Of these, 12 or 13 were densely clustered near present-day Bernalillo and the remainder were spread out to the south. By the 1500s, there were around 20 Tiwa pueblos along a 60-mile (97 km) stretch of river from present-day Algodones to the Rio Puerco confluence south of Belen. The Tanoan and Keresan peoples had lived along the Rio Grande for centuries before European settlers arrived in what is now Albuquerque. Petroglyphs carved into basalt in the western part of the city bear testimony to an early Native American presence in the area, now preserved in the Petroglyph National Monument. įor a chronological guide, see Timeline of Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is home to several historic landmarks, the University of New Mexico, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, the Gathering of Nations, the New Mexico State Fair, and a diverse restaurant scene, which features both New Mexican and global cuisine. Īlbuquerque is a hub for technology, fine arts, and media companies. The Albuquerque metropolitan area had 955,000 residents in 2023, and forms part of the Albuquerque–Santa Fe–Las Vegas combined statistical area, which had a population of 1,162,523. According to the 2020 census, Albuquerque had 564,559 residents, making it the 32nd-most populous city in the United States and the fourth largest in the Southwest.

Located in the Albuquerque Basin, the city is flanked by the Sandia Mountains to the east and the West Mesa to the west, with the Rio Grande and bosque flowing north-to-south through the middle of the city.

In 2006, the city celebrated its 300th anniversary. Founded in 1706 as La Villa de Alburquerque by Santa Fe de Nuevo México governor Francisco Cuervo y Valdés, and named in honor of Francisco Fernández de la Cueva, 10th Duke of Alburquerque and Viceroy of New Spain, it served as an outpost on El Camino Real linking Mexico City to the northernmost territories of New Spain. Albuquerque ( / ˈ æ l b ə k ɜːr k i/ ⓘ AL-bə-kur-kee Spanish: ), also known as ABQ, Burque, and the Duke City, is the most populous city in the U.S.

Sandia casino restaurants