El Paso
Around El Paso
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Metro area · Texas · 879k people
El Paso
“Sun City”, “El Chuco”, “The Pass”
Sun, mountains, and a warm border welcome.
UTEP Miners orangeUTEP Miners blue
Welcome to El Paso, the Sun City! Here you'll find a mix of desert beauty, rich history, and friendly folks. Whether you're exploring the mountains or enjoying a cold margarita, you'll feel at home.
Clubs for El Paso
No clubs for El Paso yet.
The room
One room for everyone around El Paso. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.
Ask the neighbours
AllA good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.
Coming up
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Marketplace
Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around El Paso. Sign in to sell something.
Things to do
- Franklin Mountains State Park Largest urban state park in the US, with hiking and scenic drives
- Hueco Tanks State Historic Site Rock climbing and ancient pictographs
- El Paso Mission Trail Three Spanish missions including Ysleta, Socorro, and San Elizario
- Plaza Theatre Historic 1930s theater hosting concerts and shows
- El Paso Zoo Home to animals from the Chihuahuan Desert and beyond
- Sun Bowl Stadium Home of UTEP Miners football and the annual Sun Bowl
- Outdoors Hiking in Franklin Mountains
- Outdoors Rock climbing at Hueco Tanks
- With kids El Paso Zoo
- With kids Mission Trail
- Evenings Live music at Lowbrow Palace
- Evenings Bar hopping in Union Plaza District
- Locals love taco stands
- Locals love desert parks
Through the year
- Sun Bowl December College football bowl game at Sun Bowl Stadium
- Plaza Classic Film Festival August Classic film screenings at the historic Plaza Theatre
- Amigo Airsho October Air show with military and civilian aircraft
- El Paso Marathon January/February Annual marathon through the city
- El Paso County Fair July County fair with livestock, rides, and food
El Paso has a high desert climate with hot summers, mild winters, and very low humidity. The best time to be out is spring and fall. Best: Spring and fall are ideal for outdoor activities.
Talk like a local
- “El Chuco”
- Nickname for El Paso
- “Chuco”
- Short for El Paso
- “Puro El Paso”
- Pure El Paso pride
- “La Frontera”
- The border region
Getaways
- Las Cruces, NM Farmers market and wineries
- Alamogordo, NM White Sands National Park
- Ruidoso, NM Mountain resort and horse racing
- Silver City, NM Arts scene and Gila Cliff Dwellings
Local flavour
Teams
- UTEP Miners NCAA Division I
- El Paso Chihuahuas Triple-A West
- El Paso Locomotive FC USL Championship
Eat and drink
- burritos El Paso style, often with green chile
- tacos street tacos with cilantro and onion
- enchiladas rolled, with chile con carne
- chile con queso melted cheese dip with chile
- margaritas classic, often on the rocks with salt
- Chico's Tacos local chain known for rolled tacos in sauce
Where people go
- desert parks like Franklin Mountains State Park
- mountain trails hiking and scenic drives
- border crossings bridges to Ciudad Juárez
- historic missions like Ysleta Mission
- taco stands ubiquitous and beloved
- local markets with fresh produce and spices
Heritage and traditions
El Paso is proud of its binational border culture, blending Mexican and American traditions, its historic missions, and its identity as a safe, welcoming city.
Say it like a local: “Mande” — What? – polite way to ask someone to repeat.
Festivals
- El Paso International Mariachi Conference April A gathering of mariachi groups from around the world, with workshops and concerts.
- Fiesta de las Flores August A celebration of Mexican heritage with a parade, music, and food.
- Dieciseis de Septiembre September Mexican Independence Day parade and festivities, with colorful floats and mariachi.
- Dia de los Muertos November Day of the Dead observances with altars, processions, and traditional foods at Concordia Cemetery.
- Las Posadas December Reenactment of Mary and Joseph's search for shelter, held in the Mission Valley with songs and gatherings.
Landmarks with a story
- Ysleta Mission Established in 1682, the oldest mission in Texas, still active and home to the Tigua community.
