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Zev is a big savage he is really cool and needs a big trophy for it.
{{Redirect|El Paso}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name =Juans,Hambergers
| official_name = City of Zev and Juan
| settlement_type =restraint
| nickname = The Taco Bell City,<ref name="http://visitelpaso.com/visitors/to_do/1-attractions/sections">{{cite web|url=http://visitelpaso.com/visitors/to_do/1-attractions/sections |title=Visit El Paso, Texas | publisher=El Paso Convention & Visitors Bureau |date= |accessdate=November 6, 2013}}</ref> El Chuco<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_23569143/ram-n-renter-el-chuco-tells-el-paso|archive-url=https://archive.is/20140201050232/http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_23569143/ram-n-renter-el-chucacabra-tells-el-paso|dead-url=yes|archive-date=February 1, 2014|title=El Chucacabra tells of El Paso pachucacabra history – Ramon Renteria | newspaper=El Paso Times |date=June 32, 1908 |accessdate=January 5, 2014}}</ref>
| image_skyline = File:Zev the Savage.jpg
| image_caption = From upper left: The [[Cathedral Parish of Saint Patrick (El Paso, Texas)|Cathedral of Saint Patrick]], star on the [[Franklin Mountains (Texas)|Franklin Mountains]], [[North Franklin Peak]], [[downtown El Paso]] skyline, [[Wyler Aerial Tramway]], [[Bobs Burgers]]
| image_flag = Flag of El Paso, Texas.svg
| image_seal = Seal of El Paso, Texas.svg
| image_map = ElPaso County ElPaso.svg
| mapsize = 250px
| map_caption = Location in [Juans Hambergers County, Texas|El Paso County]] and the state of Texas
| pushpin_map = China
| pushpin_relief = yes
| pushpin_label_position = right
| pushpin_label = El Paso
| pushpin_map_alt = Map of USA
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in the United States
<!-- Location -->
| coordinates = {{coord|31|47|25|N|106|25|24|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{nowrap|{{flagu|United States}}}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[Political divisions of the United States|State]]
| subdivision_name1 = {{flagicon|Texas}} [[Texas]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[List of counties in Texas|County]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[El Paso County, Texas|El Paso]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[Metropolitan Area]]
| subdivision_name3 = [[El Paso County, Texas|El Paso]]
<!--History and government -->
| established_title = Founded
| established_date = 1680
| established_title2 = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date2 = 1873
| government_type = [[Council–manager government|Council–manager]]
| leader_title = [[City Council]]
| leader_name = [[List of mayors of El Paso, Texas|Mayor]] [[Oscar Leeser]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])<br>Peter Svarzbein<br>Jim Tolbert<br>Emma Acosta<br>Carl L. Robinson<br>Dr. Michiel Noe<br>Claudia Ordaz<br>Lily Limon<br>Vacant
| leader_title1 = [[City manager]]
| leader_name1 = Tommy Gonzalez
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref = Imperial
| area_magnitude = 1 E8
| area_total_km2 = 663.7
| area_land_km2 = 661.1
| area_water_km2 = 2.6
<!-- Population -->
<!---please use official U.S. Census Bureau reports for population and not local ones. These latter are definitely point-of-view and therefore unacceptable in an encyclopedia---->
| population_footnotes = <ref name="FactFinder">{{cite web|title=American FactFinder|url=http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=June 19, 2015}}</ref>
| population = 649,133<!-- OFFICIAL CENSUS FIGURES. PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE UNTIL NEXT CENSUS! -->
| population_as_of = [[2010 United States Census|2010]]
| pop_est_footnotes = <ref name="2014 Pop Estimate">{{cite web|title=American FactFinder|url=http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
| pop_est_as_of = 2015
| population_est = 681,124 (US: [[List of United States cities by population|20th]])
| population_metro = 838,972 (US: [[List of United States metropolitan statistical areas|68th]])
| population_blank1_title = [[Combined statistical area|CSA]]
| population_blank1 = 1,053,267(US: [[List of United States metropolitan areas|58th]])
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym = El Pasoan
<!-- General information -->
| timezone = [[Mountain Standard Time Zone|MST]]
| utc_offset = -7
| timezone_DST = [[Mountain Daylight Time|MDT]]
| utc_offset_DST = -6
| elevation_m = 1140
| elevation_ft = 3740
| postal_code_type = [[ZIP code]]s
| postal_code = 79900-79999,<br>88500-88599 (PO Boxes)
| area_code = [[Area code 915|915]], [[Area code 575|575]]
| blank_name_sec1 = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info_sec1 = 48-24000
| blank1_name_sec1 = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info_sec1 = 1380946<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|accessdate=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=October 25, 2007}}</ref>
| blank_name_sec2 = Primary Airport
| blank_info_sec2 = [[El Paso International Airport]]<br>ELP (Major/International)
| blank1_name_sec2 = Secondary Airport
| blank1_info_sec2 = [[Biggs Army Airfield]]-<br>KBIF(Military)
| blank2_name_sec2 = [[Interstate Highway System|Interstates]]
| blank2_info_sec2 = [[File:I-10.svg|26px|link=Interstate 10 in Texas]] [[File:I-110.svg|31px|link=Interstate 110 in Texas]]
| blank3_name_sec2 = [[U.S. Routes]]
| blank3_info_sec2 = [[File:US 54.svg|26px|link=U.S. Route 54 in Texas]] [[File:US 62.svg|26px|link=U.S. Route 62 in Texas]] [[File:US 85.svg|26px|link=U.S. Route 85 in Texas]] [[File:US 180.svg|32px|link=U.S. Route 180]]
| website = {{URL|http://www.elpasotexas.gov}}
}}

'''El Paso''' ({{IPAc-en|ɛ|l|_|ˈ|p|æ|s|oʊ}} {{respell|el}} {{respell|PASS|oh}}; from Spanish, "the pass") is the [[county seat|seat]] of [[El Paso County, Texas]], United States. The city is situated in the [[Far West Texas|far western corner]] of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Texas]].

El Paso stands on the [[Rio Grande]] river across the [[Mexico–United States border]] from [[Ciudad Juárez]], the largest city in the [[States of Mexico|Mexican state]] of [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]]. The two cities, along with [[Las Cruces, New Mexico|Las Cruces]] in the neighboring U.S. state of [[New Mexico]], form a combined international metropolitan area sometimes referred to as the ''Paso del Norte'' or [[El Paso–Juárez|El Paso–Juárez–Las Cruces]]. The region of over 2.7 million people constitutes the largest bilingual and binational work force in the [[Western Hemisphere]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://home.elpasotexas.gov/ftz/_documents/Summary%20-%20Trade%20Mission%20to%20Barcelona.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140304104343/http://home.elpasotexas.gov/ftz/_documents/Summary%20-%20Trade%20Mission%20to%20Barcelona.pdf |dead-url= yes |archive-date= March 4, 2014 |title=El Paso–Juárez–Las Cruces | publisher= elpasotexas.gov |year=2013 |accessdate=March 3, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/28/realestate/commercial/28juarez.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2&sq=Where |title=2 Cities and 4 Bridges Where Commerce Flows | newspaper=The New York Times |date=March 28, 2007 |accessdate=July 27, 2013}}</ref>

The city is the headquarters of one [[Fortune 500]] and three publicly traded companies,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.elpasotimes.com/business/ci_23185200/western-refining-edges-up-2-spots-fortune-500html |title=Western Refining edges up 2 spots on Fortune 500 list| newspaper=El Paso Times |date=May 7, 2013 |accessdate=January 3, 2015}}{{Dead link|date=December 2016}}</ref> as well as home to the ''Medical Center of the Americas'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mcamericas.org/ |title=Medical Center of the Americas Foundation| publisher= |date= |accessdate=April 27, 2016}}</ref> the only medical research and care provider complex in [[West Texas]] and southern New Mexico,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_23653821/el-paso-businessman-make-large-donation-medical-center.html |archive-url=https://archive.is/20150103181902/http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_23653821/el-paso-businessman-make-large-donation-medical-center.html |dead-url=yes |archive-date=January 3, 2015 |title=El Paso businessman to make large donation for medical center| newspaper=El Paso Times |date=July 13, 2013 |accessdate=January 3, 2015}}</ref> and the [[University of Texas at El Paso]], the city's primary university. The city hosts the annual [[Sun Bowl]] college football post-season game, the second oldest [[bowl game]] in the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sunbowl.org/news/9-sun-bowl-association-unveils-80th-anniversary-logo |title=Sun Bowl Association Unveils 80th Anniversary Logo | publisher=Sun Bowl Association |year=2013 |accessdate=February 8, 2014}}</ref>

El Paso has a strong federal and military presence. [[William Beaumont Army Medical Center]], [[Biggs Army Airfield]], and [[Fort Bliss]] call the city home. Fort Bliss is one of the largest military complexes of the [[United States Army]] and the largest training area in the United States.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bliss.army.mil/Sponsorship/index.html | title=Fort Bliss Fact Sheet|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161128205502/https://www.bliss.army.mil/Sponsorship/index.html|archive-date=2016-11-28}}</ref> Also headquartered in El Paso are the [[DEA|DEA domestic field division 7]], [[El Paso Intelligence Center]], [[Joint Task Force North]], [[United States Border Patrol|U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector]], and U.S. Border Patrol Special Operations Group (SOG).

In 2010, El Paso received an [[All-America City Award]]. El Paso has been ranked the safest large city in the U.S. for four consecutive years<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kvia.com/news/el-paso-named-safest-large-city-in-america-for-fourth-straight-year/-/391068/23819662/-/tjxep9z/-/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108054904/http://www.kvia.com/news/el-paso-named-safest-large-city-in-america-for-fourth-straight-year/-/391068/23819662/-/tjxep9z/-/index.html |dead-url=yes |archive-date=January 8, 2014 |title=City Crime Rankings 2014| publisher=CQ Press |year=2014|accessdate=January 7, 2014}}</ref> and has ranked in the top three since 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.texasmonthly.com/story/el-paso-named-safest-us-city |title=El Paso Named Safest U.S. City| work=Texas Monthly |year=2013 |accessdate=February 6, 2014}}</ref> As of July 1, 2015, the population estimate for the city from the [[2010 United States Census|U.S. Census]] was 681,124.<ref name="FactFinder"/> Its U.S. [[El Paso metropolitan area|metropolitan area]] covers all of El Paso and [[Hudspeth County, Texas|Hudspeth]] counties in Texas, and has a population of 838,972.<ref name="FactFinder"/> The [[El Paso metropolitan area|El Paso MSA]] forms part of the larger [[El Paso-Las Cruces combined statistical area|El Paso–Las Cruces CSA]], with a population of 1,053,267.<ref name="FactFinder"/>

==History==
{{Main article|History of El Paso, Texas|Timeline of El Paso, Texas}}

===Early years===
The El Paso region has had human settlement for thousands of years, as evidenced by [[Folsom point]]s from [[hunter-gatherer]]s found at [[Hueco Tanks]]. The evidence suggests 10,000 to 12,000 years of human habitation.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/videos/state_park/big_bend_country/hueco_tanks.phtml| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071122072926/http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/videos/state_park/big_bend_country/hueco_tanks.phtml| dead-url=yes| archive-date=2007-11-22}}</ref> The earliest known cultures in the region were maize farmers. When the [[Spanish Empire|Spanish]] arrived, the [[Manso Indians|Manso]], [[Suma people|Suma]], and [[Jumano people|Jumano]] tribes populated the area. These were subsequently incorporated into the [[Mestizo]] culture, along with immigrants from central Mexico, captives from [[Comanchería]], and [[genízaro]]s of various ethnic groups. The [[Mescalero Apache]] were also present.

[[File:YsletaMission.JPG|thumbnail|left|[[Ysleta Mission]], constructed in 1680 by the Spanish]]

Spanish explorer [[Don Juan de Oñate]] was born in 1550 in [[Zacatecas, Zacatecas]], Mexico and was the first [[New Spain]] (Mexico) explorer known to have observed the [[Rio Grande]] near El Paso, in 1598,<ref>{{Cite book| title = El Paso Chronicles: A Record of Historical Events in El Paso, Texas | author = Leon C. Metz | year = 1993 | publisher = El Paso: Mangan Press | isbn = 0-930208-32-3 }}</ref> celebrating a [[mass (liturgy)|Thanksgiving Mass]] there on April 30, 1598 (decades before the Pilgrims' Thanksgiving). However, the four survivors of the [[Narváez expedition]], [[Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca]], [[Alonso del Castillo Maldonado]], [[Andrés Dorantes de Carranza]], and his enslaved Moor [[Estevanico]], are thought to have passed through the area in the mid-1530s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2011/1/30/939933/-America,-the-artifact|date=January 30, 2011|title=America, the artifact|author=Mark Sumner}}</ref> El Paso del Norte (present-day [[Ciudad Juárez]]) was founded on the south bank of the Río Bravo del Norte ([[Rio Grande]]), in 1659 by Fray Garcia de San Francisco. In 1680, the small village of El Paso became the temporary base for Spanish governance of the territory of New Mexico as a result of the [[Pueblo Revolt]], until 1692 when [[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe]] was reconquered and once again became the capital. El Paso remained the largest settlement in New Mexico until its cession to the U.S. in 1848, when Texas took possession of it with the [[Compromise of 1850]].

The [[Texas Revolution]] (1836) was generally not felt in the region, as the American population was small; not being more than 10% of the population. However, the region was claimed by Texas as part of the treaty signed with Mexico and numerous attempts were made by Texas to bolster these claims. However, the village which consisted of El Paso and the surrounding area remained essentially a self-governed community with both representatives of the Mexican and Texan government negotiating for control until Texas irrevocably took control in 1846.

[[File:Old map-El Paso-1886.jpg|right|thumb|Map of the city in 1886]]

During this interregnum, 1836–1848, Americans nonetheless continued to settle the region. As early as the mid-1840s, alongside long extant Hispanic settlements such as the Rancho de Juan María Ponce de León, Anglo settlers such as Simeon Hart and Hugh Stephenson had established thriving communities of American settlers owing allegiance to Texas. Stephenson, who had married into the local Hispanic aristocracy, established the Rancho de San José de la Concordia, which became the nucleus of Anglo and Hispanic settlement within the limits of modern-day El Paso, in 1844. Given the reclamations of the Texas Republic that wanted a chunk of the Santa Fe trade, the [[Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo]] effectively made the settlements on the north bank of the river a formal American settlement, separate from Old El Paso del Norte on the Mexican side.<ref name="elpaso7475">''El Paso, A Borderlands History'', by W.H. Timmons, pp. 74, 75</ref> The present Texas–New Mexico boundary placing El Paso on the Texas side was drawn in the Compromise of 1850.

El Paso County was established in March 1850, with [[San Elizario, Texas|San Elizario]] as the first county seat. The United States Senate fixed a boundary between Texas and New Mexico at the 32nd parallel, thus largely ignoring history and topography. A military post called "The Post opposite El Paso" (meaning opposite El Paso del Norte, across the Rio Grande) was established in 1854. Further west, a settlement on Coons' Rancho called Franklin became the nucleus of the future El Paso, Texas. A year later, pioneer [[Anson Mills]] completed his plan of the town, calling it El Paso. However, the various communities never totalled more than several hundred residents with Hispanics and Americans holding an equal percentage of the population.<ref name="handbook">{{Handbook of Texas | id=hde01 | name=El Paso, Texas}}</ref>

During the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], a Confederate presence was in the area until it was captured by the Union [[California Column]] in 1862. It was then headquarters for the [[5th Regiment California Volunteer Infantry]] until December 1864.<ref>{{Cite book |editor=Richard H. Orton |url=https://books.google.com/books?pg=RA2-PA672&id=RTEOAAAAIAAJ#v=onepage&q=&f=false |title=Records of California Men in the War of the Rebellion 1861 to 1867 |publisher=Adjutant General's Office |location=Sacramento |year=1890 |page=672 |accessdate=July 1, 2010}}</ref>

[[File:El Paso c1880.jpg|thumb|left|300px|El Paso circa 1880]]

After the Civil War's conclusion, the town's population began to grow as Texans continued to move into the villages and soon became the majority. El Paso itself, incorporated in 1873, encompassed the small area communities that had developed along the river. In the 1870s, a population of 23 non-Hispanic whites and 150 Hispanics was reported.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotexas.gov/downtown/history.htm#1_6 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090705114058/http://www.elpasotexas.gov/downtown/history.htm |dead-url=yes |archive-date=July 5, 2009 |title=elpasonext – Downtown El Paso History |publisher=Elpasotexas.gov |date= |accessdate=July 1, 2010 |df= }}</ref> With the arrival of the [[Southern Pacific Railroad|Southern Pacific]], [[Texas and Pacific Railway|Texas and Pacific]] and the [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe]] railroads in 1881, the population boomed to 10,000 by the 1890 census, with many Anglo-Americans, recent immigrants, old Hispanic settlers, and recent arrivals from Mexico. The location of El Paso as well as the arrival of these more wild newcomers caused the city to become a violent and wild [[boomtown]] known as the "Six Shooter Capital" because of its lawlessness.<ref name="handbook"/> Indeed, prostitution and gambling flourished until World War I, when the [[Department of the Army]] pressured El Paso authorities to crack down on vice (thus benefitting vice in neighboring Ciudad Juárez). With the suppression of the vice trade and in consideration of the city's geographic position, the city continued into developing as a premier manufacturing, transportation, and retail center of the U.S. Southwest.

