The Community

Located in the Mesilla Valley of southern New Mexico, Las Cruces is bounded to the west by wide-open desert and to the east by the majestic and beautiful Organ Mountains, which rise abruptly to an altitude of 9,000 feet only 12 miles from Las Cruces. The famous Rio Grande River runs through the west side of the city, which features 55 parks. Las Cruces is also the home of New Mexico State University, with an enrollment of 16,000 and 600 regular faculty members. Las Cruces is host to a number of festivals throughout the year. The Whole Enchilada Festival features the world's largest enchilada - six feet across. There's the Renaissance Arts and Crafts Fair, the Southern New Mexico State Fair, the Mesilla Valley Hot Air Balloon Rally, and the Wine and Chile Festival. The historic town of Mesilla, only minutes away, hosts festival celebrations in September and May, and the town of Hatch, thirty miles away, is home to a world-famous Chile Festival. The historic village of Old Mesilla, just minutes away from Las Cruces, is one of the most historic sites in the Southwest. Famed outlaw Billy the Kid stood trial for murder in the town's courthouse on the village plaza.

Recreation
Sitting at an elevation of 3,900 feet above sea level, Las Cruces enjoys a enviable climate year-round, with 350 sunny days annually and only 8.5 inches of rain and 3.2 inches of snow. White Sands National Monument is just 50 miles east of Las Cruces. The magnificent pure white gypsum dunes provide excellent recreational opportunities. Visitors can picnic, "white sand surf," or just stroll through a portion of the 275-square-mile national park. Ruidoso is a scenic mountain village two hours from Las Cruces. Located in the Lincoln National Forest, Ruidoso is home to the Hubbard Museum of the American West, the Spencer Theater, the Ruidoso Downs Race Track, and Ski Apache and Casino Apache.