Taos, New Mexico

City in New Mexico, United States

For other uses, see Taos.

Town in New Mexico, United States

Taos, New Mexico

Town

Taos Plaza and the Hotel La Fonda, within the Taos Downtown Historic District

Seal

Location of Taos, New Mexico

U.S. Census map

Taos, New Mexico

Location in New Mexico

Show map of New Mexico

Taos, New Mexico

Location in the United States

Show map of the United States

Coordinates: 36°23′13″N 105°34′48″W﻿ / ﻿36.38694°N 105.58000°W﻿ / 36.38694; -105.58000
Country| United States
State| New Mexico
County| Taos
Founded| 1795[1]
Incorporated| 1934
Named after| Taos Pueblo
Government

• Type| Mayor-Council-Manager
• Mayor| Pascualito M. Maestas[2]
Area

[3]

• Total

| 6.04 sq mi (15.64 km2)
• Land| 6.04 sq mi (15.64 km2)
• Water| 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation

[4]

| 6,969 ft (2,124 m)
Population

(2020)[5]

• Total

| 6,474
• Density| 1,072.03/sq mi (413.94/km2)
Time zone| UTC−7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)| UTC−6 (MDT)
ZIP code|

87571

Area code| 575
FIPS code| 35-76200
GNIS feature ID| 2413366[4]
Website| www.taosgov.com

Taos (/taʊs/) is a town in Taos County, in the north-central region of New Mexico in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Initially founded in 1615, it was intermittently occupied until its formal establishment in 1795 by Nuevo México Governor Fernando Chacón to act as a fortified plaza and trading outpost for the neighboring Native American Taos Pueblo (the town's namesake) and Hispano communities, including Ranchos de Taos, Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, El Prado, and Arroyo Seco. The town was incorporated in 1934. The 2021 estimate has a population of 6,567.[6]

Taos is the county seat of Taos County. The English name Taos derives from the native Taos language meaning "(place of) red willows".

## History

[edit]

### Taos Pueblo

[edit]

Main article: Taos Pueblo

The Taos Pueblo, which borders the north boundary of the town of Taos, has been occupied for nearly a millennium. It is estimated that the pueblo was built between 1000 and 1450 A.D., with some later expansion. The pueblo is considered to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the United States.[7]

Located in a tributary valley off the Rio Grande, it is the most northern of the New Mexico pueblos. The pueblo, at some places five stories high, is a combination of many individual homes with common walls. There are over 1,900 Taos Puebloans living within the greater pueblo-area community. Many of them have modern homes near their fields and live there in the summer months, only staying at their homes within the main North or South pueblo buildings during cooler weather. About 150 people live within the main pueblo buildings year-round.[7] The Taos Pueblo was added as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.[8]

### Spanish colonization

[edit]

Old cemetery and ruins of original church, Taos Pueblo, New Mexico. Fray Pedro de Miranda, the Taos mission priest, was killed in 1640.

Taos was established c.1615 as Don Fernando de Taos, following the Spanish conquest of the Indian Pueblo villages. Initially, relations of the Spanish settlers with Taos Pueblo were amicable,[9] but resentment of meddling by missionaries, and demands by encomenderos for tribute, led to a revolt in 1640; Taos Indians killed their priest and a number of Spanish settlers and subsequently fled the pueblo, not returning until 1661.[10]

In 1680, Taos Pueblo joined the widespread Pueblo Revolt. After the Spanish Reconquest of 1692, Taos Pueblo continued armed resistance to the Spanish until 1696, when Governor Diego de Vargas defeated the Indians at Taos Canyon.[10]

During the 1770s, Taos was repeatedly raided by Comanches who lived on the plains of what is now eastern Colorado. Juan Bautista de Anza, governor of the Province of New Mexico, led a successful punitive expedition in 1779 against the Comanches.[11]

Between 1780 and 1800, Don Fernando de Taos (now simply Taos) was established.[12] Between 1796 and 1797, the Don Fernando de Taos land grant gave land to 63 Spanish families in the Taos valley.[13] It was built as a fortified plaza with adobe buildings and is now a central plaza surrounded by residential areas.[12] Mountain men who trapped beaver nearby made Taos their home in the early 1800s.[13]

### U.S. territory and statehood

[edit]

Mexico ceded the region to the U.S. in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 after the Mexican–American War. After the U.S. takeover of New Mexico in 1847, Hispanics and American Indians in Taos staged a rebellion, known as the Taos Revolt, in which the newly appointed U.S. Governor, Charles Bent, was killed. New Mexico was a territory of the United States beginning in 1850 and became a state in 1912.

For historical reasons, the American flag is displayed continuously at Taos Plaza (both day and night). This derives from the time of the American Civil War, when Confederate sympathizers in the area attempted to remove the flag. The Union officer Kit Carson sought to discourage this activity by having guards surround the area and fly the flag 24 hours a day.[14]

Anton Docher, the "Padre of Isleta", first served as a priest in Taos before leaving for Isleta in 1891.[15]

### Taos art colony

[edit]

Main articles: Taos Society of Artists and Taos art colony

Beginning in 1899, artists began to settle in Taos; six formed the Taos Society of Artists in 1915. In time, the Taos art colony developed. Many paintings were made of local scenes, especially of Taos Pueblo and activities there, as the artists often modelled Native Americans from the pueblo in their paintings. Some of the artists' studios have been preserved and may be viewed by visitors to Taos. These include the Ernest L. Blumenschein House, the Eanger Irving Couse House and Studio—Joseph Henry Sharp Studios, and the Nicolai Fechin house, all of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[16][17] Influential later 20th-century Taos artists include R. C. Gorman and Agnes Martin.[citation needed] A number of Foundations host artist residencies in Taos including the prestigious Helene Wurlitzer Foundation which began hosting painters, writers, composers, sculptors, poets and filmmakers at Casa Encantado in 1954.

