Las Cruces << lahs KROO sihs >> , New Mexico (pop. 111,385; met. area pop. 219,561), is the trading center for the rich farmlands of the Mesilla Valley. The city lies on the Rio Grande in south-central New Mexico. The name Las Cruces is Spanish for the crosses. New Mexico State University and the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum are in the city. The Organ Mountains rise east of Las Cruces, and White Sands National Park stands to the northeast. Military missile testing areas are north and south of the park. Las Cruces has a council-manager government and is the seat of Dona Ana County.
Las Cruces was settled in 1849. El Camino Real, the old Spanish colonial road from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to Mexico City, ran through the region.
See also New Mexico State University .
