About Los Alamos
Welcome to the Los Alamos County government website - a gateway to information and services within and around Los Alamos County. Whether you are a citizen, business, or visitor, we designed this site to help you quickly and easily locate information and engage with us. Still looking for what you need? Email us at lacmanager@lacnm.us.
About the community
Comprising a little more than 19,000 residents, we are two small communities in one County - Los Alamos townsite and White Rock. We are also home to one of the National Nuclear Security Administration's laboratories - Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Community life
Community life features small-town living with friendly neighbors, low crime, and a nationally ranked public school district. It is also a community that seamlessly blends impressive culture and history with spectacular outdoor beauty and adventure. Residents and visitors alike can explore the 200+ miles of developed hiking and biking trails, enjoy summer and winter recreation at the local Pajarito Mountain ski area, and play high-altitude sports at the local Golf Course, the outdoor NHL regulation Ice Rink and the Olympic-sized Aquatic Center.
Gateway to three national parks
Did we mention that we are Gateway to Three National Parks, with the Manhattan Project National Historical Park located in downtown Los Alamos, Bandelier National Monument bordering the Los Alamos National Laboratory on the south side of the County, and the Valles Caldera National Preserve up the road in the Jemez Mountains on the west side of the County? Learn more about all the local assets and attractions at visitlosalamos.org.
American World War II Heritage City
During World War II more than 6,000 scientists, engineers, technicians, and military and support personnel voluntarily relocated to the Ranch School in Los Alamos, New Mexico to work on the Manhattan Project, an unprecedented, top secret US government program in which the United States rushed to develop and deploy atomic weapons before Nazi Germany. Under the leadership of General Leslie Groves, a military base and laboratory - a "secret city" - was built within weeks. Concurrently, under the direction of University of California, Berkeley and Cal Tech physicist and professor, Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, the world’s best and brightest in the scientific fields of theoretical and experimental physics, chemistry, and weapons research were recruited for the project. Within 26 months, these brave and determined persons harnessed the power of the atom and created a weapon that hastened the end of the war. In the 1950s the laboratory was moved from its original location to its present site and the security gates were removed allowing Los Alamos to become an open city. In 2015 the Los Alamos site was included in Manhattan Project National Historical Park.
To learn more about Los Alamos County's role during the Manhattan Project and it's designation as an American World War II Heritage City, visit the National Parks website. To learn more about the other cities across the country, visit the Designated American World War II Heritage Cities page.
Climate/Geographical Information
We are located on the Pajarito Plateau in the mountains of Northern New Mexico. It is approximately 90 miles north of Albuquerque, 35 miles from Santa Fe, and 55 miles from Taos.
At 7,355 feet altitude, Los Alamos is "big pine" country with a mild, four-season climate. Summers have moderately warm days and cool nights. Afternoon temperatures are in the 70s and 80s and infrequently reach 90 degrees. The relatively thin air, light winds, clear skies and dry atmosphere cause nighttime temperatures to drop to the 50s even after the warmest day. Winter storms are typically short in duration, with many mild, sunny days. The annual average high temperature is 70 degrees, and the average low is 42. We are surrounded by National Forest, National Parks, Pueblos, and other Federal lands. It is the smallest county in New Mexico at 109 square miles.