About Los Alamos

Location - Los Alamos is located on the Pajarito Plateau at the foot of the majestic Jemez Mountains. Located about 90 miles north of Albuquerque and 35 miles from Santa Fe, it is a one-hour drive from the regional airport at Santa Fe and less than a two-hour drive from the international airport at Albuquerque. Los Alamos also has an active general aviation airport, servicing both private and corporate air traffic, along with air freight service.

Driving to and from Los Alamos has been made easier by the completion of the Santa Fe bypass highway, which created at least a four-lane route nearly the entire distance from Albuquerque to Los Alamos.

History and Population - This small northern New Mexico town offers both spectacular scenery and intriguing history. The Anasazi ancestors of current Native American tribes inhabited the land of Los Alamos as early as 1150 AD. Some 800 years later the Manhattan Project, which developed the atomic bomb, established its home base in Los Alamos. When the Manhattan Project evolved into Los Alamos National Laboratory, it positioned the region at the forefront of technological change. The Los Alamos National Laboratory currently has a fiscal year budget of over $1.7 billion and employs over 7,000 people (almost half the population of the entire county)!

As of 2002, the population of Los Alamos County was around 18,000 people within 109 square miles, at an elevation of 7,355 feet.

Special Attractions - Los Alamos is noted for its excellent schools, safe neighborhoods and abundant outdoor recreational activities. Just a short distance away is the Bandelier National Monument, with over 23,000 acres of wilderness and ancestral Pueblo dwellings. Skiing is available at the Pajarito Mountain Ski area. And traveling only 35 miles away to Santa Fe, you can find many world-class museums, galleries, shops, restaurants, and performances.

Education - Los Alamos has a superior educational system. In 2000, The Wall Street Journal's "Offspring" magazine rated the Los Alamos Public School system as the number one public school system in the Southwestern United States. More than 80% of Los Alamos High School graduates go on to four-year colleges and SAT scores have historically exceeded national averages by more than 30%.

Six institutions of higher education are located within 40 miles of Los Alamos County. The University of New Mexico - Los Alamos provides undergraduate degrees and coursework in computing, engineering, and technology in support of local businesses and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Other schools in the area include Northern New Mexico Community College, Santa Fe Community College, St. John's College - Santa Fe, and multiple other New Mexico colleges that offer in-person, online, and correspondence study.

Healthcare - Los Alamos Medical Center includes both in-patient and out-patient care, including a birthing center, acute care, rehabilitation services, and pharmacies. Other smaller healthcare facilities are available throughout the county, as well a large selection of hospitals and clinics in the metropolitan areas of Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Alternative healthcare is readily available in New Mexico, with several Acupuncture schools in the area.