Just north of Albuquerque is Rio Rancho. The land on which it rests was once part of the Alameda land grant, a 90,000 parcel given by King Philip IV to Francisco Vigil in 1710. Vigil later sold the land to Capt. Juan Gonzales.

Most of the time since then, the land has been used for grazing. In the late 1920s, 20,000 acres were sold to Albert Black for his Seven Bar Ranch. Much of the remainder became the Thompson Ranch.

In 1961, a New York real estate developer bought 55,000 acres of the Thompson Ranch and began selling lots in its new Rio Rancho Estates. They promoted their new community as ideal for retirees — mostly to New Yorkers — encouraging them to fly to Albuquerque and take a look at vacant lots in the desert.

In its early years, Rio Rancho had more rattlesnakes and cows than houses; only about 100 had been built. Then Intel Corporation built a plant there, attracting younger residents and spurring economic growth.

Today, Rio Rancho vies for the title of New Mexico's second largest city, a title currently held by Las Cruces.
