El Paso

El Paso is the sixth largest city in Texas, with 679,000 residents (2020). It is on the United States-Mexico border. The city on the other side of the border is Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua. El Paso is often called the Sun City. Collectively, the city of El Paso and other nearby cities, such as Juarez and Las Cruces, New Mexico are referred to as The Borderland.

Understand
El Paso is geographically divided into several parts with the Franklin Mountains and Fort Bliss cutting the city into distinct sections. Each area has its own style and culture.


 * West Side is between the Franklin mountains and Mexico and New Mexico includes El Paso's most affluent neighborhoods along the side of the mountain. Providence Memorial Hospital, Sierra Medical Center, Las Palmas Medical Center, El Paso Country Club, and the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) are located here. The UTEP area ("Kern Place") is emerging as an entertainment district with restaurants and nightclubs also known as the "Cincinnati Entertainment District".  The Sun Bowl, Don Haskins center, and Centennial Gardens are all located on the UTEP campus.
 * Downtown is in the southern part of El Paso, just below the tip of the Franklin Mountains. The streets of Downtown are often difficult to navigate for first time visitors, especially with the current construction. Parking (there are many cheap areas to park your car for the day) is probably the best bet. Walking through Downtown, there are many little shops reminiscent of Mexico and many small cafes. Many of the buildings are historic and very beautiful. The Downtown area boasts a beautiful plaza in the center of the city. The El Paso Museum of Art, the Plaza Theater, El Paso Civic Center and a children's science museum, Insights, are all located here. Extensive renovations are taking place in the Downtown area. Nearby on Paisano Street is the El Paso Zoo.
 * North East El Paso is home to Fort Bliss Military Base. Fort Bliss is one of the largest U.S. Military bases in the world and Northeast El Paso is home to many active and retired servicemen and women. Fort Bliss located near the airport with adjacent Biggs Army Airfield has a great influence on Northeast El Paso culture. Tours of Fort Bliss can be arranged, or if you know a service member, have them give you a tour. Outside of base are many military surplus stores.
 * East Side of El Paso is the fastest growing area mostly home to middle class working families. The Socorro Student Activities Complex (SAC), Del Sol Medical Center, Las Palmas Marketplace, Cielo Vista Mall and Bassett Center are all located in East El Paso.  It is close to the Mission Trails area and Hueco Tanks State Historic Site.

History
The El Paso/Ciudad Juarez area was named as "El Paso del Norte" (The Pass of the North) by Spanish travelers in 1581, as it connected New Mexico in the north to the rest of New Spain (now called Mexico). The area wasn't colonized by Europeans until 1598 when Don Juan de Oñate led an expedition into the territory. In 1848, after the Mexican-American War, the north side of the Rio Grande became part of the United States and a military post was erected there which eventually became Fort Bliss. The city of El Paso was incorporated in 1873. (Across the river, Ciudad Juarez was still called "Paso del Norte" until 1888, which caused no end of confusion between the two, especially because "Pass of the North" was on the south side of the river!) El Paso Public Library was the first public library in Texas.

Talk
El Paso is a diverse community featuring many different kinds of people. The largest language spoken at home is Spanish, followed by English. Many older El Pasoans speak Spanish regularly in public and it is helpful, although usually not necessary, to understand the language.

Climate
El Paso is part of the Chihuahuan Desert. It receives on average about $$ of rainfall a year. The sky is usually clear and cloud-free, with over 300 sunny days per year. Summer temperatures can reach or more. Winters are mild with some light snow and temperatures drop to around at night. During periods of rain, flash flooding can occur. Yearly snowfall averages about 7 in (18 cm) annually.

By plane

 * Concourse A: American/American Eagle
 * Concourse B: Allegiant, Alaska Airlines, Delta/Delta Connection, Southwest, Frontier and United Express. The USO has a presence at the airport and is located airside between Gates B5 & B7 for military personnel and their families transiting into and out of the area. They also have additional locations on base in other parts of the city.
 * Concourse B: Allegiant, Alaska Airlines, Delta/Delta Connection, Southwest, Frontier and United Express. The USO has a presence at the airport and is located airside between Gates B5 & B7 for military personnel and their families transiting into and out of the area. They also have additional locations on base in other parts of the city.

The available commercial flights to El Paso are only from within the U.S. Connections from Mexico can be made through the  located 32 km from downtown Cd Juarez/El Paso and 26 km from El Paso Airport via I-110/US Hwy 54 which becomes MX Hwy 45. Connections from additional U.S., Mexican and other international destinations are through other major (hub) cities such as Atlanta (Delta, Southwest); Chicago (Frontier, Southwest, United Express and American Eagle); Dallas(American, Southwest); Denver (Frontier, Southwest, United Express); Houston (Southwest, United Express); San Antonio (Southwest); and Los Angeles (Southwest, American Eagle).

