A new national cemetery is coming to Albuquerque, New Mexico. The new cemetery, which will be known as the Albuquerque National Cemetery, will be the third national cemetery in the state. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs made the announcement toward the end of June, saying that construction on the cemetery is slated to begin in 2025.
“Albuquerque National Cemetery will serve nearly 78,000 Veterans. We are pleased to extend access to VA burial benefits for Veterans in the Santa Fe/Albuquerque area and provide them with a final resting place in honor of their service to the nation,” said VA Acting Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Ronald Walters in a statement.
In 2023, the VA purchased 230 acres of land adjacent to the Petroglyph National Monument, due west of Albuquerque. The cemetery will be designed and built with water-wise landscaping that is similar to other VA national cemeteries in El Paso, Texas, Phoenix, Arizona and Bakersfield, California. It will include crushed granite and ground cover in the burial sections. The site will also feature options for casketed and cremation burials.
The name of the cemetery was selected through input from local Veterans and community leaders. It is consistent with the National Cemeteries Act of 1973 (Title 38 U.S.C. § 531) that requires VA property to be named for the geographic area where the facility is located.
Today, the VA operates 155 national cemeteries and 34 soldiers’ lots and monument sites in the country. There are over 5.4 million people who are buried in VA national cemeteries, including 4.1 million Veterans of every war and conflict.
Currently, there are two national cemeteries in New Mexico. One of them is located in Santa Fe while the other one is located in Fort Bayard near Silver City. New Mexico is also home to three state veterans’ cemeteries. The VA expects the Santa Fe National Cemetery to run out of land in the next 10 years or so. With the new Albuquerque site slated to begin construction next year, the cemetery will help provide much-needed relief.
The Albuquerque National Cemetery will provide burial space for the next 300 years. The federal government allocated $41 million for the Albuquerque site, and the VA’s goal is to begin burials at the new cemetery within the next five years. According to USAFacts, there were 136,204 veterans living in New Mexico in 2024.
You can sign up for information on the development and the opening of the Albuquerque National Cemetery by visiting https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USVANCA/signup/39043. To contact the VA about burial benefits, you can call 800-827-1000. For burial arrangements at any open VA national cemetery at the time of need, you can call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117.