## Historic sites and tourism

[edit]

Taos Pueblo E.L. Blumenschein House Library, National Register of Historical Places

See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Taos County, New Mexico

Taos is home to more than twenty sites on the National Register of Historic Places.[18]

### Pueblos

[edit]

About 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Taos is Taos Pueblo. Picuris Pueblo is located about 25 miles (40 km) south.

### Taos Fiestas

[edit]

The Fiestas de Taos is an annual community celebration in the Taos Plaza honoring the feast of the two patron saints of Taos, Santa Ana and Santiago. It is normally celebrated the third weekend of July. A commemorative mass and procession from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church officially opens the event on Friday evening, followed with the crowning of the Fiestas Queen. The celebration continues with musical and dance performances scheduled on the plaza every hour. Two parades are staged, a children's parade on Saturday and the larger Fiesta Parade on Sunday.[19]

### Bent Street

[edit]

Located just north of the Taos Plaza, this street was the location of Governor Charles Bent's home.

Bent was scalped and killed by Pueblo warriors during the Taos Revolt on January 19, 1847. During the Taos Revolt, Bent's horses were set free from their stable.

### Artists homes and studios

[edit]

#### Present

[edit]

The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Taos that provides free residency to eleven artists, with each year divided into three residency sessions of three months apiece at Casa Encantado.

Abbie Conant, former principal trombonist of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and seasonal Taos resident, runs a studio three blocks from the plaza. In addition to the studio having capacity to seat 60, there is also a two bedroom living space. In addition to her and her husband's own performances, the studio has hosted poetry readings, presentations and performance from local Taoseñas and fellows from the Wurlitzer Foundation.[20]

#### Historic

[edit]

Many of the historic sites are homes and studios of artists, including the Mabel Dodge Luhan House, Eanger Irving Couse House and Studio—Joseph Henry Sharp Studios, the Nicolai Fechin House, the Leon Gaspard House, and the Ernest Martin Hennings House.

Doc Martin's restaurant in the historic Taos Inn was previously the office of Thomas "Doc" Martin, while other parts of the inn served as his home and the birthplace of the Taos Society of Artists. On Ledoux street, just south of the Taos Plaza, is the Ernest L. Blumenschein House and Harwood House.

### Other historic sites

[edit]

Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Taos, NM

The center of the Taos Downtown Historic District is the Taos Plaza. Just west of that is the Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. North of the Taos Plaza is the Governor Charles Bent House and the Taos Inn. Further north in Taos is the Bernard Beimer House. On the southwestern edge of the Taos Historic district is La Loma Plaza Historic District. East of the plaza on Kit Carson Road is the Kit Carson House.

North of Taos is the Turley Mill and Distillery Site and the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. Just outside Taos in Ranchitos is the Martinez Hacienda, the home turned museum of the late Padre Antonio José Martínez. South of Taos is the Ranchos de Taos Plaza with the San Francisco de Asis Mission Church.

Taos Historic District Places from Taos Plaza

|  | Governor Charles Bent House, Taos Inn, The Bernard Beimer House, Taos Art Museum, the Nicolai Fechin House, Taos Pueblo | Mabel Dodge Luhan House

|
|

|  |
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church |

Taos Plaza within the
Taos Downtown Historic District

| Kit Carson House, Eanger Irving Couse House and Studio—Joseph Henry Sharp Studios, Ernest Martin Hennings House, the Leon Gaspard House
|  |
La Loma Plaza Historic District | Ernest L. Blumenschein House, Harwood House |

Kit Carson gravestone and burial plot

About 20 miles (32 km) northwest is the D. H. Lawrence Ranch (originally known as the Kiowa Ranch and now owned by the University of New Mexico), the home of the English novelist in the 1920s. It is believed that his ashes are buried there at the D. H. Lawrence Memorial.[citation needed]

### Arts

[edit]

There are three art museums in Taos: Harwood Museum of Art, Taos Art Museum and Millicent Rogers Museum that provide art from the Pueblo Native Americans, Taos Society of Artists and modern and contemporary artists of the Taos art colony. The town has more than 80 art galleries, and there are several houses of the Taos Society of Artists.[21][22]

There are several local venues for the performing arts in Taos. The Taos Center for the Arts (TCA) draws nationally renowned and local performers at the Taos Community Auditorium. They also present independent film series. Three chamber music groups perform at TCA: Taos School of Music, Taos Chamber Music Group, and Music from Angel Fire. The Harwood Museum of Art is site of other performances and lectures. The Town of Taos Convention Center offers a venue for other local performances.[23]

The Taos Talking Pictures Film Festival was a film festival held in the town from the mid-1990s to 2003. The festival's top prize was 5 acres (2.0 ha) of land.[24][25][26]

### Recreation

[edit]

The Carson National Forest and Rio Grande del Norte National Monument provide many opportunities for recreation, such as hiking, skiing, fly fishing, horseback riding, golfing, hot air ballooning, llama trekking, rafting, and mountain biking. The South Boundary National Recreation trail, east of town in Carson National Forest, is consistently ranked the best mountain bike trail in New Mexico.[27]

