Española | |
|---|---|
.png) Skyline view from the city's Industrial Park | |
 Seal | |
| Etymology: Founded asSan Juan de los Caballeros, as capital ofNuevo México forEspañola (Spanish)[1] | |
| Nickname: "The Low Rider Capital of The World", Spaña | |
| Motto: The heart of northern New Mexico...where cultures unite. | |
 Location of Española, New Mexico | |
  Española Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates:36°00′07″N106°03′58″W / 36.00194°N 106.06611°W /36.00194; -106.06611 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Mexico |
| County | Rio Arriba,Santa Fe |
| Founded | 1598[1] |
| Incorporated | 1925 |
| Named after | See history section |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-council government |
| • Mayor | Lona Steven (D)[citation needed] |
| • City Council | Councilors
|
| • State House | Representatives
|
| • State Senate | State senators |
| • U.S. House | Representative |
| Area | |
• Total | 8.34 sq mi (21.61 km2) |
| • Land | 8.22 sq mi (21.30 km2) |
| • Water | 0.12 sq mi (0.31 km2) |
| Elevation | 5,591 ft (1,704 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 10,526 |
| • Density | 1,280.2/sq mi (494.29/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-07:00 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-06:00 (MDT) |
| ZIP codes | 87532, 87533 |
| Area code | 505 |
| FIPS code | 35-25170 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2410456[3] |
| Website | Official website |
Española/ɛspənˈjoʊlə/ is a city primarily inRio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. A portion of the central and eastern section of the city is inSanta Fe County. Founded as a railroad village, it was named Española, with a post office established in 1881,[5] and officially incorporated in 1925. It has been called the first capital city in the United States.[6] As of the2020 census, the population was at 10,526.[7] Española is within theAlbuquerque–Santa Fe–Los Alamos combined statistical area. The city is home toNorthern New Mexico College.
Española was referred to asLa Vega de los Vigiles ('the Vigils' Meadow') before the arrival of the railroad.[8] The source of the current name is disputed:La Española means 'Spanish woman', and folk history attributes the name to railroad construction workers who named the area after a woman who worked in a small restaurant in the area. Alternatively, it may be a variation ofHispaniola (New Spain),[5] or as a shortened form ofPlaza Española ('Spanish town'), which likely was to differentiate it from the Tewa pueblos to the north and south.[7]
Tewa people have lived in the area since the 13th century. They built towns in the area, now calledPueblos, five of which still exist: Ohkay Owingeh,Pojoaque,Nambé,Santa Clara andSan Ildefonso.[9]
The upper reaches of the Rio Grande region were explored by the Spanish in 1540.Don Juan de Oñate was the first to bring settlers here in 1598. His group stayed at Ohkay Owingeh for a time (calling the Tewa townSan Juan de los Caballeros), before settling in an abandoned Tewa village which he renamedSan Gabriel. San Gabriel, close to modern Española, can thus be seen as the first capital city founded by people of European racial descent in what is now the United States.[9]
Oñate arrived in the Española area on July 11, 1598, at the confluence of theChama River and the Rio Grande, where he established a camp at a place then called Yunque-Yunque.[citation needed]
Almost a century later, near the same region,Don Diego de Vargas established his villa atSanta Cruz.[10]
Prior to the arrival fromAntonito, Colorado of thenarrow gaugeDenver and Rio Grande Railroad in 1880, the hamlet on the west-side of the Rio Grande was known as La Vega de los Vigiles in reference to the Vigil family who initially settled that area. The earliest document found indicates that La Vegas de los Vigiles had been populated by 1751, over 100 years before the railroad's arrival. With the coming of the railroad the name of the hamlet was changed to Española. Until 1886, when it was extended toSanta Fe, Española was the terminus of the line. The Española station included an engine facility along with a roundhouse andturntable so it could service the locomotives. The facilities were built but torn down or no longer in use after six years; plans for the town had changed.[12] Later popularly known as the "Chili Line", this was part of an ambitious but unsuccessful proposal to connectDenver withMexico City.
The route extended into what today is the downtown Española area, and the railroad began selling lots in the area.Anglo merchants, mountain men, and settlers slowly filtered into Española's predominantlyHispanic population.[13]Frank Bond and his brother George, who wereCanadianemigrants, would later arrive in the city. Together they established the state's largest mercantile and a multi–million dollar wool empire. With them came economic growth and prominence. Española was the headquarters for all the Bond family interests which included over 12 businesses across New Mexico.[14][15]
Frank R. Frankenburger, a business man born inFort Scott, Kansas, was the first "elected" mayor; he was elected in 1923. The first mayor who was chosen in "popularity" was Frank Bond, in 1907. In 1925 Española wasincorporated as a city.[16] As the population rose, there was a high demand for public education in the city. Española High School was established; it would be the largest school in the area for decades. The first high school in the area, however, wasSanta Cruz High School. Two miles away from downtown Española, it opened in 1906 in the historicSanta Cruz area. Neither high school operates after a merger of school districts in 1975.[17]
The importance of the railroad began to lessen as minimal passenger traffic and low shipments forced the railroad to close in 1941, with the tracks removed the following year. Many locals would become unemployed and would follow the railroad to Santa Fe,Albuquerque and centralColorado for jobs. Española's population would fall dramatically and many homes in the downtown became abandoned. Most of the locals who remained would turn to farming as a way of life. Many people saw Española as another failed railroad town.[18] The city removed the railroad tracks and the train depot in the 1960s, and the railroads completely vanished.
