Living in Santa Fe

A lone hiker carrying a backpack traverses a narrow ridge trail across a vast mountain landscape.

 

LIVING IN SANTA FE

 

Embraced by the Jemez Mountains to the west and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east, opportunities abound for outdoor enthusiasts in Santa Fe. Established in 1610, with many Native American inhabitants tracing their heritage back a thousand years, Santa Fe is the country's oldest capital city and a centuries-old crossroads for traders and adventurers. Affectionately known as The City Different, Santa Fe offers a mix of cultures and deep history available nowhere else in the country.
 

A dense forest of white-barked aspen trees displays vibrant yellow autumn foliage against rolling mountain slopes under a cloudy sky.

With a total county population of 155,000, Santa Fe feels small while offering world-class dining, fine and performing arts, skiing, golf, hiking, fly fishing, and cycling. 

Over 250 mountain bike trails, some only minutes from the downtown Plaza, lead riders across meadows and into high alpine terrain. Hiking trails in the city, county, and nearby Santa Fe National Forest (2,400 square miles) offer access to some of the most beautiful views in the Mountain West. And while Santa Fe averages 283 days of sunshine, our city also receives about 14 inches of rain annually and almost two feet of snow each winter — with much more in the local mountains, ideal for skiing. 

In town, more than 100 locally-owned art galleries and internationally-recognized art museums create an unmatched experience for art collectors and enthusiasts.

By integrating Santa Fe's natural beauty, deep history, and distinctive cultures into our rigorous college preparatory curriculum, Santa Fe Prep offers students an unparalleled education and families a chance to live deliberately.

The City Different

Explore more of the Santa Fe lifestyle, and learn why Travel + Leisure has ranked Santa Fe its number one destination city in the US two years in a row.

Three skiers stand at the top of a snowy mountain peak overlooking a vast valley.
A vibrant turquoise wooden door framed inside a tan adobe wall with a hanging red chili ristra.
Soft clouds float in a pale blue sky above dark mountain silhouettes at sunset.
Wooden bushel baskets overflowing with fresh red and green peppers are displayed at an outdoor market.
A skier catches high air off a jump surrounded by tall birch trees in a forest.
Open grassy plains stretch toward soft blue mountain ridges under a bright sky.
Hundreds of dried red chili peppers hang densely together in a wall display.
The golden stone facade of a historic cathedral stands lit by warm sunlight under a clear blue sky.
A passenger train arrives at an outdoor station next to a wooden building marked 'Santa Fe.'
A traditional adobe church with a white cross on top stands under a deep blue sky.
A group of people stands on a grassy field looking up at colorful hot air balloons preparing for flight.

Hear about one family's experience moving from a big city to our smaller community, and finding more time together to appreciate the outdoors, arts, culture, and an exceptional education for their two daughters.

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