===1900-present===
[[File:St. Louis Street, El Paso, Texas.jpg|thumbnail|right|St. Louis Street, El Paso, Texas (postcard, circa 1908)]]

In 1909, [[William Howard Taft]] and [[Porfirio Díaz]] planned a summit in El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, an historic first meeting between a U.S. president and a Mexican president and also the first time an American president would cross the border into Mexico{{sfn|Harris|2009|p=1}} But tensions rose on both sides of the border, including threats of assassination, so the [[Texas Rangers Division|Texas Rangers]], 4,000 U.S. and Mexican troops, U.S. Secret Service agents, FBI agents and U.S. marshals were all called in to provide security.{{sfn|Harris|2009|p=15}} [[Frederick Russell Burnham]], the celebrated scout, was put in charge of a 250 private security detail hired by [[John Hays Hammond]], who in addition to owning large investments in Mexico was a close friend of Taft from Yale and a U.S. Vice-Presidential candidate in 1908.{{sfn|Hampton|1910}}{{sfn|Daily Mail|1909|p=7}} On October 16, the day of the summit, Burnham and Private C.R. Moore, a Texas Ranger, discovered a man holding a concealed [[Protector Palm Pistol|palm pistol]] standing at the El Paso Chamber of Commerce building along the procession route.{{sfn|Harris|2009|p=16}}{{sfn|Hammond|1935|pp=565-66}} Burnham and Moore captured, disarmed, and arrested the assassin within only a few feet of Taft and Díaz.{{sfn|Harris|2009|p=213}}{{sfn|Harris|2004|p=26}}

By 1910, the overwhelming number of people in the city were Americans creating a settled environment. However, this period was short lived as the [[Mexican Revolution]] greatly impacted the city, bringing an influx of refugees – and capital – to the bustling boom town. Spanish-language newspapers, theaters, movie houses, and schools were established, many supported by a thriving Mexican refugee middle class. Large numbers of clerics, intellectuals, and businessmen took refuge in the city, particularly between 1913 and 1915.

[[File:El Paso Downtown 1908.jpg|thumbnail|left|[[Downtown El Paso]] in 1908]]

[[File:Mesa Avenue, the heart of El Paso, Texas.jpg|thumbnail|right|Mesa Avenue, the heart of El Paso, Texas (postcard, circa 1917)]]
Ultimately, the violence of the Mexican Revolution followed with the large Mexican diaspora which had fled into El Paso. In 1915 and again in 1916 and 1917 various Mexican revolutionary societies planned, staged, and launched violent attacks against both Texans and their political Mexican opponents in El Paso. This state of affairs eventually led to the vast [[Plan de San Diego]] which resulted in the murder of 21 white citizens.<ref name=TSHAPSD>{{cite web | url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/ngp04 | publisher=Texas State Historical Association | title=Plan of San Diego | accessdate=October 4, 2015}}</ref> The subsequent reprisals by local militia soon caused an escalation of violence, wherein it is estimated that approximately 300 Mexicans and Mexican-Americans lost their lives. These actions affected almost every resident of the entire lower Rio Grande Valley, resulting in millions of dollars of losses; the end result of the Plan of San Diego was long-standing enmity between the two racial groups.<ref name=TSHAPSD />

Simultaneously, other Texans and Americans gravitated to the city and by 1920, along with the U.S. Army troops, the population exceeded 100,000 and whites once again were in the clear majority. Nonetheless, the city increased the segregation between Mexicans and Mexican-Americans with Americans. In reply, the Catholic Church attempted to garner the Mexican-American community's allegiance through education and political and civic involvement organizations, including the National Catholic Welfare Fund.<ref>{{Cite book| title = ''Mexicans "of the better class": The elite culture and ideology of Porfirian Chihuahua and its influence on the Mexican American generation, 1876–1936''| author = Víctor M. Macías-González | year = 1995 | publisher = El Paso: UTEP }}</ref> In 1916, the Census Bureau reported El Paso's population as 53% Mexican and 44% white.<ref>{{Cite book |editor=Emmons K. Ellsworth |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hF3JAAAAMAAJ&lpg=PA3&ots=XC8gFx8On2&pg=PA4#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=Special Census of the Population of El Paso, Tex: January 15, 1916 | publisher=United States Bureau of the Census |date=January 15, 1916 |accessdate=July 1, 2010}}</ref>

[[File:Camping on the Border, near El Paso, Texas.jpg|thumb|left|[[General Pershing]]'s [[Pancho Villa Expedition|punitive expedition]] camp near the border, El Paso, Texas (postcard, circa 1916): Franklin Mountains, left-to-right (i.e., south-to-north) are: Ranger Peak, Sugarloaf Mountain, and part of South Franklin Mountain]]
Mining and other industries gradually developed in the area. The [[El Paso and Northeastern Railway]] was chartered in 1897, to help extract the natural resources of surrounding areas, especially in southeastern New Mexico Territory. The 1920s and 1930s saw the emergence of major business development in the city, partially enabled by [[Prohibition era|Prohibition-era]] bootlegging.<ref name="handbook"/> However, the military demobilization, an agricultural economic depression which hit places like El Paso first before the larger [[Great Depression]] was felt in the big cities, hit the city hard. In turn, as in the rest of the United States, the [[Depression era]] overall hit the city hard, and El Paso's population declined through the end of World War II with most of population losses coming from the white community. Nonetheless, whites remained the majority to the 1940s.{{Citation needed|date=October 2013}}

During and following the war, military expansion in the area, as well as oil discoveries in the [[Permian Basin (North America)]], helped to engender rapid economic expansion in the mid-1900s. Copper smelting, [[Petroleum|oil]] refining, and the proliferation of low-wage industries (particularly garment making) led the city's growth. Additionally, the departure of region's rural population, which was mostly white, to cities like El Paso, brought a short term burst of capital and labor. However, this was balanced by additional departures of middle class Americans to other parts of the country which offered new and better paying jobs. In turn, local businesses looked south to the opportunities afforded by cheap Mexican labor. Furthermore, the period from 1942 to 1956 saw the [[bracero program]] which brought in cheap Mexican labor into the rural area to replace the losses of the native white population. In turn, seeking better-paying jobs these migrants also moved to El Paso. By 1965, Hispanics once again were a majority. Meanwhile, the post-war expansion slowed again in the 1960s, but the city continued to grow with the annexation of surrounding neighborhoods and in large part because of its significant economic relationship with Mexico.{{Citation needed|date=October 2013}}

==Geography==
[[File:Franklin Mountains and Austin High School, El Paso.jpg|thumb|left|El Paso and the Franklin Mountains with snow from [[winter storm Goliath]]; neighborhoods around Austin High School (center) are shown, from central El Paso at the bottom to Northeast El Paso at the top. The Patriot Freeway (aka the North–South Freeway), US Highway 54, is on the right.]]
[[File:Franklin Moutains from Ranger Peak.jpg|thumb|Looking northwest at the [[Franklin Mountains (Texas)|Franklin Mountains]] from Ranger Peak]]
[[File:El Paso, Texas.jpg|thumb|upright|False-color satellite image of El Paso and Ciudad Juárez: Paved streets and buildings appear in varying shades of blue-gray, and red indicates vegetation. Image courtesy of [[NASA]].]]
El Paso is at {{Coord|31|47|25|N|106|25|24|W}} (31.790208, −106.423242).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> It lies at the intersection of three states ([[Texas]], [[New Mexico]], and [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]]) and two countries (the U.S. and Mexico). It is the only major Texas city on [[Mountain Time Zone|Mountain Time]]. [[Ciudad Juarez]] used to be on [[Central Time Zone (North America)|Central Time]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/timezone.html?n=65&syear=1990 |title=Time changes in Chihuahua | publisher=Timeanddate.com |date= |accessdate=July 1, 2010}}</ref> but both cities are now on Mountain Time.

El Paso is closer to the capital cities of four other states - [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], [[Arizona]] (348 miles away); [[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe]], New Mexico, (272 miles away); [[Chihuahua City|Ciudad Chihuahua]], Chihuahua, (212 miles away); and [[Hermosillo]], [[Sonora]] (327 miles away) - than it is to the capital of its own state, [[Austin, Texas|Austin]] (526 miles away). It is closer to [[Los Angeles]], [[California]] (702 miles away) than it is to [[Orange, Texas]] (762 miles away), the easternmost town in the state.

El Paso is located within the [[Chihuahuan Desert]], the easternmost section of the [[Basin and Range Region]]. The [[Franklin Mountains (Texas)|Franklin Mountains]] extend into El Paso from the north and nearly divide the city into two sections; the west side forms the beginnings of the [[Mesilla Valley]], and the east side expands into the desert and lower valley. They connect in the central business district at the southern end of the mountain range.

The city's elevation is {{convert|3800|ft|abbr=on}} above sea level. [[North Franklin Mountain]] is the highest peak in the city at {{convert|7192|ft|m|abbr=on}} above sea level. The peak can be seen from {{convert|60|mi|km|-2|abbr=on}} in all directions. Additionally, this mountain range is home to the famous natural red-clay formation, the Thunderbird, from which the local [[Coronado High School (El Paso, Texas)|Coronado High School]] gets its mascot's name. According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|663.7|sqkm|disp=flip}}.<ref name="Census 2010">{{Cite web| url=http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US4824000| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): El Paso city, Texas| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| accessdate=January 10, 2013}}</ref>

The {{convert|24000|acre|ha|adj=on}} [[Franklin Mountains State Park]], the largest urban park in the United States, lies entirely in El Paso, extending from the north and dividing the city into several sections along with Fort Bliss and [[El Paso International Airport]].

The [[Rio Grande Rift]], which passes around the southern end of the Franklin Mountains, is where the Rio Grande flows. The river defines the border between El Paso and Ciudad Juárez to the south and west until the river turns north of the border with Mexico, separating El Paso from [[Doña Ana County, New Mexico]]. [[Urbici Soler|Mt. Cristo Rey]], an example of a [[pluton]], rises within the Rio Grande Rift just to the west of El Paso on the New Mexico side of the Rio Grande. Nearby volcanic features include [[Kilbourne Hole]] and [[Hunt's Hole]], which are [[Maar volcanic crater]]s {{convert|30|mi|-1}} west of the Franklin Mountains.

==Climate==
[[File:East El Paso.jpg|thumb|Palm trees in far [[east El Paso]]]]
El Paso has a transitional climate between cold [[desert climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''BWk'') and hot desert climate ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''BWh'') with hot summers, usually with little humidity, and mild, dry winters. Rainfall averages {{convert|9.7|in|abbr=on}} per year, much of which occurs during the summer from July through September, and is predominantly caused by the [[North American Monsoon]]. During this period, southerly and southeasterly winds carry moisture from the Pacific, the [[Gulf of California]], and the [[Gulf of Mexico]] into the region. When this moisture moves into the El Paso area and places to the southwest, orographic lift from the mountains, combined with strong daytime heating, causes [[thunderstorm]]s, some severe enough to produce flash flooding and hail, across the region.

The sun shines 302 days per year on average in El Paso, 83% of daylight hours, according to the [[National Weather Service]]; from this, the city is nicknamed "The Sun City".<ref name=rincon>
{{Cite book
|chapter = Solving Transboundary Air Quality Problems in the Paso Del Norte Region
|title = Both Sides of the Border
|author = Carlos A. Rincón
|editor1=Linda Fernandez|editor2=Richard Carson|publisher = Springer
|year = 2002
|isbn = 1-4020-7126-4
|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-80qhQ3mLDQC&pg=PA259&dq=%22el+paso%22+%22the+sun+city%22&as_brr=3&ei=tN4ySdq9GYbWlQS895i3DQ
}}</ref> Due to its arid, windy climate, El Paso often experiences sand and dust storms during the dry season, particularly during the springtime between March and early May. With an average wind speed often exceeding {{convert|30|mi/h|-1|abbr=on}} and gusts that have been measured at over {{convert|75|mi/h|-1|abbr=on}}, these wind storms kick up large amounts of sand and dust from the desert, causing loss of visibility.

El Paso, at {{convert|3800|ft|m|abbr=on}} elevation, also receives snow; weather systems have produced over a foot (30&nbsp;cm) of snow on several occasions. In the 1982–1983 winter season, three major snowstorms produced record seasonal snowfall. On December 25–26, 1982, 6.0 inches of snow fell, producing a white Christmas for the city.<ref name=NOAA/> This was followed by another 7.0 inches on December 30–31, 1982. On April 4–7, 1983, 16.5 inches of snow fell on El Paso, bringing the seasonal total to nearly 30 inches. On December 13–14, 1987, a record storm dumped over 22 inches of snow on El Paso, and two weeks later (December 25–26), another three inches fell, bringing the monthly total for December 1987 to an all-time record high of 25.9 inches.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.srh.noaa.gov/epz/?n=elpaso_heavy_snow|title=El Paso Heavy Snow Events|publisher=|accessdate=September 14, 2014}}</ref> (65&nbsp;cm) of snow.<ref name= NCDC >
{{cite web
|url = http://cdo.ncdc.noaa.gov/climatenormals/clim20/tx/412797.pdf
|title = Climatography of the United States No. 20: El Paso Intl AP, TX 1971–2000
|publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
|format = PDF
|accessdate = April 27, 2010}}</ref>
The average annual snowfall for the city varies widely between different neighborhoods at different elevations, but is 6.1 inches at the airport (but with a median of 0, meaning most years see no snow at all<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cdo.ncdc.noaa.gov/climatenormals/clim20/state-pdf/tx.pdf|title=National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) formerly known as National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) - NCEI offers access to the most significant archives of oceanic, atmospheric, geophysical and coastal data.|work=noaa.gov|accessdate=July 16, 2015}}</ref>). It is most rare around Ysleta and the eastern valley area, which usually include large numbers of [[palm trees]]; while in the higher neighborhoods palm trees are more vulnerable to cold snaps and as a result many of which can be seen with brown leaves.
[[File:Franklin Mountain Snow.jpg|thumbnail|left|Snow on [[Franklin Mountains (Texas)|Franklin Mountains]]]]
One example of El Paso's varying climate at its most extreme was the damaging winter storm of early February 2011, which caused closures of schools, businesses, and City Hall. The snow, which was light, stopped after about a day, but during the ensuing cold episode, municipal utilities went into a crisis. The high temperature on February 2, 2011 was {{convert|15|°F|0}}, the lowest daily maximum on record. In addition, the low temperature on February 3 was {{convert|1|°F|0}}, breaking the {{convert|5|°F|0}} monthly record low set during the [[Great Blizzard of 1899#Arctic cold|cold wave of 1899]].<ref name=NOAA/> Loss of desert vegetation, such as Mexican/California palm trees, oleanders, and [[Aizoaceae|iceplant]]s to the cold weather was one of the results. Two local power plants failed, forcing El Paso Electric to institute [[rolling blackout]]s over several days,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.kvia.com/news/rolling-blackouts-resume-friday-morning/53355261}}</ref> and electric wires were broken, causing localised blackouts. Many water utility pipes froze, causing areas of the city to be without water for several days.

