City of Carlsbad - located on the banks of the Pecos River, was originally named the Town of Eddy on September 15, 1888 and was organized as a municipal corporation in 1893. With the improvement of the mineral springs with their medicinal qualities north of town, the town’s name was changed to Carlsbad, after the European spa, Karlsbad. 

The Governor proclaimed Carlsbad a city on March 25, 1918. The discovery of the “Bat Cave” in 1901 and of Carlsbad Caverns National Park on May 14, 1930 gained international recognition for Carlsbad.  

Potash was discovered near Carlsbad in 1925 and Carlsbad dominated the U.S. production of potash for many years. The potash market declined in the 1960’s, and residents and leaders of Carlsbad lobbied for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The WIPP project was authorized by Congress in 1979 and construction for the project began in 1980. The DOE Carlsbad Area Office opened in 1993 and the first waste shipment arrived in 1999. 

Carlsbad’s population today is 24,952.

 

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