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City of El Paso
City
FlagSeal
Nickname(s): Star of the Southwest," "The Sun City," and "Land of the Sun
Location in the state of Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	El Paso
Government
• Mayor	John Cook
Area
• City	250.5 sq mi (648.8 km)
• Land	249.08 sq mi (645.11 km)
• Water	1.46 sq mi (3.78 km)
Elevation	3,740 ft (1,140 m)
Population
• City	609,415
• Density	337.3/sq mi (873.7/km)
• Metro	736,310
Time zone	UTC-7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
Area code	915
FIPS code	48-24000Template:GR
GNIS feature ID	1380946Template:GR
Website	www.elpasotexas.gov

El Paso is the seat of El Paso County in the U.S. state of Texas and part of the American Southwest. According to the 2006 U.S. Census population estimates, the city had a population of 609,415. It is the sixth-largest city in Texas and the 21st-largest city in the United States. Its metropolitan area covers all of El Paso County and has a population of 736,310.

It stands on the Rio Grande (Río Bravo del Norte), across the border from Ciudad Juárez. The two cities form a metropolitan area of 2,280,782

El Paso is home to the University of Texas at El Paso (founded in 1914 as The Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy and receiving university status 1967). Fort Bliss, a major United States Army installation, lies to the east and northeast of the city, extending north up to the White Sands Missile Range. The Franklin Mountains extend into El Paso from the north and nearly divide the city into two sections.

History

Pre-Columbian Era

Archeological evidence at the Keystone Wetlands and Hueco Tanks sites indicates thousands of years of human settlement within the El Paso region (see: Mogollon culture). The Manso, Suma, and Jumano Indians were identified as present by the earliest Spanish explorers. These people ultimately became assimilated into the local settler population, becoming part of the Mestizo culture that is prevalent in Mexico and is visible throughout the Southwest. Others integrated themselves with the different Mescalero Apache bands that for many years roamed the region.

Arrival of Spaniards

El Paso del Norte (the present day Ciudad Juárez), was founded on the south bank of the Río Bravo del Norte, (Rio Grande) in 1659 by Spanish conquistadors. Being a grassland then, agriculture flourished and vineyards and fruits constituted the bulk of the regional production. The Spanish Crown and the local authorities of El Paso del Norte had made several land concessions to bring agricultural production to the northern bank of the river in present day El Paso. However, the Apaches dissuaded production and settlers to cross the river. The water provided a natural defense against them.

In 1680, after the successful Pueblo Revolt that decimated the Spanish colonies in northern New Mexico, El Paso became the base for Spanish governance of the territory of New Mexico. From El Paso, the Spaniards led by Diego de Vargas, grouped once again to recolonize the precious Spanish territory that was centered in Santa Fe and stretched from Socorro (New Mexico) to the areas that included Taos.

The first successful agricultural enterprise that we have records on was Ponce de León Ranch. The land was granted in 1825.

Mexican Independence

Although American traders and trappers had visited the area since 1823, American settlers began to stay for good after the Mexican Cession in 1848.

Texas Independence & the effects of the Mexican-American War

During the Texas Republic period, the area was disputed between the Mexican State of Chihuahua and The Republic of Texas. El Paso was legally a part of Texas after Santa Ana signed a declaration of independance in which Sam Houston claimed all of the land above the Rio Grande as Texas land. Mexico still considered El Paso a part of Mexico.

A trading post called Franklin was established during this time some miles away from Ponce's Ranch. Other settlements were also scattered across the region and eventually became part of El Paso itself. Ciudad Juárez dropped the old name of El Paso del Norte and El Paso, Texas kept it.

El Paso was platted in 1859, but grew very slowly due to its remoteness.

The Confederate States of America

During the Civil War, Texas, along with most other Southern states, seceded from the Union to join the Confederate States of America in 1861. It was also during the war between the states that El Paso and its military outposts were important in protecting the Confederacy's claim to the territory of New Mexico. The Confederate cause was met with great support from El Paso residents. After the war was concluded, the town's population began to grow.

Real Wild West

With the arrival of the Southern Pacific, Texas and Pacific and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railroads in 1881, the population boomed to 10,000 by 1890 census. With a tempting green valley and a nearly perfect climate year-around, the town attracted a constant stream of newcomers: gamblers, gunfighters, thieves, cattle and horse rustlers, murderers, priests, Chinese railroad laborers, prostitutes, and entrepreneurs.