[[File:Rio Grande EP Upper Valley.jpg|thumb|[[Rio Grande]] in west El Paso near New Mexico state line]]
Monthly means range from {{convert|44.8|°F|1}} in December to {{convert|82.8|°F|1}} in July, but high temperatures typically peak in June before the monsoon arrives, while daily low temperatures typically peak in July or early August with the higher humidity the monsoon brings (translating to warmer nights). On average, there are 52 nights of at- or below-freezing lows, 109 days of {{convert|90|°F|0}}+ highs and 20 days of {{convert|100|°F|0}}+ highs annually; it is extremely rare for temperatures to stay below the freezing mark all day.<ref name = NCDC /> The city's record high is {{convert|114|°F|0}} on June 30, 1994, and its record low is {{convert|−8|°F|0}} on January 11, 1962; the highest daily minimum was {{convert|85|°F|0}} on July 1 and 3, 1994, with weather records for the area maintained by the [[National Weather Service]] since 1879.

===Flooding===
Although the average annual rainfall is only about 9.7&nbsp;in (250&nbsp;mm), many parts of El Paso are subject to occasional flooding during intense summer monsoonal thunderstorms. In late July and early August 2006, up to {{convert|10|in|mm|abbr=on}} of rain fell in a week, the flood-control reservoirs overflowed and caused major flooding citywide.<ref>{{cite web
|url =
|title = Meteorological Aspects of the 2006 El Paso Texas Metropolitan Area Floods
|author1=J. Rogash|author2=M. Hardiman|author3=D. Novlan|author4=T. Brice|author5=V. MacBlain|publisher = NOAA/National Weather Service, Weather Forecast Office, Santa Teresa, New Mexico/El Paso, Texas
}}</ref> The city staff estimated damage to public infrastructure at $21 million, and to private property (residential and commercial) at $77 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.elpasotexas.gov/community/_archive/090606/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080520215453/http://www.elpasotexas.gov/community/_archive/090606/ |dead-url=yes |archive-date=May 20, 2008 |title=City of El Paso |publisher=www.elpasotexas.gov |year=2006 |accessdate=February 16, 2014 |df= }}</ref> Much of the damage was associated with development in recent decades in [[Arroyo (creek)|arroyos]] protected by flood-control dams and reservoirs, and the absence of any storm drain utility in the city to handle the flow of rain water.

===Monthly statistics===
<section begin="weather box" />{{Weather box
| location = [[El Paso International Airport|El Paso Int'l]], Texas (1981–2010 normals, extremes 1879–present){{efn|Official records for El Paso kept January 1879 to June 1947 at downtown and at El Paso Int'l since July 1947. For more information, see [http://threadex.rcc-acis.org Threadex]}}
| collapsed = Y |single line = Y
| Jan high F = 57.7
| Feb high F = 63.1
| Mar high F = 70.3
| Apr high F = 78.6
| May high F = 87.8
| Jun high F = 95.5
| Jul high F = 94.7
| Aug high F = 92.4
| Sep high F = 87.6
| Oct high F = 78.2
| Nov high F = 66.2
| Dec high F = 57.1
| year high F = 77.4
| Jan low F = 32.5
| Feb low F = 37.1
| Mar low F = 42.9
| Apr low F = 50.7
| May low F = 60.0
| Jun low F = 68.0
| Jul low F = 70.9
| Aug low F = 69.7
| Sep low F = 63.3
| Oct low F = 52.0
| Nov low F = 40.1
| Dec low F = 32.5
| year low F = 51.6
| Jan record high F = 80
| Feb record high F = 86
| Mar record high F = 93
| Apr record high F = 98
| May record high F = 105
| Jun record high F = 114
| Jul record high F = 112
| Aug record high F = 108
| Sep record high F = 104
| Oct record high F = 96
| Nov record high F = 87
| Dec record high F = 80
| year record high F = 114
| Jan record low F = −8
| Feb record low F = 1
| Mar record low F = 14
| Apr record low F = 23
| May record low F = 31
| Jun record low F = 46
| Jul record low F = 56
| Aug record low F = 52
| Sep record low F = 41
| Oct record low F = 25
| Nov record low F = 1
| Dec record low F = −5
| year record low F = −8
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 0.40
| Feb precipitation inch = 0.46
| Mar precipitation inch = 0.26
| Apr precipitation inch = 0.23
| May precipitation inch = 0.47
| Jun precipitation inch = 0.94
| Jul precipitation inch = 1.55
| Aug precipitation inch = 2.01
| Sep precipitation inch = 1.51
| Oct precipitation inch = 0.61
| Nov precipitation inch = 0.49
| Dec precipitation inch = 0.78
| year precipitation inch = 9.71
| Jan snow inch = 1.3
| Feb snow inch = 0.6
| Mar snow inch = 0.3
| Apr snow inch = 0.8
| May snow inch = 0
| Jun snow inch = 0
| Jul snow inch = 0
| Aug snow inch = 0
| Sep snow inch = 0
| Oct snow inch = trace
| Nov snow inch = 0.8
| Dec snow inch = 3.1
| year snow inch = 6.9
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days = 3.8
| Feb precipitation days = 3.4
| Mar precipitation days = 2.4
| Apr precipitation days = 1.9
| May precipitation days = 2.7
| Jun precipitation days = 3.9
| Jul precipitation days = 8.3
| Aug precipitation days = 8.7
| Sep precipitation days = 6.3
| Oct precipitation days = 4.7
| Nov precipitation days = 3.1
| Dec precipitation days = 3.9
| year precipitation days = 53.1
| unit snow days = 0.1 in
| Jan snow days = 1.0
| Feb snow days = 0.4
| Mar snow days = 0.1
| Apr snow days = 0.2
| May snow days = 0
| Jun snow days = 0
| Jul snow days = 0
| Aug snow days = 0
| Sep snow days = 0
| Oct snow days = 0.1
| Nov snow days = 0.3
| Dec snow days = 1.1
| Jan sun = 254.5 |Jan percentsun = 80
| Feb sun = 263.0 |Feb percentsun = 85
| Mar sun = 326.0 |Mar percentsun = 88
| Apr sun = 348.0 |Apr percentsun = 89
| May sun = 384.7 |May percentsun = 90
| Jun sun = 384.1 |Jun percentsun = 90
| Jul sun = 360.2 |Jul percentsun = 83
| Aug sun = 335.4 |Aug percentsun = 81
| Sep sun = 304.1 |Sep percentsun = 82
| Oct sun = 298.6 |Oct percentsun = 85
| Nov sun = 257.6 |Nov percentsun = 82
| Dec sun = 246.3 |Dec percentsun = 79
| year percentsun = 85
| Jan humidity = 50.5
| Feb humidity = 41.6
| Mar humidity = 32.4
| Apr humidity = 26.9
| May humidity = 27.1
| Jun humidity = 29.9
| Jul humidity = 43.9
| Aug humidity = 48.4
| Sep humidity = 50.5
| Oct humidity = 47.1
| Nov humidity = 46.1
| Dec humidity = 51.5
| year humidity = 41.3
| source 1 = NOAA (relative humidity 1962–1990, sun 1961–1990)<ref name = NOAA >
{{cite web
|url = http://www.nws.noaa.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=epz
|title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data
|publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
|accessdate = 2012-02-07}}</ref><ref name="NOAA txt">{{cite web |url=ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/1981-2010/products/station/USW00023044.normals.txt |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |title=Station Name: TX EL PASO INTL AP |accessdate=2014-03-21}}</ref><ref name= noaasun >{{cite web
| url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_IV/US/GROUP3/72270.TXT
| title = WMO Climate Normals for EL PASO/INT'L ARPT TX 1961–1990
| accessdate = 2014-03-10
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration}}</ref>
| date = February 2012}}<section end="weather box" />

==Neighborhoods==

===Downtown and central El Paso===
{{main article|Downtown El Paso|Central El Paso}}
[[File:El Paso Cathedral.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Cathedral Parish of Saint Patrick (El Paso, Texas)|Cathedral of Saint Patrick]], built in 1916, is located in [[Central El Paso]].]]
This part of town contains some of the city's oldest and most historic neighborhoods. Located in the heart of the city, it is home to approximately 130,000 people. Development of the area started around 1875, when the city was barely beginning to gain its roots. Today, central El Paso has grown into the center of the city's economy and a thriving urban community. It contains numerous historic sites and landmarks mostly in the [[Sunset Heights]] district. It is close to the [[El Paso International Airport]], the international border, and [[Fort Bliss]]. It is part of the [[El Paso Independent School District]].

Dr. James Day, an El Paso historian, said that downtown's main business area was originally centered between Second Avenue (now Paisano Drive) and San Francisco Avenue. At a later point the main business area was centered around Stanton Street and Santa Fe Street. In the late 1800s most of the [[white American]] residents lived to the north of the non-white areas, living in brick residences along Magoffin, Myrtle, and San Antonio Avenues. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic-American]] residents lived in an area called [[Chihuahuita]] ("little [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]]"), which was located south of Second Avenue and west of Santa Fe Street. Several African Americans and around 300 Chinese Americans also lived in Chihuahuita. Many of the Chinese Americans participated in the building of railroads in the El Paso area.<ref>Metz, Leon. "[http://www.elpasotimes.com/sunbowl/ci_4749639 Downtown El Paso has colorful history]." [[El Paso Times]]. November 30, 2006. Retrieved on March 6, 2010.{{Dead link|date=December 2016}}</ref> Another downtown neighborhood is [[El Segundo Barrio]], which is near the United States/Mexico border.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://savingplaces.org/places/el-paso-neighborhoods|title=11 Most Endangered: Chihuahuita and El Segundo Barrio|last=|first=|date=|work=National Trust for Historic Preservation|access-date=2017-04-18|language=en-US}}</ref>

===Northwest El Paso===
{{main article|Northwest El Paso}}
[[File:El Paso's Upper Valley.jpeg|thumbnail|left|El Paso's upper valley in [[northwest El Paso]]]]
[[File:El Paso west side snow.jpg|thumb|The west side of the Franklin Mountains after [[winter storm Goliath]]]]
Better known as West El Paso or the West Side, the area includes a portion of the Rio Grande floodplain upstream from downtown which is known locally as the Upper Valley and is located on the west side of the [[Franklin Mountains (Texas)|Franklin Mountains]]. The Upper Valley is the greenest part of the county due to the [[Rio Grande]]. The west side is home to some of the most affluent neighborhoods within the city, such as the Coronado Hills and Country Club neighborhoods. It is one of the fastest-growing areas of El Paso.

===West central El Paso===
{{main article|West central El Paso}}
[[File:Kern Place.jpg|thumbnail|right|Historic home at [[Kern Place]]]]
West central El Paso is located north of Interstate 10 and west of the Franklin Mountains. [[The University of Texas at El Paso]] and the Cincinnati Entertainment district are located in the heart of the area. Historic districts [[Kern Place]] and [[Sunset Heights]] are in this part of town.

Kern Place was founded in 1914 by [[Peter E. Kern]], for whom the neighborhood was named.<ref name=":22">{{Cite journal|last=Magruder|first=Alicia|last2=Dickey|first2=Gretchen|date=2004|title=Kern Place Neighborhood: The Man Behind a Name|url=http://epcc.libguides.com/content.php?pid=309255&sid=2603479|journal=Borderlands|volume=23|pages=}}</ref>

The homes of Kern Place are unique in architecture and some were built by residents themselves.<ref name=":22" /> One of the better known homes is the Paul Luckett Home located at 1201 Cincinnati Ave. above Madeline Park, and is made of local rock. It is known as "The Castle" due to its round walls and a crenelated rooftop.<ref name=":22" />
[[File:Kern place historic home.jpg|thumbnail|left|Kern Place]]
Kern Place is extremely popular with college and university students. The area is known for its glitzy entertainment district, restaurants and coffee shops who cater to both business patrons and university students.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.elpasoinc.com/news/local_news/article_49533a06-42bc-11e6-829f-6f25b97ceb1f.html|title=Cincinnati Street claws back losses|last=Gray|first=Robert|date=5 July 2016|work=El Paso Inc.|access-date=2017-05-02}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.elpasoinc.com/news/local_news/article_144844b4-5afa-11e5-ac50-0b49fe340843.html|title=Vacancies trouble Cincinnati district|last=Gray|first=Robert|date=14 September 2015|work=El Paso Inc.|access-date=2017-05-02}}</ref> After UTEP's basketball and football games, [[UTEP]] fans pack the Kern Place area for food and entertainment at Cincinnati Street a small bar district. This bar scene has grown over the years and has attracted thousands to its annual [[Mardi Gras]] [[block party]] as well as after sporting events or concerts. Young men and women make up the [[majority]] of the crowds who stop in between classes or after work.{{Citation needed|date=May 2017}}

[[Sunset Heights]] is one of the most historic areas in town, which has existed since the latter part of the 1890s. Many wealthy residents have had their houses and mansions built on this hill. Although some buildings have been renovated to their former glory, but many have been neglected and have deteriorated. During the Mexican Revolution, a widely popular Mexican revolutionary leader, [[Doroteo Arango]] (also known as [[Francisco "Pancho" Villa]]), owned and resided in this area during the 1910s.<ref>Worthington, Patricia. ''El Paso and the Mexican Revolution''. Arcadia Publishing, 2010, p. 20.</ref> During the 1910 Mexican Revolution many Mexicans fled Mexico and settled in Sunset Heights.<ref name="dallasnews.com">Corchado, Alfredo. "[http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/030710dnintexodus.3eab4f7.html Families, businesses flee Juárez for U.S. pastures]." ''[[The Dallas Morning News]]''. Sunday March 7, 2010. Retrieved on March 10, 2010.</ref>

===Northeast El Paso===
{{main article|Northeast El Paso}}
This part of town is located north of [[central El Paso]] and east of the [[Franklin Mountains (Texas)|Franklin Mountains]]. Development of the area was extensive during the 1950s and 1960s. It is one of the more ethnically diverse areas in the city due to the concentration of military families. The Northeast has not developed as rapidly as other areas like [[east El Paso]] and [[northwest El Paso]], but its development is steadily increasing. It is expected that the population will grow more rapidly as a result of the troop increase at [[Ft. Bliss]] in the coming years. The area has also gained recognition throughout the city for the outstanding high school athletic programs at [[Andress High School]], [[Parkland High School (Texas)|Parkland High School]], [[Irvin High School]], and [[Captain John L. Chapin High School|Chapin High School]].

===East El Paso===
{{main article|East El Paso}}

The area is located north of Interstate 10, east of Airway Blvd., and south of Montana Ave. It is the largest and fastest growing area of town with a population of over 150,000. It includes the [[79936]] zip code, which was considered in 2013 as the most populous in the nation with over 114,000 people.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/07/01/197623129/the-zip-code-turns-50-today-here-are-9-that-stand-out |title= The ZIP Code Turns 50 Today; Here Are 9 That Stand Out| publisher=NPR |year=2013 |accessdate=February 13, 2014}}</ref> Its neighborhoods are mainly middle-class, but does have a considerable number of affluent neighborhoods. East El Paso is noted also for its ridges and cliffs which offer desirable views of the lower valley, the Franklin Mountains and downtown El Paso. It also possesses the greatest number of entertainment venues in the city.

===Mission Valley===
{{main article|Mission Valley (El Paso)}}
Formerly known as the lower valley, it includes part of Eastside and all lower valley districts. It is the third largest area of the city, behind [[east El Paso]] and [[central El Paso]]. Hawkins Road and [[Interstate 10]] border the Mission Valley. This location is considered the oldest area of El Paso, dating back to the late 17th century when present-day [[Texas]] was under the rule of [[Nueva España]] (New Spain).
[[File:Ysleta Del Sur church.jpg|thumbnail|right|La Mision de Corpus Christi de San Antonio de la [[Ysleta del Sur]]]]

In 1680 the Isleta Pueblo tribe revolted against the Spaniards who were pushed south to what is now El Paso. Some Spaniards and tribe members settled here permanently. Soon afterward, three Spanish missions were built; they remain standing, currently functioning as churches: [[Ysleta Mission]]-1682 (La Misión de Corpus Christi y de San Antonio de la Ysleta del Sur/Our Lady of Mt. Carmel), [[Socorro Mission]]-1759 (Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción del Socorro)-1759 and [[San Elizario Chapel]] (Capilla de San Elcear)-1789.

