Sunland Park is a city in southern Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States, on the borders of Texas and the Mexican state of Chihuahua, with Ciudad Juárez adjoining it on the south and El Paso, Texas on the east. The community of Santa Teresa adjoins it on the northwest. The population of Sunland Park was 14,106 at the 2010 census[3] and was estimated at 17,978 by the United States Census Bureau in 2019.[4] Though it lies adjacent to El Paso, being in Doña Ana County makes it a part of the Las Cruces metropolitan statistical area. Las Cruces is 42 miles (68 km) to the north.

Sunland Park, New Mexico
City
Statue of Christ the King (by Urbici Soler) on Mount Cristo Rey in Sunland Park
Seal
Location of Sunland Park, New Mexico
Sunland Park, New Mexico Location in the United States
Coordinates: 31°48′24″N 106°34′48″W
Country	United States
State	New Mexico
County	Dona Ana
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
• Mayor	Javier Perea
• City Manager	Julia Brown, Esq.
• City Clerk	Daniel Carranco
Area [1]
• Total	15.01 sq mi (38.88 km2)
• Land	14.74 sq mi (38.17 km2)
• Water	0.27 sq mi (0.71 km2)
Elevation	3,789 ft (1,155 m)
Population  (2020)[2]
• Total	16,702
• Density	1,133.26/sq mi (437.55/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
ZIP codes	88063,88008
Area code	575
FIPS code	35-75640
GNIS feature ID	0920024
Website	www.sunlandpark-nm.gov

The city is at the foot of Mount Cristo Rey, next to the Rio Grande, and is named for Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino, which lies within the city limits. The location was formerly called "Anapra", a name shared by an adjacent area of Ciudad Juárez.

History

Sunland Park was formed when the unincorporated communities of Anapra, Sunland Park, and Meadow Vista voted to incorporate as Sunland Park on July 13, 1983.

2012 extortion scandal

In February 2012, then-Mayor Pro Tem Daniel Salinas and City Manager Jaime Aguilera were arrested and charged with extortion of mayoral candidate Gerardo Hernandez. Salinas and Aguilera allegedly tried to blackmail Hernandez into withdrawing from the race with a videotape of Hernandez receiving a lap dance in his campaign office.

An election for mayor was held in March 2012, with Daniel Salinas winning the mayor's office, but he was denied taking office due to extortion, bribery, and election fraud charges filed against him, which disqualified him from taking an oath of office.[5]

Border barrier

A private organization, named We Build The Wall built a 1/2 mile wall on at the border of Sunland Park and Mexico in 2019.[6] Privately financed using a GoFundMe campaign, the wall was built on private property but the gate they constructed blocked access needed to maintain a federal dam.[7] The barrier also blocked access to Monument One, an official marker of the International Boundary and Water Commission that was set where New Mexico, Texas and the Mexican state of Chihuahua converge.[8]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Sunland Park has a total area of 11.6 square miles (30.1 km²), of which 11.4 square miles (29.5 km²) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²), or 2.02%, is covered by water.[3]

Demographics

As of the census[10] of 2010, 14,267 people, 3,884 households, and 3,314 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,260.6 people per mi² (486.6/km²). The 4,131 housing units averaged 342.6 per mi² (132.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.00% White, 0.63% African American, 0.51% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 26.02% from other races, and 2.76% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 96.44% of the population.

Of the 3,884 households, 44.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55% were married couples living together, 24% had a female householder with no husband present, and 11.5% were not families. About 12.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.63 and the average family size was 3.97.

In the city, the population was distributed as 37.5% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 20 to 24, 7.6% from 25 to 29, 6.6% from 45 to 64, and 7.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males.

Government

On August 2, 2012, Javier Perea was reappointed as Mayor of Sunland Park. He began his official duties on April 18, 2012. At the urging of the State of New Mexico, the city conducted a search for the position of City Manager.

On December 17, 2013, Vernon Wilson was selected to fill the long-vacant position. He was a retired U.S. Army officer whose other government service included over 10 years as Manager of the nearby Dona Ana County International Jetport. His first day of employment was January 1, 2014.[11]

Education

Sunland Park is served by the Gadsden Independent School District, which operates these schools located in the city:

• Santa Teresa High School
• Santa Teresa Middle School
• Desert View Elementary School
• Riverside Elementary School
• Sunland Park Elementary School

Sunland Park also has a branch campus of Doña Ana Community College, a two-year college branch of New Mexico State University.

Infrastructure

Water is supplied by the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority.[12]

Points of interest

• Mt. Cristo Rey
• Western Playland
• Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino

References

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