During the Wild West era, according to "The Portable Handbook of Texas", El Paso was dubbed as the "Six Shooter Capital" due to its great remoteness and lawlessness. El Paso hired a town marshal with rough reputation, Dallas Stoudenmire, who was known to shoot first and ask questions later. The "Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight" took place here on April 14, 1881. This was prior to the Gunfight at the OK Corral. Stoudenmire, the sixth marshal in eight months, was hired to "clean" and civilize a remote, violent and wild town. Stoudenmire was an effective marshal; he instilled fears by terror to control the City Council. With his fierce reputation and dexterity with his pistols, he intimidated a violence-hardened town. On May 28, 1882, the City Council announced they were firing the marshal. When Stoudenmire learned of this, he entered the Council Chambers. Upon seeing Stoudenmire, the council members remained quiet and became terrified. Stoudenmire strolled up and down the chamber as he scolded, cussed profanities and threatened to shoot. In a blink of eyes, he pulled out and twirled his pistols as he growled, "I can straddle every God-damn aldermen on this council!" Council members quickly voted unanimously to retain Stoudenmire as their town marshal. Stoudenmire glared at them for a few seconds before he calmed down and put away his pistols. Knowing Stoudenmire's fearsome reputation, the Mayor defused a tense situation when he called for an abrupt adjournment. Stoudenmire exited the Chamber. A potential fatal incident was averted.

In 1883 the county seat was moved from Ysleta, Texas to El Paso. This was decided in a strongly disputed election in which counted votes were nearly three times the number of voters. Before Ysleta, San Elizario, Texas was county seat, and lost the seat after the 1877 San Elizario Salt War with a company of Texas Rangers.

Prostitution and gambling flourished until World War I, when the Department of the Army pressured El Paso authorities to crack down on vice. Many of these activities continued in neighboring Ciudad Juárez, especially during the Prohibition, which benefitted bars and saloons on the Mexican side of the border.

The Mexican Revolution

The Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) began in 1910, and Ciudad Juárez was the focus of intense fighting. Occasionally, stray shots killed civilians on the El Paso side. El Paso became a center of intrigue as various exiled leaders including Victoriano Huerta and (for a time) Pancho Villa were seen in the city. In January 1914, General John Joseph Pershing was stationed at Fort Bliss, where he was responsible for security along the border and mounted the ill fated Pancho Villa Expedition against Pancho Villa after the infamous raid on Columbus, New Mexico on March 9 1916. The cavalry under Pershing were paid in gold, in competition with Pancho Villa, who offered $50 per machine gun. (When World War I began, Pershing's cavalry had to remain in the Army for the duration of the war, and were no longer paid in gold.)

The Roaring 20s to World War II

Beginning in the 1920s and into the 1930s, El Paso became the birthplace of several locally and nationally well-known businesses and events. In 1930, Conrad Hilton opened his first highrise hotel in El Paso, the now Plaza Hotel. The Plaza Theatre opened on September 12 1930.

In 1934, Walter Varney and Louis Mueller established the passenger airline called Varney Speed Lines in El Paso and operated out of the old El Paso Municipal Airport (1934–36) and then the El Paso International Airport. After the airline was taken over in 1937 by Robert Six, he relocated its headquarters to Denver, Colorado and renamed it with the more recognized name of Continental Airlines, as it is known to this day. Although Continental Airlines would have its headquarters stationed in Denver, El Paso was still a major hub for the airline up until the late 1980s.

The college football Sun Bowl has been held in El Paso since 1936.

Post-War Era

After World War II, Wernher von Braun and other German rocket scientists were brought to Fort Bliss in El Paso, along with many of the V2 rockets and rocket parts, starting the American rocket program; they were later moved to Huntsville, Alabama. One V2 rocket is still on display at Fort Bliss. The popular drink, the Margarita, was another famous invention given a home in El Paso. It was first mixed in the El Paso-Juárez area at Tommy's Place Bar on July 4, 1945 by Francisco "Pancho" Morales. Morales originally left bartending in Mexico to become a US citizen. He is listed in the Texas Almanac's Sesquicentennial Edition (1857-2007, under M) Obituaries of famous Texans. His story is best captured in a October 1973 Texas Monthly article "The Man Who Invented the Margarita" by Brad Cooper, and later in his obituary in the Washington Post on January 2,1997.

From World War II until the 1980s, El Paso boomed into a sprawling city. The expansion of Fort Bliss from a frontier post to a major Cold War military center brought in thousands of soldiers, dependents, and retirees. The industrial economy was dominated by copper smelting, oil refining, and the proliferation of low wage industries (particularly garment making), which drew thousands of Mexican immigrants. New housing subdivisions were built, expanding El Paso far to the west, northeast and east of its original core areas.

With the election of Raymond Telles, the city's first Hispanic mayor in 1957, the demand for civil rights amongst the Hispanic population began. Stretching into the tumultuous 1960s, and converging with America's anti-war and civil rights demonstrations, great strides were achieved that became evident in the 1970s.

In 1963, the U.S. agreed to cede a long-disputed part of El Paso to Mexico due to changes in the course of the Rio Grande, which forms the international boundary between the two countries. The area boundaries were rationalized and the Rio Grande was re-channelled. A former island in the river was re-developed. The Chamizal National Memorial, administered by the National Park Service is now a major park in El Paso; El Chamizal is the corresponding park in Juárez.