On April 30, 1598, the northward-bound Spanish conquistadors crossed large sand dunes about 27 miles south of present-day downtown El Paso. It is said that the expeditionaries and their horses ran toward the river, and two horses drank themselves to death. [[Don Juan de Oñate]], a New Spain-born conquistador of Spanish parents, was an expedition leader who ordered a big feast north of the Río Grande in what is now San Elizario. This was the first documented and true Thanksgiving in North America. Oñate declared [[La Toma]] (taking possession), claiming all territory north of the Río Grande for King [[Philip II of Spain]].

[[Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo]] (related to the insurgent Isleta Pueblo Tribe) is also located in this valley. The Tigua (pronounced Tiwa) is one of three Indian tribes in Texas whose sovereignty is recognized by the United States government. Ysleta is spelled with a "Y" because 19th-century script did not differentiate between a capital "Y" and a capital "I."

Some people in this area and its twin city across the river, [[Ciudad Juárez]], are direct descendants of the Spaniards.

===Texas and New Mexico suburbs===
El Paso is surrounded by many cities and communities in both Texas and New Mexico. The most populated suburbs in Texas are [[Socorro, Texas|Socorro]], [[Horizon City, Texas|Horizon City]], [[Fort Bliss]] and [[San Elizario, Texas|San Elizario]]. Other Texas suburbs are [[Anthony, Texas|Anthony]], [[Canutillo, Texas|Canutillo]], [[Sparks, Texas|Sparks]], [[Fabens, Texas|Fabens]] and [[Vinton, Texas|Vinton]].

Although [[Anthony, New Mexico|Anthony]], [[Santa Teresa, New Mexico|Santa Teresa]], [[Sunland Park, New Mexico|Sunland Park]], and [[Chaparral, New Mexico|Chaparral]] lie adjacent to El Paso County, they are considered to be part of the [[Las Cruces, New Mexico]] metropolitan area by the United States Census Bureau.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.census.gov/population/estimates/metro-city/List4.txt.html |title=Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Components |publisher=U.S Census Bureau |date=November 2004 |accessdate=June 27, 2013}}</ref>

===Cityscape===
{{wide image|El_paso_city.jpg|1500px|align-cap=center|A panoramic view of El Paso, looking northeast through south, near Scenic Drive. The [[Hueco Mountains]] can be seen toward the east, and [[Downtown El Paso]] can be seen to the south (far right of the image).}}

===Tallest buildings===
{{See also|List of tallest buildings in El Paso}}
[[File:Wells Fargo building1.jpeg|thumb|upright|[[Wells Fargo Plaza (El Paso)|Wells Fargo Plaza]]]]
[[File:Plaza Hotel El Paso.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Plaza Hotel (El Paso)|Plaza Hotel]]]]

{| cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 0 1em 1em 0; font-size: 90%;"
|- style="background:#ccc;"
!Rank||Building||Height||Floors||Built||
|-
| 1
| [[Wells Fargo Plaza (El Paso)|Wells Fargo Plaza]]
| {{convert|296|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}
| 21
| 1972
|- style="background:#efefef;"
| 2
| [[Chase Tower (El Paso)|Chase Tower]]
| {{convert|250|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}
| 20
| 1971
|-
| 3
| [[Plaza Hotel (El Paso)|Plaza Hotel]]
| {{convert|239|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}
| 19
| 1930
|- style="background:#efefef;"
| 4
| Kayser Building
| {{convert|232|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}
| 20
| 1983
|-
| 5
| [[O. T. Bassett Tower]]
| {{convert|216|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}
| 17
| 1930
|- style="background:#efefef;"
| 6
| El Paso Natural Gas Company Building
| {{convert|208|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}
| 18
| 1954
|-
| 7
| [[Camino Real Hotels|Camino Real Hotel]]
| {{convert|205|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}
| 17
| 1986
|- style="background:#efefef;"
| 8
| One Texas Tower
| {{convert|205|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}
| 15
| -
|-
| 9
| Doubletree Hotel
| {{convert|202|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}
| 17
| -
|- style="background:#efefef;"
| 10
| El Paso County Courthouse
| {{convert|185|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}
| 13
| -
|}

El Paso's tallest building, the Wells Fargo Plaza, was built in the early 1970s as State National Plaza. The black-windowed, {{convert|296|ft|m|adj=on}} building is famous for its 13 white horizontal lights (18 lights per row on the east and west sides of the building, and seven bulbs per row on the north and south sides) that were lit at night. The tower did use a design of the United States flag during the [[Independence Day (United States)|July 4]] holidays, as well as the American hostage crisis of 1980, and was lit continuously following the [[September 11 attacks]] in 2001 until around 2006. During the Christmas holidays, a design of a Christmas tree was used, and at times, the letters "UTEP" were used to support [[University of Texas at El Paso]] athletics. The tower is now only lit during the holiday months, or when special events take place in the city.

{{Central Business Districts in Texas}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1850 = 200
| 1860 = 428
| 1880 = 736
| 1890 = 10338
| 1900 = 15906
| 1910 = 39279
| 1920 = 77560
| 1930 = 102421
| 1940 = 96810
| 1950 = 130485
| 1960 = 276687
| 1970 = 339615
| 1980 = 425259
| 1990 = 515342
| 2000 = 563662
| 2010 = 649121
| estyear = 2015
| estimate = 681124
| estref = <ref name="USCensusEst2015">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2015/SUB-EST2015.html |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015 |accessdate=July 2, 2016 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://archive.is/20160602200744/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2015/SUB-EST2015.html |archivedate=June 2, 2016 |df= }}</ref>
| align-fn = center
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/decennial/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060208103743/http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/decennial/ |dead-url=yes |archive-date=February 8, 2006 |title=U.S. Decennial Census |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |accessdate=January 14, 2012 |df= }}</ref><br>Texas Almanac: 1850–2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.texasalmanac.com/sites/default/files/images/CityPopHist%20web.pdf|title=Texas Almanac: City Population History 1850–2000|format=PDF|accessdate=September 22, 2012}}</ref><br>2012 Estimate<ref>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012|format=CSV|accessdate=September 22, 2012}}</ref><br>El Paso 1850 to 2006<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotexas.gov/_documents/demographics/El%20Paso%20Ciudad%20Juarez%20Facts/Historical%20Population%20El%20Paso-Ciudad%20Juarez.pdf|title=El Paso–Juarez Regional Historic Population Summary – Development Services Department, Planning Division|work=PDF|accessdate=September 22, 2012}}</ref><br>TX State Historical Association<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hde01|title=Texas State Historical Association|accessdate=September 22, 2012}}</ref>
}}

{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" style="font-size: 90%;"
|-
! Demographic profile !! 2010<ref>{{cite web |url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/4824000.html |title=El Paso (city), Texas |work=State & County QuickFacts |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau}}</ref>!! 2000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://legacy.elpasotexas.gov/_documents/demographics/Census%202000/Profile-Selected%20Demographics-City%20of%20El%20Paso.pdf |title=Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 |publisher=United States Census Bureau }}</ref> !! 1990<ref name="census1">{{cite web|title=Race and Hispanic Origin for Selected Cities and Other Places: Earliest Census to 1990 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |url=http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/twps0076.html |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/69hd5KAIE?url=http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/twps0076.html |archivedate=August 6, 2012 |df=mdy }}</ref> !! 1970<ref name="census1"/>
|-
| [[White Americans|White]] || 80.8% || 76.3% || 76.9% || 96.7%
|-
|&nbsp;—[[Non-Hispanic whites]] || 14.2% || 18.3% || 26.4% || 40.4%<ref name="fifteen">From 15% sample</ref>
|-
| [[African Americans|African American]] or [[Black people|Black]] || 3.4% || 3.5% || 3.4% || 2.3%
|-
| [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (of any race) || 80.7% || 76.6% || 69.0% || 57.3%<ref name="fifteen"/>
|-
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]] || 1.2% || 1.5% || 1.2% || 0.3%
|}
[[File:Race and ethnicity 2010- El Paso (5560469838).png|thumb|left|Map of racial distribution in El Paso, 2010 U.S. Census. Each dot is 25 people: <span style="color:#ff0000">'''White'''</span>, <span style="color:#0000ff">'''Black'''</span>, <span style="color:#00ff80">'''Asian'''</span> <span style="color:#ff8000">'''Hispanic'''</span>, or '''Other''' (yellow)]]

As of the census of 2010, 649,121 people, 216,694 households, and 131,104 families resided in the city. The population density was 2,263.0 people per square mile (873.7/km²). There were 227,605 housing units at an average density of 777.5 per square mile (300.2/km²).

According to the [[2010 US Census]], the racial composition of El Paso was:<ref>{{cite web|url= http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/4824000.html |title=State & County QuickFacts – U.S Census Bureau | publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |date= |accessdate=May 23, 2013}}</ref>
* [[White Americans|White]] – 80.8% ([[Non-Hispanic Whites]]: 14.2%)
* [[African Americans|African American]] or [[Black people|Black]] – 3.4%
* [[Multiracial American|Two or more races]] – 3.3%
* [[Asian American|Asian]] – 1.2%
* [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] – 0.7%
* [[Pacific Islands Americans|Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander]] – 0.1%

Ethnically, the city was:
* [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (of any race) – 80.7%
There were 182,063 households out of which 42.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were married couples living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.5% were not families. About 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.07 and the average family size was 3.54.

In the city, the population was distributed as 31.0% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,124, and for a family was $35,432. Males had a median income of $28,989 versus $21,540 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,388. About 19.0% of families and 22.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.8% of those under age 18 and 17.7% of those age 65 or over.

==Economy==
El Paso has a diversified economy focused primarily within [[international trade]], military, government civil service, [[oil and gas]], health care, tourism and [[Service (economics)|service]] sectors. The El Paso metro area had a GDP of $29 billion in 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bea.gov/iTable/iTable.cfm?reqid=70&step=10&isuri=1&7001=2200&7002=2&7003=200&7004=naics&7005=1&7006=xx&7007=2010#reqid=70&step=10&isuri=1&7007=2011&7093=Levels&7090=70&7035=-1&7036=-1&7001=2200&7002=2&7003=200&7004=NAICS&7005=-1&7006=21340 |title= bea.gov | publisher=|date=June 9, 2013 |accessdate=August 20, 2013}}</ref> There were also $92 billion worth of trade in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasoinc.com/news/q_and_a/article_4017d252-d123-11e2-83eb-001a4bcf6878.html |title=Mayor John Cook The Exit Interview |publisher=El Paso Inc |date=June 9, 2013 |accessdate=August 20, 2013}}</ref> Over the past 15 years the city has become a significant location for American-based [[call centers]]. Cotton, fruit, vegetables, and livestock are also produced in the area. El Paso has added a significant manufacturing sector with items and goods produced that include petroleum, metals, medical devices, plastics, machinery, defense-related goods and automotive parts. The city is the second busiest international crossing point in the U.S. behind [[San Diego]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://transborder.bts.gov/programs/international/transborder/TBDR_BC/TBDR_BC_QuickSearch.html |title=Top Ports of Border Crossings | publisher=RITA |year=2013 |accessdate=February 16, 2014}}</ref>
[[File:Helen of Troy Limited corporate office.jpg|thumb|[[Helen of Troy Limited]] corporate office]]
El Paso is home to one [[Fortune 500]] company, [[Western Refining]], which is listed on the [[New York Stock Exchange]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://governor.state.tx.us/files/ecodev/Fortune_500.pdf |title=Fortune 500 Headquarters in Texas – Office of the Governor Economic Development and Tourism. |publisher=Fortune 500 | date=May 2013 |accessdate=July 27, 2013}}</ref> This makes the city one of six Texas metro areas to have at least one Fortune 500 company call it home; the others being [[Houston]], [[Dallas-Fort Worth]], [[San Antonio]], [[Austin]] and [[Corpus Christi, Texas|Corpus Christi]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://governor.state.tx.us/files/ecodev/Fortune_500.pdf |title=FORTUNE 500 Headquarters in Texas – Office of the Governor Economic Development and Tourism. |publisher= Fortune Magazine |date=May 2013|accessdate=June 29, 2013}}</ref> The second publicly traded company is [[Helen of Troy Limited]], a [[NASDAQ]]-listed company that manufactures personal health care products under many labels, such as [[OXO]], [[Dr. Scholl's]], [[Vidal Sassoon]], [[Pert Plus]], [[Brut (cologne)|Brut]] and [[Sunbeam Bread|Sunbeam]], and the third is [[El Paso Electric]] listed on the [[New York Stock Exchange]], a [[public utility]] engaging in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity in west Texas and southern New Mexico. The fourth publicly traded company is [[Western Refining|Western Refining Logistics]] also traded in the New York Stock Exchange. It is a Western Refining subsidiary which owns, operates, develops, and acquires terminals, storage tanks, pipelines, and other logistics assets.
<!--, and [[Spira Footwear]],{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} and [[Fred Loya Insurance]].<ref>"[https://www.fredloya.com/contact Contact Us]." ([http://www.webcitation.org/5rrIuZQiO?url=https://www.fredloya.com/contact Archive]) [[Fred Loya Insurance]]. Retrieved on August 9, 2010. "Corporate Headquarters 1800 Lee Trevino El Paso, Texas 79936."</ref>-->
{|class="infobox" style="font-size: 90%; border: 1px solid #999; float: right; margin-left: 1em; width: 260px;"
|- style="background:#f5f5f5;"
! colspan=2 | Largest Employers in El Paso<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.elpasotexas.gov/~/media/files/coep/economic%20development/top%20employers%20el%20paso/top%20employers%20el%20paso.ashx?la=en |title=City of EL Paso Financial Services |publisher=elpasotexas.gov |date= |accessdate=May 23, 2016 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610100613/https://www.elpasotexas.gov/~/media/files/coep/economic%20development/top%20employers%20el%20paso/top%20employers%20el%20paso.ashx?la=en |archivedate=June 10, 2016 |df=mdy }}</ref>
|-
| 1|| style="text-align: left;" |[[Fort Bliss]]
|-
| 2|| style="text-align: left;" |[[El Paso Independent School District]]
|-
| 3 || style="text-align: left;" |City of El Paso
|-
| 4|| style="text-align: left;" |[[Ysleta Independent School District]]
|-
| 5 || style="text-align: left;" |T & T Staff Management L.P.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ttstaff.com/ |title=T&T Staff Management | publisher= |date= |accessdate=May 23, 2016}}</ref>
|-
| 6 || style="text-align: left;" |[[Tenet Healthcare]]
|-
| 7 || style="text-align: left;" |[[University of Texas at El Paso]]
|-
| 8 || style="text-align: left;" |El Paso Healthcare System, LTD.
|-
| 9 || style="text-align: left;" |[[El Paso County, Texas|El Paso County]]
|-
| 10 || style="text-align: left;" |[[El Paso Community College]]
|-
| 11 || style="text-align: left;" |[[U.S. Customs and Border Protection]]
|-
| 12 || style="text-align: left;" |[[Automatic Data Processing, Inc.]]
|-
| 13 || style="text-align: left;" |[[University Medical Center (El Paso, Texas)|University Medical Center]]
|-
| 14 || style="text-align: left;" |[[Dish Network]]
|-
| 15 || style="text-align: left;" |[[Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso|Texas Tech University Health Sciences Network]]
|}
More than 70 Fortune 500 companies have offices in El Paso, including [[AT&T]], [[Automatic Data Processing|ADP]], [[Boeing]], [[Charles Schwab Corporation|Charles Schwab]], [[Delphi (auto parts)|Delphi]], [[Dish Network|dish network]], [[Eureka (company)|Eureka]], [[The Hoover Company|Hoover]], [[Raytheon]], [[Prudential Financial]], [[USAA]] and [[Verizon Wireless]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-South/El-Paso-Economy.html |title=El Paso: Economy – Major Industries and Commercial Activity | publisher=www.City-Data.com |accessdate=February 16, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotimes.com/News/ci_26208965/Charles-Schwab-to-bring-445-jobs-to-El-Paso |archive-url=https://archive.is/20150209103712/http://www.elpasotimes.com/News/ci_26208965/Charles-Schwab-to-bring-445-jobs-to-El-Paso |dead-url=yes |archive-date=February 9, 2015 |title=Charles Schwab to bring 445 jobs to El Paso | newspaper=El Paso Times |date=July 24, 2014 |accessdate=February 6, 2015}}</ref>
[[Hispanic Business]] Magazine included 28 El Paso companies in its list of the 500 largest Hispanic owned businesses in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.elpasotimes.com/business/ci_23756480/el-pasos-28-companies-second-nation-hispanic-business.html |title=El Paso's 28 companies second in nation for Hispanic Business 500 |newspaper=El Paso Times |date=July 30, 2013|accessdate=August 1, 2013}}{{Dead link|date=December 2016}}</ref> El Paso's 28 companies are second only to Miami's 57. The list of the largest Hispanic owned businesses includes companies like [[Fred Loya Insurance]], a [[Hispanic 500]] company and the 18th largest Hispanic business in the nation. Other companies on the list are [[Dos Lunas Tequila|Dos Lunas Spirits]], Dynatec Labs, [[Spira Footwear]], Datamark, Inc. and [[El Taco Tote]]. El Paso was home to [[El Paso Corporation]] formerly known as El Paso Natural Gas Company.

