Location - Santa Fe, the capital of New Mexico, is located in Santa Fe County and is also the county seat. It lies about 65 miles northeast of Albuquerque between Los Alamos and Las Vegas, along U.S. Highway 285. The city is also near the Rio Grande River, Cochiti Lake and the Sangre de Cristo mountains.
International air travel to Santa Fe is serviced by Albuquerque International Sunport, about a one-hour drive away. There is also a smaller airport, Santa Fe Municipal Airport, located in the city of Santa Fe, for commuter hops and smaller airplanes.
History and Population - The area was home to the Tewa Native Americans when Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado appeared in 1540. Colonization commenced in 1598, and in 1610 Santa Fe was established as New Mexico's Spanish capital. In 1821 the Santa Fe Trail opened for adventure and commerce, connecting people of all different backgrounds-Native American, Spanish, Mexican, and Western. Today, with a population of 62,203, Santa Fe is a sunny tourist destination famous for its Native American arts and crafts and festivals.
Special Attractions - The arts are everywhere in the Santa Fe area-you can find over 250 art galleries, twelve museums, and sixteen performing arts groups, along with festivals and specialty markets throughout the year. Highlights include the Museum of Fine Arts, featuring more than 20,000 works of art from the Southwest; the Museum of New Mexico, which runs four museums within Santa Fe, along with five monuments throughout the region; and the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, dedicated to her own art, as well as other American Modernist artists. Performing arts of all types are offered throughout the year from such groups as the Santa Fe Opera and the New Mexico Ballet, and by Jazz musicians worldwide at the annual Santa Fe Jazz Festival.
For outdoor adventures, Santa Fe is only a short distance away from multiple National Parks, including Bandelier National Monument, with its ancestral Pueblo dwellings, and Carlsbad Caverns, with its magnificent underground caves. If you are a golfer, hiker, fisher, camper, skier, you will find exceptional locales nearby for all these activities, and more.
Education - Santa Fe maintains an excellent public education system with 20 elementary schools feeding into four middle schools or junior highs, and three high schools. There are also twenty-eight private schools throughout the Santa Fe area, ranging from pre-school through 12th grade.
Higher education offerings include both two-year and four-year institutions, with offerings that range from two-year associate degrees at the Institute of American Indian Arts, to four-year degrees at the University of New Mexico at Santa Fe, to specialty healthcare degrees at the University of Natural Medicine.
Healthcare - St. Vincent's Hospital, located in Santa Fe, is a full-service hospital and clinic, and also one of the areas top employers, with 1,250 people on staff. There is also much alternative healthcare in the Santa Fe area, including chiropractic services, acupuncture, and traditional Native American medicines.
Gas and Electricity Information
The Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) is the only local power company. It is at 2025 Pacheco St., 473.3200. Walk-in centers are open from 8 am to 5 pm. People with good credit don't always need a deposit to start service with PNM, an all-purpose utility company that provides both electricity and natural gas. Turning on electricity costs $19; hooking up to natural gas costs $63 if the gas is off but $30 if services are being transferred. If a deposit is required, it can be 1.5 times the highest bill at your new address.
Garbage
In the city of Santa Fe, garbage is picked up weekly at a cost of $12.78 a month. To verify your pickup day, call 955.2200 or visit the city's Solid Waste Management Division, 1142 Siler Road, 8 am to 5 pm weekdays. Bags are to be placed at the curb on the day of pickup, not the night before, and many city residents use trash cans for automated pickup. For other loads - green wastes, appliances or tires - city residents can take trash to the Buckman Road Revycling Transfer Station. The phone number for the transfer station is 820-0208. More information about the city trans service is available at www.santafenm.gov. Click on city services / solidwaste / transfer state, or go to www.sfswma.org, the site for Solid Waste Management Agency. Information about county transfer stations, where county residents take their garbage, is available at 992.3010.
Telephone
Most local phone service is provided by Qwest, while rural areas often have telephone cooperatives. Information on rates and other matters in available at www.qwest.com. If you haven't had service in New Mexico before, be aware that some companies charge a deposit that may be held for a year. You can shop for long distance carriers on the Internet or by checking the phone book for other providers.
Water
Inside Santa Fe City limits, water is provided by the city-owned Sangre de Cristo Water Co., 801 w. San Mateo Road, 955-4333. There is no hookup fee or deposit required for service. Call for rates. Do know that Santa Fe is an arid climate and the more water you use, the more you pay. The city limits daytime watering, so be sure to study the rules. To get the most up-to-date rules, call the Water Conservation Information Line, 955.4225. To report violations, call 955.4222.
Water Outside the City
Many communities have formed their own water associations. For more information, call the Santa Fe County Utilities Division, 986.6210.
Recycle, Reuse
To recycle, you need two bins: one for mixed materials; the other is just for class. Pick up bins from 8 am to 5 pm Monday througfh Friday at the city facility, 1142 Siler Road. Staff members will give you printed instructions on what items go into the two bins and what items go into your garbage. In Santa Fe, recycled materials are picked up weekly on trasn day. For information, call 955.2207.
Mail Services
Homes and businesses have one of 10 ZIP codes. Santa Fe had only two ZIP codes until 2001, when three new numbers added. In 2002, 5 more were added.. When you move in, check with the post office to determine your correct ZIP code. Mail is delivered Monday through Saturday.
Main Branch: 120 South Federal Place 988.2239
DeVargas Center Station: 536 N. Guadalupe Street
Coronado Station: 2071 S. Pacheco Street
Santa Fe Place Station: 4250 Cerrillos Road