Since 1990, the local economy has been adversely affected by competition with low wage labor abroad, and the closure of the main copper smelter due to fluctuant metal prices, and excessive lead contamination found throughout many of the surrounding areas. The implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994 affected the local economy, with transport, retail, and service firms expanding, and the accelerated loss of many industrial jobs. El Paso is sensitive to changes in the Mexican economy and the regulation of cross border traffic; the Mexican peso devaluation of late 1994 and increasingly stringent controls of cross border traffic after the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack were felt strongly in El Paso. (In contrast to most every other border city and popular belief, the commercial traffic at the ports of entry went un-interrupted during the immediate aftermath of 9/11.)

Since the 1849 establishment of Fort Bliss in the El Paso area, El Paso has seen many booms in population. More recently, the BRAC commission has marked the base to receive more the 18,000 troops, which is estimated to add 547 million dollars to the El Paso economy. The expected 50,000 people destined for El Paso (18,000 troops & 30, 000 family members) will bring to El Paso a rise in population that has not been seen since the Mexican Exodus of the 1910s in which the town's population grew by at least 60,000 people that were trying to escape the carnage of the Mexican Revolution.

Recent city-wide projects funded through the election of bonds have once again pushed the urban sprawl onward for El Paso. The most prominent of these projects was the complete refurbishment of the Plaza Theatre in Downtown El Paso. The project was completed on March 17, 2006 at a cost of $38 Million. The completion of a new freeway on the city's eastern edge the city should experience the historical urban sprawl that accompanies such freeway construction. With the arrival of military personnel and expansion of Biggs Army Airfield, the city is also constructing a new "Inner Loop" (Loop 375 to Fred Wilson Avenue) that will connect the eastern section of the city to the Army Airfield. Once completed, Biggs Army Airfield is expected to be larger than the current space at Fort Bliss.

Also of concern is how the large increases of population in Cd. Juárez will affect El Paso. Historically, these two towns have always been interconnected. Already evident is the air quality and traffic flowing inside the El Paso area, for these respsective figures reflect the values of a metro area that is populated by at least two-million people. Many underestimate the area's infrastructure needs by allocating resource values for only the El Paso population and not the metropolitan population that is interconnected chiefly through the actions of commerce that stems from El Paso, Cd. Juárez, and the New Mexico cities of Las Cruces, Santa Teresa, Sunland Park and Alamogordo.

Geography

El Paso is located at 31°47′25″N 106°25′24″W / 31.79028°N 106.42333°W / 31.79028; -106.42333 (31.790208, -106.423242)Template:GR. It lies at the intersection of three states (Texas, New Mexico, and Chihuahua) and two countries (the USA and Mexico). It is the only major Texas city on Mountain Time. When Ciudad Juárez was on Central Time, it was possible to celebrate New Year's twice in the same evening by travelling a very short distance across the state and into another country. Both cities are now on Mountain Time.

The city's elevation is 3,800 feet (1140 m) above sea level. The rustic North Franklin Peak towers at 7,192 feet above sea level and is the highest peak in the city. The peak can be seen from 60 miles 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 gets its mascot's name. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 648.9 km² (250.5 mi²).

The 24,000-acre Franklin Mountains State Park is the largest urban park in the United States and resides entirely in El Paso, extending from the north and neatly dividing the city into several sections along with Fort Bliss and the El Paso International Airport.

The Rio Grande Rift, which passes around the southern end of the Franklin Mountains, is where the Rio Grande River flows. The river defines the border between El Paso from 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. Mt. Cristo Rey, a volcanic peak (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 River. Other volcanic features include Kilbourne hole and Hunt's hole, which are Maar volcanic craters 30 miles (50 km) west of the Franklin Mountains.

El Paso is surrounded by the Chihuahuan Desert, the easternmost section of the Basin and Range Region.

Areas of El Paso

• Central El Paso
• Coronado Hills
• East El Paso
• Franklin Mountains State Park
• Kern Place
• Mission Valley El Paso (Lower Valley and Ysleta, TX)
• Northwest El Paso (Upper Valley, to include the Willows)
• Sunset Heights
• Tierra Del Este
• Northeast El Paso
• Tigua of Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Nation

With the city limits are traditional suburban areas that are located on the far eastern and western edges.

Texas suburbs outside the city

• Anthony
• Canutillo
• Clint
• Fabens
• Homestead Meadows
• Horizon City
• Montana Vista
• San Elizario
• Socorro
• Sparks
• Tornillo
• Westway

New Mexico suburbs

• Anthony
• Sunland Park
• Chaparral

Although these New Mexican areas 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 .

Climate

• El Paso has a semi-arid, warm steppe climate (Koppen climate classification BSh) with very hot summers (with little or no humidity) and mild, dry winters.

• Temperatures range from an average high of 55 F (13 °C) and an average low of 28 °F (−2 °C) in January to an average high of 97 °F (36 °C ) and an average low of 68 °F (20 °C) in August.

• The city's record high is 114 °F (45.5 °C), and its record low is −8 °F (−22 °C).

