About Moriarty, New Mexico

Moriarty, New Mexico, originally a railroad town, is named for an early settler, Timothy Michael Moriarty, who served as the community's first postmaster. Droughts and a dust bowl in the 1920s and 1930s were particularly hard on the town, but in 1937, a new highway - now historic Route 66, the Mother Road - began bringing new business into the area. The City of Moriarty was incorporated in 1953. When Interstate 40 later came through, the original highway in Central New Mexico was spared, and Moriarty now stands at the eastern end what is perhaps the longest stretch remaining of Old Route 66.

The railroad is gone, but Moriarty remains the region's principal transportation asset. Just east of Albuquerque, New Mexico's largest city, the city is served by an excellent system of roads. The Moriarty Municipal Airport, with its paved runways and modern fueling capabilities, provides easy access not only to Albuquerque but to roads heading in all directions. The City owns and operates the region's only fully functional Civic Center, which houses conference/entertainment space as well as the municipal library and the Moriarty Museum.

In keeping with its location, Moriarty is home to a broad selection of hotels, restaurants, retail enterprises, and services. Municipally owned water and sewer and the City's part-ownership of the EMW Gas Cooperative, combined with Moriarty's business-friendly government, make Moriarty an attractive location for such enterprises. Moriarty provides convenient access to both Albuquerque and Santa Fe, and there is plenty to do in the immediate area - skiing at Sandia Peak; soaring/gliding at the Moriarty Municipal Airport; swimming in Estancia, just to the south; and Chuckwagon Suppers and unique wildlife experiences at Wildlife West Nature Park in nearby Edgewood, New Mexico, to name a few.

Moriarty's governing body includes a mayor and four city council members. The city also has its own police and fire departments, a Motor Vehicle Division location, and other government services.