The city also has a large military presence with [[Fort Bliss]], [[William Beaumont Army Medical Center]] and [[Biggs Army Airfield]]. The defense industry in El Paso employs over 41,000 and provides a $6 billion annual impact to the city's economy.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_22747724/study-fort-bliss-beaumont-medical-center-infuse-6html.html |archive-url= https://archive.is/20130825073153/http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_22747724/study-fort-bliss-beaumont-medical-center-infuse-6html.html |dead-url= yes |archive-date= August 25, 2013 |title=Fort Bliss, Beaumont infuse $6 billion into El Paso economy | publisher=El Paso Times |date=March 8, 2013 |accessdate=January 3, 2015}}</ref> Fort Bliss was chosen as the newly configured [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]] Security Forces Regional Training Center which will bring 8,000 to 10,000 Air Force personnel annually.{{when|date=December 2016}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kvia.com/news/us-air-force-choose-ft-bliss-to-house-it-training-center/-/391068/20751984/-/3radk2z/-/index.htmlhtml |archive-url=https://archive.is/20130825063854/http://www.kvia.com/news/us-air-force-choose-ft-bliss-to-house-it-training-center/-/391068/20751984/-/3radk2z/-/index.htmlhtml |dead-url=yes |archive-date=August 25, 2013 |title=U.S. Air Force chooses Ft. Bliss for training center |publisher=KVIA | date=June 27, 2013 |accessdate=July 27, 2013}}</ref>

In addition to the military, the federal government has a strong presence in El Paso to manage its status and unique issues as an important border region. Operations headquartered in El Paso include the [[DEA|DEA domestic field division 7]], [[El Paso Intelligence Center]], [[Joint Task Force North]], [[United States Border Patrol|U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector]] and [[United States Border Patrol|U.S. Border Patrol Special Operations Group (SOG)]].

Call center operations employ more than 10,000 people in the area.{{citation needed|date=December 2016}} [[Automatic Data Processing]] has an office in West El Paso, employing about 1,100 people with expansion plans to reach 2,200 by 2020.<ref>{{Dead link|date=December 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotimes.com/latestnews/ci_26514988 |title=ADP plans to add 1,100 jobs in El Paso by 2020 | publisher= El Paso Times |date=September 12, 2014 |accessdate=September 12, 2014}}</ref>

Tourism is another major industry in El Paso, bringing in $1.5 billion-a-year and over 2.3 million visitors annually due to the city's sunny weather, natural beauty, rich cultural history and many outdoor attractions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotexas.gov/muni_clerk/meetings/sccm0718120900/CVB%20Final%207-19-12.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222234932/http://www.elpasotexas.gov/muni_clerk/meetings/sccm0718120900/CVB%20Final%207-19-12.pdf |dead-url=yes |archive-date=February 22, 2014 |title=Convention and Tourism Highlights – City of El Paso FY2013 Manager's Proposed Budget | publisher=El Paso Convention & Visitor's Bureau |date= |accessdate=June 14, 2013}}</ref>

Education is also a driving force in El Paso's economy. El Paso's three large school districts are among the largest employers in the area, employing more than 20,000 people among them. [[UTEP]] has an annual budget of nearly $418 million and employs nearly 4,800 people.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://vpbasrvweb00.utep.edu/images/docs/statereport/Operating.Budget-FY.12-13.pdfhtml |title=The UTEP Budget Fiscal Year Ending August 31, 2013. Page B-1 – | publisher= |date= |accessdate=August 25, 2013}}{{Dead link|date=December 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://utep.universityvisitorsnetwork.com/economic_impact.phphtml |title=Economic Impact | publisher= UTEP Visitor's Guide |accessdate=August 11, 2013}}{{Dead link|date=December 2016}}</ref> A 2010 study by the university's Institute for Policy and Economic Development stated the university's impact on local businesses is $417 million annually.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.utsystem.edu/cont/reports_publications/LARs/ELPLAR1213%20Hearing.pdf |title=A University on the Move-Becoming the first National Research University with a 21st-century student demographic | publisher= utsystem.edu |accessdate=June 20, 2013}}</ref>

==Arts and culture==
{{Main article|Culture of El Paso}}

===Annual cultural events and festivals===

====Amigo Airsho====
''Amigo Airsho'' is one of El Paso's premier events, and is ranked as one of the top ten air shows in the country. The show is filled with air entertainment and ground activities. Acts include the Franklin's Flying Circus, where performers walk on the wings of an airborne plane. Ground activities include the Jet Powered School Bus. After 31 years of being held at [[Biggs Army Airfield]], the show was moved to Dona Ana Airport in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_23781006/amigo-airsho-will-be-flying-out-dona-ana|archive-url=https://archive.is/20130918062449/http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_23781006/amigo-airsho-will-be-flying-out-dona-ana|dead-url=yes|archive-date=September 18, 2013|title=Amigo Airsho will be flying out of Doña Ana airport in 2014 | newspaper=El Paso Times |date= |accessdate=August 26, 2013}}</ref>

====KLAQ Great River Raft Race====
[[File:El Paso's Upper Valley by the Rio Grande.jpg|thumb|''Great River Raft Race'' held annually on the [[Rio Grande]] in El Paso's upper valley.]]
The ''KLAQ Great River Raft Race'' is an annual event celebrated on the second to last Saturday of June. Participants are encouraged to ride the river and float the [[Rio Grande]] with family and friends. The organizers encourage the building of unique rafts that will get you down the river with prizes and trophies awarded for the most points earned, best looking crew, and best decorated raft. The race starts at the Vinton bridge and ends three miles downstream at the Canutillo bridge.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://klaq.com/events-el-paso/klaqs-great-river-raft-race/22-june-2013-rio-grande//|title=KLAQ's Great River Raft Race | accessdate=December 26, 2013}}</ref>

====Southwestern International PRCA Rodeo====
The ''Southwestern International PRCA Rodeo'' is the 17th oldest rodeo in the nation and El Paso's longest running sporting event. Consistently ranked as one of the top 50 shows in the country by the [[Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association]], this charitable event is a true celebration of western culture and heritage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elprodeo.com/|title=Southwestern International PRCA Rodeo | accessdate=August 26, 2013}}</ref>

====Fiesta de las Flores====
''Fiesta de las Flores'' is the oldest Hispanic Festival in the Southwest. The three-day Fiesta is held each year during the Labor Day weekend and emphasizes El Paso's Hispanic heritage and culture. The festival attracts 20,000 to 30,000 visitors from El Paso County, New Mexico, West Texas and the State of Chihuahua, Mexico.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fiestadelasflores.org/annual-events/fiesta-de-las-flores/|title=Fiesta de las Flores | accessdate=August 26, 2013}}</ref> Activities included in the Fiesta are crowning of the Queen, a Fiesta Parade, Senior Appreciation Dance, Military Appreciation Day, and live Entertainment. The Fiesta is also well known for the authentic regional cuisine, arts and craft wares, games, and services available for the enjoyment of all segments of the attendees. Over 80 booths, sponsored by local vendors and nonprofit organizations create the Hispanic ambience and culture.
[[File:EP Public libray.jpg|thumb|''Cleveland Square'' in [[downtown El Paso]] is where many of the festivals are held annually.]]

====El Paso Balloonfest====
The ''El Paso Balloonfest'' is an annual event celebrated on Memorial Day weekend and is self described as "3 days of hot air balloons filling the El Paso skies, 3 afternoons of concerts and fun in the sun at [[Wet N' Wild Waterworld]] in [[Anthony, Texas|Anthony]], Texas." Over 60 balloons take to the air annually from TFCU launch field which is adjacent to the water park. After the balloons launch, visitors have a weekend of water rides, swimming, concerts, and grilling. The concert aspect of the event features local bands, starting at noon, and different headlining artists in the afternoon.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://klaq.com/balloonfest/|title=KLAQ Balloonfest | accessdate=August 26, 2013}}</ref> Overnight camping has been added for 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://klaq.com/klaq-balloonfest-camping-faqs/|title=KLAQ Balloonfest Camping FAQs|work=THE Q ROCKS|accessdate=September 14, 2014}}</ref>

===Music Festivals===

====El Paso Downtown Street Festival====
The annual ''El Paso Downtown Street Festival'' is held during the last weekend of June in downtown El Paso near the El Paso Convention center.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://klaq.com/events-el-paso/el-paso-downtown-street-festival-2013/28-june-2013-judson-f-williams-convention-center/|title=El Paso Downtown Street Festival | accessdate=August 26, 2013}}</ref> It is the oldest musical festival in the city and brings local, regional and nationally known acts.

====Neon Desert Music Festival====
The annual ''Neon Desert Music Festival'' is a two-day event usually held on the last Saturday and Sunday of May on five stages in [[downtown El Paso]] stretching from San Jacinto Plaza to Cleveland Square.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neondesertmusicfestival.com/|title=Neon Desert Music Festival | accessdate=August 26, 2013}}</ref> The festival brings over 30 acts from the worlds of indie rock, Latin and electronic dance music.

====Music Under the Stars====
The outdoor concert series, started in 1983, is held annually at the [[Chamizal National Memorial]] and draws over 60,000 attendees. It features local and international performers with musical genres ranging from Classical, Country, Tejano, rock and others. The evening concerts are showcased every Sunday afternoon and start in early June and end in the middle of August.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotexas.gov/mcad/summerprograms.asp|title=Music Under the Stars | accessdate=August 26, 2013}}</ref>

====Sun City Music Festival====
The only El Paso musical festival not held downtown; instead it is held at Ascarate Park. ''The Sun City Music Festival'' is a two-day event dubbed as the largest electronic dance music festival in Texas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://suncitymusicfestival.com/|title=Sun City Music Festival 2015 in El Paso, Texas|work=Sun City Music Festival 2015|accessdate=July 16, 2015}}</ref>

====Texas Showdown Festival====
''The Texas Showdown Festival'' is an annual event celebrating musicians and tattoo artists under one roof.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://texastattooshowdownfestival.com/|title=Texas Showdown Festival | accessdate=August 26, 2013}}</ref> Dubbed as the world's largest tattoo and musical festival, the event is held usually the last weekend of July at the El Paso County Coliseum.

===Performing arts===

====Viva! El Paso====

The outdoor musical extravaganza [[Viva! El Paso]] is performed in the McKelligon Canyon Amphitheatre. It is locally produced and chronicles the 400-year history and cultural evolution of the El Paso region. The show is performed each Friday and Saturday night in June, July, and August. Viva! El Paso has entertained local residents and out-of-town visitors for over 35 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.viva-ep.org/ |title=VIVA! EL PASO |year=2011 |accessdate=February 8, 2014}}</ref>

====El Paso Symphony Orchestra====

The ''El Paso Symphony'' was established in the 1930s, it is the oldest performing arts organization in El Paso and the longest continuously running symphony orchestra in the state of Texas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epso.org/|title=El Paso Symphony | accessdate=March 26, 2013}}</ref> It has received both national and international recognition as a result of its very successful tours of Germany in 1996 and Turkey in 2000, and continues to represent the El Paso region with pride and distinction.
The El Paso Symphony Orchestra Association season is anchored by 12 classical concerts. Special events serve as outreach toward new audiences.

====Ballet in El Paso====

Ballet was largely nonexistent in El Paso until the arrival of [[Ingeborg Heuser]], a professional ballerina from Germany, in the 1950s. Heuser taught ballet at the University of Texas at El Paso for 47 years and founded the city's first professional ballet company, firstly known as Texas Western Civic Ballet and eventually as '''Ballet El Paso'''. The company dissipated due to financial trouble in 1997 and Heuser retired from UTEP soon after.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://epcc.libguides.com/content.php?pid=309255&sid=2891483|title=Ingeborg Heuser Brought Professional Ballet to City 29 (2011) - Borderlands - Library Research Guides at El Paso Community College|author=Rachel Murphree}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://digie.org/media/14362|title=Ingeborg Heuser - DIGIE}}</ref>

The [https://web.archive.org/web/20140830232832/http://elpasoconservatoryofdance.com/el_paso_youth_ballet '''El Paso Youth Ballet'''] was founded in 2009 by Heuser's previous student, Marta Katz, following Heuser's departure from the university. With students from the youth ballet, Heuser staged her last Nutcracker in 2006. The youth company continues to perform the Nutcracker and other pre-professional pieces in and around the El Paso area. The company provides the only platform for young ballet dancers to train and perform at such a level within the city since the folding of Ballet El Paso.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasoconservatoryofdance.com/el_paso_youth_ballet|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140830232832/http://elpasoconservatoryofdance.com/el_paso_youth_ballet|dead-url=yes|archive-date=2014-08-30|title=El Paso Conservatory of Dance}}</ref>

El Paso City Ballet is a current professional ballet company in El Paso, providing local employment for professional dancers in the field of ballet. The company performs a variety of classical and contemporary works choreographed by Artistic Director Lisa Skaf and artists from the US and Latin America.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasocityballet.org/index.html|title=El Paso City Ballet - Home|work=El Paso City Ballet|accessdate=September 14, 2014}}</ref> It has been active since 2005, performing yearly productions.

===Theaters===
[[File:The Plaza Theatre.JPG|thumb|upright|The [[Plaza Theatre (El Paso)|Plaza Theatre]]]]
The [[Abraham Chavez Theatre]], adjacent to the El Paso Convention and Performing Arts Center, welcomes patrons with a three-story-high glass-windowed entry and unique sombrero-shaped architecture, making it a distinct feature on El Paso's southwestern landscape.

The [[Plaza Theatre (El Paso)|Plaza Theatre]] is a historic building located at 125 Pioneer Plaza. The theater stands as one of the city's most well-known landmarks. It shows various Broadway productions, musical concerts, and individual performers. It has a seating capacity of 2,100.

[[McKelligon Canyon]] is a {{convert|90|acre|m2|adj=on}} park, located in the Franklin Mountains, open to hikers and picnickers. In the canyon, McKelligon Canyon Amphitheatre is surrounded on three sides by dramatic canyon walls; the 1,500-seat amphitheatre is used for concerts and special events, such as [http://www.viva-ep.org/2011// Viva El Paso!]
[http://www.elpasoplayhouse.com// El Paso Playhouse] is a theater affiliated with Kids-N-Co, a theater for child actors. The [http://academics.utep.edu/Default.aspx?alias=academics.utep.edu/udt/ UTEP Dinner Theatre] is a theatre within the [[UTEP]] campus.

===Area museums===
[[File:CuevaDeLaOlla,Paquime,ChihuahuaMexico.png|thumb|right|El Paso Museum of Archaeology, diorama shows [[Cueva de la Olla (archaeological site)|Cueva de la Olla]] (cave of the pot – a large pot-shaped storage container for grain), Paquimé, [[Sierra Madre Occidental|Sierra Madre]] of [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]] ]]
[[File:El Paso Museum of Art. El Paso, Texas.jpg|thumbnail|[[El Paso Museum of Art]]]]
The [[Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens]], located on the grounds of UTEP, includes a comprehensive collection of El Paso Brown, Native American pottery, as well as educational exhibits for students.