• The sun shines 302 days per year on average in El Paso, 83 percent of daylight hours, according to the El Paso Weather Bureau. It is from this that the city is nicknamed, The Sun City. The natives find the weather attractive though temperatures can reach 100+ degrees F.

• Rainfall averages 8.74 inches (223 mm) per annum, most of which occurs during the summer from July through September and is predominantly caused by monsoonal flow from the Gulf of California. During this period, winds originate more from the south to southeast direction and carry moisture from the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of California and the Gulf of Mexico into the region. As this moisture moves into the El Paso area (and many other areas in the southwest), a combination of orographic uplift from the mountains, and daytime heating from the sun, causes thunderstorms to develop across the region. This is what causes most of the rain in the El Paso area.

Flooding

Although the average annual rainfall is only about 8 inches, many parts of El Paso are subject to occasional flooding during intense summer monsoons. In late July and early August 2006, over 15 inches of rain fell in a week, overflowing all the flood-control reservoirs and causing major flooding city-wide. The city staff has estimated damage to public infrastructure as $21 million, and to private property (residential & commercial) as $77 million . Much of the damage was associated with development in recent decades in arroyos protected by flood-control dams and reservoirs, and the absence of any storm drain ultility in the city to handle the flow of rain water.

Maps

Template:Mapit-US-cityscale

Temperature statistics

Architecture

10 Tallest Buildings in El Paso

Politics

El Paso City and County vote overwhelmingly Democratic, like most of the Texas–Mexico border area and urban Texas. The El Paso metropolitan area is represented by Silvestre Reyes (D-El Paso) and Ciro Rodriguez (D-San Antonio) in the U.S. House; in the Texas State House by Democrats Paul Moreno, Chente Quintanilla, Norma Chavez, Joe Pickett and Republican Pat Haggerty; and in the State Senate, by Eliot Shapleigh (D-El Paso). The El Paso County Judge is Anthony Cobos (Democrat). The mayor of El Paso is John Cook. On December 1, 2006, Reyes was tapped by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to be the new chairman of the House Intelligence Committee for the 110th Congress which convened in January 2007.

Government

The current mayor of El Paso is John Cook he defeated former El Paso mayor Joe Wardy in the 2005 city elections. By City charter, approved on February 7th, 2004, the City of El Paso operates under a council-manager form of government. This system combines the strong political leadership of elected officials, in the form eight Council Members, with the strong managerial experience of an appointed local government manager. All power is concentrated in the elected council, which hires a professionally trained manager to carry out its directives and oversee the delivery of public services. Joyce Wilson was elected by the city council in 2004 has El Paso's first City Manager. The council members are elected every 4 years.

Business

El Paso is the Operational Headquarters of Helen of Troy Limited, a NASDAQ listed company that manufactures personal health care products under many labels such as OXO, Dr. Scholls, Vidal Sassoon, Sunbeam, among others. Also headquartered in El Paso is Western Refinery, listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

El Paso is also the corporate headquarters to Spira Footwear, and the World Headquarters to the El Paso Saddle blanket Co.

Until 1996, El Paso was home to El Paso Natural Gas Company. Now in Houston, Texas under the name El Paso Corporation.Farah Clothing Company was also headquartered in El Paso until 1998 when Farah along with other clothing manufacturing companies such as Levi's, moved their plants in search of cheaper labor. In the 80's El Paso was known has the blue jeans capital of the world because it produced over 2 million pairs of jeans every week from different jean companies in El Paso. As of 2006, the only remaining companies in the clothing industry are Wrangler and a smaller company by the name of Boarder Apparel.

More than 70 Fortune 500 companies call El Paso their home, including Hoover, Eureka, Boeing, and Delphi (auto parts).

El Paso is an important entry point to the U.S. from Mexico. Once a major copper refining area, chief manufacturing industries in El Paso now include food production, clothing, construction materials, electronic and medical equipment, and plastics. Cotton, fruit, vegetables, livestock, and pecans are produced in the area. With El Paso's attractive climate and natural beauty, tourism has become a booming industry as well as trade with neighboring Ciudad Juárez.

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 19,000 people between them. The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) has an annual budget of nearly $250 million and employs nearly 3,600 people. A 2002 study by the university's Institute for Policy and Economic Development stated that the University's impact on local businesses has resulted in $349 million.

The military installation of Fort Bliss is a major contributor to El Paso's economy. Fort Bliss began as a Calvary post in 1848. Today, Fort Bliss is the site of the United States Army's Air Defense Center and produces approximately $80 million in products and services annually, with about $60 million of those products and services purchased locally. Fort Bliss' total economic impact on the area has been estimated at more than $1 billion, with 12,000 soldiers currently stationed at the Fort. A February 2005 article in the El Paso Times stated that as many as 20,000 troops could be arriving at Fort Bliss pending the Defense Department's removal of thousands of troops from overseas assignments. This would be in addition to 3,800 soldiers who would arrive as part of a new brigade combat team stationed at the Fort. The growth is expected to create a strong economic ripple throughout the El Paso area.

