Española, New Mexico


Española is a city primarily in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. A portion of the central and eastern section of the city is in Santa Fe County. Founded as a railroad village, it was named Española, with a post office established in 1881, and officially incorporated in 1925. It has been called the first capital city in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was at 10,526. Española is within the Albuquerque–Santa Fe–Los Alamos combined statistical area. The city is home to Northern New Mexico College.
WWW cityofespanola.org

History

Etymology

Española was referred to as La Vega de los Vigiles before the arrival of the railroad. 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 of Hispaniola, or as a shortened form of Plaza Española, which likely was to differentiate it from the Tewa pueblos to the north and south.

Spanish settlement

Tewa people have lived in the area since the 13th century. They built towns in the area, now called Pueblos, five of which still exist: Ohkay Owingeh, Pojoaque, Nambé, Santa Clara and San Ildefonso.
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, before settling in an abandoned Tewa village which he renamed San 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.
Oñate arrived in the Española area on July 11, 1598, at the confluence of the Chama River and the Rio Grande, where he established a camp at a place then called Yunque-Yunque.
Almost a century later, near the same region, Don Diego de Vargas established his villa at Santa Cruz.

Railroad era

Prior to the arrival from Antonito, Colorado of the narrow gauge Denver 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 to Santa Fe, Española was the terminus of the line. The Española station included an engine facility along with a roundhouse and turntable 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. Later popularly known as the "Chili Line", this was part of an ambitious but unsuccessful proposal to connect Denver with Mexico 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 predominantly Hispanic population. Frank Bond and his brother George, who were Canadian emigrants, 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.
Frank R. Frankenburger, a business man born in Fort 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 was incorporated as a city. 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, was Santa Cruz High School. Two miles away from downtown Española, it opened in 1906 in the historic Santa Cruz area. Neither high school operates after a merger of school districts in 1975.
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 central Colorado 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. The city removed the railroad tracks and the train depot in the 1960s, and the railroads completely vanished.

Post-railroad era

With the beginnings of Manhattan Project in nearby Los Alamos, many locals eventually found jobs at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. As much as nearly 9% of Española's population have been employed at LANL.
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-related overdose deaths in the U.S.A. during the later part of the 20th century.
In the 1990s, a plaza and mission church was built to pay tribute to the Spanish culture in the area.
Nambé Mills, originally established in 1951 in Pojaque as a producer of high quality metal cookware and tableware, relocated its foundry to Espanola in 1994, and employed a large number of people. The foundry work was later moved abroad to Asia.
On September 18, 2008, then Democrat candidate Barack Obama campaigned in Española with a rally at the city's New Plaza in the Main Street district.

Española in the 21st Century

Between 2023 and 2025, police calls in Española and surrounding areas doubled, and police dispatches to area businesses quadrupled. In 2025, the governor declared a state of emergency in Española and nearby areas due to a rise drug trafficking and violent crime.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, with land and water, for a total of 0.83%.
Española lies at an elevation of around with much variance. It is in a valley nestled between the Jemez and Sangre de Cristo mountain ranges, and the meeting point of three rivers, the Rio Grande, the Rio Chama, and the Rio Santa Cruz.

Climate

Española has a borderline cool semi-arid climate /cool desert climate. The main Española weather station is hotter and drier than nearby cities due to relatively lower altitude, lying over lower than Taos or county seat Tierra Amarilla.
July is the hottest month, with an average high of. The highest recorded temperature was in 2003. The average coolest month is January at. The lowest recorded temperature was in 1971. The maximum average precipitation occurs in August with an average of.

Demographics

2000 census

At the census of 2000, there were 9,688 people, 5,751 households, and 4,569 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 5,107 housing units at an average density of 189.2/square kilometer. 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% from other races, and 3.25% from two or more races. 84.38% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 5,751 households, of which 35.6% had children under the age of eighteen living with them, 42.5% were married 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. The per capita income for the city was $14,303. 21.6% of the population and 16.5% of families were below the poverty 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.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 10,224 residing in the city.
The racial makeup of the city was:

Economy

[file:Espanola Hospital.jpg|thumb|Presbyterian Hospital, 2013, after expansion]
The Los 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, the Española 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.

Arts and culture

Plaza de Española

The fountain at Plaza de Española was designed as a replica of the Alhambra. The plaza is home to the Convent Mission, administered by the Episcopal Church.

Library

Española Public Library contains a collection of about 50,000 items.

Parks and recreation

Recreational facilities

  • Penny Roybal Garcia Aquatic Center
  • Richard L. Lucero Recreation Center

Major community parks

  • Plaza de Española Park
  • Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Park
  • Ranchitos Park
  • Valdez Park

Government

The city of Española is run by a mayor–council government system under Strong-mayor form. The mayor and eight-member city 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 a city 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 as mayor pro–tem, usually a member from the party that is in control of the council.

List of mayors

''*Denotes resignation''

Education

Public schools

The City of Española is a part of the Española Public Schools district, with six of its 14 schools being located within the city.
Secondary schools:
Elementary schools:
  • Eutimio Tim Salazar III "Fairview" Elementary
  • James H. Rodriguez "Española" Elementary
  • Tony E. Quintana "Sombrillo" Elementary

Charter and tribal schools

  • McCurdy Charter School K-12
  • La Tierra Montesori School of the Arts and Sciences
  • Carinos de los Ninos Charter School
Private schools:
College:

Infrastructure

Law enforcement is provided by the Española Police Department.
The Española Fire/Rescue Department became a paid fire department in 1998. The department employs 15 full-time firefighters.

Notable people

In popular culture

Española serves as the setting for the 2023 black comedy series The Curse, which explores the gentrification of the area.