Las Cruces Real Estate Information on Homes for Sale, Neighborhoods, Relocating to Las Cruces, New Mexico


	Las Cruces Real Estate

Las Cruces

Las Cruces is located at the crossroads of Interstates 10 and 25 and covers 33 square miles. The fertile Mesilla Valley is a benefactor to Las Cruces, being the home of the largest pecan orchard in the world. The scenery surrounding the Mesilla Valley combined with wonderful weather makes Las Cruces a hospitable host for the nation’s first hot air balloon rally of each year. The Norwest Mesilla Valley Balloon Rally held each January boasts over 90 unique and colorful balloons.

Another popular local event is "The Whole Enchilada" Fiesta that takes place at the end of the summer. The event features food, entertainment, and of course, the world's largest enchilada.

Las Cruces history dates as far back as 1598, when Don Juan de Onate led the first colonist to the area. Las Cruces has preserved its original 1849 Southwestern style in its Mesquite Street-Original Town site Historic District where you can still see many original adobe homes. Old Mesilla borders Las Cruces and adds to its Southwest history in that it was acquisitioned by the U.S. in the Gadsden Purchase of 1854. It is in Old Mesilla where Billy the Kid was once tried and sentenced to hang, but Billy stayed true to form and escaped the lynching. These same historic buildings are now local restaurants, shops, museums, and art galleries.

The name Branigan is a large part of Las Cruces history as well. Capt. Thomas Branigan arrived in Las Cruces in 1886 after his adventures as a Civil War officer, buffalo hunter, miner, and Indian scout. He then settled and pursued farming, mining, and politics marrying a schoolteacher named Alice Montgomery. When Thomas Branigan died in 1925, Mrs. Branigan gave $35,000 to Las Cruces to build a library in his name. The Thomas Branigan Memorial Library opened in 1935. In 1979, Las Cruces’ new library opened and adopted the Thomas Branigan Memorial Library name. In 1981, the old library building became home to the Branigan Cultural Center, the city's first museum.

The Branigan Cultural Center of Las Cruces currently promotes the education and the preservation of the Las Cruces community in its creation of multiple museums highlighting transportation, arts, natural history and more through its Las Cruces Museum of Fine Art and Culture, the Las Cruces Historical Museum, and more.

Las Cruces has its own international airport that is serviced by commuter, charter, corporate and private aircraft. In addition, the El Paso International Airport is a convenient 45-minute drive from Las Cruces and is serviced by six major commercial airlines, as well as several regional carriers.

The Las Cruces Public School District is recognized as a model district where schools, programs, and staff have earned numerous local, state, and national awards. The district’s test scores consistently exceed the state and national averages including higher than average composite scores on both the math and verbal SATs.

Continuing education is available at the Dona Ana Branch Community College offering varied two-year Associate Degrees. New Mexico State University (NMSU) is also based in Las Cruces with more than 23,00 graduate and undergraduate students on the main campus and four branch campuses. NMSU offers 75 bachelor's degree programs, 51 master's degree programs and 20 doctoral programs.

Due to its wonderful weather featuring more than 350 days of sunshine per year and moderate winters, Las Cruces is a sports friendly city offering a multitude of facilities for soccer, baseball, softball, football, and private and public golf courses. The beautiful Organ Mountains, just east of Las Cruces, make for a year-round retreat that hikers and adventure seekers can enjoy. The “Land of Enchantment” is also well known for its beautiful sunsets with people from all over the world making the trek to take in the colors.

This high desert community is located at an elevation of 3,900 feet. It is a very friendly community. Snow skiing is just two hours away; water skiing is an hour and a half away at Elephant Butte Lake, a vacation spot for thousands of people during the summer.

Las Cruces has a booming economy based on agriculture, technology, and education. In the last three years, education and business services have experienced the highest growth. The fertile Mesilla Valley harvests excellent crops in pecans, onions, cotton and is known for its world-renowned green chile that has made it the “Chile Capital of the World.” The technology sector in Las Cruces is spurring powerful growth in international trade.

The City of Las Cruces is the largest employer in the area with opportunities with the State of New Mexico, the White Sands Missile Range, the NASA White Sands Test Facility and the High Energy Laser Test Facility. The city also has excellent medical facilities including two hospitals and a state-of-the-art cancer treatment center. So, whether your pursuit is work, retirement, or play, Las Cruces is a haven for you.