Main Arteries & Streets—The limits of downtown Santa Fe are loosely demarcated on three sides by the horseshoe-shaped Paseo de Peralta and on the west by St. Francis Drive, otherwise known as US 84/285. Alameda Street follows the north side of the Santa Fe River through downtown. The State Capitol and other government buildings are on the south side of the river, while most buildings of historic and tourist interest are on the north, east of Guadalupe Street.
Santa Fe Plaza is Santa Fe’s universally accepted point of orientation. Here, you’ll find tall shade trees, lots of grass, and plenty of tourists. Its four diagonal walkways meet at a central fountain. If you stand in the center of the plaza looking north, you’ll be facing the Palace of the Governors. In front of you is Palace Avenue; behind you, San Francisco Street. To your left is Lincoln Avenue, and to your right is Washington Avenue, which divides the downtown avenues into east and west. The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi is the massive Romanesque structure a block east, down San Francisco Street. Alameda Street, which follows the Santa Fe River, is 2 full blocks behind you. To the south of the plaza is the Santa Fe River, a tiny tributary of the Rio Grande that runs most of the year. Near the intersection of Alameda Street and Paseo de Peralta, you’ll find Canyon Road, a narrow, mostly one-way street packed with galleries and shops. Once it was the home of many artists, and today you’ll still find some at work within gallery studios. A number of fine restaurants are in this district as well.
Leading southwest from the downtown area, beginning opposite the state office buildings on Galisteo Street, is Cerrillos Road. Once the main north-south highway, NM 14, connecting Santa Fe with Albuquerque, it is now a 6-mile-long motel and fast-food strip, most of which ends at the I-25 interchange. St. Francis Drive, which crosses Cerrillos Road 3 blocks southwest of Guadalupe Street, is a far more direct route to I-25, intersecting with the highway 4 miles southwest of downtown. The Old Pecos Trail, on the east side of the city, also connects downtown and the freeway. St. Michael’s Drive crosses all three arteries south of downtown.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