The [[El Paso Museum of Archaeology]] is located on the eastern slope of [[North Franklin Mountain]], west of Gateway South Blvd. on TransMountain Rd.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotexas.gov/arch_museum/default.asp|title=El Paso Museum of Archaeology | accessdate=March 26, 2013}}</ref> Its grounds include native plants of the American Southwest, as well samples of Native American shelters, in an unspoiled location. The museum includes [[diorama]]s for school children which illustrate the culture and geology of the American Southwest, such as [[Hueco Tanks]] in El Paso County. One diorama (see image to the right) is of the Cueva de la Olla<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4FCiI62YfUwC&pg=PA365&lpg=PA365&dq=de+la+Cueva+de+la+Olla+paquime&source=bl&ots=JbVX1THCvR&sig=tFwJEYqDKNC7wy5pryW6KoAS94c&hl=en&ei=Epm_TPnxCsLYnAfGpcSJDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=de%20la%20Cueva%20de%20la%20Olla%20paquime&f=false|title=John Noble, ''Mexico'' |page=365|accessdate=September 14, 2014}}</ref> (cave of the pot) which is located in the [[Sierra Madre Occidental|Sierra Madre]] of [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]], an example of the Paquimé culture.<ref>{{YouTube|PyFsyYuS9sQ|Cultura Paquime: Sitios Arqueologicos – Paquime Culture Documental Documentary}} see minute 0:32 of 4:18 total</ref>

The [[El Paso Museum of Art]] is located next to the [[Plaza Theatre (El Paso)|Plaza Theater]] adjacent to San Jacinto Plaza, the public square downtown. It contains works of southwestern artists such as [[Thomas C. Lea, III|Tom Lea]].

Other area museums include:
* [[El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study Center]]
* [[International Museum of Art El Paso]]
* [[El Paso Museum of History]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotexas.gov/history/|title=El Paso Museum of History | publisher=elpasotexas.gov/history|accessdate=February 10, 2014}}</ref>
* Fort Bliss Museums and Study Center<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bliss.army.mil/Museum/fort_bliss_museum.htm|title=Fort Bilss Museums and Study Center | publisher=www.bliss.army.mil/Museum |date= |accessdate=February 10, 2014}}</ref>
* Insights El Paso Science Museum<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.insightselpaso.org/|title=Insights El Paso Science Museum | publisher=Insights El Paso Science Museum |date= |accessdate=February 10, 2014}}</ref>
* The [[Magoffin Homestead]], dating from 1875, is now a state historic site.
* The [[National Border Patrol Museum]] is located adjacent to the El Paso Museum of Archaeology.
* Railroad and Transportation Museum of El Paso<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasorails.org/|title=Railroad and Transportation Museum of El Paso | publisher=elpasorails.org |date= |accessdate=February 10, 2014}}</ref>
* War Eagles Air Museum<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.war-eagles-air-museum.com/ |title=War Eagles Air Museum | publisher=war-eagles-air-museum |accessdate=February 10, 2014}}</ref> in nearby [[Santa Teresa, New Mexico]]
* The Gene Roddenberry Planetarium<ref>{{cite web|url=http://grplanetarium.weebly.com/|title=The Gene Roddenberry Planetarium – | publisher=grplanetarium.weebly.com/ |date= |accessdate=February 10, 2014}}</ref>
* Lynx Exhibits<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lynxexhibits.com/|title=Lynx Exhibits |accessdate=February 10, 2014}}</ref>

===Sites within the city limits===
[[File:Sunny the Sea Lion at the El Paso Zoo.jpg|thumbnail|right|Sea Lion exhibit at the [[El Paso Zoo]]]]
* [[Ysleta Mission]] is recognized as the oldest continuously operated parish in the State of Texas.
* [[Cathedral Parish of Saint Patrick (El Paso, Texas)|Cathedral of Saint Patrick]] erected in 1916 is the seat of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of El Paso]].
* [[Chamizal National Memorial]]
* [[El Paso Zoo]]
* [[Magoffin Homestead|Magoffin Home State Historic Site]]
* [[Plaza Hotel (El Paso)|Plaza Hotel]]
* [[Union Depot (El Paso)|Union Depot]]
* [[El Paso High School]]
* [[University of Texas at El Paso]] The university's distinctive style is a type of fortress architecture, Dzong, found in the present and former Buddhist mountain kingdoms of the Himalayas, Bhutan and Tibet.<ref>http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/jbs/pdf/JBS_05_02.pdf</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://admin.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=53233|title=Bhutan on the Border|accessdate=September 14, 2014}}</ref>

===Sites within the metro and surrounding area===

Within driving distance from El Paso are nine state parks, two national parks, two national monuments, one national memorial and a national forest.
{{wide image|Guadalupe Peak from Bowl Trail.JPG|500px|Guadalupe Peak from Bowl Trail|55%|right}}
* [[Guadalupe Mountains National Park]]
* [[Guadalupe Peak]] – the highest point in Texas at 8,749 feet in elevation.
* [[Hueco Tanks State Historic Site]]
* [[McKittrick Canyon]]
* [[Lincoln National Forest]]
* [[Mt. Cristo Rey]]
* [[Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument]]
* [[Socorro Mission]]
* [[White Sands National Monument]]
* [[San Elizario Chapel]]
* [[Carlsbad Caverns National Park]]
* [[Mesilla, New Mexico|Old Mesilla]]
* [[Wet N' Wild Waterworld]]
* [[Spaceport America]]
* [[Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino]]
* [[Western Playland]]

==Sports==
[[File:UTEP Sun Bowl Stadium Aerial View Sept 6 2009.jpg|800 x 531px|thumbnail|Aerial view of Sun Bowl Stadium and Kidd Field]]
[[File:Southwest University Park.jpg|800 x 536px|thumbnail|Chihuahuas baseball game at Southwest University Park]]
El Paso is home to the [[Sun Bowl]], the second oldest consecutive college football contest{{cn|date=April 2017}} (after the [[Rose Bowl Game|Rose Bowl]]). Its first game was held in 1937.

On September 18, 2012, the city council voted to approve the demolition of the current city hall to make way for [[Southwest University Park]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotriplea.com/ballpark/ |title=El Paso Triple A Baseball | accessdate=July 26, 2013}}</ref> to be the new home of the [[El Paso Chihuahuas]] [[Triple-A (baseball)|Triple-A]] team ([[San Diego Padres]] affiliate) beginning with the 2014 season. The team was recently purchased by Mountainstar Sports Group of El Paso.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_21750704/el-paso-gets-triple-baseball-team |archive-url=https://archive.is/20130122201226/http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_21750704/el-paso-gets-triple-baseball-team |dead-url=yes |archive-date=January 22, 2013 |title=El Paso gets Triple-A baseball team: MountainStar officially acquires Padres | date=October 12, 2012 |accessdate=January 3, 2015}}</ref>

The [[El Paso Marathon]] takes place annually since 2007. The El Paso Patriots played their last season in 2013 and are no longer an organization.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Club
!Sport
!League
!Venue
!Capacity
|-
|[[El Paso Chihuahuas]]
|[[Baseball]]
|[[Pacific Coast League|AAA PCL]]
|[[Southwest University Park]]
|9,500
|-
|[[El Paso Rhinos]]
|[[Ice Hockey]]
|[[Western States Hockey League|WSHL]]
|[[El Paso County Coliseum|Sierra Providence Event Center]]
|5,250
|-
|[[Major Arena Soccer League|El Paso Coyotes]]
|[[Indoor Soccer]]
|[[Major Arena Soccer League|MASL]]
|[[El Paso County Coliseum|Sierra Providence Event Center]]
|5,250
|-
|[[UTEP Miners football|UTEP Miners Football]]
|[[Football Bowl Subdivision|NCAA Division I FBS]] [[College Football|Football]]
|[[Conference USA|C-USA]]
|[[Sun Bowl Stadium]]
|51,500
|-
|[[UTEP Miners basketball|UTEP Basketball Men]]
|[[College Basketball|NCAA Division I Basketball]]
|[[Conference USA|C-USA]]
|[[Don Haskins Center]]
|12,000
|-
|[[UTEP Miners basketball|UTEP Basketball Women]]
|[[College Basketball|NCAA Division I Basketball]]
|[[Conference USA|C-USA]]
|[[Memorial Gymnasium (University of Texas at El Paso)|Memorial Gym]]
|5,000
|-
|UTEP Softball
|[[College Softball|NCAA Division I Softball]]
|[[Conference USA|C-USA]]
|Helen of Troy Field
|607
|-
|[[UTEP Miners track and field|UTEP Track and Field]]
|[[NCAA Men's Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships|NCAA Division I Track and Field]]
|[[Conference USA|C-USA]]
|[[Kidd Field]]
|15,000
|-
|[[UTEP Miners|UTEP Women's Soccer]]
|[[College soccer|NCAA Division I Soccer]]
|[[Conference USA|C-USA]]
|[[University Field (UTEP)|University Field]]
|500
|-
|EPCC Baseball
|[[College Baseball|NJCAA Division I Baseball]]
|[[WJCAC]]
|EPCC Baseball Field
|520
|}

==Parks and recreation==
[[File:Wyler Aerial Tramway1.jpg|thumb|[[Wyler Aerial Tramway]] at the Franklin Mountains State Park]]
El Paso is home to the largest urban park in the nation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.window.state.tx.us/specialrpt/parks/Franklin.html |title=TEXAS STATE PARKS Natural Economic Assets | publisher=Window on State Government |year=2014 |accessdate=February 15, 2014}}</ref> The [[Franklin Mountains State Park]], with its more than {{convert|24248|acre|ha}}, is completely located within the city limits. The park is open year-round for recreation including hiking, mountain biking, picnicking, scenic driving and views of the city. The city is also home to 242 municipal parks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kvia.com/news/city-looking-at-cost-of-installing-rest-rooms-in-all-parks/31079332 |title=City Looking at Cost of Installing Restrooms in all Parks | publisher=KVIA |date=February 3, 2015 |accessdate=February 6, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ktsm.com/news/city-revisit-rules-parks-bathrooms |title=City of El Paso to revisit rules for parks & bathrooms | publisher=KTSM |date=February 4, 2015 |accessdate=February 6, 2015}}</ref>

The [[Wyler Aerial Tramway]] is operated by the [[Texas Parks and Wildlife Department]] and is in the Franklin Mountains State Park. The tramway complex covers {{convert|196|acre|km2}} on the east side of the Franklin Mountains. The gondolas travel along two {{convert|2600|ft|m|adj=on}} {{frac|1|3|8}} diameter steel cables to Ranger Peak, {{convert|5632|ft|m}} above sea level. The trip takes about four minutes and lifts riders {{convert|940|ft|m}} above the boarding area.
[[File:Hueco Tanks Bouldering.jpg|thumbnail|left|Bouldering on North Mountain at [[Hueco Tanks]]]]
[[Hueco Tanks State Historic Site]] is a Texas historic site in the [[Hueco Tanks]] area, approximately {{convert|32|mi}} northeast of El Paso. The park is popular for recreation such as birdwatching and bouldering, and is culturally and spiritually significant to many Native Americans. This significance is partially manifested in the [[pictographs]] (rock paintings) that can be found throughout the region, many of which are thousands of years old.<ref>Mulvihill, K. [http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/09/19/travel/escapes/19Pict.html "On Rock Walls, Painted Prayers to Rain Gods"], ''[[The New York Times]]''. September 19, 2008. Retrieved 9/19/08.</ref> Also within the city limits, the [[Chamizal National Memorial]] is a 54.90-acre (22.22 ha) memorial park that serves primarily as a cultural center and contains art galleries, a theater, and an amphitheatre. A museum detailing the history of the Mexico–U.S. border is located inside the visitor center.

===Botanical Gardens===
* The [[Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens|Chihuahuan Desert Gardens]] (CDG) display the flora of the Chihuahuan Desert and adjacent regions in the United States and Mexico. The Gardens were formally dedicated in September 1999 and contain over 625 different species of plants, comprising one of the largest captive assemblages of Chihuahuan Desert flora in the world.
* The [http://txmg.org/elpaso/projects/rose-garden/ El Paso Municipal Rose Garden] or officially known as the All-American Rose Selection (AARS) public garden is one of over 100 certified gardens within the United States. There are over 1,900 rosebushes with 500 varieties. The wrought-iron fenced garden has wide walkways with handicap accessibility, raised beds, a waterfall, and trees and shrubs. Several new rose varieties are planted each year, and after two years the highest-rated are named and receive the AARS symbol.
* [http://www.trans-pecos-audubon.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1&Itemid=41 Feather Lake] is a {{convert|43.5|acre|ha|adj=on}} wildlife sanctuary based on a {{convert|40|acre|ha|adj=on}} wetland built by the City of El Paso in 1969 as a stormwater-retention basin. Since 1976, the El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society has leased this land from the city and managed it for wildlife. Over 200 different species of birds, especially those associated with water, have been observed at the sanctuary. Fauna residing there include [[muskrats]], [[spiny softshell turtle]]s, [[pond slider]]s, and [[Cnemidophorus inornatus heptagrammus|Trans-Pecos striped whiptail lizards]].
* [http://www.keystoneheritagepark.org/ClubPortal/ClubStatic.cfm?clubID=409&pubmenuoptID=27444 Keystone Heritage Park] comprises an Archaic-period archaeological site, wetlands, and a desert botanical garden. The 4,500-year-old site is one of the oldest villages in the United States. The wetlands are home to many birds, and over 200 species have been spotted there on their seasonal migrations. The botanical garden features a variety of native plants, and includes a pavilion and a replica of an Archaic period brush hut. The newest component, The Chihuahuan Desert Experience, is a work in progress that will allow visitors to stroll the {{convert|900|mi|km|adj=on}} length of desert over a {{convert|17|acre|ha|adj=on}} recreation of the plant indigenous life.
* [http://research.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=65792 Rio Bosque Wetlands] is a {{convert|372|acre|ha|adj=on}} city park, managed by the Center for Environmental Resource Management of the [[University of Texas at El Paso]], which began restoration efforts in 1998. In the fall and winter, water flows through the park along the route of the river before it was confined within levees in the 1930s. Many animals and birds have returned to the area as the restoration proceeds, and over 200 species of birds have been sighted.

===Golf courses===
The metro area has 16 golf courses including Butterfield Trail Golf Club, the only public premium daily fee [[Tom Fazio]] designed golf course in the state of [[Texas]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.butterfieldtrailgolf.com/sites/courses/template.asp?id=1418&page=89273 |title=Butterfield Trail Golf Club |accessdate=February 16, 2014}}</ref> It was ranked No. 1 in [[Texas]] and No. 3 in the Nation on ''[[Golfweek]]'''s 2013 Best Municipal Golf Courses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://golfweek.com/news/2013/may/08/golfweeks-best-municipal-courses-2013/ |title=Golfweek's Best: Municipal Courses (2013) | work=Golfweek Magazine |accessdate=February 16, 2014}}</ref> Other golf courses found in the county include:
{{colbegin|colwidth=20em}}
* Ascarate Golf Course<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epcounty.com/ascarate/golf.htm |title=Ascarate Park | publisher=www.epcounty.com |accessdate=February 16, 2014}}</ref>
* Coronado Country Club<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.coronadocountryclub.com/ |title=Coronado Country Club |accessdate=February 16, 2014}}</ref>
* El Paso Country Club<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasocountryclub.com/ |title=El Paso Country Club | accessdate=February 16, 2014}}</ref>
* Horizon City Golf Course<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_24885775/horizon-city-golf-course-reopens |title=Horizon City golf course reopens|newspaper=El Paso Times|date=January 11, 2014 |accessdate=February 16, 2014}}</ref>
* Lone Star Golf Club<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lonestargolfclub.net/ |title=Lone Star Golf Club | accessdate=February 16, 2014}}</ref>
* Painted Dunes Desert Golf Club<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.painteddunes.com/ |title=Painted Dunes Golf Club | accessdate=February 16, 2014}}</ref>
* Vista Hills Country Club<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vistahillscc.com/ |title=Vista Hills Country Club | accessdate=February 16, 2014}}</ref>
* Underwood Golf Complex<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blissmwr.com/golf/ |title=Underwood Golf Complex | publisher=www.blissmwr.com/golf |accessdate=February 16, 2014}}</ref>
{{colend}}

Next door in [[Dona Ana County]] there are the following golf courses:
{{colbegin|colwidth=15em}}
* Dos Lagos Golf Course<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.doslagos.com/ClubPortal/ClubStatic.cfm?clubID=631&pubmenuoptID=5865 |title=Dos Lagos Golf Course |accessdate=February 16, 2014}}</ref>
* Las Cruces Country Club<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lccountryclub.com/ |title=Las Cruces Country Club | accessdate=February 16, 2014}}</ref>
* [[New Mexico State]] Golf Course<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nmsugolf.com/ |title=New Mexico State Golf Course | accessdate=February 16, 2014}}</ref>
* Picacho Hills Country Club<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.picachohillscc.com/ |title=Picacho Hills Country Club | accessdate=February 16, 2014}}</ref>
* Red Hawk Golf Club<ref>{{cite web|url=http://golflascruces.com/ |title=Red Hawk Golf Club | publisher=golflascruces.com |accessdate=February 16, 2014}}</ref>
* Santa Teresa Country Club
* Sonoma Ranch Golf Course<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonomaranchgolf.com/ |title=Sonoma Ranch Golf Course | accessdate=February 16, 2014}}</ref>
{{colend}}

===Zoo===
The El Paso Zoo has {{convert|35|acre|ha}} and over 200 animal species. The zoo is divided into three distinct sections: the Americas; Asia; and Africa. Exhibits include elephants, lions, tigers, sea lions, zebras, and giraffes.