Businesses in Española vigorously opposed the abandonment of theD&RGW's narrow gauge in the early 1940s. Their calls for continued rail service were at odds with the grim realities of the marketplace, which had for years rendered the "Chili Line" woefully unprofitable. Although Española was an integral part of the saga of railroad construction in the West, it was destined to become one of the region's first notable communities bereft of its trains.
With the beginnings ofManhattan Project in nearbyLos Alamos, many locals eventually found jobs at theLos Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). As much as nearly 9% of Española's population have been employed at LANL.[full citation needed]
Circa 1970-1980, an influx of illegal drugs from México to Española, N.M., specifically black tar heroin and brown powder heroin, resulted in the Española Valley becoming the epicenter for the largest number of illegal drug-relatedoverdose deaths in the U.S.A. during the later part of the 20th century.[20]
In the 1990s, a plaza andmission church was built to pay tribute to the Spanish culture in the area.[21]
Nambé Mills, originally established in 1951 in Pojaque as a producer of high quality metal cookware and tableware, relocated itsfoundry to Espanola in 1994, and employed a large number of people.Portmeirion Group purchased Nambé in 2019, and shortly thereafter moved its production to Asia.[22]
On September 18, 2008, thenDemocrat candidateBarack Obama campaigned in Española with a rally at the city's New Plaza in the Main Street district.[23][24]
On August 13, 2025,New Mexico Governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, declared a state of emergency in the city of Española and the neighboringPueblos of Santa Clara and Ohkay Owingeh at the request of those governments responding to a significant surge in violent crime, drug trafficking, and public safety threats that have overwhelmed their local resources. At that time, Grisham stated that Rio Arriba County, which includes Española, had the highest overdose death rate in N.M., citing that police calls in Española and surrounding areas more than doubled in the past two years and that police dispatches to businesses quadrupled. In response, Gov. Grisham authorized, by Executive Order 2025-358, $750,000 in emergency funding for theDepartment of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to provide resources to affected communities. In its August 13 press release, the Office of the Governor of the state of N.M. stated that "The emergency declaration will remain in effect until all authorized funds are expended or emergency assistance is no longer necessary."[25][26]
In 2025,CBS News wrote about Española:"Española, a small city with just over 10,500 residents, is known for itslowrider culture. Amid high rates of poverty, crime and drug use, those in the lowrider community have been working toward positive change, '60 Minutes' previously reported."[27]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 21.9 square kilometers (8.5 sq mi), with 21.7 square kilometers (8.4 sq mi) land and 0.2 square kilometers (0.077 sq mi) water, for a total of 0.83%.
Española lies at an elevation of around 5,595 feet (1,705 m) with much variance. It is in a valley nestled between theJemez andSangre de Cristo mountain ranges, and the meeting point of three rivers, theRio Grande, theRio Chama, and the Rio Santa Cruz.
Española has a borderlinecool semi-arid climate (KöppenBSk)/cool desert climate (BWk). The main Española weather station is hotter and drier than nearby cities due to relatively lower altitude, lying over 1,300 feet or 400 metres lower thanTaos or county seatTierra Amarilla.
July is the hottest month, with an average high of 91 °F or 32.8 °C. The highest recorded temperature was 107 °F or 41.7 °C in 2003. The average coolest month is January at 45 °F or 7.2 °C. The lowest recorded temperature was −38 °F or −38.9 °C in 1971. The maximum average precipitation occurs in August with an average of 1.90 inches (48 mm).
