New Mexico is one of the Southwestern United States. It is part of the Mountain Time Zone, situated in the lower Mountain States along the Rocky Mountains. New Mexico is bordered by Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas. It shares some of its southern border with Mexico.
Where is New Mexico Located on a US map?
New Mexico is a little west of central on the US map. It is just to the west of Texas and north of Mexico.
Notably, New Mexico is one of the Four Corners states, where the states Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah all come together at a four-way, perpendicular point. This is the only place in the United States where four states touch like this.
While New Mexico is entirely landlocked, it does have many large rivers including the Rio Grande, the Gila River, as well as the Pecos, Canadian, and San Juan Rivers.
The Elephant Butte Reservoir, created by the damming of the Rio Grande, is the largest artificial lake in New Mexico.
Interesting Facts about New Mexico
New Mexico’s capital city, Santa Fe, is the oldest capital in the United States. It was founded in 1610, before any other US state capitol. Technically, the city itself was established three years earlier, in 1607.
New Mexico became the 47th state of the Union in 1912.
While New Mexico is the fifth largest state by landmass, it is only thirty-sixth in population and forty-sixth in population density.
New Mexico is smaller than Alaska, Texas, California, and Montana. When it comes to population density, New Mexico only has a greater population density than South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska.
Much of the state is agrarian with 2/5 of the entire population living in the city of Albuquerque. 2/3 of the state’s population lives in an urban area overall.
While Santa Fe is New Mexico’s capital, Albuquerque is the largest city in the state.
The desert state boasts a large military presence due to it being a prime location for testing missiles. New Mexico was the host of many Manhattan Project facilities and the first nuclear test site, Trinity.
Currently, about one-third of New Mexico’s land is owned by the federal government for military sites, national monuments, and protected wilderness areas.
The Rio Grande runs North-South through New Mexico and provides a fertile floodplain for New Mexico’s agriculture.
New Mexico’s Capital City
Sante Fe is a city known for its arts. There is a big business of selling Native American wares, including weaving, pottery, and jewelry.
While many may think that New Mexico is entirely a desert, Sante Fe by itself is more of a ski basin, above the climate and altitude range of even a high desert. It is a semi-arid steppe climate with very cold winters.
Sante Fe is bursting with art and food to experience. For people who like spicy food, try anything made with chiles grown in New Mexico.
The capital city boasts 300 sunny days a year, low humidity, average high temperatures ranging from 44 to 86 throughout the year, average lows ranging from 15 to 54 throughout the year, and four seasons.
Reasons to Visit New Mexico
New Mexico, nicknamed the “Land of Enchantment” for a reason, is full of awesome sights to see. As such, tourism is a big part of New Mexico’s economy.
White Sands National Monument is located in New Mexico. The gypsum sand looks like snow for miles and is a really intriguing place to go. Snowy Shiprock is a breathtaking sight and a perfect photo opportunity.
There are many other amazing landscapes to see such as the Aztec Ruins National Monument, Bandelier National Monument, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, the Capulin Volcano, the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, and the Petroglyph National Monument.
Many people like to visit Roswell, the city involved in the Roswell UFO Incident. The city even houses the International UFO Museum and Research Center.
New Mexico is also home to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. It takes place in early October and is one of the largest festivals for ballooning in the entire world.
Reasons to Move to New Mexico
New Mexico has a very comfortable climate to move to. It is a great place for respiratory relief and arthritis.
The state’s overall annual average temperature is roughly 55 degrees Fahrenheit. However, because New Mexico is home to both flatlands and mountains, the average temperature can range depending on location.
Anyone wanting to flee the hot and humid weather enjoys the crisp and cool mountains in New Mexico. Conversely, anyone wanting to leave the cold winters up north can find solace in a state with less harsh winters but still gets snow on occasion.
The dynamic landscape of the state makes it an excellent place for many outdoor activities including: biking, hiking, horseback riding, skiing, and snowboarding.
Ultimately, regardless of what someone is looking for, New Mexico probably has a climate close to what that is.
The state has a large artistic community and its cities continue to attract artists from all over the country and also the world. For example, Georgia O’Keeffe and her husband Alfred Stieglitz helped bolster the community in Taos, New Mexico.
Higher elevations and northern latitudes of New Mexico see four seasons a year, which is very appealing to many people.
Conclusion
New Mexico is a dynamic state and lives up to its nickname “The Land of Enchantment.” Whether you are just visiting for a time, or intending to move to New Mexico more permanently, the state has something for you to enjoy.
There are plenty of outdoor activities to partake in, plus a lot of art and food to appreciate. The state has excellent weather and is ultimately a solace for people who wish to retire somewhere comfortable.
Plus, unlike other desert areas in the Southwest, the mountainous regions of New Mexico sport all four seasons and milder temperatures. Nevertheless, the desert regions of New Mexico have their own breathtaking charm.
