Las Cruces
Communities on the east and west sides of the city. Las Cruces sits about 45 minutes north of El Paso on I-10, which puts Fort Bliss and El Paso International Airport within a normal commute.
Las Cruces sits in the Mesilla Valley with the Organ Mountains east of town and the Rio Grande running through the valley floor. Elevation is around 4,000 feet. Summers are hot and dry, winters are mild, and the sun is out most days of the year.
New Mexico State University is here. Agriculture, healthcare, and defense research make up much of the rest of the local economy, with White Sands Missile Range about an hour east and Holloman Air Force Base beyond it near Alamogordo. Fort Bliss is an hour southeast in El Paso.
White Sands National Park is roughly an hour away. Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument starts at the edge of town. Old Mesilla, just south of Las Cruces, dates to the 1800s and holds the plaza and the Basilica of San Albino. Hatch is 40 minutes north.
El Paso International is the closest major airport.
