Although to most travelers central New Mexico is an area to be raced through as quickly as possible, it does hold isolated pockets of interest, with the scenery, at least in the west, the main attraction. Dozens of all-American small towns hang on to the last remnants of Route 66 , the winding old "Chicago-to-LA" transcontinental highway which has by and large been superseded by high-speed Interstate 40.

Albuquerque - New Mexico's largest city, with a third of the state's population - sits dead center, at the intersection of I-40 and I-25. It's also a main stop for Amtrak and Greyhound, and holds New Mexico's only major airport . Though the area east of Albuquerque , stretching along I-40 toward Texas, is among the most desolate parts of the Southwest, one or two towns merit a quick detour off the interstate, thanks largely to Wild West heroes such as Kit Carson and Billy the Kid. The mountainous region to the west of Albuquerque has more to see - above all Ácoma Pueblo , the mesa-top community known as "Sky City."

Central New Mexico

• Central New Mexico

Explore Central New Mexico

• Albuquerque
• Tucumcari and Fort Sumner
• West of Albuquerque: I-40 to Arizona

New Mexico cities


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