- Socorro Mission A historic adobe mission from 1682, known for its hand-carved wooden ceiling and vibrant history.
- San Elizario Chapel A chapel from 1789 in the historic town of San Elizario, once a Spanish presidio.
- Magoffin Home State Historic Site An 1875 adobe home of a pioneer family, preserving the area's territorial-era architecture.
- Fort Bliss Museum Exhibits on the military post's history and its role in the region.
- Tigua Cultural Center A center for the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo tribe, showcasing their heritage and crafts.
Food traditions
- Weekend menudo A hearty tripe soup often enjoyed on Saturday or Sunday mornings, said to cure a night out.
- Christmas tamales Families gather to make and share tamales, a holiday staple with roots in Mesoamerican cuisine.
- Pan de muerto Sweet bread shaped with bones, baked for Day of the Dead and placed on altars.
- Capirotada A bread pudding with cheese and syrup, traditionally eaten during Lent.
- Street corn (elote) and raspas Grilled corn on the cob with mayo and chile, and shaved ice with fruit syrups, sold by vendors in summer.
Music and arts
- Conjunto music A Tejano style featuring accordion and bajo sexto, popular in the border region.
- Mariachi Traditional Mexican ensemble music, celebrated with the annual international conference.
- Chicano rock A genre influenced by Bobby Fuller and other local musicians, blending rock with Mexican rhythms.
- El Paso Symphony Orchestra The city's professional orchestra, presenting classical and pops concerts.
A little history
- 1598 Juan de Oñate claimed the area for Spain after crossing the Rio Grande near El Paso.
- 1682 Missions established after the Pueblo Revolt, bringing Spanish and Tigua settlers.
- 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo set the Rio Grande as the international border.
- 1881 Arrival of the railroad transformed El Paso into a trade and transportation hub.
- 1910-1920 Mexican Revolution made El Paso a refuge and staging ground for revolutionary forces.
Rivalries
- UTEP Miners vs NMSU Aggies Battle of I-10 in college football
- El Paso Locomotive FC vs New Mexico United Soccer rivalry between border cities
- El Paso Chihuahuas vs Albuquerque Isotopes Baseball rivalry in Triple-A
- Game day UTEP Miners basketball
- Game day Sun Bowl
- Outdoors Scenic Drive
- Outdoors Wyler Aerial Tramway
- With kids Western Playland
- With kids Insights Science Museum
El Pasoans speak a lively Spanglish, mixing English and Spanish seamlessly. They use 'chuco' slang, pronounce 'El Paso' as 'El Pass-oh' in English and 'El Pah-so' in Spanish, and often end sentences with 'que no' for emphasis.
Only here
- Locals call themselves 'Chucos'—a proud nickname for El Pasoans.
- You can see two countries and three states (Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico) from Scenic Drive.
- The Sun Bowl is the second-oldest college football bowl game in the country.
- The Wyler Aerial Tramway takes you to the top of the Franklin Mountains for panoramic views.
New here? A few tips
- Learn a few Spanish phrases—it goes a long way in daily interactions.
- Expect hot summers (100°F+) and mild winters; stay hydrated and use sunscreen.
- Cross into Juárez for a day trip, but bring your passport and plan ahead.
- Try the local food: burritos, tacos, and Chico's Tacos are musts.
- Pronounce 'El Paso' as 'El Pass-oh' in English; locals will appreciate the effort.
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Part of El Paso area
Nearby
Every areaLas CrucesNew MexicoCrossroads of the desert, where chile is a way of life.DemingNew MexicoA friendly stop on the old Butterfield TrailAlamogordoNew MexicoSunny days, starry nights, and a whole lot of sky.RuidosoNew MexicoPine-scented mountain air and the thunder of hooves.Silver CityNew MexicoWhere the desert meets the pines, and the chile is always green.BootheelNew MexicoOpen skies and quiet roadsCarlsbadNew MexicoWhere the desert meets the caverns
El Paso, TX. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.