Santa Fe , city (1990 pop. 55,859), alt. c.7,000 ft (2,130 m), state capital and seat of Santa Fe co., N N.Mex., at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mts. It is an administrative, tourist, resort, and cultural center and a shipping point for farm products and Native American wares. There is printing and publishing, food processing, and the manufacture of furniture, machinery, clothing and textiles, and building materials.

Founded c.1609 by the Spanish on the site of prehistoric Native American ruins, it became a center of Spanish trade with local ethnic groups. A seat of government since its founding, it is the oldest capital city in the United States. In the Pueblo revolt of 1680, the Spanish colonists were driven out; in 1692 they returned under Diego de Vargas. Shortly after Mexico gained independence from Spain (1821), extensive commerce with the United States developed by way of the Santa Fe Trail . In 1846, the region became a U.S. territory. The railroad reached Lamy (the station for Santa Fe, 16 mi/26 km distant) in 1879.

The seat of an archbishopric since 1875, the city, with its many churches, is a Roman Catholic center. Points of interest are the Palace of the Governors (c.1610), which houses a state museum; the Laboratory of Anthropology, with a museum of Spanish colonial art; museums of international folk art, Navajo ceremonial art, and contemporary Native American art; an exhibition hall for contemporary art; and a museum devoted to the artist Georgia O'Keeffe . There are artists' and writers' colonies and many art galleries, a renowned summer opera, the restored Lensic Theater, St. John's College, the College of Santa Fe, a Native American school, and a state school for the deaf. The city is the headquarters for the Santa Fe National Forest and regional headquarters for the National Park Service.

Santa Fe

The City in Brief

Founded: 1607 (incorporated, 1846)

Head Official: Mayor Larry Delgado (since 1998)

City Population

1980: 48,953

1990: 56,537

2000: 62,203

2003 estimate: 66,476

Percent change, 1990–2000: 8.0%

U.S. rank in 1980: 431st

U.S. rank in 1990: 428th

U.S. rank in 2000: 508th (State rank: 3rd)

Metropolitan Area Population

1980: 93,118

1990: 117,043

2000: 147,635

Percent change, 1990–2000: 26.1%

U.S. rank in 1980: Not reported

U.S. rank in 1990: Not reported

U.S. rank in 2000: 205th (MSA)

Area: 37.33 square miles (2000)

Elevation: 7,000 feet above sea level

Average Annual Temperature: 49.3° F

Average Annual Precipitation: 14 inches, 32 inches of snow

Major Economic Sectors: Government, tourism, services, trade

Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (January 2005)

Per Capita Income: $25,454 (1999)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 4,929

Major Colleges and Universities: The College of Santa Fe, St. John's College, Santa Fe Community College

Daily Newspaper: The Santa Fe New Mexican

Santa Fe State capital of New Mexico, USA, at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The oldest US capital city, it was founded in c.1609 by the Spanish, and acted as a centre of Spanish-Native American trade for more than 200 years. Mexico's independence in 1821 opened trade with the USA. Santa Fe functioned as the w terminus of the Santa Fe Trail. In 1846, US troops captured the city, and in 1850 the region became US territory, achieving statehood in 1912. Today, it is primarily an administrative, tourist and resort centre. Pop. (2000) 62,203.