There are also numerous hot springs along the Rio Grande and in the Taos Mountains. Ojo Caliente offers locations where visitors can enjoy access to mineral springs as well as massages and other spa treatments.[28] Among hot springs in the area is a historical site called Stage Coach, which used to double as a brothel during the times of the Old West. Nearby, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad provides a ride through the Toltec Gorge and Rocky Mountain passes in an authentic narrow-gauge steam railroad.[29]

In the winter, many people come to Taos to ski in the mountains. Nearby Wheeler Peak, at 13,161 feet (4,011 m), is the highest peak in New Mexico. The Taos area has four ski areas – Taos Ski Valley, Red River ski area, Sipapu (ski area) and Angel Fire ski area. Other winter activities include hot air ballooning, horseback riding, snow-shoeing, cross-country skiing, ski skating, ice skating, ice fishing and snowmobiling.[30]

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1940| 965| | —
1950| 1,815| | 88.1%
1960| 2,163| | 19.2%
1970| 2,475| | 14.4%
1980| 3,369| | 36.1%
1990| 4,065| | 20.7%
2000| 4,700| | 15.6%
2010| 5,716| | 21.6%
2020| 6,474| | 13.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[31][5]

Taos is the principal town of the Taos, NM, Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Taos County.

As of the 2010 census Taos had a population of 5,716. The median age was 44. The ethnic and racial composition of the population was 40.1% non-Hispanic white, 0.7% African American, 1% Asian, 5.3% Native American, 0.3% non-Hispanics reporting some other race, 5.4% reporting two or more races and 51.9% Hispanic or Latino of any race.[32]

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,700 people, 2,067 households, and 1,157 families residing in the town.[33] The population density was 874.5 inhabitants per square mile (337.6/km2). There were 2,466 housing units at an average density of 458.8 per square mile (177.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 68.04% White, 0.53% African American, 4.11% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 21.66% from other races, and 4.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 54.34% of the population.

There were 2,067 households, out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.7% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.0% were non-families. 37.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 85 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $25,016, and the median income for a family was $33,564. Males had a median income of $27,683 versus $23,326 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,983. About 17.9% of families and 23.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.8% of those under age 18 and 24.4% of those age 65 or over.

## Geography and climate

[edit]

View north from Taos Plaza toward Taos Mountain (NASA WorldWind)

Taos is located at 36°23′38″N 105°34′36″W﻿ / ﻿36.39389°N 105.57667°W﻿ / 36.39389; -105.57667 (36.393979, −105.576705).[34]

The town has a total area of 5.4 square miles (14 km2), all land.[35]

Taos is located within two watersheds, categorized as subwatersheds or HUC12s in the United States. The town is mostly located in the Outlet Rio Fernando del Taos Watershed, where its two waterbodies are rated as impaired.[36] A coalition of local organizations are working to improve the watershed's health.[37] The northern edge of town is within the Rio Fernando del Taos-Rio Pueblo del Taos Watershed.[38]

Just to the west of Taos is the Rio Grande Gorge, cutting through the basalt flows of the Taos Plateau volcanic field and crossed by the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, now a part of U.S. Route 64.[39]

The elevation of the town is 6,969 feet (2,124 m).[40] Just north of Taos is Wheeler Peak, at 13,161 feet (4,011 m), the highest point in New Mexico.[40] Taos has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb), though it borders on a semi-arid climate (BSk) due to the low rainfall. The town is characterized by extreme diurnal variations of temperature. Even when summer days get extremely hot, nights cool off considerably.

Climate data for Taos, New Mexico, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1892–2016

Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year
Record high °F (°C)  | 66
(19)  | 73
(23)  | 80
(27)  | 82
(28)  | 99
(37)  | 98
(37)  | 101
(38)  | 99
(37)  | 95
(35)  | 89
(32)  | 83
(28)  | 67
(19)  | 101
(38)
Mean maximum °F (°C)  | 53.8
(12.1)  | 59.4
(15.2)  | 68.7
(20.4)  | 75.6
(24.2)  | 83.4
(28.6)  | 91.5
(33.1)  | 93.2
(34.0)  | 90.5
(32.5)  | 86.2
(30.1)  | 77.8
(25.4)  | 66.7
(19.3)  | 56.1
(13.4)  | 93.9
(34.4)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)  | 42.1
(5.6)  | 46.4
(8.0)  | 55.2
(12.9)  | 63.0
(17.2)  | 72.9
(22.7)  | 83.7
(28.7)  | 86.5
(30.3)  | 84.2
(29.0)  | 78.1
(25.6)  | 67.0
(19.4)  | 53.1
(11.7)  | 42.4
(5.8)  | 64.6
(18.1)
Daily mean °F (°C)  | 27.1
(−2.7)  | 32.9
(0.5)  | 40.2
(4.6)  | 46.8
(8.2)  | 55.0
(12.8)  | 65.5
(18.6)  | 69.6
(20.9)  | 67.7
(19.8)  | 61.4
(16.3)  | 49.7
(9.8)  | 37.8
(3.2)  | 28.0
(−2.2)  | 48.5
(9.2)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)  | 12.2
(−11.0)  | 19.4
(−7.0)  | 25.3
(−3.7)  | 30.5
(−0.8)  | 37.1
(2.8)  | 47.4
(8.6)  | 52.7
(11.5)  | 51.3
(10.7)  | 44.8
(7.1)  | 32.3
(0.2)  | 22.4
(−5.3)  | 13.6
(−10.2)  | 32.4
(0.2)
Mean minimum °F (°C)  | −3.3
(−19.6)  | −1.0
(−18.3)  | 10.5
(−11.9)  | 19.8
(−6.8)  | 26.6
(−3.0)  | 36.5
(2.5)  | 45.3
(7.4)  | 44.3
(6.8)  | 32.1
(0.1)  | 19.0
(−7.2)  | 6.4
(−14.2)  | −4.9
(−20.5)  | −9.6
(−23.1)
Record low °F (°C)  | −27
(−33)  | −27
(−33)  | −11
(−24)  | 0
(−18)  | 13
(−11)  | 28
(−2)  | 34
(1)  | 36
(2)  | 22
(−6)  | 0
(−18)  | −21
(−29)  | −27
(−33)  | −27
(−33)
Average precipitation inches (mm)  | 0.67
(17)  | 0.45
(11)  | 0.71
(18)  | 0.83
(21)  | 1.22
(31)  | 0.86
(22)  | 1.53
(39)  | 1.77
(45)  | 1.37
(35)  | 1.34
(34)  | 0.88
(22)  | 1.07
(27)  | 12.70
(323)
Average snowfall inches (cm)  | 6.0
(15)  | 3.3
(8.4)  | 4.0
(10)  | 1.9
(4.8)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 1.4
(3.6)  | 2.8
(7.1)  | 9.0
(23)  | 28.4
(71.9)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 3.7  | 3.5  | 4.4  | 3.8  | 4.9  | 4.8  | 7.2  | 10.2  | 5.8  | 4.6  | 3.9  | 4.2  | 61.0
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 2.6  | 2.4  | 1.2  | 1.0  | 0.0  | 0.0  | 0.0  | 0.0  | 0.0  | 0.5  | 1.2  | 3.1  | 12.0
Source 1: NOAA[41]
Source 2: XMACIS2 (mean maxima/minima, snow depth 1981–2010)[42]

