Alamogordo, New Mexico : Ask Biography

Home | Settlement A | Alamogordo, New Mexico

Alamogordo (c-eniconˌæləməˈɡɔrdoʊ) is the county seat of Otero County and a city in south-central New Mexico, United States. A desert community lying in the Tularosa Basin, it is bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains. It is the nearest city to Holloman Air Force Base. The population was 35,582 as of the 2000 census. Alamogordo is known for the Atari video game burial of 1983. It is also famous for its connection with the Trinity test, the first explosion of a nuclear (atomic) bomb.

Humans have lived in the Alamogordo area for at least 11,000 years. The present settlement established in 1898 to support the construction of the El Paso and Northeastern Railroad, is an early example of a planned community. The city was incorporated in 1912. Tourism became an important economic factor with the creation of White Sands National Monument in 1934. During the 1950-60s, Alamogordo was an unofficial center for research on pilot safety and the developing United States' space program.

Alamogordo is a charter city with a council-manager form of government. City government provides a large number of recreational and leisure facilities for its citizens, including a large park in the center of the city, many smaller parks scattered through the city, a golf course, Alameda Park Zoo, a network of walking paths, Alamogordo Public Library, and a senior citizens' center. Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center is a nonprofit shared military/civilian facility that is also the hospital for Holloman.

As the economic center of Otero County, Alamogordo has a primarily service and retail economy that draws its customers from tourists and from active-duty and retired military personnel. The city is accessible through three U.S. Highways and scheduled commercial air service at Alamogordo-White Sands Regional Airport. Holloman Air Force Base (including a German Air Force Tactical Training Center) and White Sands Missile Range are two nearby major military bases. By some estimates, Holloman accounts for half the economy of Alamogordo. The city also has a public school system, a branch of New Mexico State University, and the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, making education also a significant contributor to the economy. A city's gross receipts tax funds incentives for new businesses, which are recruited by the nonprofit Otero County Economic Development Council. Several films a year are shot partly in the Alamogordo area and the filming expenditures add to the economy. The New Mexico Museum of Space History, Lincoln National Forest, and White Sands National Monument are in or near the city. A hot-air balloon festival is held annually. Skiing is available in nearby Mescalero and Cloudcroft, and gambling is available at the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino in Mescalero.