Rio Rancho : New Mexico

A city of Sandoval County, Rio Rancho is the third largest city of New Mexico. It overlooks the Rio Grande Valley. It falls under the Mountain Standard time zone. Known as the “City of Vision” it is one of the fastest growing communities in the US. In the early 1960s, the AMREP Corporation purchased 55,000 acres of land on the outskirts of Albuquerque, originally called Rio Rancho Estates. This was the beginning of Rio Rancho.

Rio Rancho is bordered by Albuquerque to the south, the Santa Ana Indian Reservation to the north, and Bernalillo and Corrales to the east. The northeast corner of the city is bounded by the Rio Grande.

Rio Ranche enjoys four distinct seasons characterized by sunny days almost all year round. It has relatively low humidity with occasional snowfall. The average winter temperature varioes between 43 degrees F to 23 degrees F while the average summer temperature rangers between 91 degrees F to 62 degrees F.

Elevation:  5,679 feet

Land area: 73.4 square miles

Latitude: 35.29 N,

Longitude: 106.67 W

Population: 66,599 as on 2005

Local festivals include:

    * Oktoberfest