in New Mexico, hosts many of the state's top cultural events and places. These include the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, the National Hispanic Cultural Center, the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History, and the famous Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. The National Hispanic Cultural Center holds many events for performing arts, art shows, and other activities related to Spanish culture. People can enjoy performances from all over the world at Popejoy Hall at the University of New Mexico. Popejoy Hall has singers, dancers, Broadway shows, and Shakespeare. Albuquerque also has the KiMo Theater, built in 1927 in the Pueblo Revival Style. The KiMo shows live theater, concerts, movies, and operas. There are also theaters like the African American Performing Arts Center and Exhibit Hall, and the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, which shows the culture of the First Nations people of New Mexico.

New Mexico keeps its strong Spanish traditions. Old Spanish styles such as zarzuelas and flamenco are popular. The University of New Mexico is the only school in the world with a program just for flamenco. María Benítez, a flamenco dancer from New Mexico, started the Maria Benítez Institute for Spanish Arts to show the best of Spain's arts. There is also the Festival Flamenco Internacional de Alburquerque, where Spanish and New Mexican flamenco dancers perform. It is the biggest and oldest flamenco event outside of Spain.

In the middle of the 20th century, many Hispanic writers and scholars wrote in both English and Spanish. Well-known names include Angélico Chávez, Nina Otero-Warren, Fabiola Cabeza de Baca, Aurelio Espinosa, Cleofas Jaramillo, Juan Bautista Rael, and Aurora Lucero-White Lea. D. H. Lawrence lived near Taos in the 1920s at the D. H. Lawrence Ranch.

New Mexico's Spanish, Anglo, and Wild West history have created a special group of books. Famous writers such as Rudolfo Anaya, Tony Hillerman, and Daniel Abraham come from here. Western fiction heroes like Billy the Kid, Elfego Baca, Geronimo, and Pat Garrett started in New Mexico. These same histories have also made New Mexico important in country and Western music, with its own New Mexico music style. Musicians like Al Hurricane, Robert Mirabal, and Michael Martin Murphey are examples.

Silver City, once a mining town, is now a place for artists. Another old mining town, Madrid, became famous as a movie location for the 2007 film Wild Hogs. Las Cruces has museums connected to the Smithsonian Institution and offers many cultural activities.

The Western genre has made New Mexico's mountains, rivers, and deserts famous in movies and TV. Because of good deals, low costs, and different landscapes, New Mexico is a popular place to film. Movies like Sunshine Cleaning and Vampires were filmed here, as well as some seasons of the Longmire series. The Breaking Bad franchise was set and filmed around Albuquerque, thanks to the city's media success, studios like Albuquerque Studios, and companies like Netflix and NBCUniversal.

Cuisine

Main article: New Mexican cuisine

New Mexico is known for its special and mixed food culture, combining indigenous, Spanish, and Mexican styles from Nuevo México. Like other parts of the state's culture, New Mexican food has been shaped by many influences throughout history, making it different from Latin food found elsewhere in the United States.^: 109  Special features include using local spices, herbs, flavors, and vegetables, especially red and green New Mexico chile peppers, anise (used in bizcochitos), and piñon (pine nuts).

Unique dishes from New Mexico include frybread-style sopapillas, breakfast burritos, enchilada montada (stacked enchiladas), green chile stew, carne seca (a thin version of jerky), green chile burgers, posole (a hominy dish), slow-cooked frijoles (beans, usually pinto beans), calabacitas (sautéed zucchini and summer squash), and carne adovada (pork marinated in red chile). The state is also home to a growing Native American food movement, where chefs of indigenous backgrounds serve traditional meals through food trucks.

Sports

New Mexico does not have any major league sports teams, but the Albuquerque Isotopes are a baseball team in the Pacific Coast League, connected to the Colorado Rockies in Major League Baseball. The state has several teams in the Pecos League, such as the Roswell Invaders, Ruidoso Osos, Santa Fe Fuego, and the White Sands Pupfish. The Duke City Gladiators, part of the Indoor Football League, play in Albuquerque at Tingley Coliseum. The city also has two soccer teams: New Mexico United, which started in 2019 in the USL Championship, and New Mexico United U23, which plays in the USL League Two.

College sports are very popular in New Mexico, especially the rivalry between the University of New Mexico Lobos and the New Mexico State Aggies. This competition is called the Rio Grande Rivalry or the Battle of I-25 because both schools are along that highway. NMSU also competes with the University of Texas at El Paso in a rivalry called The Battle of I-10. The winner of the NMSU-UTEP football game gets the Silver Spade trophy.

Tom Jager, an Olympic gold medalist in swimming, has held training camps in Albuquerque and Los Alamos because of the high altitude, which helps swimmers train better.

New Mexico is a big place for shooting sports, especially at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton. It is the largest and most complete shooting range and training center in the U.S.

Historic heritage

New Mexico has many important historical and cultural places because it has been lived in for thousands of years and was ruled by Spain for over two centuries. Forty-six places are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, which is the 18th most of any state.

New Mexico has nine of the country's 84 national monuments, which are protected by the president. This is the second most after Arizona. Some of the earliest monuments were created here, like El Morro and Gila Cliff Dwellings, made protected in 1906 and 1907. These show the state's ancient indigenous history.

New Mexico is one of 20 states with a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of only eight with more than one. In fact, New Mexico has the most World Heritage Sites in the country, with three that are only in this state.

Other

Since 1970, New Mexico Magazine has had a regular feature called One of Our 50 Is Missing. This tells stories about people who do not realize New Mexico is a state, think it is the same as Mexico, or mistake it for a foreign country. The state's license plates say "New Mexico USA" to avoid confusion with Mexico. New Mexico is the only state that puts "USA" on its license plates.