English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in Rio Rancho, NM

New Mexico is consistently listed as one of the best places to live, and that seems to be especially true of Rio Rancho. Today, the population is roughly 120,000, but if it continues to expand at its current rate, it's poised to become the second-largest city in the state. If you didn't know the area well, you might be surprised to learn that just a few decades ago, the area was characterized by dusty roads and a lack of business opportunities. Here's more on the up-and-coming city in New Mexico that you'll want to experience for yourself.

Rio Rancho can be found north of Albuquerque in Sandoval County. Its name derives from Los Ranchos, which were Spanish colonial ranches established along the Rio Grande. Most of Rio Rancho was once a part of the Town of Alameda Grant, founded by Spanish settlers in 1710. It was later acquired by the U.S. in 1848 and the ranches were used for sheep and cattle. The land grant was eventually divided and sold to investment companies, and due to the proximity to Albuquerque, Rio Grande was an ideal candidate for housing developments. Between 1970 and 1980, the population boomed thanks to heavy efforts by the Amrep Corporation to sell the Rio Rancho Estates.

Today, Rio Rancho has created an identity separate from Albuquerque. Recently, it's attracted young families who appreciate the lower cost of living. Since the 1990s, the population has tripled. One of the city's current economic priorities is to help establish local businesses. Today, it's one of the fastest-growing cities in the entire southwest, a trend that doesn't seem to be slowing.

Wondering what to do in Rio Rancho? Hiking trails, art galleries, and breweries are just a handful of options travelers and residents have to choose from. One beloved place to get a sense of the community is Turtle Mountain Brewing Company. It's a go-to for locals and the perfect introduction to the city. Another great family-friendly destination is called A Park Above. Curious to explore the area? Check out these great vacation rentals near Rio Rancho and see what all the buzz is about!

For related content, take a look at our list of some of the very best small towns in New Mexico. Trust us when we say you'll want to explore each one on the list!

Comcast has invested more than $150 million into bringing broadband to Rio Rancho, but construction has caused a number of issues for residents, like flooding happening inside their homes.

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RIO RANCHO, N.M. —

Dee Kennedy and her husband, Janiro Kennedy, say their house flooded on Halloween night but had not known why until recently.

"It is way more water than a mop can handle. It is at least a couple inches running through the house," Dee Kennedy said.

Turns out their neighborhood in Rio Rancho is part of broadband expansion through Comcast installing broadband services, but as a result, that construction has caused problems for people like the Kennedy couple. Janiro Kennedy says that, eventually, contractors helped repair their sewage break issue.

"They fixed it, but I don't think he understood what happened as a result," Janiro Kennedy said.

Julianne Phares, Comcast's director of external affairs, tells KOAT, "While we work to minimize disruption as much as possible during construction, we know issues can occur."

Phares said the company is aware of this issue and is working with local agencies to get things fixed for people.

In the meantime, Dee and Janiro Kennedy are forced to throw out nearly everything from their home due to contamination.

"We're not the only ones this has happened to," Dee Kennedy said. "Some people, it's their water. They lost all their water. Some people, it's their sewage."

The couple has moved out of the house and does not know if the house will be fixed and cleaned for the holidays, which they say is a huge disappointment. But ultimately, they are finding a way to stay positive.

"Hey, I got a new wife, so I'm good," Janiro Kennedy said. "Christmas came early."

If anyone is dealing with utility break-related issues, they are asked to contact Comcast for assistance.

Big and small schools are scattered across the state of New Mexico. In total, there are 120 school districts in the state, according to U.S. News. Within those districts are over 200 public high schools.

And those are only the traditional public high schools! Imagine how many schools are in the state when you count all levels, K-12, private schools, and other manners of schools.

I myself went to a public school, however, I received my education in Texas. Regardless of where I went, I've always had an interest in the schools in other states. I like to learn about educational differences, the smallest schools, which cities have the most schools and more.

