Carnuel is a census-designated place (CDP) in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,232 at the 2010 Census. It is portion of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area. Robert Julyan theorizes that reveal of the community, which has been spelled both Carnuel and Carnué, derives from the Tiwa word for “badger place.”

Carnuel (full name San Miguel de Loredo de Carnué) is 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of the original middle of the city of Albuquerque. The town was created in 1763 to defend Albuquerque from the raids of Comanche, Kiowa, and Plains Apache American Indians. The town is located at the mouth of Tijeras Canyon, a strategic and natural corridor in the middle of the discordant Indians of the Great Plains and the Spanish settlements of the Rio Grande valley. Nineteen men some similar to families, comprised the first settlers at Carnuel. They were mostly from the demean castas of Spanish society, “coyotes” and genízaros (Indians who lived along with the Spanish and had adopted some elements of Hispanic culture). For the coyotes and genízaros the attraction to come to an agreement at Carnuel and supplementary genízaro settlements was the opportunity to own home through a land ascend from the New Mexican government.

Apache raiders killed several people in the Place and the survivors unaccompanied the harmony in 1771. Carnuel was resettled in 1819 by descendants of the original settlers plus further landless mestizos. Twenty-two families were perfect land at Carnuel and unusual 22 acknowledged land at San Antonio, a community very nearly 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) northeast of Carnuel. By that period New Mexico had made peace gone the Comanche and the threat to the eastern frontiers of the colony had decreased, making the treaty feasible. The genízaro origin continued to influence land and water usage rights in the Carnuel land assent into the 21st century. The village of Tijeras is located within the area of the Carnuel house grant. The community of San Antonio was far ahead included in the Cedar Crest CDP.

Carnuel is located at 35°4′2″N 106°26′56″W / 35.06722°N 106.44889°W / 35.06722; -106.44889 (35.067181, -106.448823). According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total Place of 5.42 square miles (14.05 km²), of which 0.031 square miles (0.08 km), or 0.56%, is water.