The city of Albuquerque is located in the central region of New Mexico and is the seat of Bernalillo County. Founded in 1706 as a Spanish colonial outpost, it has a diverse multicultural population. As early as the 1920s, the city was a regular stop on legendary Route 66, one of the original roads in the U.S. Highway system, a major path for Americans traveling westward, and one of the most famous thoroughfares in the country. Today it is home to the University of New Mexico, Kirtland Air Force Base, Sandia Laboratories, top hospitals, the state’s largest electricity provider, and numerous other businesses. Local attractions include the Petroglyph National Monument, the Rio Grande Nature Center and Bosque, and the International Balloon Fiesta, the largest event of its type and the most photographed event in the world. The population of the city proper is approximately 557,000. The surrounding communities of the metropolitan area raise that number to just over 900,000, making Albuquerque the most populous city in the state. The city is divided geographically into four quadrants; some of the more popular neighborhoods include Nob Hill, Uptown, Tanoan, Sandia Heights, the North Valley, and Four Hills. The city is served by the Albuquerque International Sunport. Albuquerque has an altitude of 5,312 feet and a temperate climate that provides an average of 278 days of sunshine per year and four distinct seasons. The topography varies from the verdant Rio Grande River Valley, at an elevation of 4,900 feet, to the peaks of the Sandia Mountains, at 10,378 feet. Locals famously boast that on some days, you can ski in the morning and golf in the afternoon.