### Mud season

[edit]

Dirt roads and driveways in Taos can experience a particularly bad mud season when winter weather is followed by unseasonably warm temperatures. This occurs because area soil is heavy with silt, which makes it vulnerable to frost heaving.[43]

## Education

[edit]

The town's public schools operated by Taos Municipal Schools include Arroyos del Norte Elementary School, Enos García Elementary (also Taos Elementary School), Ranchos Elementary School, Taos Middle School, Taos High School and Taos Cyber Magnet School.[44]

Charter schools include Anansi Charter School, Taos Academy (State Charter), Taos Municipal Charter School and Vista Grande High School.[45] Also in the area are additional alternative and private schools: Chrysalis Alternative School, Sped Discipline, Yaxche Private School, Taos Christian Academy, and San Francisco De Asis School.[46] The Bureau of Indian Education-operated Taos Day School is in nearby Taos Pueblo.[47]

Dallas-based Southern Methodist University operates a 295-acre (119 ha) campus at Fort Burgwin in Taos.[48]

Albuquerque-based University of New Mexico (UNM) operates a community campus in Taos, with eight affiliated buildings in Taos, such as the UNM Harwood Museum of Art and Taos High School where some classes are held.[49][50]

The Earthship Academy (or Earthship Biotecture Academy) is offering training in Earthship design principles, construction methods and philosophy. Earthship is a particular type of sustainable architecture and design, based around solar power.[51]

## Government

[edit]

Taos emblem Taos Town Hall

The town of Taos is incorporated under the mayor-council form of government. The town was incorporated on May 7, 1934.[52] The town seal is a logo of the town of Taos with the year of incorporation "1934" in the center, and on the outer edge, the words "Town of Taos, New Mexico".[53]

The elective officers of the town include the mayor, four members of the governing body forming the town council, and a municipal judge.[54] The town council is the board of finance of the town. The town manager and finance director serve as the nonvoting members to the board of finance.[55] Key positions within the town government are town manager, appointed by the mayor, Town Attorney, Town Clerk, Town Engineer and Chief of Police.[56]

As of April 2022[update] the town officers were:

* Mayor: Pascual Maestas; term from April 2022 to March 2026[57]
* Town council members: Nathaniel Evans, Marietta Fambro, Darian Fernandez, and Corilia Ortega.[57]

Taos is predominantly made up of Democrats; in 2008, approximately 74% of registered Taos County voters were Democrats, 13% were Republicans, and about 13% identified with other parties or declined to affiliate with a party.[58]

## Transportation

[edit]

### Public

[edit]

The RTD Chile Line, operated by the North Central Regional Transit District (NCRTD), is Taos' only public transportation system. It provides fare-free in-town service as well as seasonal service up to Taos Ski Valley. The transit system also provides paratransit service for citizens with special needs and ensures that all route buses are American Disability Act (ADA) equipped.[59]

The RTD Taos Express promotes local tourism and provides weekend express service, for a nominal fee, from the Taos Plaza to the New Mexico Rail Runner, Santa Fe Municipal Airport, and Santa Fe transit.[60]

The North Central Regional Transit District (NCRTD) has public transportation service into the Town from throughout Taos County and the Counties of Santa Fe, Rio Arriba and Los Alamos. The Taos region has service to Cerro, Penasco, Questa, Red River, the Rio Grande corridor and the University of New Mexico – Taos Klaur campus. At the Española Transit Center, passengers can connect to other regional routes, such as Española, Santa Fe, Los Alamos, and Northern Pueblos area.[61] In 2003 the Regional Transit District Act was enacted, which authorized the creation of Regional Transit Districts (RTD's) in the state of New Mexico; In September 2004, the North Central Regional RTD was the first RTD to be certified by the New Mexico Transportation Commission.[62]

### Airports

[edit]

Taos Regional Airport (SKX) is under the direct supervision of the Town of Taos. The airport is located just a few miles north of the Town of Taos on U.S. Route 64 towards the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge.[63]

Other airports in New Mexico include the Santa Fe Municipal Airport and Albuquerque International Sunport.[64]

## Media

[edit]

### Newspapers

[edit]

El Crepusculo de la Libertad was the first Taos newspaper, which began in 1834 with the first printing press west of the Mississippi.[10] Its successor The Taos News, which also does business as El Crepusculo, is the primary printed newspaper in Taos.

