Los Alamos, New Mexico
21 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1892 and the latest in 2002. It stands in the Los Alamos census division. It lies in ZIP code area 87544. It lies near Acid Canyon. The Survey maps it on the Guaje Mountain quadrangle. 13,179 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 7,320 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Los Alamos
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 5 records
- Los Alamos Scientific LaboratoryNational Historic Landmark · listed 1966
Bayo Roadlisted 2003
Grant Roadlisted 2004
United States Post Office-Los Alamos, New Mexicolisted 2015- Lujan Roadlisted 2005
Surveyed buildings and structures 2 records
- Fuller Lodge, Central & Twentieth Streets, Los Alamosfederal building survey, 1 photograph
- Romero Cabin, Pajarito Road, Los Alamosfederal building survey, 3 photographs
Population over time
2 figuresLos Alamos grew from 12,019 to 13,179 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 12,019 | |
| 2020 | 13,179 | +1,160 (+10%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
10 surveys from 21 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1892 USGS Santa Clara quadrangle1:125000, 4 printings
- 1952 USGS Guaje Mountain quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
- 1953 USGS Frijoles quadrangle1:62500, 3 printings
- 1958 USGS Albuquerque quadrangle1:250000
- 1962 USGS Albuquerque quadrangle1:250000
- 1963 USGS Albuquerque quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1978 USGS Los Alamos quadrangle1:100000
- 1983 USGS Albuquerque quadrangle1:250000
- 1984 USGS Guaje Mountain quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
- 2002 USGS Guaje Mountain quadrangle1:24000
Photographs
2 photographs,Taken for the Office of War Information and the Farm Security Administration, who photographed the country between 1935 and 1944. Works of United States government photographers, with no known restriction on use. Each opens its catalogue record.
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
Fires near this place
134 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 134 fires within 5 miles of Los Alamos between 1992 and 2020, burning about 358 acres in total. 98 started naturally. 6 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Natural | 98 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 16 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 9 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 6 |
| Debris and open burning | 2 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 2 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 September 2009 | Natural | under an acre | Santa Fe National Forest | CABRA |
| 8 September 1996 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | New Mexico State Forestry Division | FIR |
| 6 September 1995 | Natural | under an acre | Santa Fe National Forest | GUAJE |
| 5 September 2002 | Natural | under an acre | Santa Fe National Forest | CANON |
| 2 September 2011 | Natural | 2.0 acres | Santa Fe National Forest | CABALLO |
| 2 September 2007 | Natural | under an acre | Santa Fe National Forest | LD |
| 13 September 2017 | Natural | under an acre | Northern Pueblos Agency | SACRED AREA |
| 7 August 1993 | Natural | under an acre | Bandelier National Monument | BLACK |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
3 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 3 workings within 5 miles of Los Alamos: 3 producers. All of them still produce. What was taken out: Pumice. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copar Guaje Canyon Mine | Pumice | Producer | Pumice | |
| Copar Mill | Pumice | Producer | ||
| Copar Mine | Pumice | Producer |
Storms near this place
34 since 2000Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Los Alamos in 34 storm reports between 2000 and 2024: 19 hail, 12 flash flood, 1 wildfire, 1 dust devil. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2000 | Wildfire | Los Alamos | $1,500,000,000 | no account filed |
| August 2011 | Flash Flood | Los Alamos | $6,000,000 | After 1 to 1.5 inches of rain fell on the northern portion of the Las Conchas burn scar, flash flooding was reported in Santa Clara Canyon. Four people that were working in the canyon had to be rescued by helicopter. |
| July 2001 | Flash Flood | Los Alamos | $3,500,000 | no account filed |
| August 2001 | Flash Flood | Los Alamos | $100,000 | Brief heavy rain and strong runoff caused more damage to North Road in Los Alamos where recent drainage upgrades and repairs were washed away. North Road continues to suffer damage with such rapid and high runoff from the burned areas of Pueblo Canyon which have not recovered from last years Cerro Grande fire storm. |
| July 2012 | Flash Flood | Los Alamos | $50,000 | Mud, logs and large rocks washed onto State Road 501 (West Jemez Rd.) near State Road 4, as well as in Los Alamos Canyon and along Camp May road. Heavy equipment and road graders were needed to clear the debris. |
