Bernalillo is the historical center of the State of New Mexico. It was first inhabited almost 1000 years ago. Several early Pueblo sites and Spanish Colonial sites led by Francisco Vasquez de Coronado have been found and documented in the area.

Situated in the valley between the Sandia Mountains and the Rio Grande, it progressed from a string of haciendas along the river in the 1600s, to a commercial center of trade among the pueblos, the early settlers from Mexico, and the trappers in the 1800s. Camino del Pueblo, the Town of Bernalillo's main street, is also rich in history, and is synonymous with Route 66, El Camino Real (The Royal Road) and Old Highway 85. For several hundred years this road linked all of the communities from Santa Fe to Mexico City. It is one of the oldest historic trails in the United States.

Bernalillo serves as the gateway to the Sandia and Jemez Mountains, with many recreational and historical sites, as well as four designated scenic-by-ways which are nationally recognized for their beauty and historic significance. The Rail Runner Train, with two stops in Bernalillo, transports passengers between Belen, Los Lunas, and Albuquerque to the south, and as far north as Santa Fe, thus making Bernalillo a true hub to the best of  the Land of Enchantment.

The Bosque Encantado subdivision is adjacent to the Rio Grande in Bernalillo, NM, and consists of 104 lots, 84 of which are at least one acre. The subdivision's covenants protect the open environment, and offer views of the river and the Sandia Mountains for residents, while providing privacy as a gated community.