* The Taos News, a weekly online and print publication.[65]
* Sangre de Cristo Chronicle (inactive) served Angel Fire, New Mexico, Red River, Cimarron, Eagle Nest, Taos, Las Vegas, Questa and Sipapu.[66]
* The Santa Fe New Mexican
* Albuquerque Journal North Edition.

### Online

[edit]

The Taos News provides weekly online publications of their newspaper.[67]

### Television

[edit]

There are two local cable television stations: Taos Local Television Public Access Channel 2[68] and Channel 22.[69] See also List of television stations in New Mexico.

### Radio

[edit]

Radio stations serving Taos include:[70]

(Several stations are located in the adjacent unincorporated suburbs of El Prado and Arroyo Seco.)

Radio station  | Frequency  | FM/AM  | Format

|
|
|

KCEI | 90.1 | FM | Variety.[71]
KNCE | 93.5 | FM | "True Taos Radio", variety
KKIT | 95.9 | FM | "The Mountain", pop, rock, classic rock.[71]
KKTC | 99.9 | FM | "True Country".[72]
KLNN | 103.7 | FM | Adult contemporary music.[73]
KRRT | 90.9 | FM | Top-40,[71] local transmitter for the University of New Mexico's KUNM.
KTAO | 101.9 | FM | Solar radio station with an adult album alternative music format.[71]
KVOT | 1340 | AM | Religious (Christian) music.[74]
KXMT | 99.1 | FM | Radio Exitos is the local 24-hour Spanish radio station serving Taos, northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado.[75]
KYBR | 92.9 | FM | Spanish.[71] Located in Española, but serves Santa Fe and Taos as well.[76]

## In popular culture

[edit]

See also: Taos County, New Mexico § In popular culture

Taos has been featured in The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca (1960) and And Now Miguel (1966).[77]

Country music artist Waylon Jennings sang a song titled "Taos, New Mexico" on his 1967 album Love of the Common People.

A different song, also called "Taos, New Mexico", was a chart hit for Canadian singer/songwriter R. Dean Taylor in 1972. The song charted in Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, and the US, reaching top 40 on the US Adult Contemporary charts.

The character Deputy Marshal Sam McCloud in the 1977 television series McCloud, played by Dennis Weaver, was portrayed as being from Taos.[78]

In his 1983 novel Christine, writer Stephen King states that Leigh Cabot eventually settled in Taos with her husband and twin daughters.

A "businessman from Taos" is referenced in the 2022 Charley Crockett song "Tom Turkey".

On September 18, 1991, the PBS television series Reading Rainbow shot its 73rd episode "The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush" here. The title was based on a book by Tomie dePaola and was narrated by Harold Littlebird (born 1951). Santa Fe's Dominic C. Arquero introduced himself at this program's beginning.[79][80]

The Volkswagen Taos, introduced in October 2018, is named after the town to pay tribute to its former resident John Muir, a structural engineer who authored a Volkswagen repair book in 1969.[81][82]

In Young Justice, Taos is the location of the Metahuman Youth Center, a community center founded by the Justice League and S.T.A.R. Labs to assist victims of metahuman trafficking.[83][84][85]

### Taos Hum

[edit]

An ongoing low-frequency noise, audible only to some, is thought to originate somewhere near this town and is consequently sometimes known as the Taos Hum. Those who have heard the Hum usually hear it west of Taos near Tres Orejas. The Taos Hum was featured in a 1995 episode of the television series Unsolved Mysteries,[86] was mentioned in a 1998 episode of The X-Files,[87] and was featured in a 2018 episode of Criminal Minds.[88]

## Sister cities

[edit]

Taos has one sister city, as designated by Sister Cities International:

* Xalisco, Nayarit, Mexico

## Notable people

[edit]

Gary Johnson, former two-term governor of New Mexico Kit Carson, American explorer and frontiersman Donald Rumsfeld, 13th and 21st United States Secretary of Defense and 6th White House Chief of Staff

### Artists and actors

[edit]

* Lynn Anderson, country/pop singer
* Chiara Aurelia, actress
* Abbie Conant, trombonist and professor
* Oscar E. Berninghaus, artist
* Emil Bisttram, artist
* Larry Bell, sculptor
* Ernest L. Blumenschein, founding member, Taos Society of Artists
* Dorothy Brett, artist and personality
* Ramon Brusueles, artist, SFSU Alumni, Big Brothers of San Francisco, Carpenter Local Union No. 22 San Francisco, World War II Veteran (Pacific Theatre)
* Joshua Bryant, actor, director, author and speaker former longtime resident and founder of the Taos Talking Pictures Film Festival & Media Forum
* Agnes Chavez, artist
* John Cheetham, composer
* E. Irving Couse, artist
* Andrew Dasburg, artist
* Ronald Davis, artist
* W. Herbert Dunton, artist
* Nicolai Fechin, artist
* R. C. Gorman, artist
* E. Martin Hennings, artist
* William Victor Higgins, artist
* Dennis Hopper, actor, director, artist
* Gene Kloss, artist
* Agnes Martin, artist
* Robert Mirabal, Native American flute player and maker from Taos Pueblo
* Bror Julius Olsson Nordfeldt, artist
* Bert Geer Phillips, artist
* Suzan Pitt, artist, director
* Kenneth Price, ceramicist
* Christian Ristow, artist
* Julia Roberts, actress
* Dean Stockwell, artist and actor
* Joseph Henry Sharp, artist
* Walter Ufer, artist
* Kristen Vigard, actress and singer
* Harold Joe Waldrum, artist
* Michael Walker, custom knife maker and sculptor
* Julius Rolshoven, artist