| Climate data for Española, New Mexico | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 67 (19) | 75 (24) | 84 (29) | 88 (31) | 98 (37) | 105 (41) | 107 (42) | 103 (39) | 99 (37) | 89 (32) | 84 (29) | 72 (22) | 107 (42) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 45 (7) | 52 (11) | 60 (16) | 69 (21) | 78 (26) | 88 (31) | 91 (33) | 87 (31) | 81 (27) | 72 (22) | 58 (14) | 47 (8) | 69 (21) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 14 (−10) | 20 (−7) | 26 (−3) | 33 (1) | 41 (5) | 50 (10) | 57 (14) | 55 (13) | 47 (8) | 34 (1) | 24 (−4) | 15 (−9) | 35 (2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −38 (−39) | −18 (−28) | 0 (−18) | 14 (−10) | 17 (−8) | 28 (−2) | 35 (2) | 37 (3) | 25 (−4) | 10 (−12) | −21 (−29) | −16 (−27) | −38 (−39) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 0.40 (10) | 0.40 (10) | 0.60 (15) | 0.60 (15) | 0.70 (18) | 0.70 (18) | 1.60 (41) | 1.90 (48) | 1.20 (30) | 0.90 (23) | 0.60 (15) | 0.50 (13) | 10.1 (256) |
| Source: weather.com[28] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 398 | — | |
| 1900 | 1,405 | 253.0% | |
| 1910 | 1,802 | 28.3% | |
| 1920 | 2,412 | 33.9% | |
| 1930 | 4,269 | 77.0% | |
| 1940 | 2,984 | −30.1% | |
| 1950 | 2,489 | −16.6% | |
| 1960 | 3,472 | 39.5% | |
| 1970 | 7,923 | 128.2% | |
| 1980 | 8,127 | 2.6% | |
| 1990 | 8,828 | 8.6% | |
| 2000 | 9,504 | 7.7% | |
| 2010 | 10,495 | 10.4% | |
| 2020 | 10,526 | 0.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[29][4] | |||
At thecensus[30] of 2000, there were 9,688 people, 5,751 households, and 4,569 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,155.4 inhabitants per square mile (446.1/km2). There were 5,107 housing units at an average density of 189.2/square kilometer (489.8/square mile). The racial makeup of the city was 67.55%White, 0.58%African American, 2.86%Native American, 0.14%Asian, 0.06%Pacific Islander, 25.56% fromother races, and 3.25% from two or more races. 84.38% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 5,751 households, of which 35.6% had children under the age of eighteen living with them, 42.5% weremarried couples living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of single individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was sixty-five years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.8% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was thirty-four years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females aged eighteen and over, there were 94.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,144, and the median income for a family was $32,255. Males had a median income of $25,558 versus $23,177 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $14,303. 21.6% of the population and 16.5% of families were below thepoverty line. Out of the total population, 28.4% of those under the age of eighteen and 15.1% of those sixty-five and older were living below the poverty line.
 | This sectionmay beconfusing or unclear to readers. In particular, the US Census Bureau states that "Hispanics and Latinos may be of any race. Thus, the percent Hispanic should not be added to percentages for racial categories." This means that the racial makeup of the city as stated below sums to 12.9%. Please helpclarify the section. There might be a discussion about this onthe talk page.(October 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
As of the census[30] of 2010, there were 10,224 residing in the city.
The racial makeup of the city was:[31]
TheLos Alamos National Laboratory is the largest employer in Española; it accounts for over 12% employment of residents. The education sector is the second largest employer, theEspañola Public Schools is the 16th largest school district in New Mexico. Recently,Northern New Mexico College has expanded its degree programs and made massive improvements to its campus, adding a new library and a new School of Education. Larger local businesses include Akal Securities Inc, a security company that employees over 500 people.[33]
The fountain at Plaza de Española was designed as a replica of theAlhambra. The plaza is home to the Convent Mission, administered by the Episcopal Church.[citation needed]
Española Public Library contains a collection of about 50,000 items.[34]
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(July 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
The city of Española is run by amayor–council government system under Strong-mayor form. The mayor and eight-membercity councilors from their respected districts are elected to a four-year term, elections are constant every two years, with no term limits. The mayor appoints acity manager who supervises department heads, prepares the budget, and coordinates departments.
Every two years during the organizational meeting, one council member is elected by a majority in the council to serve asmayor pro–tem, usually a member from the party that is in control of the council.
| Mayors of Española | ||
|---|---|---|
| Elected Mayor | Party Registration | Years served |
| F.R. Frankenburger | Republican | 1925–1928 |
| Tobias Espinosa, M.D. | Republican | 1928–1932 |
| Diego Salazar | Republican | 1932–1948 |
| John Block, Jr. | Democrat | 1948–1952 |
| Joe E. Roybal | Democrat | 1952–1958 |
| Cipriano Vigil | Democrat | 1958–1966 |
| Epimenio Vigil | Democrat | 1966–1968 |
| Richard Lucero | Democrat | 1968–1974 |
| Santiago V. Martinez | Republican | 1974–1981* |
| Alex R. Gallegos,Interim | Democrat | 1981-1982 |
| Consuelo S. Thompson | Democrat | 1982–1986 |
| Richard Lucero | Democrat | 1986–1994 |
| Ross Chavez | Democrat | 1994–1998 |
| Richard Lucero | Democrat | 1998–2006 |
| Joseph Maestas | Democrat | 2006–2010 |
| Alice A. Lucero | Democrat | 2010–2018 |
| Javier E. Sánchez | Republican | 2018–2022 |
| John Ramon Vigil | Democrat | 2022-present |
*Denotes Resignation
The City of Española is a part of theEspañola Public Schools district, with six of its 14 schools being located within the city.
Secondary schools:
Elementary schools:
Private schools:
College:
Law enforcement is provided by the Española Police Department.[35]
The Española Fire/Rescue Department became a paid fire department in 1998. The department employs 15 full-time firefighters.[36]
Española serves as the setting for the 2023black comedy seriesThe Curse, which among other themes exploresgentrification of the area.[37]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Municipalities and communities ofRio Arriba County, New Mexico,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| City |  | |
| Village | ||
| CDPs |
| |
| Other communities | ||
| Ghost towns and former settlements | ||
| Indian reservations | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
Municipalities and communities ofSanta Fe County, New Mexico,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Town | ||
| CDPs |
| |
| Other communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| Geographic | |
