Taos is located in
Taos County (and is the county seat), and in the
North Central New Mexico region. It lies north of
Santa Fe between Espanola and the Colorado state line, along Highway 522. The town also is near the
Rio Grande River and Eagle Nest Lake.
Taos was established by Spaniards in the early 1700s in an area of pueblos -- Native American villages constructed of adobe clay. It was a significant Native American and Spanish trading hub. Taos was the flashpoint of the 1680 Pueblo revolt and another Native American uprising in 1847. Kit Carson was a resident; his 1825 home and 1868 grave are here. Taos blossomed as an art colony after 1898, attracting painters and writers such as Georgia O'Keefe and D. H. Lawrence.
Today Taos, population 4,700, continues as an artist colony as well as a tourist draw; its Native American, Spanish, and Anglo cultural influences live on. Outdoor recreational opportunities abound and Native American festivals are held regularly.
