Los Ranchos

About

Los Ranchos de Albuquerque strives to preserve a rural atmosphere on the edge of the City of Albuquerque. Commercial development can be found primarily along Fourth Street, which was originally part of the historic El Camino Real and then later became a stretch of the famed Route 66.

History

Los Ranchos was part of the 70,000-acre Elena Gallegos Land Grant awarded in 1694 to colonists by early Spanish authorities. Los Ranchos, a farming community, was the grant's largest settlement. It was the Bernalillo County seat from 1850 to 1854. In the 1920's, agriculture was waning, exacerbated by recurrent flooding and poor drainage. After the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District was organized in 1926, a system of levees, ditches, laterals, drains and canals halted flooding and made available new acreage for development. As Albuquerque grew, some of its population spilled into Los Ranchos.

Demographics

Population

Government

• Four trustees, elected at large to four-year staggered terms
• Mayor, elected every four years

Utilities

• Electric: Public Service Company of New Mexico
• Natural Gas: New Mexico Gas Company
• Sewer: City of Albuquerque
• Solid Waste: Private collection and landfill services
• Source: Ground and surface water
• Telephone: CenturyLink
• Water: City of Albuquerque

Transportation

• Air: Albuquerque International Sunport, passenger and freight
• Commuter: New Mexico Rail Runner Express, Belen to Santa Fe
• Freight: Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad
• General aviation: Double Eagle II Airport
• Interstate highways: I-25 (north-south) and I-40 (east-west)
• Rail, passenger: Amtrak
• Transit: ABQ Ride

Education

• Higher education: University of New Mexico, Central New Mexico Community College (CNM), and private schools
• Kindergarten to 12th grade: Albuquerque Public School District and private schools

Amenities

Los Ranchos enjoys all of Albuquerque's amenities and offers some of its own:

• Fishing: The Rio Grande is stocked several times a year by the New Mexico Department of Fish and Game.
• Horseback Riding: Horses are allowed on trails and roadways in the village, and there are several stables and riding schools nearby.
• Museums: Unser Racing Museum features cars and memorabilia of the famous Unser racing family.
• Recreation: Miles of trails, both dirt and asphalt, along the Rio Grande attract walkers, joggers, bicyclists and roller-blade enthusiasts. There are also trails along irrigation ditches that pass through scenic neighborhoods. A jogging path is in Hartnett Park, next to the Village Hall.