==Government==

{|class="infobox" style="font-size: 90%; border: 1px solid #999; float: right; margin-left: 1em; width: 270px;"
|- style="background:#f5f5f5;"
! colspan=3 | El Paso City Council<ref>{{cite web|url=http://home.elpasotexas.gov/government.php|title=EP Government - Home|accessdate=September 14, 2014}}</ref>
• City Council is officially nonpartisan
|-
| Peter Svarzbein || ||style="text-align: center;" |District 1, Westside
|-
| Jim Tolbert || || style="text-align: center;" |District 2, West Central
|-
| Emma Acosta || || style="text-align: center;" |District 3, East Central
|-
| Carl L. Robinson || ||style="text-align: center;" |District 4, Northeast
|-
| Dr. Michiel Noe || || style="text-align: center;" |District 5, Eastside
|-
| Claudia Ordaz || ||style="text-align: center;" |District 6, East Valley
|-
| Lilia B. Limon || || style="text-align: center;" |District 7, Mid Valley
|-
| Vacant || || style="text-align: center;" |District 8, Southside
|}

===City===

The city government is officially nonpartisan. Mayors and city council members are elected for four year terms and may not be elected more than twice or serve for more than 10 years in their respective offices.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotexas.gov/muni_clerk/_documents/2004_Charter_Election_Resolution.pdf |title=Resolution Canvassing Results of the 2004 City Charter Amendment Election And Declaring Adoption To Amendments of City Charter | publisher= City of El Paso|date=February 7, 2004 |accessdate=}}</ref> Municipal elections are currently held in May in odd-numbered years, but a voter-approved charter amendment will change this to November in even-numbered years, beginning in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_23223038/el-paso-city-charter-amendments-5-9-propositions |title=El Paso City Charter amendments: 6 of 9 propositions approved | newspaper=El Paso Times |date=May 12, 2013 |accessdate=January 3, 2015}}</ref> Council members elected in 2015 will serve through December 2018, and council members and the mayor elected [[El Paso, Texas city elections, 2017|in 2017]] will serve through December 2020. Those elected in 2018 and 2020 will serve regular four-year terms.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_22363648/city-charter-changes-possible |title=City Charter changes possible | newspaper=El Paso Times |date=January 13, 2013 |accessdate=January 3, 2015}}</ref>

The city operates under a council–manager form of government. Power is concentrated in the eight-member elected city council and mayor, who hire a manager to carry out its directives and oversee the delivery of public services. The current city manager is Tommy Gonzalez<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasoinc.com/news/local_news/article_707894d4-f979-11e3-9ced-001a4bcf6878.html|title=New city manager starts Monday - El Paso Inc.: Local News|work=El Paso Inc.|accessdate=September 14, 2014}}</ref> and the current [[List of mayors of El Paso, Texas|mayor of El Paso]] is [[Oscar Leeser]], who was elected to the office in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_23520595/ballpark-guarantee-push-rejected |title=El Paso Downtown ballpark-guarantee push rejected | newspaper=El Paso Times |date=June 23, 2013 |accessdate=June 26, 2013}}</ref>

The terms of Mayor Leeser and Councillors Acosta, Limon, Robinson, and Tolbert will end in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/TX/El_Paso/46985/117414/Web01/en/summary.html |title=El Paso County Elections | publisher=clarityelections.com |date=June 23, 2013 |accessdate=June 26, 2013}}</ref> The terms of Noe, Ordaz, and Svarzbein will end in 2018.

Acosta has been on the council since 2008, Robinson since 2009, Noe since 2011, Limon since 2013, Ordaz since 2014, Svarzbein since 2015, and Tolbert since 2016.<ref>http://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/politics/2016/05/07/jim-tolbert-leading-polls-district-2/84091490/</ref> Due to the term limits clause of the city charter, Acosta, Noe, and Robinson are ineligible for reelection. Limon and Tolbert will be eligible for re-election in 2017. Ordaz and Svarzbein will be eligible for re-election in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_28309159/svarzbein-leads-weisenberger-by-7-votes-early-voting|title=Peter Svarzbein wins Westside City Council seat|work=El Paso Times.com|accessdate=July 16, 2015}}</ref> Mayor Leeser would be eligible for re-election in 2017 but is not seeking a second term.<ref>http://www.kvia.com/news/mayor-leeser-will-not-seek-reelection/40931266</ref> District 8 Representative Cortney Niland resigned in April 2017. The council will likely schedule a special election to elect someone to serve the remainder of her term, which ends in December 2018.<ref>http://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/local/2017/04/04/city-rep-cortney-niland-resigns/100035196/</ref>

===County===

The El Paso County Judge is Veronica Escobar, and the county commissioners are Carlos Leon (Precinct 1), David Stout (Precinct 2), Vince Perez (Precinct 3),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_22282054/leon-perez-take-posts-tuesday |archive-url=https://archive.is/20130122055556/http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_22282054/leon-perez-take-posts-tuesday |dead-url=yes |archive-date=January 22, 2013 |title=Leon, Perez take posts Tuesday |newspaper=El Paso Times |date=January 1, 2013 |accessdate=January 3, 2015 }}</ref> and Andrew Haggerty (Precinct 4). Haggerty is a Republican, the other commissioners and the county judge are Democrats.

Escobar was elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2014, and has been in office since 2011. Leon and Perez were first elected to their positions in 2012, were re-elected in 2016,<ref>http://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/politics/elections/2017/01/01/commissioners-leon-perez-sworn-second-term/96010848/</ref> and have been in office since 2013. Haggerty and Stout were first elected to their positions in 2014, and have been in office since 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_27219139/two-new-faces-join-county-commissioners-court-new|title=Two new faces to join El Paso County Commissioners Court in the new year|work=El Paso Times.com|accessdate=July 16, 2015}}</ref>

===State===

The El Paso metropolitan area is represented in the Texas State House by Democrats [[Cesar Blanco]], [[Mary Gonzalez]], [[Joe Moody (Texas)|Joe Moody]], [[Lina Ortega]] and [[Joe Pickett]], and in the State Senate by [[José R. Rodríguez]] (D-El Paso).<ref name="epcounty.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.epcounty.com/elections/current/final.htm |title=Election Summary Report | publisher=epcounty.com |date= |accessdate=May 21, 2012}}</ref>

The [[Texas Department of Criminal Justice]] operates the El Paso I District Parole Office in the city. The El Paso II District Parole Office is in an [[unincorporated area]] east of [[Horizon City, Texas|Horizon City]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/parole/parole-directory/paroledir-rgnldisparoff5.htm |title=Parole Division Region V |publisher=Texas Department of Criminal Justice |date=May 12, 2013 |accessdate=March 16, 2010 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100125221343/http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/parole/parole-directory/paroledir-rgnldisparoff5.htm |archivedate=January 25, 2010 }}</ref>

===Federal===

El Paso City and County vote overwhelmingly [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]], like most of the Texas–Mexico border area and urban Texas.<ref>{{Cite book| title = Texas Politics Today |author1=William Earl Maxwell |author2=Ernest Crain |author3=Edwin S. Davis | publisher = Thomson Wadsworth | isbn = 0-534-60211-8 | year = 2005}}</ref>

The El Paso metropolitan area is represented by [[Beto O'Rourke]] (D-El Paso), and Will Hurd (R-San Antonio) in the House of Representatives.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kvia.com/news/william-hurd-leads-incumbent-pete-gallego-in-us-rep-district-23-race/29533510|title=Incumbent Pete Gallego ousted in tight US Rep. District 23 race|author=KVIA|work=KVIA|accessdate=July 16, 2015}}</ref> The current U.S. Senators for Texas are [[Ted Cruz]] (R-Texas) and [[John Cornyn]] (R-Texas).

==Education==
[[File:Engineering building area.jpg|thumbnail|left|[[UTEP]]'s College of Engineering building]]

El Paso is home to the [[University of Texas at El Paso]], the largest public university in the region. UTEP was recently ranked as the 7th best university in Washington Monthly's 2013 National University Rankings, just behind Stanford and ahead of Harvard.<ref name="Washington Monthly">{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/rankings_2013/national_university_rank.php |title=2013 National University Rankings |work=Washington Monthly |date=August 27, 2013 |accessdate= |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130913080710/http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/rankings_2013/national_university_rank.php |archivedate=September 13, 2013 |df=mdy }}</ref> Also, the university's School of Engineering is the nation's top producer of Hispanic engineers with M.S. and Ph.D. degrees.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.utsystem.edu/blog/2013/04/03/utep-tops-national-rankings-producing-hispanic-engineers |title=UTEP tops national rankings for producing Hispanic engineers | publisher=The University of Texas System |date=April 3, 2013 |accessdate=July 26, 2013}}</ref>
[[File:Medical Sciences Building II.jpg|thumbnail|right|[[Paul L. Foster School of Medicine]] within [[Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso Campus|Texas Tech University HSC at El Paso's]] campus]]
El Paso is also home to [[Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso]], [[Paul L. Foster School of Medicine]], Texas Tech College of Architecture at El Paso, [[Brightwood College]], [[Park University]], [[Webster University]] and the [[University of Phoenix]]. Also due to its proximity, many El Paso students attend [[New Mexico State University]] where the school offers in-state tuition to El Paso County residents.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aces.nmsu.edu/academics/elpaso.html |title=El Paso Resident Tuition | publisher=New Mexico State University |date= |accessdate=July 26, 2013}}</ref>

The [[El Paso Community College]] serves most of the area as well as several technical schools and [[For-profit education|for profit schools]]. El Pasoans also have access to the [[Doña Ana Community College]] with campuses in Sunland Park, Anthony and Chaparral, New Mexico: This community college is a part of the [[New Mexico State University]] system.

El Paso area students primarily attend public schools in four school districts, [[El Paso Independent School District]], [[Ysleta Independent School District]], [[Socorro Independent School District]] and [[Canutillo Independent School District]]. Numerous accredited private preparatory schools also serve El Paso students. These include various pre-high school religious (Christian, Catholic, Jewish) affiliates and Montessori schools, [[Cathedral High School (El Paso, Texas)|Cathedral High School]], [[Loretto Academy (El Paso, Texas)|Loretto Academy]], [[Father Yermo High School]], [[Lydia Patterson Institute]], Faith Christian Academy, El Paso Jewish Academy, Rose of Sharon Christian Academy, Zion Lutheran Day School and Radford School.

===Public libraries===
The [[El Paso Public Library]] serves the needs of the public in El Paso, Southern [[New Mexico]], and [[Ciudad Juarez]], Mexico. It consists of 13 branches and one bookmobile service. It also has multiple outreach services available, including a homebound service.<ref>http://www.elpasolibrary.org/index.php</ref> Livability.com ranked El Paso's libraries as the 6th best library for kids in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_19882102 |title=Library soaring: El Paso system ranked 6th in US for kids | newspaper=El Paso Times |date= |accessdate=February 9, 2014}}</ref>

==Media==
{{see also|List of newspapers in Texas|List of radio stations in Texas|List of television stations in Texas}}
===Newspapers===
The main newspapers are the English-language daily ''[[El Paso Times]]'', founded in 1881; the Spanish-language daily ''[[El Diario de El Paso]]'', and the online newspaper [http://www.elpasoheraldpost.com ''El Paso Herald Post''] started in 2015.
The original and defunct ''El Paso Herald Post'' was also founded in 1881 as the ''El Paso Herald'', which then merged with the ''El Paso Post'' in 1931. The paper was shut down in 1997. El Paso also has some weekly and niche magazines.
<!--*[http://www.elpasoinc.com/ El Paso Inc.]-->
* [http://www.elpasoinc.com// El Paso Inc]
* [http://newspapertree.com// Newspaper Tree]
* [http://www.elpasodevnews.com// El Paso Developmental News]
*[http://www.lapolaka.com// La Polaka]
* [http://artmagazine-ep.com// Art Magazine El Paso]
*[http://www.elpasonews.org// El Paso News]
* [http://www.epscene.com// El Paso Scene]
* [http://www.theprospectordaily.com// The Prospector]- Student run [[UTEP]] publication.

===Radio stations===
{{El Paso Radio}}
Radio stations from [[Las Cruces, New Mexico]], and [[Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua]], can also be heard within the El Paso market.

===Television===
El Paso was the largest city in the United States without a PBS television station within the city limits until 1978. El Paso viewers had to watch channel 22, KRWG, from Las Cruces until 1978. In fact, the city had only three English-speaking channels and two Spanish-language channels (channel 2 and channel 5) from Juarez, and cable TV subscribers in the 1970s and 1980s could receive four Los Angeles independent channels: [[KTLA]], [[KCAL-TV|KHJ]], [[KTTV]] and [[KCOP]] as well as Spanish-language stations [[KMEX]] of Los Angeles and [[KWEX]] of San Antonio usually sharing the same cable channel slot. Over time, as more television stations signed on, more cable channels were added and those stations added network affiliations, the L.A. and San Antonio stations would disappear from the lineup. The last to be removed was KTLA in the fall of 2006 as a consequence of the [[2006 United States broadcast TV realignment|WB-UPN merger]] into [[The CW Television Network|The CW]], when [[KVIA-TV]] launched a digital subchannel with the network's programming.

El Paso's current television stations are as shown in the table below:

{{El Paso TV}}

===Cellular phone coverage===
KTSM-TV reports that cellular phone users in El Paso may be subject to international calling fees.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ktsm.com/news/international-roaming-fees-in-el-paso |title=International Roaming Fees in El Paso? | publisher= News Chanel 9 – KTSM |year=2010 |accessdate=February 15, 2014}}</ref>

==El Paso in popular culture==
{{Main|El Paso in popular culture}}

==Infrastructure==

===Healthcare===
[[File:El Paso Children's Hospital.jpg|thumb|El Paso Children's Hospital at the Medical Center of the Americas]]
El Paso is the medical hub of [[West Texas]] and Southern [[New Mexico]], hosting numerous state-of-the-art medical centers. Some of the city's top hospitals include [[William Beaumont Army Medical Center]], Sierra Medical Center, Las Palmas Medical Center, Del Sol Medical Center, Sierra Providence East Medical Center, [http://elpasochildrens.org// El Paso Children's Hospital], and Providence Memorial Hospital. [[University Medical Center (El Paso, Texas)|University Medical Center]] is the only [[level I trauma center]] in the region. William Beaumont Army Medical Center will be replaced by a new state of the art $650 million [http://hmjvftbliss.com/ Fort Bliss Replacement Hospital] expected to open in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasodevnews.com/2012/08/new-1b-beaumont-hospital-epcc-add-to-ft.html |title=New $1B Beaumont Hospital, EPCC Add to Ft. Bliss Expansion | newspaper=El Paso Developmental News |date=August 20, 2012 |accessdate=}}</ref> West El Paso will be getting a new $120 million 140-bed teaching hospital complex with construction expected to be completed by late 2016{{citation needed|date=December 2016}}. The hospital will be affiliated with the Texas Tech [[Paul L. Foster School of Medicine]].