In addition to the military, the federal government has a strong presence in El Paso to manage its status and unique issues as a border region. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and the U.S. Customs Service all have agency operations in El Paso to regulate traffic and goods through ports of entry from Mexico. Including these agencies, government job growth in the area is expected to rise to 64,390 jobs by 2007.

Call center operations make up 7 of the top 10 business employers in El Paso. With no signs of growth slowing in this industry, in 2005 the 14 largest call centers in El Paso employed more than 10,000 people. The largest of these in terms of employees are EchoStar, MCI/GC Services, and West Telemarketing.

Analysts in the area say that job growth in 2005 will be in the form of health care, business and trade services, international trade, and telecommunications.

Items and goods produced: petroleum, metals, medical devices, plastics, machinery, automotive parts, food, defense-related goods, tourism, boots

Largest city employers

• El Paso Independent School District 8,663
• Fort Bliss (civilian employees) 6,803
• Ysleta Independent School District 6,500
• City of El Paso 6,264
• University of Texas at El Paso 4,871
• Socorro Independent School District 3,995
• Sierra Providence Health Network 3,761
• El Paso Community College 3,728
• Wal-Mart 3,706
• County of El Paso 2,700
• Las Palmas and Del Sol Regional Health Care System 2,244
• Echostar 2,012

All numbers are estimates as of 2006

Shopping

• Bassett Place Mall
• Cielo Vista Mall
• http://horizongroup.com/main/Centers/elpaso/elpasostores.htm
• Sunland Park Mall
• Las Palmas Marketplace
• El Paseo Marketplace
• El Mercado Plaza

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 563,662 people, 182,063 households, and 141,098 families residing in the city. The population density was 873.7/km² (2,263.0/mi²). There were 193,663 housing units at an average density of 300.2/km² (777.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.6% White, 3.12% African American, 0.82% Native American, 1.12% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 18.15% from other races, and 3.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 76.62% of the population. The census states that only 87,274 El Pasoans are white and not of Hispanic origin (about 14.6%).

There are 182,063 households, out of which 42.4% have 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 non-families. 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 spread out with 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 the median income 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.

According to the 2006 United States Census Bureau population estimates, the El Paso metropolitan area had a population of 736,310. Combined with the population of the neighboring Juárez metropolitan area, the total metropolitan area had a population of 2,280,782. As of October, 2006, El Paso is ranked the third safest city in the US with a population greater than 500,000 according to an independent private research and publishing company based in Kansas .

Sports

Major League teams

El Paso is, as of 2006, the 2nd largest U.S. city (but not metropolitan area) by population (behind Austin, Texas) not to have a team in one of the big four professional leagues (NHL, NBA, NFL, MLB). El Paso hosts the annual NCAA Brut Sun Bowl, boxing matches, and occasional NBA preseason games and NFL exhibition games. El Paso is also the site of the Borderland Derby horse race held in the nearby suburb of Sunland Park. El Paso is also host of the Texas vs. The Nation Game all-star game played in the Sun Bowl Stadium.

Sports

Arenas

• UTEP owns the two largest stadiums in El Paso:
  • Sun Bowl Stadium has a capacity of 52,000 and is home to the UTEP Miners football team, coached by Mike Price. It is also home to the annual Brut Sun Bowl, soccer games, and special events such as concerts.
  • Don Haskins Center has a capacity of 12,222 and is used for UTEP's basketball teams and special events such as concerts and boxing matches. It is also where the graduation ceremony takes place for UTEP students.

• The other major arena venues include:
  • SISD Student Activities Complex (locally known as the SAC) has a capacity of 11,000 and is used for High School football, soccer, and track & field events for the high schools in the Socorro Independent School District.
  • Canutillo Stadium has a capacity of around 12,000; it is used for high school football games and is home of the Indios USA soccer team.
  • Cohen Stadium has a capacity of 9,725 and is used primarily for the El Paso Diablos baseball club. It also hosts concerts and boxing matches and is able to host soccer games as well.
  • El Paso County Coliseum has a capacity of 5,250. It is currently used primarily for special events such as concerts, wrestling matches, and others. It can also be utilized for hockey and arena football.
  • Memorial Gym is a 5,000 seat multi-purpose arena located on the UTEP campus. It was home to the Miners basketball teams until the Don Haskins Center, then known as the Special Events Center, opened in 1976.
  • Patriot Stadium has a capacity of around 3,000 and is solely used for the El Paso Patriots soccer club.

• Future major arena venues proposed include:
  • Downtown Arena: (Conventions/Sports/Multi-purpose) Included in the controversial Paso Del Norte Group Downtown Rejuvenation Proposal. The future arena is to be built on the corner of W. San Antonio Ave. and S. Santa Fe St. adjacent to the current Civic Center. Little has been made known of what accommodations the new arena will have, or when construction will begin.
  • New Patriot Stadium Is a proposed soccer-specific stadium for the El Paso Patriots it is set to be located in Ascarate Park and may have a capacity of around 14,000. With this stadium the county may lure a MLS franchise for El Paso, Texas probably promoting the El Paso Patriots has a future franchise.

