Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
Las Cruces
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
Las Cruces New Mexico State University
Read Next
Close up of a hand placing a ballot in a ballot box. Election vote voter voting
Have Any U.S. Presidents Decided Not to Run For a Second Term?
Washington, D.C. locator map.
What State Is Washington, D.C. In?
The United States Supreme Court building, Washington, D.C.
14 Questions About Government in the United States Answered
Bar graph of the United States Death Toll during major events. Infogram chart.
U.S. Death Toll During Major Events
The Battle of New Orleans, by E. Percy Moran, c. 1910. Andrew Jackson, War of 1812.
26 Decade-Defining Events in U.S. History
Discover
Snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) with its Summer coat on the left side and its winter coat on the right.
7 Animals That Turn White in Winter
United States electoral college map showing number of electoral votes by state.
How Does the Electoral College Work?
Nero (Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus) (ad 50-54) the fifth Roman emperor (ad 54-68), stepson and heir of the emperor Claudius.
Did Nero Really Fiddle as Rome Burned?
Andrew Jackson delivering a speech while on his way to Washington, D.C., for his inauguration in 1829. From Harper's Weekly, 1881.
5 Remarkably Close U.S. Presidential Elections
Portrait of a mountain gorilla at a short distance. gorilla close up portrait.The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei)
Falling Stars: 10 of the Most Famous Endangered Species
cloning. First cloned cat. First cloned companion animal. CC (copy cat) female domestic shorthair cat (b. Dec. 22, 2001) photo Jan. 18, 2002. Cloned at Texas A&M Univ. College of Vet. Med. & Biomedical Sciences. Reproductive cloning genetics DNA cc cat
CC, The First Cloned Cat
The Cheshire Cat is a fictional cat from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. (Alice in Wonderland)
11 Banned Books Through Time
Las Cruces
Las Cruces The construction of new homes in Las Cruces, N.M.

Las Cruces

New Mexico, United States
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/place/Las-Cruces
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Print
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/place/Las-Cruces
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: • Article History

Las Cruces, city, seat (1852) of Doña Ana county, southern New Mexico, U.S. It lies along the Rio Grande 38 miles (61 km) northwest of El Paso, Texas. It was founded in 1848 at the end of the Mexican-American War. There are many theories surrounding the naming of the town, but none of these legends has ever been verified. A popular account suggests that crude wooden crosses were erected to mark the graves of soldiers and travelers who had died in the area, whence the name Las Cruces (Spanish: “The Crosses”). Cotton and pecans are grown in the area, which is irrigated by Elephant Butte Dam. New Mexico State University (1888) is based in Las Cruces. White Sands Missile Range and White Sands National Monument are to the northeast. Historic Mesilla (briefly the Confederate capital of the Arizona Territory) and the Indian community of Tortugas are nearby. At the end of the 1990s, Las Cruces was one of the fastest-growing cities in the western United States. Inc. 1907. Pop. (2000) 74,267; Las Cruces Metro Area, 174,682; (2010) 97,618; Las Cruces Metro Area, 209,233.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kenneth Pletcher.