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Santa Fe (/ˌsæntə ˈfeɪ, ˈsæntə ˌfeɪ/ SAN-tə FAY, -⁠ fay; Spanish: [santa ˈfe]; Spanish for 'Holy Faith') is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-most populous city in the state with a population of 87,505 as of the 2020 census, while the Santa Fe metropolitan area has an estimated 158,000 people.^[6] The greater Albuquerque–Santa Fe–Los Alamos combined statistical area includes eight counties in north-central New Mexico with 1.16 million residents. The county seat of Santa Fe County, Santa Fe is situated at the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains at the highest altitude of any U.S. state capital, with an elevation of 6,998 feet (2,133 m).^[7]

Founded in 1610 as the capital of Nuevo México, a province of New Spain, Santa Fe is the oldest state capital in the United States and the earliest European settlement west of the Mississippi River. Its name, Spanish for “Holy Faith”, is the shortened form of its original name, La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asís (Royal Town of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi).^[8][9] The city prospered as a leading commercial and transportation hub,^[10] driven by lucrative trade and migration routes such as El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro and the Santa Fe Trail. Nuevo México became a territory of Mexico after Mexican independence from Spain in 1821. It was ceded to the United States in 1848 following the Mexican–American War, and in 1851 Santa Fe was named the capital of the U.S. Territory of New Mexico; it became New Mexico’s state capital in 1912.^[11] Santa Fe remained the political and cultural center of New Mexico throughout the Spanish, Mexican, and American periods, which each impacted the city’s development and character.

Blending indigenous, Spanish, and American influences, Santa Fe is considered the cultural capital of the Southwestern United States,^[11] and is widely regarded as one of the country’s major art cities.^[12][13] In 2005, it was the first U.S. city inducted into the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.^[14] Santa Fe hosts more than 250 art galleries, a large concentration of museums, and three annual art events: the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, the R/Traditional Spanish Colonial Market, and the Indian Market. One-tenth of all employment is related to artistic and cultural industries, with writers and authors making up the highest proportion of the labor force of any U.S. city.^[10]

Santa Fe’s cultural highlights include Santa Fe Plaza, Santa Fe Historic District, the Palace of the Governors, and Fiesta de Santa Fe; the city is also known for its contributions to New Mexican cuisine and New Mexico music. Among Santa Fe’s many artistic institutions are the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, the Chuck Jones Gallery, and the art collective Meow Wolf. The cityscape is known for its adobe-style Pueblo Revival and Territorial Revival architecture, much of which is preserved and protected.^[15]