Education

This article is in list format but may read better as prose. You can help by converting this article, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (February 2007)

Public school districts

The city of El Paso is served by

• El Paso Independent School District
• Ysleta Independent School District
• Socorro Independent School District

Nearby areas are served by:

• Canutillo Independent School District
• Clint Independent School District
• San Elizario Independent School District
• Fabens Independent School District
• Tornillo Independent School District
• Anthony Independent School District

Private and parochial schools

There are several parochial schools within the El Paso Catholic Diocese that include the following:

• Cathedral High School
• Loretto Academy
• St. Pius X School

Other private schools include the following:

• Trinity Lutheran Church and School
• El Paso Country Day School
• El Paso Jewish Academy
• Radford School. Note: Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor attended Radford.
• St. Clement's Episcopal Parish School
• Covenant Christian Academy
• Father Yermo Schools
• Bethel Christian School
• Community of Faith Christian School
• Faith Christian Academy
• Immanuel Baptist Christian School
• Jesus Chapel Christian School
• Northeast Christian Academy
• North Loop Christian Academy
• St. Joseph's Catholic School
• Rose of Sharon Christian School

• St. Raphael Catholic School
• El Paso Adventist Junior Academy
• Mt. Franklin Christian Academy
• Lydia Patterson Institute

Colleges and universities

Two-year and Vocational Colleges

• El Paso Community College
• International Business College
• Western Technical College
• Dońa Ana Branch Community College with campuses in the El Paso Suburbs of Sunland Park and Anthony, NM. This college is a part of the New Mexico State University system.

Four-year colleges

• University of Texas at El Paso
• Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso Campus
• New Mexico State University (in nearby Las Cruces, New Mexico)
• Texas A&M University also has a presence in the area at its Research and Extension center in far east El Paso. While it is not a campus, it does provide services to other schools in the area.
• Park University (Ft. Bliss campus)

Ciudad Juárez residents attending schools in El Paso

Many affluent Ciudad Juárez residents attend schools in El Paso, including El Paso ISD schools ("Mexican children cross border to go to school," Houston Chronicle, April 29, 2007). Due to the number of students from Ciudad Juárez enrolled in United States schools, the Paso Del Norte crossing (also called "Santa Fe bridge") holds a dedicated student crossing lane. The lane stays open from 6:30 A. M. to 8:30 A. M.

Hospitals

• Del Sol Medical Center-East
• Las Palmas – Del Sol Rehab. Hospital
• Las Palmas Medical Center-West
• Horizon Specialty Hospital
• Thomason Hospital-The city's general hospital and the only trauma center in the area
• Rio Vista Rehab. Hospital
• Sierra Medical Center
• Southwestern General Hospital
• William Beaumont Army Medical Center
• Providence Memorial Hosptial
• Physicians Hospital

Culture

Literature

Recognized for its contributions to American literature, El Paso has been home to:

• John Rechy
• Frank Ambriz
• Arturo Islas
• Cormac McCarthy
• Howard McCord
• Mario T. Garcia
• José Antonio Burciaga
• Alicia Gaspar de Alba
• Pat Mora
• Dagoberto Gilb

The Tigua Indians of Ysleta del Sur Pueblo

Located within the city limits lies the autonomous Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Nation, with its own governing body. It is one of the few indigenous groups that have survived the historical disregard and abuse by the state of Texas. This tribe is one of the three Federally recognized Indian tribes in Texas. Very close to tribal lands is the sacred site of Hueco Tanks. The Tigua have been at their present location since a successful Pueblo Revolt of 1680 that forced the Spaniards and New Spaniards (future Mexicans) to retreat south to present day Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico and El Paso, Texas. The tribe is led by a governor who serves a term of two years. The current governor is Danny Senclare.

Points of interest

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The Ysleta del Sur Pueblo is led by the cacique, who holds the office for life. The governor is elected yearly in January. The current tribal governor is Art Senclair.

Area museums

• The Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens
• The El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study Center
• The El Paso Museum of Archaeology at Wilderness Park
• The El Paso Museum of Art
• The El Paso Museum of History
• Fort Bliss Museums & Study Center
• Insights El Paso Science Museum
• Magoffin Home State Historic Site
• The National Border Patrol Museum
• Railroad & Transportation Museum of El Paso
• War Eagles Air Museum
• Gene Roddenberry Planetarium

Theaters

• The Abraham Chavez Theatre is located adjacent to the El Paso Convention & 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 is a historic building located at 125 Pioneer Plaza in El Paso, Texas. 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 90-acre 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 Viva El Paso!

