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.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
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, Mexico, and New Mexico, and includes El Paso's most affluent neighborhoods. Providence Memorial Hospital, Sierra Medical Center, Las Palmas Medical Center, El Paso Country Club, Coronado Country Club, and the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) are located here. The Cincinnati Entertainment District is emerging as an entertainment district with restaurants and nightclubs.
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 recommended to bring sunscreen, water, and items like umbrellas to block the sun, especially during the summer. 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. Must be called for pickup in most areas. Yellow Cab Company, ☏ +1 915-532-9999. Checker Cab Company, ☏ +1 915-532-2626. Border City Taxi, ☏ +1 915-533-4245.
1 El Paso Zoo, 4001 E. Paisano, ☏ +1 915-212-0966, elpasozoo@elpasotexas.gov. 9:30AM-5PM. (updated Jan 2018) 2 Fort Bliss Army Base. El Paso is near the largest US military installations in the world, which stretches into two states, Texas and New Mexico. It is one of the Department of Defense's largest projects, coming in third after Iraq and Afghanistan. Major construction is under way at Fort Bliss. 80,000 new soldiers and their families are expected to arrive within a few years. Fort Bliss has the first, and biggest of its kind PX anywhere in the world. The area near the base also has a lot of military surplus stores.
Chihuahuas Baseball, 1 Ballpark Plaza, ☏ +1 915-533-2273. A minor league baseball team, the Triple-A level affiliate of the San Diego Padres, plays at 1 Southwest University Park. From $5 to $30. 2 El Paso Rhinos, 4100 E Paisano, ☏ +1 915 479-7825, info@elpasorhinos.com. See website for current season schedule. Enjoy an ice-hockey game at the El Paso County Coliseum. The Rhinos play in the North American Tier III hockey league. Ticket price varies depending on seat. (updated Aug 2023) Miners. Miners football is coached by Dana Dimel. UTEP has a beautiful stadium, the Sun Bowl, that looks as though it was cut right out of the mountain.
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.
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.
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. Heat in the summer.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, El Paso typically sees ~35°C daytime highs and 6 rainy days.
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