Los Alamos County is made up of two small communities - Los Alamos and White Rock - with just over 19,400 residents and over 8,000 commuters. The County is home to the Los Alamos National Laboratory, a place that has been creating world-changing science and technology since the 1940s.
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 amazing culture and history with spectacular outdoor beauty and adventure. Residents and visitors alike 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.
Los Alamos County is also the 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.
Climate/Geographical Information
Los Alamos is 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 maximum average temperature is 70 degrees and the average minimum is 42. Los Alamos is surrounded by National Forest, National Parks, Pueblos, and other Federal lands. It is the smallest county in New Mexico at 109 square miles.
Population/People
There are two communities in the County: the townsite of Los Alamos has about 12,500 residents and another 7,000 residents live in the community of White Rock, a few miles southeast of Los Alamos. About 190,000 people live within a forty-mile radius of Los Alamos, with the largest regional neighbor being Santa Fe.
Los Alamos National Laboratory is the largest employer in the County. Approximately 8,000 people commute to work at the Laboratory - traveling from Northern New Mexico, Santa Fe and the Albuquerque metro area - and nearly doubling the Los Alamos population during a standard work week.
The people of Los Alamos have the highest per-capita levels of educational attainment of any community anywhere, with many residents holding a masters’ degree or PhD. The public school district typically ranks as the top school districts in the state and one of the highest in the nation. The University of New Mexico has a branch in Los Alamos, and the community has a large home-schooled population.
County Government
The Council of the Incorporated County of Los Alamos is the governing body of Los Alamos County and was created by the Los Alamos County Charter. The Council consists of seven members elected at large for four-year, staggered terms. Each year the Council elects a Chair and Vice-Chair from within its membership. An incorporated county is established under a special provision of the state constitution. Los Alamos County has both county and municipal authority and powers. Los Alamos County has also adopted a home rule charter, which allows the County to depart from certain statutory requirements. Under the Charter, the Council is the governing body of the County.
The County employs over 700 people. Public utilities (electric, water, sewer, gas) are managed by the County, along with other municipal services such as Fire, Police, Community Development, Community Services, Public Works, Atomic City Transit, Environmental Services, and Social Services. The County owns and operates the local airport. Much of the infrastructure was created during the Manhattan Project in the 1940s and turned over later to the County by the Atomic Energy Commission.