Home › New Mexico › Las Cruces

Las Cruces, New Mexico

Located in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, Las Cruces was established in 1849. The first atomic bomb was detonated at White Sands, about 60 miles from Las Cruces. Spaceport America, the world's first commercial spaceport, is nearby.
Trending in Las Cruces
Latest updates coming soon
2 hours ago
More local news on the way
5 hours ago
Founded 1849 | Population 115,000 | Peak 115,000 (2024) | County Doña Ana County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Las Cruces, New Mexico

undefined
1849 Founded After Mexican War: Named 'The Crosses' for graves of ambushed travelers.
undefined
1888 NMSU Founded: New Mexico State University established.
undefined
1945 Trinity Test Nearby: First atomic bomb tested at White Sands 60 miles away.
undefined
1990 Economic Development: Las Cruces grew through the technology sector.
undefined
2009 Spaceport America: World's first commercial spaceport built nearby.
🧠
How Well Do You Know Las Cruces?
5 questions • 2 minutes
Take the Quiz →

Latest News in Las Cruces

Jan 1, 1970
Dead or Missing Scientists Pose “National Security Threat,” Top House Republican Warns as Oversight Committee Launches Probe
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) has declared a series of deaths and disappearances involving at least 11 Am…
Jan 1, 1970
White House Signals Review of Mysterious Deaths and Disappearances Among U.S. Scientists in Sensitive Fields
The Trump administration has indicated it will examine a cluster of unexplained deaths and disappearances involving at least 10 Am…
Jan 1, 1970
Pattern of Deaths and Disappearances Among U.S. Scientists Sparks Calls for Federal Scrutiny
The quiet death of a veteran NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist in 2023 has resurfaced amid a string of unexplained fataliti…
Jan 1, 1970
Woman Hides 1 Pound Meth Last Place Anyone Thought Look Tries Smuggle it Us
SAN DIEGO, March 13, 2016 — Border agents got a surprise they didn’t see coming when they stopped a woman trying to bring a he…
Jan 1, 1970
Al Sharpton Donald Trump Hed Probably Have Me Deported
NEW YORK — On March 11, 2016, civil rights activist Al Sharpton took a swipe at Donald Trump during a public appearance, quippin…
Jan 1, 1970
Donald Trump Says he Would Break Nafta Trade Deal
Manchester, New Hampshire – On February 9, 2016, Donald Trump, then a leading Republican presidential candidate, made waves duri…

Complete Historical Timeline

1849 Culture
Founded After Mexican War
1888 Culture
NMSU Founded
1945 Science
Trinity Test Nearby
1990 Industry
Economic Development
2009 Science
Spaceport America

Did You Know?

1
The first atomic bomb was detonated at White Sands, about 60 miles from Las Cruces.
2
Spaceport America, the world's first commercial spaceport, is nearby.
3
Las Cruces means 'The Crosses,' named for graves of ambushed travelers.
4
Las Cruces is located in Doña Ana County, New Mexico.
5
Las Cruces was founded in 1849.

Famous People from Las Cruces, New Mexico

AA
Anwar al-Awlaqi
Engineer · Born Apr 22, 1971 · Died Sep 30, 2011 (age 40)
SB
Shawnacy Barber
Athletics Competitor, Pole Vaulter · Born May 27, 1994 · Died Jan 17, 2024 (age 29)
EC
Edgar Castillo
Association Football Player · Born Oct 8, 1986 · Age 39
AH
Aaron Herrera
Association Football Player · Born Jun 6, 1997 · Age 28
ML
Micah Lawrence
Swimmer · Born Jul 20, 1990 · Age 35

Other Cities in New Mexico

View all New Mexico cities →
A
Albuquerque
Pop. 564,559
RR
Rio Rancho
Pop. 105,000
SF
Santa Fe
Pop. 89,000
F
Farmington
Pop. 45,000
C
Clovis
Pop. 38,567
C
Carlsbad
Pop. 32,238
See something that needs correcting?
We take accuracy seriously. Help us keep Las Cruces's history right.