Carlsbad is a city in and the county seat of Eddy County, New Mexico, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 27,463. Carlsbad is the center of the designated micropolitan area of Carlsbad-Artesia, which has a total population of 51,658. It is a center for potash, petroleum production, and tourism. Carlsbad is located in the Chihuahuan Desert and the Pecos River Valley at an elevation of 3,295 feet (1,004 m). Carlsbad Caverns National Park is located eighteen miles (29 km) southwest of the city, with Guadalupe Mountains National Park lying forty miles further southwest across the Texas border. There are also three man-made lakes within fifty miles of the city, including Lake Carlsbad. Carlsbad has a mayor-council government type. The city has multiple recreational parks and facilities, including those for senior citizens.