### Sportspeople

[edit]

* Ross Anderson, skier[89]
* Kit Carson, frontiersman
* Chris Del Conte, athletic director of the University of Texas at Austin
* Dave Hahn, mountaineer[citation needed]
* Danelle Umstead, Paralympic skier

### Professors and medical professionals

[edit]

* Fred Wendorf, Henderson-Morrison Professor of Anthropology at Southern Methodist University
* Thomas "Doc" Martin, physician

### Authors, poets, and teachers

[edit]

* Julia Cameron, author of The Artist's Way[90]
* Judson Crews, poet and publisher
* James Doss, author
* Natalie Goldberg, writer
* Margaret Catherine Alice Hyson, missionary and teacher in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico
* D. H. Lawrence, author
* Anne MacNaughton, poet and cofounder of Taos Poetry Circus
* John Nichols, author of The Milagro Beanfield War
* Olivia Romo, poet, spoken word artist and water rights activist
* Elizabeth Shepley Sergeant, journalist and writer
* John Muir, engineer, mechanic and writer
* Marilyn Gayle Hoff, author and activist

### Businesspeople and architects

[edit]

* Marcelino Baca, 19th-century fur trader[91][page needed]
* Mabel Dodge Luhan, patron of the arts
* Susan Powter, health and fitness entrepreneur
* Mike Reynolds, Earthship architect
* Millicent Rogers, socialite, fashion icon, and art collector
* Maria Rosa Villalpando (1738-1830) A Hispanic woman who became a captive of the Comanche and later a businesswoman in St. Louis.

### Politicians and military

[edit]

* Daniel R. Barrone, mayor of Taos and member of the New Mexico House of Representatives
* Charles Bent, first Territorial Governor of New Mexico
* Gary Johnson, former two-term governor of New Mexico[92]
* John Márquez, politician in Richmond, California
* Joe P. Martínez, Medal of Honor recipient
* Kristina Ortez, politician
* Donald Rumsfeld, 13th and 21st United States Secretary of Defense, 6th White House Chief of Staff and former four-term member of the United States House of Representatives for Illinois's 13th congressional district (1963-1969)
* Rebecca Vigil-Giron, 20th and 22nd New Mexico Secretary of State

### Religious figure

[edit]

* Antonio José Martínez, priest

## Gallery

[edit]

* Mabel Dodge Luhan House, a National Historic Landmark

* View of Taos from mountain trail

* Downtown Paseo Del Pueblo Norte in Taos

* Spanish Revival-style First Baptist Church

* Lobby of the La Fonda hotel

* San Francisco de Asis Church at Ranchos de Taos

## See also

[edit]

