Page Contents for Las Cruces, New Mexico

Statistics & Facts

Location

History & History-related items

Miscellany

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Statistics & Facts

The New Mexico state capital is Santa Fe.
The population of Las Cruces is approximately 62,126 (1990), 97618 (2010).
The approximate number of families is 25,676 (1990), 39433 (2010).
The amount of land area in Las Cruces is 97.124 sq. kilometers.
The amount of surface water is 0.191 sq kilometers.
The distance from Las Cruces to Washington DC is 1793 miles.
The distance to the New Mexico state capital is 235 miles. (as the crow flies)
Las Cruces is positioned 32.33 degrees north of the equator and 106.75 degrees west of the prime meridian.
Las Cruces elevation is 3,896 feet above sea level.

Location

at the junction of Interstate 10 and 25 in southern New Mexico
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History & History Related Items

Along the El Camino Real is a graveyard of little crosses commemorating the members of a caravan which was ambushed by Apaches here. Soon the area was known as Las Cruces because of these crosses. By the 1850's, Las Cruces had become a supply point for Fort Seldon and other military posts nearby as well as for local mining operations. With irrigation from the Rio Grande River, agriculture was also a major portion of the town's economy. Today, Las Cruces is home to New Mexico State University.
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Las Cruces

Miscellany

Information about Las Cruces from a local resident, Erin:
We are a farming community but also a college town. We primarily farm pecans, chile, and cotton. NMSU is well known for it's large and excellent Agriculture department and football team. I attend NMSU and I am an Animal Science major hoping to someday have a place in the dairy industry. Which brings me to another great part of southern New Mexico, the quickest growing industry here is the dairy industry, dairies are actually moving here from other parts of the country because of our climate and location!
Thank you for your time, I hope you will visit our area, and see for yourself how I fell in love with it.