Ruidoso, New Mexico - Inn Of The Mountain Gods

Ruidoso is a village in Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States, adjacent to the Lincoln National Forest. The population was 8,029 at the 2010 census. The cities of Ruidoso Downs, Hollywood, Mescalero, and Alto are suburbs of Ruidoso, and contribute to the Ruidoso Micropolitan Statistical Area's population of 21,223.

A mountain resort town, Ruidoso lies in the rugged Sierra Blanca mountain range of southcentral New Mexico, where it merges with the Sacramento Mountains to the south. Ruidoso is a rapidly growing resort community due to the region's alpine scenery, the Ruidoso Downs racetrack, and the slopes of Ski Apache, the Mescalero Apache Tribe-owned ski resort on Sierra Blanca, a 12,000-foot (3,700 m) mountain. The tribe also operates the Inn of the Mountain Gods resort in the area, which includes a casino, hotel, and golf course. Ruidoso is the largest community in Lincoln County, and serves as the regional economic hub.

Ruidoso has been experiencing explosive growth. Currently, Ruidoso is the fourth-fastest growing city in New Mexico, after Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, and Las Cruces. Massive investment has poured into the town from many developers. Major projects including large housing subdivisions, condos, and retail establishments have altered the face of the once "sleepy mountain community." As a result, the Village is contending with serious questions about the adequacy of the local water supply and zoning enforcement. Like many small communities that have been recently 'discovered', there is an ongoing debate about how best to plan for additional growth.

The village received its name from the Rio Ruidoso (Spanish for "Noisy River"), a small stream that weaves through the city.

History

In December 2006, 7% of eligible voters approved a $12.6 million bond issue to finance the expansion and modernization of the local wastewater treatment plant which was built in 1982. In 2011, construction was completed on a $36 million wastewater treatment plant. This state-of-the-art facility utilizes membrane technology to achieve discharge standards within regulatory guidelines. The plant was designed to accommodate future growth. The average daily volume is 1.6 million gallons. The plant can currently process up to 2.7 million gallons per day.

The town and the river was hit by devastating flash flooding from late at night on July 26, 2008 through July 27, 2008. The remnant circulation of Hurricane Dolly passed over the area and brought as much as 9 inches (23 cm) of rainfall. Hundreds of tourists, campers and residents were evacuated and the storm caused damage at the Ruidoso Downs racetrack. One person was killed in the flooding, approximately 900 persons required rescue, approximately 500 structures were damaged, and initial damage estimates for Ruidoso were in the range of $15â€" 20 million.

In March 2016 the Village of Ruidoso entered into a Sister City relationship with Puerto Penasco, Sonora, Mexico.

Geography

Climate

Ruidoso is located at 33°20′29″N 105°39′58″W (33.341371, -105.666235). Elevation is 6,920 feet (2,110 m).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 14.4 square miles (37 km²), of which, 14.3 square miles (37 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) of it (0.63%) is water.

According to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system, Ruidoso has a subtropical highland climate (Cfb) due to its moderate temperature ranges and precipitation throughout the year. Bi-modal precipitation falls as rain during summer monsoon and as winter snow. Snowfall varies highly by the year. See http://en.climate-data.org/location/128906/ for additional climate information.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 7,698 people, 3,434 households, and 2,232 families residing in the village. The population density was 538.7 people per square mile (208.0/km²). There are 7,584 housing units at an average density of 530.8 per square mile (204.9/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 87.50% White, 0.29% African American, 2.38% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 7.44% from other races, and 2.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.21% of the population.

There were 3,434 households out of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.72.

In the village the population was spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 21.9% from 25 to 44, 30.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $37,107, and the median income for a family was $44,846. Males had a median income of $30,452 versus $21,974 for females. The per capita income for the village was $22,721. About 2.5% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.5% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

All public schools operate under the Ruidoso Municipal School District.

Public schools

• Ruidoso Preschool: Preschool
• Nob Hill Early Development Center: Kindergarten
• Sierra Vista Primary School: 1st-2nd Grade
• White Mountain Elementary School: 3rd-5th Grade
• Ruidoso Middle School: 6th-8th Grade
• Ruidoso High School: 9th-12th Grade

Private schools

• Sierra Blanca Christian Academy: All ages
• Ruidoso Christian School: 14-17

Colleges

• ENMU-Ruidoso Branch Community College. The ENMU Ruidoso Campus is a two-year college or community college (one of 18 New Mexico branches) and an official Branch of ENMU (this status was granted in July 2005).

Public Library

Ruidoso Public Library is the library serving Ruidoso, Ruidoso Downs, Alto, and greater Lincoln County area in New Mexico, USA.

Starting in 1954, the library developed from the Woman's Club small collection of books. It was later housed in the Ruidoso Municipal Building. The first library building was built in 1974 at 501 Sudderth Dr. and is now the Senior Citizens Center. The current library was built in 1998.

Services

• Archive Room
• Conference Room
• Children's/Teen Library
• 33 public use computers

Sports

The Ruidoso Osos were an independent professional baseball team in the Pecos League during the 2011 season. The team is on hiatus for the 2012 season because of low attendance with the addition of no lights, meaning games were played at 4:30 p.m., and the fact that alcohol could not be sold at White Mountain Park because it was owned by Ruidoso Municipal Schools. In the 2013 season, the team moved to Raton, New Mexico and were renamed the Raton Osos.

Transportation

Airports

• Sierra Blanca Regional Airport, located about 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Ruidoso.

Major highways

• U.S. Route 70
• NM 37
• NM 48

Notable people

• Mary Ann Almager, world champion boxer
• Neil Patrick Harris, contemporary actor
• Mike Runnels, Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico
• Bram van der Stok, aka Dr. Bram "Bob" Vanderstok, WWII flying ace and hero of "The Great Escape" from Stalag Luft III