| May 2013 | Dust Devil | Los Alamos | $30,000 | Roof of gymnasium torn off and dropped onto library and playground area at Barranca Mesa Elementary School. |
| October 2012 | Hail | Los Alamos | $10,000 | Newspaper report with images of significant hail damage to a mobile home in Los Alamos. Home owners reported hail was ping pong ball sized. Location is estimated from article giving home address. Time is estimated, based on radar imagery and other hail reports in the area. All images attached to this event are courtesy of the Los Alamos Daily Post newspaper. |
| May 2024 | Hail | Los Alamos | - | Los Alamos Sky Cam and pictures from local residents showed significant accumulations of pea to penny size hail in downtown Los Alamos from a thunderstorm. Hail accumulation depth looked to be around 2 to 3 inches based on tire track marks on the road. |
| May 2020 | Hail | Los Alamos | - | Hail up to the size of nickels reported in Los Alamos. |
| June 2017 | Hail | Los Alamos | - | Hail up to the size of nickels in Los Alamos. |
| June 2017 | Hail | Los Alamos | - | Hail up to the size of half dollars in Los Alamos. |
| June 2017 | Hail | Los Alamos | - | Hail up to the size of nickels in Los Alamos. |
| June 2017 | Hail | Los Alamos | - | Hail up to the size of quarters in Los Alamos. |
| August 2016 | Lightning | Los Alamos | - | Lightning splintered a tree at the Los Alamos Golf Course near 16 Los Alamos High School Golf Team members and four coaches. The strike occurred at around 4 pm, about 300 feet away from where the team was practicing. Several of the students reported feeling a strong static electricity sensation flow through their bodies. Fortunately, no injuries occurred. |
| October 2015 | Hail | Los Alamos | - | Penny to nickel size hail covered the ground. |
| July 2013 | Flash Flood | Los Alamos | - | Power outages as well as flooding in the basement at Los Alamos National Labs were reported. An isolated strong cell formed over the area and stayed generally stationary for 2 hours. Rainfall amounts over 1.5 were recorded at sites across LANL. |
| May 2012 | Hail | Los Alamos | - | Quarter size hail reported in Los Alamos. |
| May 2012 | Hail | Los Alamos | - | The emergency manager reported dime to penny size hail. |
| October 2012 | Hail | Los Alamos | - | Quarter size hail reported at the Los Alamos airport. |
| October 2012 | Hail | Los Alamos | - | Hail piled up to a depth of four inches. County officials had to utilize snow plows to clear hail piles from roadways. |
| July 2012 | Flash Flood | Los Alamos | - | The intersection of State Road 4 and State Road 501 (West Jemez Rd.) was closed due to flash flooding. |
| August 2011 | Flash Flood | Los Alamos | - | Water and debris flowed over Highway 501 after approximately one inch of rain fell over central portions of the Las Conchas burn scar. The highway was temporarily closed. |
| August 2011 | Flash Flood | Los Alamos | - | Both Highway 4 and 501 were closed in the Jemez Mountains due to flooding. Heavy rains on the Las Conchas burn scar caused significant runoff and debris flow over the roadways. At least a 50 yard stretch of debris several inches deep was noted along State Highway 501. Both roads had to be cleared by the Highway Department before traffic was allowed to pass. |
| July 2009 | Hail | Los Alamos | - | The security team at Los Alamos National Laboratory reported penny to nickel sized hail. |
| July 2005 | Hail | Los Alamos | - | A brief and intense hail storm with stones ranging form one half inch to one inch in diameter covered city streets and parking lots to a depth of 4 to 8 inches. |
| June 2000 | Flash Flood | Los Alamos | - | Heavy ash and debris swept off the Cerro Grande Burn area into Water and Pajarito Canyons during heavy rain of 1 inch just west of Los Alamos. |
| August 2000 | Flash Flood | Los Alamos | - | Heavy storm water runoff flooded Guaje and Garcia Canyons below the Cerro Grande Burn area during a burst of 1 inch rainfall. |
| October 2015 | Hail | Los Alamos | - | no account filed |
| May 2008 | Hail | Los Alamos | - | no account filed |
| June 2006 | Hail | Los Alamos | - | no account filed |
| June 2006 | Hail | Los Alamos | - | no account filed |
| June 2000 | Flash Flood | Los Alamos | - | no account filed |
| October 2000 | Hail | Los Alamos | - | no account filed |
| July 2000 | Flash Flood | Los Alamos | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Frijoles Crossing | 5.8 miles | 21 | |
| White Rock | 6.9 miles | 20 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Los Alamos | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q318637 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 901357. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.









