The American state capital situated at the highest elevation is also the oldest state capital and it is the second oldest US city.
The capital of New Mexico, Santa Fe is at an elevation of 2100 meters (6890 ft). This city was founded between 1607 and 1610, and it the second-oldest city after St. Augustine in Florida that was founded in 1565.
Both cities were founded by Spanish, and they are older than the United States.
Santa Fe basics
Before Spanish colonists, the area of the present city had been occupied by Indigenous people who had a village there already in 900 A.D. Initially, they were able to expel newcomers but the rebellion was fruitless.
The Spanish city was founded in 1607 by Don Pedro de Peralta, Governor of Spanish New Mexico, and in 1610 it became the capital of the province. It remained Spanish until Mexico declared its independence in 1810.
It became a part of the Texas Republic in 1836. When Mexico was defeated in the war, it become a part of the United States in 1848.
Santa Fe is a relatively small city for a capital, with well below 150000 people in its metropolitan area.
The interactive map below will show you its position and access roads. Zoom in to see details:
The capitol building in Santa Fe is the only round state capitol in the US, and it is designed to resemble the ancient Sun symbol of New Mexico’s Zia people.
More details about the Santa Fe you can find in the site of the city here. There is also a good article about Santa Fe on Wikipedia. Did you know that Santa Fe is also the oldest capital city in United States?
In this video you can see a selection of things to do and places to visit in Santa Fe New Mexico:
What is the best time of year to go to Santa Fe?
This should be May and September. The peak tourist season in Santa Fe is typically during the summer months. In this season prices climb, and the city may be crowded.
So in late spring this summer’s peak hasn’t yet hit. On the other hand festivals are in fall.
Does Santa Fe get a lot of snow?
Santa Fe snow season is the period from November through April. On Wikipedia they write that it receives six to eight snowfalls in that period.
The city has an average of 32 inches of snow in town. But this is around 10 times more in the ski areas.
The coldest month in Santa Fe is January with an average low of 19°F and high of 41°F.
Does it rain a lot in Santa Fe?
Here you have a high-desert landscape with a changeable temperature but not much of rain. Summers are hot and winters are cool and dry.
The heaviest rainfall is typically in July and August, and this is due to the North American Monsoon. Santa Fe gets only around 14 inches of rain during the year.
Is Santa Fe sunny?
Absolutely so. The number of sunny days in Santa Fe is on average 325 per year. This is far above the the US average. This is a semi-arid climate with bright blue skies and sunshine throughout the year.
So you have seen it, the elevation of Santa Fe is quite impressive for North America. You can compare it with the highest capital in Europe which is in a micro-country Andorra, but see also the highest elevation capital in South America.
This site is all about capitals, and I add texts here on a regular basis, so bookmark it and keep as a reference. Thank you for reading and have a nice day.