Welcome to Alamogordo
Alamogordo, New Mexico was founded in 1898 to support the El Paso and Northeastern Railroad, as it transported timber from the nearby Sacramento Mountains to El Paso, Texas, its nearest major market. Despite its origins as a rail and ranching town, Alamogordo soon became home to German scientists recruited to develop America’s missile program after WWII.
Alamogordo’s growth and its future are focused on the key industries of defense and aerospace, including research, development and testing of advanced defense and aerospace systems. Holloman Air Force Base, managed by the Air Force Air Education and Training Command, provides fighter aircraft pilot training utilizing the vast expanse of Southern New Mexico and the controlled airspace over the Army’s White Sands Missile Range. Since WWII, the development our nation’s unmanned aircraft has largely occurred in this region, the Tularosa Basin. Holloman AFB also provides training for pilots and operators of unmanned aircraft deployed worldwide. The future of this mission is unlimited.
Sitting at the base of the Sacramento Mountains, in the Tularosa Basin of the Chihuahua Desert, Alamogordo experiences mild winters and hot summers in an arid climate. New Mexico is known as the “Land of Enchantment” with diverse, natural beauty like picture-perfect white sand dunes, snowy ski slopes and rugged hiking trails, all within 20 miles of Alamogordo!
Alamogordo’s residents will have any number of responses as to why they enjoy their city. However, one of the most common answers is “the mountains.” Although located in the high desert, Alamogordo sits on the edge of the Lincoln National Forest and the Sacramento Mountains. This southern extension of the Rocky Mountains is an accidentally well-kept secret in New Mexico. The Lincoln National Forest includes over one million acres of public lands, much of it reaching elevations over 9,000 feet. This diversity of terrain and geologic zones provides much of the Enchantment of this area. Mr. Shyne once timed how long it took his family to be sitting beneath ponderosa pine trees, enjoying their meal, after leaving a fast food restaurant in Alamogordo: nineteen minutes! That is how close Alamogordo is to the enchantment of the Sacramento Mountains.
Population
31,230
Median Age
36.3
Area
21.4 mi²
Race and Ethnicity
54.8% White (Non-Hispanic)
25.6% White (Hispanic)
6.53% Other (Hispanic)
4.77% Black or African American (Non-Hspanic)
2.68% Multi-Racial (Non-Hispanic)
Top Employers
Holloman AFB, White Sands Missile Range, Alamogordo Public Schools, Wal-Mart Super Center, Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center, City of Alamogordo
Key Industries
Public Administration, Defense Systems Test and Evaluation, Army and Air Force Bases and their missions, Education, Retail and Healthcare
Median Household Income
$44,133
Top Interstate Trade Partners
$9.94B Texas
$8.59B Arizona
$5.67B Oregon
Sources:
Data USA
History of Alamogordo
Holloman Air Force Base Fact Sheet