The airport is on northeast of the city center via I-10 (Airway Blvd at Exit #25) and surrounded by the huge Ft Bliss military base. A taxi to downtown will run about $25-30 and take 15-20 minutes. Sun Metro bus services (Rt #33 and 50) to and from the airport is significantly cheaper but will take at least 48-50 minutes to/from downtown El Paso. Transborde Binacional provides regular bus service to Ciudad Juarez and to Abraham González International Airport. There are other shuttle companies providing ground transportation to Cd Juarez, Abraham González International Airport, Las Cruces and other surrounding cities/towns in Texas and New Mexico.

By car

 * From Mexico, take one of the International bridges. Expect long traffic jams during rush hour.
 * From the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, take 62/180 West towards El Paso.
 * I-10 is the largest Interstate going through El Paso. Coming from East Texas, I-10 will take travelers through El Paso all the way to the Downtown area. It can also be used to reach El Paso from Las Cruces, New Mexico.

By bus
Buses come in from Las Cruces, Los Angeles, Denver, Dallas, San Antonio and points in between in the U.S. and from multiple places in Mexico through Ciudad Juarez. Most of the bus companies have their own bus stations in close proximity to each other, in the western edge of downtown or in other parts of town (such as Flixbus):

By train
Amtrak serves El Paso with the tri-weekly Sunset Limited, running between Los Angeles (16 hr) and New Orleans (29 hr), and the Texas Eagle from Chicago (48 hr).



By car
This may be the easiest way to see what El Paso has to offer. Since many sites of interest are quite far apart from one another, renting a car may afford visitors the most flexibility. Cars can be easily rented at the Airport or on Fort Bliss.

By taxi
Must be called for pickup in most areas.



By bus
Public transport is provided by Sunmetro which offers an extensive bus network. Most major routes offers departures every 30 minutes or less. Standard fare is $1.50 with daily and weekly passes available at attractive prices. The two downtown circulator buses are free. Many routes convey at the is located at 601 S Santa Fe St.

By streetcar
Sun Metro Streetcar runs in a 4.8 mile loop between uptown and downtown, providing free transportation from UTEP to points downtown and the international bridge. The system uses lovingly restored 1960s streetcars and runs from 3PM-10PM W-Sa and Noon-6PM Su.

By foot
Much of what can be seen in the Downtown and UTEP area is easily accessed by pedestrians, for example. Because of the high temperatures it is not recommended to walk during summer.

See


Visitor control centers for the public wishing to access the military base are at west of the airport terminal and  off of the Chaffee Rd exit from the Liberty Expressway (SR-601) where visitors need to obtain passes. Traffic going in is controlled and all persons must have a valid DoD ID to enter.

Sports






Walking tours
A number of walking tours of various parts of El Paso are available.

Buy
Have a look over the military surplus stores near Fort Bliss.



Eat
The following foods are popular in El Paso:


 * Menudo Travelers will see signs referring to Menudo everywhere. It is a type of soup made with hominy, chile and tripe. It is a Mexican specialty.
 * Burritos A border favorite. Burritos are a humble but delicious food and should not be expensive. Do not try them in an upscale restaurant. True burritos are done with home made flour tortilla and your choice of filling. Try "chile con queso", chile relleno, barbacoa (meat) or "deshebrada con chile colorado" (shredded meat with red chile) for the local traditional El Paso/Juarez flavor. Green chile fillings are great too. All other flavors are more likely not from the region.
 * Gut Trucks These are large white vans that sometimes sell ice cream, but usually always sell burritos and gorditas. They are often best described as restaurants on wheels. They can be found parked anywhere there is construction work, or in parking lots of large Do-It-Yourself stores. Do not pass them by. The food is very inexpensive and is absolutely terrific. They are usually only seen around lunch time. You'll know the food is good if you see a line or group of people waiting for food.

Drink
The legal drinking age in Texas, like all of the United States, is 21. However across the border in Mexico, the drinking age is set at 18.

The original Margarita recipe was invented in Ciudad Juarez-El Paso region (where Dos Lunas is headquartered) on July 4, 1942 by Francisco "Pancho" Morales. Morales was a bartender at a bar named Tommy's Place, according to the Old Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide (a book that professional and home bartenders alike call the "Bible of Booze"). Morales improvised the drink after a customer ordered a Magnolia, a drink recipe that he did not know, other than the fact that it contained Cointreau. The drink's popularity immediately grew after Morales, who was an instructor at the local bartender's school, began teaching the Margarita recipe to his students. The name Margarita is Spanish for "daisy."

El Paso has a very active nightlife that has something for everyone.


