Tijeras Canyon, Natural canyon in central New Mexico, United States

Tijeras Canyon is a pass through the Sandia–Manzano Mountains east of Albuquerque, New Mexico, separating the Sandia range to the north from the Manzano Mountains to the south. Its floor lies between 5,600 and 7,000 feet above sea level, and the canyon drains west into Tijeras Arroyo, which runs through Kirtland Air Force Base past the Albuquerque International Sunport to the Rio Grande.

Pueblo people occupied Tijeras Pueblo near the present town of Tijeras, and the site has long been deserted. In 1901 the Albuquerque Eastern Railway was proposed through the canyon, with a branch to the Hagan coalfields; some grading was done near the western mouth, but no tracks were laid and the project was abandoned in 1908. In 1950 the Tijeras Canyon job was the largest road project ever let in New Mexico and the first four-lane divided highway on U.S. Route 66 in the state, completed in 1951.

The name Tijeras means "scissors" in Spanish, said to come from the junction of two tributary canyons or two roads; the canyon's original name was Cañon de Carnué. The name now applies almost universally to the canyon, though it properly belongs to the village of Tijeras at the junction. The canyon's earliest inhabitants were Pueblo people, who occupied Tijeras Pueblo near the present town site, long since deserted.

Interstate 40 runs directly through the canyon, making it easy to reach by car with several pullouts along the way. Those planning to hike should check trail conditions beforehand, as weather at this elevation can change quickly, especially in winter.

The canyon's original name was Cañon de Carnué; "Tijeras" (scissors) properly belongs to the village at the junction of two tributary canyons or roads, yet it is now applied to the whole canyon. In 1901 the Albuquerque Eastern Railway was proposed through the canyon, linking to the New Mexico Central at Moriarty with a branch to the Hagan coalfields; some grading near the western mouth is still visible, but no rails were ever laid and the project was abandoned in 1908.