The Village of Corrales is a small, treasured oasis located within a large, fast-growing metropolitan area. The village is bordered on the east by the Rio Grande and, across the river, by the Sandia Indian Reservation. To the south is the City of Albuquerque while to the west and north is the City of Rio Rancho. The greater metropolitan area numbers well over a half million people, but Corrales, about 7300 in population, aggressively strives to retain a rural lifestyle. Prehistoric sites indicate the Corrales Valley has been occupied as early as 500 A.D. when the ancestors of the present-day Indian Pueblos derived sustenance from the fertile valley. Subsequent populations, including Hispanic, European and American families, settled here to raise grapes, apples, and livestock. Today, Corrales is distinguished by its broad green pastures and orchards, its rich historic and artistic character, and of course the sounds and scents of roosters, cows, horses and sheep. To cross the borders into Corrales is to step into another time and place where the stresses of twenty-first century life give way to the grace and pace of another era.

The Village was incorporated September 17, 1971. However, the southern portion of the incorporated area was still located in Bernalillo County. As of January 1, 2005, all of the incorporated area is located in Sandoval County. There is still a part of the adjoining areas (Skyview Acres) that uses Corrales as their address, but they are not part of the incorporated area, nor are they part of Albuquerque or Sandoval County.

In 2000, employment in the Village was approximately 1,000. Nearly 30 percent of the employment is in the services sector. About 200 jobs, 20 percent, were in the retail sector. Corrales has a number of shops and fine restaurants that draw clients from throughout the metropolitan area.