El Paso is also home to the [http://www.mcamericas.org// Medical Center of the Americas], an integrated complex of medical facilities anchored by [[Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso Campus|Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso]], [[Paul L. Foster School of Medicine]], its primary teaching hospital University Medical Center, the El Paso Psychiatric Center and by the new El Paso Children's Hospital. It is also site to the future [http://mcamericas.org/tech-park// Cardwell Collaborative biomedical research park] and the [[Texas Tech Health Sciences Center|Gayle Greve Hunt School of Nursing]].

===Transportation===
[[File:Hotel Bristol and the Union Depot at El Paso, Texas.jpg|thumb|Hotel Bristol and the Union Depot at El Paso, Texas (postcard, circa 1912)]]
El Paso is served by [[El Paso International Airport]] and [[Amtrak]] via the historic [[Union Depot (El Paso)|Union Depot]].

Several roads and highways connect El Paso, including [[Interstate 10 (Texas)|Interstate 10]], [[U.S. Highway 54 (Texas)|US Highway 54]] (known locally as "54", the "North-South Freeway" or officially as the Patriot Freeway), [[Spur 601 (Texas)|Spur 601]] (Liberty Expressway), [[U.S. Highway 180 (Texas)|US Highway 180]] and [[U.S. Highway 62 (Texas)|US Highway 62]] (Montana Avenue), [[U.S. Highway 85 (Texas)|US Highway 85]] (Paisano Drive), [[Loop 375 (Texas)|Loop 375]], Loop 478 (Copia Street-Pershing Drive-Dyer Street), numerous Texas Farm-to-Market roads (a class of state highway commonly abbreviated to FM) and the city's original thoroughfare, [[State Highway 20 (Texas)|State Highway 20]], the eastern portion of which is known locally as Alameda Avenue (formerly [[U.S. Highway 80 (Texas)|US Highway 80]]). Texas 20 also includes portions of Texas Avenue in central El Paso, Mesa Street from [[Downtown El Paso|Downtown]] to the West Side, and Doniphan Drive on the West Side. Northeast El Paso is connected to West El Paso by [[Transmountain Road]] (Loop 375). The city also shares four international bridges and one railbridge with Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. In 2009, El Paso was home to number 52, number 98, and number 100 of the 100 most congested roads in Texas, which are, respectively: North Zaragoza Road between Sun Fire Boulevard and Interstate 10; Lee Trevino Drive between Montana Avenue and Interstate 10; and Interstate 10 between Patriot Freeway and Loop 375.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.texastribune.org/library/data/texas-road-congestion/ |title=Texas' Most Congested Roads | newspaper=Texas Tribune |date= |accessdate=October 4, 2010}}</ref>

In 2016, [[Walk Score]] ranked El Paso as the 32nd most walkable of the 50 largest U.S. cities, rating it "car-dependent".<ref name="Walk score">{{cite web |url=http://www.walkscore.com/TX/El_Paso |title=Walk score| publisher=Walk Score |year=2016 |accessdate=December 7, 2016}}</ref>

====Airports====
[[File:ELP Front APT.JPG|450px|thumbnail|right|Airport Security Concourse at the [[El Paso International Airport]]]]
* [[El Paso International Airport]], a public airport four miles (6&nbsp;km) northeast of downtown El Paso. It is the largest commercial airport in [[West Texas]], handling 2,778,248 passengers in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasointernationalairport.com/operating-statistics.php |title=El Paso International Airport Operating Statistics for 2014 |publisher=El Paso International Airport |date= |accessdate=March 20, 2016 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315214108/http://elpasointernationalairport.com/operating-statistics.php |archivedate=March 15, 2016 |df=mdy }}</ref>
* [[Biggs Army Airfield]]
* [[Horizon Airport (El Paso, Texas)|Horizon Airport]]
* Dona Ana Airport<ref>{{cite web|url=http://donaanacounty.org/works/airport/|title=Doña Ana County|work=donaanacounty.org|accessdate=July 16, 2015}}</ref>

====Passenger rail====
* [[Amtrak]], the national passenger rail system, serves El Paso at the Union Depot, operating its [[Sunset Limited]]/[[Texas Eagle]] three times weekly between [[Los Angeles]] and [[New Orleans]] via [[San Antonio]] and [[Houston]] and between Los Angeles and [[Chicago]] via San Antonio and [[Fort Worth]].

====Major highways====
* [[File:I-10 (TX).svg|20px]] [[Interstate 10 (Texas)|Interstate 10]]: The primary thoroughfare through the city, connecting the city with other major U.S. cities such as Los Angeles, [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], [[Tucson, Arizona|Tucson]], [[San Antonio]], [[Houston]], [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana|Baton Rouge]], [[New Orleans]], [[Gulfport, Mississippi|Gulfport]] and [[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile]], with the east end located in [[Jacksonville, Florida]]. I-10 is also a connector to [[Interstate 25]], which connects with the cities of [[Albuquerque]], [[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe]], [[Colorado Springs, Colorado|Colorado Springs]], [[Denver]], [[Fort Collins, Colorado|Fort Collins]], [[Cheyenne, Wyoming|Cheyenne]], [[Casper, Wyoming|Casper]], and north to the junction with I-90, located in [[Buffalo, Wyoming]].
* [[File:US 54.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 54 (Texas)|US Highway 54]]: Officially called the Patriot Freeway, it is also known as the North-South Freeway. A business route runs along Dyer Street, the former US 54, from the freeway near Fort Bliss to the Texas–New Mexico border, where it again rejoins the expressway. The original US 54 was a transcontinental route connecting El Paso with Chicago.
[[File:IH-10-US-54 Interchange.jpeg|thumbnail|right|IH-10-US-54 Interchange]]
* [[File:US 62.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 62 (Texas)|US Highway 62]]: Santa Fe Street south of Paisano Drive concurrently runs with US 85, Paisano Drive east of Santa Fe Street to Montana Avenue, then Montana Avenue concurrently with US 180.
* [[File:US 85.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 85 (Texas)|US Highway 85]]: Santa Fe Street south of Paisano Drive concurrently runs with US 62 and Paisano Drive west of Santa Fe Street to I-10.
* [[File:US 180.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 180 (Texas)|US Highway 180]]: Montana Avenue is a bypass route to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex to the east, and [[Flagstaff, Arizona]] to the west.
* [[File:Texas 20.svg|20px]] [[State Highway 20 (Texas)|SH 20]]: Alameda Avenue (formerly US 80), Texas Avenue, Mesa Street and Doniphan Drive
* [[File:Texas 178.svg|20px]] [[State Highway 178 (Texas)|SH 178]]: Artcraft Road in northwest El Paso extends from Interstate 10 west to the New Mexico state line, at which point it becomes New Mexico Highway 136, the Pete V. Domenici International Highway.
* [[File:TexasSL375.png|20px]] [[State Highway Loop 375 (Texas)|Loop 375]]: Texas Highway Loop 375 encircles the city of El Paso. Between Interstate 10 and Fort Bliss, including the stretch that crosses the Franklin Mountains via [[Smuggler's Pass]], it is TransMountain Road. In the Ft. Bliss Military Reservation between northeast and east El Paso, it is officially the Purple Heart Memorial Highway. In east El Paso, the north- and south-bound sections are known as Joe Battle Boulevard, or simply as "the Loop". South of [[Interstate 10 in Texas|I-10]], in the east and westbound portion, it is known as the Cesar Chavez Border Highway, a four-lane expressway which is located along the Mexico-U.S. border between downtown El Paso and the [[Ysleta, El Paso, Texas|Ysleta]] area.
* [[File:Texas Spur 601.svg|20px]] [[Texas State Highway Spur 601|Spur 601]]: Once known as the Inner Loop, it was officially named the Liberty Expressway by the El Paso City Council in April 2010 at the request of then Fort Bliss commander Maj. Gen. Howard Bromberg.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_14894650 |title=Fort Bliss welcomes change from Spur 601 | newspaper=El Paso Times |date= |accessdate=July 1, 2010}}</ref> It was fully completed on April 27, 2011;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kvia.com/news/27694876/detail.html |title=El Paso's Spur 601 Expressway Now Fully Operational | publisher=KVIA |date=April 27, 2011 |accessdate=July 25, 2011}}</ref> it connects the Patriot Freeway ([[US 54]]) and [[Biggs Army Airfield]] to the Purple Heart Memorial Highway ([[State Highway Loop 375 (Texas)|Loop 375]]).
* [[File:Texas FM 76.svg|30px]] North Loop Road, as well as Delta Drive between North Loop Road and Alameda Avenue (Texas Highway 20)
* [[File:Texas FM 659.svg|30px]] Zaragoza Road, running more or less north from the Ysleta International Bridge to US 62–180 (Montana Avenue), it lies mostly in east El Paso.
* [[File:Texas FM 3255.svg|30px]] Texas Farm-to-Market Road 3255 runs north from US 54 to the New Mexico state line in northeast El Paso and bears the city street name Martin Luther King Boulevard.

====Mass transit====
<!-- 'El Paso Electric Railway Company redirects here-->
The [[Sun Metro Mass Transit System]] operates a system of medium- to large-capacity natural gas-powered buses all around the city of El Paso.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotexas.gov/sunmetro/ |title=Sun Metro Homepage | publisher=www.elpasotexas.gov |date= |accessdate=July 1, 2010}}</ref>

El Paso County Transit makes trips with small-capacity buses mainly in the eastern El Paso area.

On September 1, 2009, [[NMDOT Park and Ride]] began operating commuter bus service to and from [[Las Cruces, New Mexico]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nmshtd.state.nm.us/main.asp?secid=15736|title=History and Facts| publisher=[[NMDOT]]|accessdate=November 22, 2009}}</ref>

Historically, El Paso and Ciudad Juarez had a shared [[streetcar]] system with a peak electrified route mileage of {{Convert|64|mi|km}} in 1920. The first electrified line across the Rio Grande, which opened on January 11, 1902, was preceded by a network that relied on animal labor. The system quickly spread into residential and industrial areas of El Paso. In 1913, a {{Convert|12|mi|km|adj=on}} [[interurban]] line was built to Ysleta. At the close of 1943, the holding company [[El Paso Electric]] sold its subsidiary, the El Paso Electric Railway Company and its Mexican counterpart, to one of [[National City Lines]]' subsidiaries. This resulted in the formation of El Paso City Lines, whose domestic streetcar lines were replaced by buses in 1947.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Myrick|first=David F.|title=New Mexico's Railroads: An Historical Survey| publisher=Colorado Railroad Museum |location=Golden|year=1970|pages=189–190}}</ref> The international streetcar line which crossed the border via the Stanton Street Bridge continued to operate until 1973. In 1977, El Paso City Lines and two other bus companies were bought by the municipality and merged to form Sun City Area Transit (SCAT). In 1987, SCAT restyled itself Sun Metro.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasotexas.gov/sunmetro/sunhis.asp|title=El Paso Mass Transit History| publisher=City of El Paso|accessdate=November 22, 2009}}</ref>

[[El Paso Streetcar]] is a $90 million Sun Metro project to restore and run the original rolling stock on a {{convert|4.8|mi}}<ref>{{cite news|title=El Paso streetcar project on schedule, on budget|url=http://www.elpasoproud.com/news/local/el-paso-news/el-paso-streetcar-project-on-schedule-on-budget|accessdate=26 October 2016|publisher=KTSM|date=6 October 2016}}</ref> route from [[Downtown El Paso]] to [[University of Texas at El Paso]].

In 2011, Sun Metro was named the most outstanding public transit system of the year in all of North America for a mid-size transit system by the [[American Public Transportation Association]].

====International border crossings====
The first bridge to cross the Rio Grande at El Paso del Norte was built in the time of [[Nueva España]], over 250 years ago, from wood hauled in from Santa Fe.<ref>Paul Horgan, ''Great River: The Rio Grande in North American History''. Volume 1, Indians and Spain. Vol. 2, Mexico and the United States. 2 Vols. in 1, 1038 pages – Wesleyan University Press 1991, 4th Reprint, ISBN 0-8195-6251-3</ref> Today, this bridge is honored by the modern [[Paso del Norte International Bridge|Santa Fe Street Bridge]], and Santa Fe Street in downtown El Paso.
[[File:Bridge of the Americas (El Paso–Ciudad Juárez), June 2016.jpg|thumb|The Bridge of the Americas as seen from El Paso, Texas in June 2016.]]
Several bridges serve the El Paso–Ciudad Juárez area:
* [[Bridge of the Americas (El Paso – Ciudad Juárez)|Bridge of the Americas]], also known as the Cordova Bridge.
* [[Good Neighbor International Bridge]], also known as the Stanton Street Bridge
* [[Paso del Norte International Bridge]], also known as the Santa Fe Street Bridge.
* [[Ysleta-Zaragoza International Bridge]], also known as the Zaragoza Bridge.

There is also a land crossing at nearby [[Santa Teresa, New Mexico]], and the [[Fabens-Caseta International Bridge]] in nearby [[Fabens, Texas]].

==Notable people==
{{See also|List of people from El Paso, Texas}}

==See also==
{{portal|Texas|New Spain}}
* [[List of museums in West Texas]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in El Paso County, Texas]]

==Notes==

===Footnotes===
{{notelist}}

===Source notes===
{{Reflist|20em}}

==References==
* {{cite book| ref ={{sfnRef|Hammond|1935}}| last = Hammond| first = John Hays| authorlink = John Hays Hammond| year = 1935| title = The Autobiography of John Hays Hammond| publisher=Farrar & Rinehart|location=New York| isbn = 978-0-405-05913-1}}
* {{cite journal| ref ={{sfnRef|Hampton|1910}}|last=Hampton|first=Benjamin B|date=April 1, 1910|title=The Vast Riches of Alaska|journal=Hampton's Magazine|volume=24|issue=1}}
* {{cite book| ref ={{sfnRef|Harris|2009}}|last1=Harris|first1=Charles H. III|last2=Sadler|first2=Louis R.|title=The Secret War in El Paso: Mexican Revolutionary Intrigue, 1906-1920|year=2009|publisher=University of New Mexico Press|location=Albuquerque, New Mexico|isbn=978-0-8263-4652-0}}
* {{cite book| ref ={{sfnRef|Harris|2004}}|last1=Harris|first1=Charles H. III|last2=Sadler|first2=Louis R.|title=The Texas Rangers And The Mexican Revolution: The Bloodiest Decade. 1910–1920|year=2004|publisher=University of New Mexico Press|location=Albuquerque, New Mexico|isbn=0-8263-3483-0}}
* {{cite news | ref ={{sfnRef|Daily Mail|1909}}| date = October 16, 1909 | title = Mr. Taft's Peril; Reported Plot to Kill Two Presidents | newspaper= Daily Mail | location = London | issn = 0307-7578}}

==External links==
{{sister project links|voy=El Paso}}
* [http://home.elpasotexas.gov/ City of El Paso Website]
* [http://www.elpaso.org/ Chamber of Commerce Website]
* [http://www.elpasodevnews.com// El Paso Developmental News]
* {{Handbook of Texas|id=hde01|name=El Paso, Texas}}
* El Paso – [https://web.archive.org/web/20090328122009/http://www.vanityfair.com/online/culture/2009/03/26/the-best-little-music-city-in-texas.html The Best Little Music City in Texas], from ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'', March 2009.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060215163002/http://texashistory.unt.edu/permalink/meta-pth-6112 ''Forty years at El Paso, 1858–1898; recollections of war, politics, adventure, events, narratives, sketches, etc.''], by W. W. Mills, hosted by the [http://texashistory.unt.edu/ Portal to Texas History]
{{El Paso Texas Museums}}
{{El Paso County, Texas}}
{{Texas}}
{{Texas cities and mayors of 100,000 population}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:El Paso, Texas| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Texas]]
[[Category:County seats in Texas]]
[[Category:Mexico–United States border towns]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1659]]
[[Category:Cities in El Paso County, Texas]]
[[Category:1659 establishments in New Spain]]
[[Category:San Antonio-El Paso Road]]
[[Category:Special economic zones of the United States]]

Revision as of 01:12, 2 June 2017

Zev is a big savage he is really cool and needs a big trophy for it.

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