[14] On August 4, 2022, an SUV, driven by an intoxicated individual, drove through a parade crowd during the city's 100th annual Intertribal Celebration, leaving 15 injured, including two police officers and several children.

U.S. Route 491 has its southern terminus at I-40 in Gallup and leads north 94 miles (151 km) to Shiprock and then into Colorado.

The summers are hot during the day, but the high altitude and low humidity mean that nights remain distinctly cool; as late as July 2, 1997, the temperature fell to 31 °F (−1 °C).

It has close proximity to Native American reservations, and historic lack of economic development in addition to many mine closures in the last century.

According to an article published in November 2014, "Gallup saw 463 violent crimes last year including murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.

Former Governor Bill Richardson pushed for (and got) the number changed because "666" is associated with Satan and Devil worship, thus it was considered "cursed" or a "Beast" to some locals.

[27][28] Being the largest city between Flagstaff and Albuquerque, Gallup claims many notable buildings, places, events, and people.

[29] The historic El Rancho Hotel & Motel has hosted a numerous array of movie stars, including John Wayne, Ronald Reagan, Humphrey Bogart, Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Joan Crawford, Kirk Douglas, Doris Day, Gregory Peck, and Burt Lancaster.

The rugged terrain surrounding Gallup was popular with Hollywood filmmakers during the 1940s and '50s for the on-location shooting of Westerns.

Films made in Gallup include Billy the Kid (1930), Pursued (1947), The Sea of Grass (1947), Four Faces West (1948), Only the Valiant (1951), Ace in the Hole (1951), Escape from Fort Bravo (1953), A Distant Trumpet (1964), and The Hallelujah Trail (1965).

[30] Gallup is sometimes called the "Indian Capital of the World", for its location in the heart of Native American lands, and the presence of Navajo, Zuni, Hopi, and other tribes.

Gallup's nickname references the huge impact of the Native American cultures found in and around the city.

Previously, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) operated Manuelito Hall in Gallup, a dormitory that housed Native American students attending Gallup-McKinley schools.