This leads me to today's rabbit hole -- the largest traditional public high school in New Mexico.

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If you guessed in the major cities, then you're right!

Several of the largest New Mexico public high schools are in cities like Albuquerque and Rio Ranchero. The biggest high school with over 2,000 students enrolled is in Rio Ranchero.

As someone who went to a small to mid-sized school, I always wished I could have gone to a larger high school. My high school was just small enough that you knew everyone and gossip spread like wildfire. I think it would have been nice to not be known by the entire campus, but at the same time, I can't hate too much on my school experience -- it did me well.

I won't keep you wondering any longer, but I will tell you just ONE MORE thing.

To really get an understanding of how large NM's biggest high school is, according to Nich, the smallest public high school -- San Jon High School -- only has 20 students! Now, there may be a smaller high school, but this is the smallest I found. Still, only 20 high school students is crazy to think about!

And what you've been waiting for, the 6 largest traditional high schools in New Mexico, as noted by data from Niche:

RIO RANCHO, N.M. – Another New Mexico city is shining a spotlight on UFOs, but not in the way you might expect.

The portable classrooms at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary are the new home of the National UFO Historical Records Archive. It’s the largest collection of UFO sighting documents in the country, and maybe the world.

Now, thanks to a partnership with Rio Rancho Public Schools, the amateur collectors who kept all these records safe over the years are finally making them available to the public.

“It’s literally overwhelming. People don’t have any conception until they come here how much material that we’re talking about. And it really, I think, makes people pause and realize there’s a lot more to this UFO subject than I ever thought,” said David Marler, executive director of the National UFO Historical Records Center.

Marler knows the idea of a UFO records archive probably sounds silly to some folks, but he says that skepticism is welcome.

“We really don’t care what your take is on the UFO subject. In fact, we welcome differing opinions, differing perspectives,” said Marler.

The National UFO Historical Records Center is a nonprofit organizing hundreds of thousands of declassified government documents, news clippings, photos, videos and more evidence from across the globe all under one roof.

“It’s a traditional historical archive dedicated to a non-traditional subject. We want serious research to be conducted here in the hopes ultimately of maybe gaining a better insight into this mystery that we’ve been dealing with now for 75 plus years,” said Marler.

He says there are countless connections to be discovered now that all these case files are together.

“Some organizations interviewed witnesses that the other did not, and vice versa, and sometimes there’s new insights provided by one investigative organization that was never obtained by this one,” said Marler. “The more minds, the more set of eyeballs we have looking at the data as with any subject, the better we’re going to be if we truly want to try to understand what we’re dealing with when we talk about UFOs.”

Marler’s collection – which used to live inside his Rio Rancho home – is largely a collection of other collections sent in from fellow UFO archivists. With all this extra space donated by Rio Rancho Public Schools, Marler says they’re ready for more.

“We have about 10 to 12 other collections that are also in the queue,” Marler said. “Two individuals I know in Ohio have stated, ‘You’re already in my will. If anything happens to me, my material is coming to Rio Rancho.'”

Whether or not you believe in aliens, Marler says the overwhelming amount of documentation is worth preserving.

“We feel it’s important because it is an element of history, it is an element of our culture. So that’s really how we try to view it,” said Marler. “If we can’t define the answers to the UFO mystery, maybe in 40, 50, 60, years someone might, but they can only do that by looking at the data.”

While this is a public archive, it’s a not a free for all. Marler says you’ll have to submit a request on their website to set up a time to come and visit. The idea is that you’ll have full access to everything inside.

But why would Rio Rancho Public Schools get involved with something like this.

“Our students find the subject matter of UFO investigation very intriguing. And so we want to do is we want to use that as a catalyst in order to get students involved in other types of learning,” said RRPS Chief Operating Officer Michael Baker. “So we think that the parents, as long as the students are learning, we’re not trying to persuade thinking one way or another, we think we’re going to see some really good benefits from this area.”

District officials say the partnership is expected to last at least five years.