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'Ruidoso' is a mountain resort town in Lincoln County, New Mexico, adjacent to the Lincoln National Forest. The population was 7,698 at the 2000 census and 11,210 in the 2005 census estimate. 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.
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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, Ruidoso Downs racetrack, and slopes of Ski Apache, the Mescalero Apache Indian owned ski resort on the 12,000 foot mountain Sierra Blanca.^[2] The tribe also operates the Inn of the Mountain Gods resort in the area, which includes a casino, hotel, and golf course.^[3] 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 3rd fastest growing city in New Mexico. 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.
[1] 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. The plant is barely adequate to handle the existing population, and does not meet current EPA standards.
The village received its name from the Rio Ruidoso (Spanish for "Noisy River"), a small stream that weaves through the city.

Contents

Geography

Demographics

Education

Public schools

Private schools

Colleges

Notable residents

Transportation

Airports

Major highways

Nearest cities

References

External links

Geography

Ruidoso is located at (33.341371, -105.666235). Elevation is 6920 feet.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 37.2 km² (14.4 mi²). 37.0 km² (14.3 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.63%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 7,698 people. The population density was 208.0/km² (538.7/mi²). 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 11,434 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-4th Grade

★ White Mountain Intermediate School: 5th-6th Grade

★ Ruidoso Middle School: 7th-8th Grade

★ Ruidoso High School: 9th-12th Grade

★ Gavilan Canyon Alternative School: 6th-11th Grade

Private schools

★ Sierra Blanca Christian Academy: All ages

★ Ruidoso Christian School: All ages

★ Camp Sierra Blanca: Juvenile-Probational

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).^[4]

Notable residents

★ Neil Patrick Harris, contemporary actor ^[5]

★ Ross Anderson, contemporary speed skier ^[6]

★ Paul Dowlin, gristmill operator ^[7]

★ Captain Henry Stanton, Civil War veteran. est. Fort Stanton^[8]

Transportation

Airports

★ Sierra Blanca Regional Airport, located about 15 miles northwest of Ruidoso.

Major highways

★ U.S. Route 70

★ NM 37

★ NM 48

Nearest cities

★ Alto, New Mexico

★ Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico

★ Hollywood, New Mexico

★ Capitan, New Mexico

★ Cloudcroft, New Mexico

★ Carrizozo, New Mexico

★ Alamogordo, New Mexico

★ Roswell, New Mexico

★ Las Cruces, New Mexico

★ El Paso, Texas

References

1. Welcome to Ruidoso, New Mexico
2. Ski Apache Ski Resort
3. Inn of the Mountain Gods
4. ENMU Ruidoso Branch Community College
5. Neil Patrick Harris Biography
6. Ross Anderson Professional Profile
7. Old gristmill in New Mexico harbors a colorful history
8. History of Fort Stanton

External links

★ Ruidoso website

★ Ruidoso News, newspaper for Ruidoso

★ Ruidoso Travel Web Site

★ Ruidoso Visitor Information

★ Ruidoso Valley Chamber of Commerce

★ Current Weather Conditions: Ruidoso Regional, NM, United States