Sites within the city limits

• Abraham Chavez Theatre
• Chamizal National Memorial
• The El Paso Zoo
• Fort Bliss
• Franklin Mountains State Park
• Cathedral Church of Saint Patrick
• Judson F. Williams Convention Center
• McKelligon Canyon
• Magoffin Homestead
• Plaza Hotel
• Plaza Theatre
• Union Depot
• University of Texas at El Paso
• Ysleta Mission
• The Tigua of Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Nation

Sites within the surrounding area

• Big Bend National Park
• Carlsbad Caverns National Park
• Guadalupe Mountains National Park
• Hueco Tanks State Park
• Lincoln National Forest
• Maar volcanic craters: Kilbourne Hole and Hunt's Hole
• The Mescalero Apache Nation
• Socorro Mission

Other Attractions

• Williams Convention Center
• El Paso Zoo
• Western Playland
• Wet and Wild Water World
• Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino
• Speaking Rock Casino
• Magic Landing (defunct)
• Adventure Zone
• Bob Os

Transportation

El Paso is served by El Paso International Airport, Amtrak via the historic Union Depot, Interstate 10, U.S. Route 54 (known locally as the "North-South Freeway" or officially as the Patriot Freeway), U.S. Route 180 and U.S. Route 62 (Montana Avenue), U.S. Route 85 (Paisano Drive), Texas Loop 375, Texas Loop 478 (Copia Street-Pershing Drive-Dyer Street), numerous Farm to Market Roads (FM's) and the city's original thoroughfare, Texas 20, known locally as Alameda Avenue (formerly U.S. Route 80).

Airports

• El Paso International Airport
• Horizon Airport
• Santa Teresa Airport 5T6

Passenger rail

• The historic Union Depot with service provided by Amtrak

Major highways

• Interstate 10 The primary thoroughfare through the city.

  

• U.S. Route 54 Officially called the Patriot Freeway, locally known as the North-South Freeway.
• U.S. Route 62
• U.S. Route 85
• U.S. Route 180
• SH 20
• SH 178
• SH 478
• SL 375 Texas Highway Loop 375 encircles the city of El Paso. In the Northeast section of the city, it is Woodrow-Bean Transmountain Drive. In East El Paso, the North and Southbound section is known simply as "the Loop". South of I-10, in the east and westbound portion, it is known as the Cesar Chavez Border Highway.
• NM 28

Mass transit

• Sun Metro Mass Transit system operates a system of medium to large capacity natural gas powered buses all around the city of El Paso. Amusingly, before 1987 Sun Metro was named Sun City Area Transit (SCAT).

• El Paso County Transit makes trips with small capacity buses mainly in the Eastern El Paso area.

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 .

El Paso crossings

• Bridge of the Americas/Cordova Bridge
• Paso Del Norte Port of Entry (No Commercial Traffic)
• Stanton Street Port of Entry (No Commercial Traffic)
• Ysleta Port of Entry

Surrounding area crossings

• Santa Teresa Port of Entry (located in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, 10 miles West of the El Paso city limits)
• Fabens Port of Entry (located in Fabens, Texas, 16 miles East of the El Paso city limits)
• Fort Hancock Port of Entry (located in Fort Hancock, Texas, 43 miles East of the El Paso city limits)

Media

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Newspapers

• El Paso Times, English language news daily
• El Diario de El Paso, Spanish language news daily
• El Paso Inc.
• Newspaper Tree, an online newspaper that offers in-depth coverage of El Paso political and cultural events.
• Border Observer, English language weekly, owned by El Diario de El Paso.

El Paso had another English language daily newspaper, El Paso Herald-Post, but that newspaper ended publication in 1997.

Magazines

• El Paso Inside and Out

Radio stations

• AM
  • 600 KROD News/Talk/Sports
  • 630 KLEA Adult Contemporary
  • 690 KTSM News/Talk
  • 750 KAMA Spanish
  • 920 KBNA Spanish
  • 1000 XEFV Spanish
  • 1060 KXPL Spanish
  • 1150 KSVE Spanish
  • 1340 KVIV Spanish
  • 1380 KHEY Sports
  • 1590 KELP Religious
  • 1650 KHRO News/Talk, local Air America Radio affiliate.

• FM
  • 88.5 KTEP University
  • 89.5 KKLY Religious (K-Love)-previously identified as KXCR
  • 91.1 KVER Spanish
  • 92.3 KOFX Oldies
  • 93.1 KSII Top-40
  • 93.9 KINT Tejano
  • 94.7 KYSE Spanish Alternative
  • 95.5 KLAQ Rock
  • 96.3 KHEY Country
  • 97.5 KBNA Spanish
  • 98.3 XHPX Spanish Pop
  • 99.1 XHEPR Classic Rock
  • 99.5 KXPZ modern rock
  • 99.9 KTSM Adult Contemporary
  • 102.1 KPRR Rhythmic Top-40
  • 103.5 XHEM Spanish Pop
  • 104.3 XHTO Top-40

El Paso also shares radio stations with nearby cities Las Cruces, New Mexico and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua.

Television

El Paso was the largest city in the United States without a PBS television station until 1978. In fact, the city had only three English-speaking channels, and cable subscribers in the 1970s and 1980s could receive four Los Angeles independent channels: KTLA, KCAL (then KHJ-TV), KTTV and KCOP. Over time, as more television stations signed on and more cable channels were added, the LA stations would disappear from the lineup. The last to be removed was KTLA in the Fall of 2006, when KVIA-TV opened its own CW station.

