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Carlsbad is the county seat of Eddy County, New Mexico in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 27,463. Carlsbad is the center of the designated micropolitan area of Carlsbad-Artesia, which has a total population of 51,658.
Carlsbad is located in the Chihuahuan Desert and the Pecos River Valley at a elevation of 3,295 feet. Carlsbad Caverns National Park is located eighteen miles southwest of the city, with Guadalupe Mountains National Park lying forty miles further southwest across the Texas border. There are also three man-made lakes within fifty miles of the city, including Lake Carlsbad.
Geography
Carlsbad is located at (32.411893, -104.236277). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 73.6 km² (28.4 mi²). 73.5 km² (28.4 mi²) of the city is land and 0.1 km² (0.1 mi²) (0.18%) is water.
History
Located along the banks of the Pecos River, Carlsbad was originally christened the town of Eddy on September 15, 1888 and organized as a municipal corporation in 1893. With the commercial development of local mineral springs for medicinal qualities , the town changed its name to Carlsbad, after the famous European spa Karlsbad (now Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic). On March 25, 1918, the New Mexican governor proclaimed Carlsbad a city.
The re-discovery of Carlsbad Caverns (then known as "Bat Cave") by local cowboys in 1901 and the subsequent establishment of Carlsbad Caverns National Park on May 14, 1930 gained the town of Carlsbad substantial recognition.
In 1925 potash was discovered near Carlsbad and for many years Carlsbad dominated the American potash market. Following the decline of the potash market in the 1960s, the residents and leaders of Carlsbad lobbied for the establishment of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Congress authorized the WIPP project in 1979 and construction began in 1980. The DOE Carlsbad Area Office opened in 1993 and the first waste shipment arrived in 1999.
Economy
The economy of the Carlsbad area is based primarily on the mineral extraction sector; the city overlies the rich oil and gas producing formations of the Permian Basin and produces more potash than any other location in the United States. Carlsbad is home to the DOE's Carlsbad Field Office which operates the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant to safely store the transuranic nuclear wastes from the nation's defense sites. The services sector is the newest growth industry in Carlsbad with several call centers and a large medical transcription center. Tourism is a major factor with two national parks, Lincoln National Forest, the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park and the annual Christmas on the Pecos Light Show all located within fifty miles of the city.
Education, Research, Development, and Technology Facilities
Education in Carlsbad consists of the Carlsbad Municipal School District, New Mexico State University-Carlsbad and Northwood University. Carlsbad has several research facilities, such as the Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring and Research Center operated by NMSU, the National Cave and Karst Research Center operated by New Mexico Tech, and units of the National Park Service and the city of Carlsbad. The US Department of Energy's Sandia National Labs and Los Alamos National Laboratory each have branch operations in Carlsbad. The Carlsbad Department of Development and the city operate the Aero-Tech Industrial Technology park including the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Training Center.
Airport
Cavern City Air Terminal is a public airport located 5 miles southwest of Carlsbad. Mesa Airlines is the only airline serving Carlsbad, currently offering non-stop service to Albuquerque, Hobbs, and Roswell, New Mexico.
Points of Interest
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park
- Guadalupe Mountains National Park
- Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park
- National Cave and Karst Research Center
- The Cascades of Carlsbad
- Lincoln National Forest
External links
- National Park Service - Carlsbad Caverns
- City of Carlsbad
- Carlsbad Dept Of Development
- Carlsbad Chamber Of Commerce
- Eddy County Government Page
- Carlsbad History
External links
"Carlsbad, New Mexico"