 * Union Depot area at 115 Durango street, which includes several bars and clubs that cater to college students and young professionals.
 * Cincinnati street area near the University of Texas El Paso, includes a variety of bars, ranging from upscale lounges to dives, as well as a variety of restaurants.
 * The 500 block of North Stanton Street features a row of gay and lesbian friendly clubs.
 * Dyer Street near Fort Bliss includes a few bars and clubs that cater to African-Americans.
 * El Paso's Lower Valley and Central neighbourhoods have many small bars and clubs that feature primarily Mexican music, often with dancing or live music on weekends.

Stay safe
El Paso is rated the second Most Safe City in the United States for its size. San Diego took the first spot. All records are based on latest FBI reports.

Most of El Paso is safe from violent crime, and El Paso has a very low murder rate for a large American city. El Paso is generally very quiet and peaceful during the daytime, take normal precautions at night. Areas to avoid at night may include near the international bridges, but curfews on both sides of the border have cut down on the number of aggressive, intoxicated juveniles at night.

El Paso also has a good neighbor atmosphere, and is a military friendly city.

Environmental dangers

 * Heat in the summer. During the summer months when temperatures nearly always stay around 90°-100° Fahrenheit, the biggest dangers facing visitors are dehydration and heat stroke. El Paso is in a desert and it is important for all visitors to remember to drink enough water at all times. Too many people fail to take the heat seriously. The dry heat can actually feel less 'hot' than it really is to many people. Learn to recognize the signs of danger for dehydration and heat stroke. Heat stroke is very serious. Take care of yourself in the heat. And remember a cowboy word of wisdom: If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated. For more information, consult the article for this region.
 * Sun. Not just for the heat, but the sun can be dangerous because of UV rays which are much stronger at El Paso's altitude than at sea level. Wear a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. It is not uncommon to see pedestrians in El Paso walking with an umbrella to shield them from the sun.
 * Rain. During the rainy season (usually late June to early October) be aware that flash flooding can occur during and after rainfall. Areas closer to the Rio Grande are much more susceptible to flooding and standing water. Poor drainage and the dry desert soil ensure that even moderate rainfall can result in street flooding, especially in underpasses. Visitors who are in El Paso during the rare times of rain should remember to never drive into a flooded street. In addition, since El Pasoans are not used to driving in the rain, accidents are more likely to occur.
 * Snow and ice. While El Paso winters are generally mild, cold weather can occur. In general, winter is a dry season in El Paso; however, when snow and icy conditions exist, take extreme caution, as El Pasoans are not used to driving in these conditions.
 * Wind and dust. El Paso's windy season is generally from January through April. During this time, high winds and blowing dust can make breathing difficult, especially for asthma sufferers. Blowing dust and sand can also reduce visibility on roads, especially in rural areas surrounding El Paso. Area highways may close during high winds.
 * Mosquitoes. Along with rain comes mosquitoes. Yes, El Paso is a desert, but many residents own pools and water gardens. These can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The Rio Grande area also has mosquito problems. The West Nile Virus has been recorded in El Paso. The best advice is to remember to wear a good insect repellent if you will be outdoors in the evening. The area around Hueco Tanks can be very bad, mosquito-wise. Some local weather websites will tell visitors the projected mosquito danger.

Emergencies
911 will connect travelers with assistance.

Hospitals with 24 hr Emergency Rooms

In the United States health care is private and going to an emergency room can be very expensive if the traveler does not have health insurance.



Veterinary hospitals that run 24-hr emergency rooms are also extremely expensive. This is the sort of place you might take your sick or injured pet if they are seriously injured and cannot wait for medical care.



Consulates

 * 🇲🇽 Mexico

Go next
Don't think that just because El Paso is in Texas, the rest of the state is close at hand. El Paso is actually closer to the beaches of Southern California, than it is to Eastern Texas. Be sure to check driving times and distances before exploring other places in the state. For example, Houston is 745 miles or 1,200 km via I-10.

If you must be somewhere at a certain time, don't forget the rest of Texas (except adjacent Hudspeth County and the Guadalupe Mountains) is one hour ahead (Central Time Zone). With the long driving distances and losing an hour, it can be a challenge to stay on schedule.


 * Guadalupe Mountains National Park is about 100 miles to the east, with Carlsbad Caverns National Park another 30 miles beyond.
 * Hueco Tanks State Historic Site, just east of town. Tall granite outcrops which created natural cisterns used by native tribes for drinking water. Take a tour to see rock art by Native American peoples (both before and after European contact) and non-native American travelers, which immerses you in the centuries-long history of this region.
 * Ciudad Juarez, the fifth largest city in Mexico, is just south across the river, although due to violence from drug cartels travel warnings have been issued advising against travel to this area.
 * White Sands National Park is northeast on US-54.
 * Las Cruces, the closest major city in the neighboring state of New Mexico.
 * White Sands National Park is northeast on US-54.
 * Las Cruces, the closest major city in the neighboring state of New Mexico.
 * White Sands National Park is northeast on US-54.
 * Las Cruces, the closest major city in the neighboring state of New Mexico.