El Paso's current television stations are as follows:

Trivia

This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. Please relocate any relevant information into other sections or articles. (June 2007)

• The term "pachuco" came from the Mexican Spanish slang word for El Paso, probably originating early in the 20th century, then spreading westward throughout the Southwest, following the line of migration associated with Mexican railroad workers (traqueros).
• The El Paso City Council voted to spend $112,000 to hire a private security firm to guard the city's police station.
• El Paso is featured in a cycle of three songs by country singer Marty Robbins.
• A saint in the Catholic Church was ordained a priest at the Cathedral Church of Saint Patrick.
• El Paso is noted in the Jack Kerouac book "The Dharma Bums" - 'Three hundred and sixty days out of the year we get bright sunshine here in El Paso and my wife just bought a clothes dryer!'

Filmed In El Paso

• The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training (1977) starring William Devane.
• Beside You in Time (2006) Nine Inch Nails North American Tour 2006.
• Big Wednesday (1978) starring Jan Michael Vincent, and Gary Busey.
• Blue Sky (1994) starring Jessica Lange and Tommy Lee Jones.
• The Border (1982) starring Jack Nicholson and Harvey Keitel. All the border scenes, the refugee camp scene, and the U.S. Embassy scene were all shot in and around El Paso.
• Committed (2000) starring Heather Graham.
• Courage Under Fire (1996) starring Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan had all the Persian Gulf War scenes shot at the Indian Cliffs Ranch.
• The Day After Tomorrow (2004) starring Dennis Quaid and Sela Ward.
• Death of an Angel (1986) starring Bonnie Bedelia and Nick Mancuso.
• Extreme Prejudice (1987) starring Nick Nolte and Powers Boothe.
• Fandango (1985) starring Kevin Costner and Judd Nelson. Wedding scenes were filmed in front of Mission San Elizario in San Elizario, Texas (near El Paso).
• The Getaway (1972) starring Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw.
• Glory Road (2006) starring Josh Lucas.
• Kingpin (NBC pilot) (2003) starring Yancey Arias and Brian Benben.
• Last Man Standing (1996) starring Bruce Willis, Bruce Dern, Christopher Walken, Karina Lombard.
• Lolita (1997) starring Jeremy Irons and Melanie Griffith.
• Lone Wolf McQuade (1983) starring Chuck Norris and David Carradine.
• Lost in America (1985) starring Albert Brooks and Julie Hagerty.
• Man on Fire (2004) starring Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning.
• Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966) , which is reputed to be one of the worst films ever made, was shot in and around El Paso. It premiered in 1966 at the downtown Capri Theater.
• On the Border (1998) starring Casper Van Dien, Bryan Brown, Daniel Baldwin.
• The Original Latin Kings of Comedy(2002) featuring George Lopez, Cheech Marin, Joey Medina, Alex Reymundo, and Paul Rodriguez. It was shot at the Abraham Chavez Theater.
• Paris, Texas (1984) starring Harry Dean Stanton and Dean Stockwell.
• Resurrection (1980) starring Ellen Burstyn.
• Rx (2005) starring Colin Hanks, Eric Balfour and Alan Tudyk.
• Saving Jessica Lynch (2003) starring Laura Regan.
• Second Hand Hearts (1981) starring Robert Blake, and Barbara Harris.
• Take the High Ground! (1953), starring Richard Widmark and Karl Malden.
• Traffic (2000) starring Benicio del Toro, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Dennis Quaid and Don Cheadle.
• When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? (1979) starring Hal Linden, and Lee Grant.
• Wild at Heart (1990) starring Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern.
• Wrong is Right (1982) starring Sean Connery.

See also

List_of_famous_people_from_El_Paso,_Texas

Notes

1. http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/SUB-EST2006.html
2. http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metro_general/2006/CBSA-EST2006-01.csv
3. "Company History 1934 to 1958". About Continental.
4. Mario T. Garcia (1998), The Making of a Mexican American Mayor: Raymond L. Telles of El Paso ISBN 0-87404-276-3
5. William Earl Maxwell, Ernest Crain, Edwin S. Davis (2005). Texas Politics Today. Thomson Wadsworth. ISBN 0534602118.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
6. http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=16000US4824000&-qr_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_DP5&-ds_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_&-_lang=en&-_sse=on
7. http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metro_general/2006/CBSA-EST2006-01.csv
8. 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

External links

• City of El Paso Website
• Chamber of Commerce Website
• El Paso County Website
• Visit El Paso
• The University of Texas at El Paso
• Texas Tech University at El Paso
• Forty years at El Paso, 1858-1898; recollections of war, politics, adventure, events, narratives, sketches, etc., by W. W. Mills, hosted by the Portal to Texas History.
• El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization

• El Paso, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online

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• Articles needing cleanup from February 2007
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