Las Cruces is the largest city in southern New Mexico, and the second largest in the state. Located on the edge of the Chihuhuan Desert, the city sits at the foot of the Organ Mountains and along the banks of the Rio Grande River. Las Cruces enjoys over 350 days of sunshine a year, receiving an average of only 8.5 inches of rain per year and no more than two inches of snow in the winter. The city has a population of 113,888 residents and is the county seat of Doña Ana County (app. 219,561 population). Las Cruces is 42 miles north of El Paso, TX, 225 miles south of Albuquerque, NM, and 275 miles east of Tucson, AZ