The six areas of Albuquerque, and what each one is for.
The city is wide and the interstates cross in the middle of it. Pick the area first; the hotel, the food, and the day plan follow from it.
- 01
The Sunport and Yale Boulevard
Stay here for an early flight or a one-night stop.
- 02
University and Nob Hill
Stay here to walk to dinner, coffee, and small shops.
- 03
Uptown
Stay here for shopping, the foothills, and the tram.
- 04
Downtown and Old Town
Stay here for the plaza, the museums, and the train to Santa Fe.
- 05
North I-25 and Balloon Fiesta Park
Stay here for the Balloon Fiesta or a drive north.
- 06
The West Side
Stay here for the petroglyphs and sunsets over the city.
Area by area.
What it is, who should stay there, and what is nearest.
- 01The Sunport, UNM, the Rio Grande bosque a short drive west.
The Sunport and Yale Boulevard
The south side, minutes from the airport and the car rental center, with the University of New Mexico just up the road. Stay here for an early flight or a one-night stop.
- 02Nob Hill, UNM, Central Avenue, a straight shot west to Downtown.
University and Nob Hill
The campus, then the neon stretch of Central Avenue east of it, on the old Route 66 alignment. Stay here to walk to dinner, coffee, and small shops.
- 03The Sandia Peak Tramway, the foothills trails, I-40 east.
Uptown
The shopping side of the city, with ABQ Uptown and Coronado Center, chain dining, and quick access to I-40. Stay here for shopping, the foothills, and the tram.
- 04Old Town, the Albuquerque Museum, the BioPark, the Rail Runner.
Downtown and Old Town
The plaza the city grew from, the museums beside it, the Rail Runner station, and the nightlife along Central. Stay here for the plaza, the museums, and the train to Santa Fe.
- 05Balloon Fiesta Park, I-25 to Santa Fe, the Journal Center.
North I-25 and Balloon Fiesta Park
Office parks along the Journal Center, the interstate straight north to Santa Fe, and the shortest drive to the balloon grounds each October. Stay here for the Balloon Fiesta or a drive north.
- 06Petroglyph National Monument, the volcanoes, the West Mesa overlooks.
The West Side
Across the Rio Grande on the West Mesa, near Petroglyph National Monument and the volcanoes on the skyline. Stay here for the petroglyphs and sunsets over the city.
How the areas connect.
I-25 runs north and south through the middle of the city and I-40 runs east and west; they cross just north of Downtown. Central Avenue, the old Route 66, runs parallel to I-40 a mile south of it and strings Old Town, Downtown, the University, and Nob Hill together in one line. The Rio Grande runs north to south on the west side, and everything across it is the West Side.
The Sandia Mountains close the east edge of the city. The Sunport sits south of Downtown near I-25, and Balloon Fiesta Park sits on the north edge near I-25. Almost every trip is a choice between the Central Avenue line and the interstates.