Los Alamos County is
where discoveries are made!
With just over 60 years as a local government, Los Alamos County is relatively young in its role as an incorporated county. Los Alamos is a place of spectacular scenery, diverse wildlife, uncommon high-altitude recreational opportunities, small-town friendliness, numerous and diverse cultural activities, fascinating history, and world-changing science and technological development.
There are two communities in Los Alamos County: Los Alamos townsite with about 12,000 residents and White Rock with about 6,000 residents. Technically, both are part of the same incorporated city/county. About 190,000 people live within a 40-mile radius of Los Alamos.
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is the largest employer (11,000) in the county with an annual budget of $2 billion. Approximately 7,000 people commute to the laboratory from the surrounding area each day.
The lab supports high levels of job stability, income and education, with the highest number of PhDs per capita and a median household income of $123,677 per year.
In addition, the county enjoys a low crime rate and gets high marks from residents who feel safe and secure here. The public school district is in the top 4% in the nation, the University of New Mexico has a local branch, and the community has a large home-schooled population.
At 7,245 feet in altitude, Los Alamos is “big pine” country, providing
a wealth of high altitude recreational resources, including:
- Pajarito Mountain, located 5 miles from downtown Los Alamos, accommodates downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing in the winter, mountain biking in the summer and fall, and hiking year-round;
- Los Alamos County Golf Course, an 18-hole, par 72 course;
- Larry R. Walkup Aquatic Center, featuring a 50-meter, Olympic-size pool (used by Olympic athletes from around the globe), a therapy pool, the recreational Leisure Lagoon, and scheduled events and activities;
- Los Alamos County Ice Rink, the only refrigerated, NHL regulation, outdoor ice rink in New Mexico;
- More than 150 miles of County network and U.S. Forest Service
trails that traverse through and around Los Alamos.
Los Alamos is also the gateway to three national parks: the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, Bandelier National Monument, and the Valles Caldera National Preserve.
Los Alamos’ four-season climate, with annual temperatures averaging a high of 70 degrees and a low of 42 degrees, promotes exceptional recreation opportunities year round.