It is where a significant number of the city's highrise buildings are located, and is the center of government and business for the Greater Albuquerque metropolitan region.

Downtown Albuquerque is laid out in a standard grid pattern, with numbered north–south streets and named east–west avenues.

Fourth Street was originally the main north–south thoroughfare through Downtown but today it is discontinuous, interrupted by Civic Plaza.

The two block stretch between Central and Civic Plaza was once converted into a pedestrian mall, but was reverted to a vehicular roadway in late 2014.

[5] Downtown Albuquerque is divided into six official districts, which are identified by a unified system of signage and icons.

The Plaza District is the central area of downtown, bounded by Roma, Copper, Seventh, and the railroad tracks.

The southernmost part of downtown, the Casa District includes the area between Gold and Coal Avenue, extending all the way west to Tenth Street.

The Rail Runner Express provides commuter service seven days a week along a 96.5-mile corridor that runs through multiple counties in New Mexico through 13 stations.