* New Mexico portal

* List of municipalities in New Mexico

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Taos History and Timeline". Taos County Historical Society. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
2. ^ "Pascualito Maestas | Taos, NM". www.taosnm.gov. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
3. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
4. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Taos, New Mexico
5. ^ a b "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
6. ^ "F.A.Q". Taos.org. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
7. ^ a b "About Taos Pueblo FAQs". Taos Pueblo. Archived from the original on October 25, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
8. ^ "Taos Pueblo". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on June 20, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
9. ^ 2007, Mapa Historico de Taos, Taos Kiwanis Club
10. ^ a b c "Taos Timeline". Taos County Historical Society. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
11. ^ "Koshare Indian Museum: Taos, New Mexico". Archived from the original on June 14, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
12. ^ a b Taos Downtown Historic District. National Park Service. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
13. ^ a b Taos History. Archived January 21, 2015, at the Wayback Machine Taos Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
14. ^ O'Neill, Zora (2006). Santa Fe, Taos, & Albuquerque. Moon Handbooks. p. 95\. ISBN 978-1-56691-879-4. Retrieved July 24, 2009.
15. ^ Crane, L. (1972). Desert Drums: the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico, 1540–1928. Rio Grande Press. [page needed]
16. ^ Bleiler, 75.
17. ^ Whaley, B.; Stiny, A. ""Reconsidering Art in Taos; Bert Phillips" in Taos Horse Fly". Taos Daily. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved February 17, 2009.
18. ^ "Taos County, New Mexico". National Register of Historic Places. U.S. Dept. of Interior, the National Park Service, and the National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
19. ^ "¡QUE VIVAN LAS FIESTAS DE TAOS! | Fiestas de Taos | Taos, New Mexico". fiestasdetaos.com.
20. ^ "Taos Studio of William Osborne and Abbie Conant". www.osborne-conant.org. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
21. ^ "Art Today". Taos Vacation Guide. Taos Webb Community. Archived from the original on February 10, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
22. ^ "Art History". Taos Vacation Guide. Taos Webb Community. Archived from the original on February 10, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
23. ^ "Performing Arts". Taos Vacation Guide. Taos Webb Community. Archived from the original on February 10, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
24. ^ Domrzalski, Dennis (December 7, 2003). "Taos Talking Pictures Drops Curtain". New Mexico Business Weekly. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
25. ^ Domrzalski, Dennis (March 14, 2004). "Three Festivals Rise Out of Taos Talking Pictures' Ashes". New Mexico Business Weekly. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
26. ^ "Film Festival Awards". Taos Land and Film Co. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
27. ^ "Mountain Bike Trails Near New Mexico". MTB Project. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
28. ^ "Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa". NewMexico.org. NewMexico.org. Archived from the original on April 24, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
29. ^ "Summer". Taos Vacation Guide, Recreation. Taos Webb Community. Archived from the original on February 10, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
30. ^ "Winter". Taos Vacation Guide, Recreation. Taos Webb Community. Archived from the original on February 10, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
31. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
32. ^ 2010 general profile of population and housing characteristics for Taos from the U.S. Census
33. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
34. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
35. ^ "Taos Town, New Mexico Complete Analysis". citymelt.com. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
36. ^ "How's My Waterway?". US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Retrieved March 3, 2022.
37. ^ Hooks, Cody (April 24, 2019). "Surprising alliance of groups tackle problems on Río Fernando". Taos News. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
38. ^ "How's My Waterway?". US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Retrieved March 4, 2022.
39. ^ O'Neill, Zora. "Geography and Geology". Santa Fe, Taos & Albuquerque from Moon Santa Fe, Taos & Albuquerque, 2nd edition. Avalon Travel Guides. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
40. ^ a b "Frequently Asked Questions". Taos Vacation Guide. Taos Webb Community. Archived from the original on February 9, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
41. ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Taos, NM". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
42. ^ "xmACIS2". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
43. ^ Hooks, Cody (February 7, 2015). "Mud an Unwelcome Visitor for Taoseños". Taos News. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
44. ^ "Taos Municipal Schools". Taos Municipal Schools. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
45. ^ "New Mexico Charter Schools" (PDF). New Mexico Public Education Department. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 28, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
46. ^ "All Taos elementary, middle and high schools (search criteria)". Find a School. GreatSchools, Inc. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
47. ^ "Taos Day School". Bureau of Indian Education. Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2023. "Physical Address: 200 Rotten Tree Rd Taos, NM 87571" \- Despite the Taos address, tit is in Taos Pueblo CDP
48. ^ "Southern Methodist University (SMU)". Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
49. ^ "University of New Mexico – Taos". University of New Mexico. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
50. ^ "Campus map". University of New Mexico – Taos. University of New Mexico. Archived from the original on August 24, 2010. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
51. ^ "Earthship Biotecture Academy". Archived from the original on July 6, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
52. ^ "Chapter 3.12 Form of Government". Sterling Codifiers, Inc. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
53. ^ "Chapter 3.16 Town Seal". Sterling Codifiers, Inc. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
54. ^ "Chapter 3.20.010 Elective Officers of Town (Ord. 98-2 § 1, 1998: prior code § 2-2)". Sterling Codifiers, Inc. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
55. ^ "Chapter 3.24 Town Finance". Sterling Codifiers, Inc. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
56. ^ "Town of Taos". Sterling Codifiers, Inc. pp. 3.36, 3.40, 3.44, 3.52, 3.56. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
57. ^ a b Staff report (April 2022). "New Taos mayor, councilors, re-elected municipal judge take office". The Taos News. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
58. ^ [dead link] Chambers, P. (September 14, 2008). "Taos County Republicans Open Local Campaign Headquarters". The Taos News. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
59. ^ "Transportation Services Chile Line". Town of Taos. Archived from the original on April 27, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
60. ^ "Taos Express". Town of Taos. Archived from the original on June 30, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
61. ^ "North Central Regional Transit District". NCRTD. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
62. ^ "North Central Regional Transit District, Fast Facts". NCRTD. Archived from the original on May 8, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
63. ^ "Taos Regional Airport". Town of Taos, Taos Regional Airport.
64. ^ "New Mexico Airports". Red Cirrus, LLC. 2011. Archived from the original on August 8, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
65. ^ "About Taos News". The Taos News. Archived from the original on August 15, 2009. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
66. ^ [dead link] "Sangre de Cristo Chronicle". El Crespusculo/Sangre de Cristo Chronicle. 2011. Archived from the original on June 3, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
67. ^ "New Mexico Newspapers (NM)". OnlineNewspapers.com. 2022. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
68. ^ "Taos Local Television Public Access Channel 2". TLTPA. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
69. ^ "Taos Local Television Public Access Channel 22". Comcast. Archived from the original on September 5, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
70. ^ "Radio Stations in Taos, New Mexico". Radio-Locator.com. Retrieved May 19, 2012.
71. ^ a b c d e "Radio Stations in Taos, NM". Ontheradio.net. Archived from the original on December 13, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
72. ^ "KKTC". RadioinTaos.com. Archived from the original on January 9, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
73. ^ "Luna 103.7 KLNN". KLNN. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
74. ^ "KVOT". RadioinTaos.com. Archived from the original on August 29, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
75. ^ "KXMT". Ontheradio.net. Archived from the original on December 12, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
76. ^ KYBR station website
77. ^ Maddrey, Joseph (2016). The Quick, the Dead and the Revived: The Many Lives of the Western Film. McFarland. p. 182. ISBN 9781476625492.
78. ^ McLellan, Dennis (February 26, 2006). "From the Archives: Dennis Weaver, 81; Star of 'Gunsmoke,' 'McCloud' Also Was Environmental Activist". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
79. ^ "The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush". Reading Rainbow. Alabama Public Television (PBS). Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
80. ^ "The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush". Myths and Legends, PBS Teachers. PBS. Archived from the original on March 8, 2007. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
81. ^ Szymkowski, Sean. "Volkswagen's New Compact SUV Will Wear 'Taos' Name". Roadshow. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
82. ^ "Volkswagen Taos Will Be the Name of VW's Next Crossover". Autoblog. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
83. ^ Gregory, Kevin (July 8, 2019). "Five Thoughts on Young Justice: Outsiders's "Illusion of Control"". Multiversity Comics. Archived from the original on July 12, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
84. ^ Morrison, Matt (August 2, 2019). "Young Justice: Outsiders - 5 Questions After Episode 20". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on August 3, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
85. ^ Belcher, Ben (June 14, 2022). "'Young Justice: Phantoms' E22-26 Recap and Review: Peaks and Valleys". Geek Vibes Nation. Archived from the original on June 14, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
86. ^ "Taos Hum". The Unexplained. Unsolved-Mysteries.com. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
87. ^ "X-Files script 602". Inside the X. DrWeesh. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
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89. ^ "Ross Anderson profile". Ross Anderson. Archived from the original on February 18, 2010. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
90. ^ "About Julia Cameron | Julia Cameron Live". juliacameronlive.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
91. ^ Hafen, LeRoy R. (1997). Fur Trappers and Traders of the Far Southwest : Twenty Biographical Sketches. Utah State University Press. ISBN 0874212359. OCLC 37400891.
92. ^ "Gary Johnson: 'Ron Paul and Myself' Can 'Grow the Base'". ABC News. February 10, 2011.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Bleiler, Lyn; Society of the Muse of the Southwest (2011). Taos. Images of America. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-7959-7.
* Crane, Leo (2010) [1928]. Desert Drums: the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico, 1540–1928 (Reprint ed.). Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 978-1163176870.
* Herold, Laurance C.; Luebben, Ralph A. (1968). Papers on Taos Archaeology. Taos, NM: Fort Burgwin Research Center. OCLC 55484.
* John, Elizabeth Ann Harper (1996) [1975]. Storms Brewed in Other Men's Worlds: The Confrontation of Indians, Spanish, and French in the Southwest, 1540-1795 (2nd ed.). University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0806128696.
* O'Neill, Zora (2006). Santa Fe, Taos, & Albuquerque. Moon Handbooks. Avalon Travel Publishing. ISBN 978-1-56691-879-4.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Taos, New Mexico.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Taos.

