The pueblo was constructed in a setting backed by the Taos Mountains of the Sangre de Cristo Range. The settlement was built on either side of Rio Pueblo de Taos, also called Rio Pueblo and Red Willow Creek, a small stream that flows through the middle of the pueblo compound. Its headwaters come from the nearby mountains. Taos Pueblo’s most prominent architectural feature is a multi-storied residential complex of reddish-brown adobe, built on either side of the Rio Pueblo. The Pueblo’s website states it was probably built between 1000 and 1450.

Taos Pueblo is a member of the Eight Northern Pueblos. Natives will almost never speak of their religious customs to outsiders, and, because their language has never been written down, much of the culture remains unknown to the rest of the world. A tribal land of 95,000 acres (38,000 ha) is attached to the pueblo, and about 4,500 people live in this area.

Taos Pueblo is authentic in terms of its location and setting, forms and designs, materials and substance, uses and functions as well as spirit and feeling. The Pueblo has been continuously occupied and cared for by the traditional and culturally-based community. Adobe requires regular maintenance through periodic replastering, which is undertaken as needed by tribal members using traditional materials and methods. Some European-style framed doors and windows were introduced in the 20th century, but these remain limited in scale.

The community maintains controls to protect its traditions, including the prohibition within the walled area of electrical power lines and piped water supply. An increasing number of Pueblo residents have homes outside the walled area; however, the old village still serves as the most important focus for intra-village interaction and cultural activities.

The known and potential threats to the authenticity of the property include the following: the growth of the nearby municipality of Taos, which places pressure on the Pueblo to modernize; economic conditions that cause tourism impacts; planned expansion of the existing Taos Regional Airport; and environmental stresses such as forest fires, droughts and floods.

According to en.wikipedia; whc.unesco.org