
Southern New Mexico was becoming a popular stop for travelers on their way to the west coast and Mexico. Only after Oñate and his men made their way up from Mexico through the Great Pass of the North (modern day El Paso) and through the Mesilla Valley in route to what was soon to become Santa Fe this was in 1598. Their route became know as the Camino Real and it quickly became the preferred way to travel between Mexico and Santa Fe.
As the town grew, so did the need for a name. No one knows exactly how Las Cruces was selected, but most historians conclude it was derived from the Spanish translation for “the crosses,” after the many crosses erected in memory of those killed during Apache raids.
Las Cruces Facts and Figures
Established: 1849
Population
Las Cruces: 100,000
Doña Ana County: 200,000
Elevation: 3,896 feet