* Official website
* The Official Taos Vacation Guide, published by the Town of Taos
* Taos County Chamber of Commerce
* Taos Public Library

* v
* t
* e

Taos, New Mexico

Areas|

* Taos Downtown Historic District

Landmarks|

* Governor Charles Bent House
* Mabel Dodge Luhan House
* Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish
* Taos Inn
* Taos Plaza
* Nicolai Fechin House

Education|

* Taos Municipal Schools
* Taos High School

Media|

* The Taos News

This list is incomplete.
Taos Pueblo, D. H. Lawrence Ranch, Martinez Hacienda, and Rio Grande Gorge Bridge are outside of the city limits.
Taos Day School is in Taos Pueblo, not Taos proper.

Destinations from Taos

| Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, Tres Piedras, Toltec Gorge | Taos Pueblo, Valdez, Questa | Taos Ski Valley, Wheeler Peak, Red River

|
|

|  |
Carson National Forest |

Taos

| Angel Fire, Eagle Nest
|  |
Rancho de Taos, Ojo Caliente | Sipapu, Peñasco, Picuris Pueblo | Santa Fe National Forest

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Taos County, New Mexico, United States

County seat: Taos

Towns|

* Red River
* Taos

Map of New Mexico highlighting Taos County

Villages|

* Questa
* Taos Ski Valley

CDPs|

* Arroyo Hondo
* Arroyo Seco
* Chamisal
* Costilla
* Ojo Caliente‡
* Peñasco
* Picuris Pueblo
* Ranchos de Taos
* Rio Lucio
* San Cristobal
* Talpa
* Taos Pueblo
* Vadito

Other
communities|

* Amalia
* Cañoncito
* Carson
* Cerro
* El Prado
* El Rito
* Las Trampas
* Llano
* Llano Quemado
* No Agua
* Pilar
* Tres Piedras
* Valdez

Ghost towns|

* La Belle
* Twining

Indian reservation|

* Taos Pueblo

Footnotes|

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

* New Mexico portal
* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

County seats of New Mexico

* Alamogordo
* Albuquerque
* Aztec
* Bernalillo
* Carlsbad
* Carrizozo
* Clayton
* Clovis
* Deming
* Estancia
* Fort Sumner
* Gallup
* Grants
* Las Cruces
* Las Vegas
* Lordsburg
* Los Alamos
* Los Lunas
* Lovington
* Mora
* Mosquero
* Portales
* Raton
* Reserve
* Roswell
* Santa Fe
* Santa Rosa
* Silver City
* Socorro
* Taos
* Tierra Amarilla
* Truth or Consequences
* Tucumcari

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* Germany

Geographic|

* MusicBrainz area

Other|

* NARA
* Yale LUX

*[Pop.]: Population
*[%±]: Percent change
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template