TRANSPORTATION    

Highway Access

Belen is located west of the Rio Grande Valley, 30 miles south of Albuquerque. NM Highway 314 runs in the middle of Belen and is our Main Street. Interstate 25 runs through the west side of Belen giving it three exits (exit 190, 191, & 195) in and out of town. Highway 47 is to the east of Belen. [MAP]

Freight/Trucking

There are three local trucking companies in Belen. New Mexico is a great place to manufacture because of the outbound shipping costs. The ratio is such that for every seven trucks that enters New Mexico, only one gets a load out. We are part of the Albuquerque metro area and are served by over 40 motor freight companies with 29 local terminals in Albuquerque.

Package Express

United Parcel Service and Federal Express serve the Valencia County area, as does Greyhound Bus Lines, offering package express service to all points of the nation, reaching major markets overnight.

Railway

Rail Freight:
Belen is headquarters for the District office of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway. A major center for all trains traveling through Belen with inspection, repairs, refueling and changing crews completed at this Hub, as transcontinental freight trains make their way through the town. The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe provides mainline daily freight service for shippers and receivers of the Albuquerque area to all four points of the compass. A mainline piggyback facility offers all major plans for T.O.F.C./C.O.F.C. shippers.

Commuter Service:

In July 2006, the New Mexico Rail Runner Express started commuter service in New Mexico, taking commuters from Belen through Albuquerque to Bernalillo. Service to Santa Fe will open in 2008. Train Schedule
              

Air Service

Belen Alexander Airport - General Aviation
This airport makes for an “easy-in, easy-out” transition for most all general aviation aircraft and some light turbo-prop and jet traffic. With full fuel service, including 100LL and JETA you can be assure that you will get a quality product for a small town low price.

The Belen/Alexander airport was established in 1978, greatly due to a donation by a local family to the city. The city of Belen received a grant to build a runway and start the airport on its’ way. Shortly after the runway was built, an Air/Medevac-Ambulance service located their operation to Belen, thus being the first commercial operator at the airport. As the airport started to grow, the city felt the need to start an airport commission and hire an airport manager to run the airport on its’ way to success, in the meantime the commission developed airport minimum standards as guideline for all to follow. In 1983 the FBO (Fixed Base Operator) was established and in 1985 Shiloh Aviation established their business for most aircraft services.

In the late 1980’s, a chapter of the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) built a new hangar (which is now New Mexico Aircraft Propeller). With the Belen/Alexander airport now on the growing trend, more and more businesses started moving in. There are approximately 50 aircraft based here. The Belen airport now has an engine repair shop, aerial photography operation, propeller shop, restaurant, new “T” hangars for rent and much more to come.
DigiWX Advisor - Belen Alexander Airport
 

The Albuquerque International Airport
30 minutes north of Belen is a federally certified airfield owned by the City of Albuquerque and operated by the City Aviation Department. The airport is located 15 minutes from the Central Business District on 1,550 acres in the southeast sector of the city, with easy access from I-25. Nine air carriers provide direct service to over 50 cities with more than 689 landings and takeoffs daily. Non-stop flights are offered to nine of the top 10 markets and 12 of the top 15.

Flight Conditions
Albuquerque has excellent flying conditions approximately 99% of the time. Ceilings and/or visibility are below minimum for flight operations less than one percent of the time each year.

Air Freight
11 carriers (five air carriers and six specialized airfreight carriers) provide airfreight serve.

US Customs Port of Entry/Exit
The Albuquerque Port of Entry/Exit offers complete customs service for commercial shipments- regular, transportation in bond, and warehouse for non-commercial shipments, as well as clearance of charter and private international flight.