El Paso

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, 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. Also known as 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. Walking through Downtown, there are many little shops reminiscent of Mexico and many small cafes. There are many beautiful, historic buildings, many of which are on the National Register of Historic Places. 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 Drive is the El Paso Zoo. North East El Paso is home to Fort Bliss, one of the largest US military bases in the world. 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 c

Getting there

By plane 1 El Paso International Airport (ELP IATA), 7601 Convair Rd. Served by the following: 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. The available commercial flights to El Paso are only from within the U.S. Connections from Mexico can be made through the 2 Abraham González International Airport (CJS IATA) 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 7 mi (11 km) 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 routes 33 [1] and 208 [2] also serve the airport, however only route 208 goes downtown. Transborde Binacional provides regular bus service to Ciudad Juarez and to Abraham González International Airport. There are other shuttle companies providing ground transportation to 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):

3 El Paso Los Angeles Limousine Express, (bus station) 720 S Oregon St

Getting around

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.

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.

Yellow Cab Company, ☏ +1 915-532-9999. Checker Cab Company, ☏ +1 915-532-2626. Border City Taxi, ☏ +1 915-533-4245.

By bus Public transport is provided by Sun Metro 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. Many routes convene at the 1 Downtown Transit Centre located at 601 S Santa Fe St.

By streetcar Sun Metro Streetcar. M-Th 7AM-7PM, F 7AM-11PM, Sa noon-11PM, Su noon-6PM. It 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 1950s and 1960s streetcars (updated Apr 2026)

See

1 El Paso Zoo, 4001 E. Paisano, ☏ +1 915-212-0966, [email protected]. 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. (updated Oct 2020) Visitor control centers for the public wishing to access the military base are at 11 Buffalo Soldier Gate west of the airport terminal and 12 Chaffee Gate 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.

1 Ft Bliss Welcome Center, Bldg 505 on Pershing Rd, ☏ +1 915-568-3035. 24 hr. Official reception unit for military personnel and their families to report to duty, get checked in and get set up. (updated Oct 2020) 2 USO, (W Ft Bliss) 2408 W Chaffee Rd, Ft Bliss, ☏ +1 915-569-5644. Provides information and a lounge for military personnel and their families transiting into or out of the area. They have additional locations at the airport and in other parts of the military base. (updated Jul 2019) Licon Dairy, 1951 Glorietta Rd, San Elizario (Near the International bridge, off Socorro Rd), ☏ +1 915-851-2705. Petting zoo is open from 7AM-5:30PM, daily. A working dairy famous for its Asadero cheese. It has a very unusual petting zoo including camels, goats, zebras and parrots. Visitors can fish for catfish at the small pond inside the petting zoo, which is filled up about weekly. (updated Oct 2020) 3 The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), (Admissions & Recruitment Office) 102 Academic Services Bldg, 500 W University, El Paso 79968 (on the West Side of El Paso), ☏ +1 915-747-5890, fax: +1 915-747-8893. It was founded in 1914. It's easily accessible from I-10. UTEP, pronounced you-tep, has a beautiful campus nestled into rocky hills with amazing xeriscaped gardens. 4 Keystone Heritage Park and the El Paso Desert Botanical Garden, 4200 Doniphan Dr. Tu-W 9AM-5PM, Th-Su 9AM-8PM. Chihuahuan desert demonstration gardens and wetlands and remnants of ancient village. (updated Jan 2022) 5 El Paso Municipal Rose Garden, 3418 Aurora Ave, ☏ +1 915-212-0092. Daily 8AM-6PM. Rose cultivars. (updated

Do

Sports 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, [email protected]. 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. Every late December the Sun Bowl is played, where two 3rd, 4th, or 5th place teams from either the Pac-10, Big Ten, or Big 12 meet. This is the longest running televised bowl game in the country. Rodeos. Rodeo events can be seen in El Paso around the months of January and February. Rodeo is a unique cowboy 'sport' where individuals compete in a number of events the most famous of which is bull riding. UTEP-Basketball. Don Haskins changed the way college basketball was played forever in 1966. He led his all-black lineup against the all-white Kentucky team featuring Pat Riley and won the National Championship. Prior to Don Haskins, black players were marginalized in college basketball. Don Haskins has the basketball arena named after him, the Don Haskins Center, that hosts Miner Basketball and concerts. 3 UTEP Sun Bowl Stadium, (Ticket Office) Brumbelow Buildig, 201 Gloria Rd, ☏ +1 915-747-7450, [email protected]. Home of the UTEP Miners Football team. At other times, the stadium is used as a concert venue. The URL link also includes tickets for other UTEP athletic events. (updated Oct 2020) 4 Chamizal National Memorial, 800 S. San Marcial St, ☏ +1 915-532-7273. Grounds:7AM-10PM. Cultural Center: 10AM-5PM, and opens 30 minutes before evening performances. Large park in the Southern part of El Paso, near the US/Mexico border, established to commemorate the peaceful resolution of a US/Mexico border dispute at this spot. It hosts many events throughout the season, including concerts and dance performances. Information and event schedules can be found at the Chamizal National Memorial website. Free, but some performance groups may charge admission. (updated Jan 2018) 5 Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, 1200 Futurity Dr. Sunland Park, NM (Just over the state line in New Mexico), ☏ +1 505-874-5200. Casino Hours Su-Th 9:30AM-12:30AM and F Sa 9:30AM-2AM. The casino is open every day, including holidays and has over

Buy

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

El Paso Saddleblanket, 6935 Commerce Ave, toll-free: +1-800-351-7847. Fine Southwest rugs, furniture, jewelry and folk art. 1 Cielo Vista Mall, 8401 Gateway Blvd W, ☏ +1 915-779-7070. (updated Feb 2019) 2 Sunland Park Mall, 750 Sunland Park Dr, ☏ +1 915-833-5596. (updated Oct 2020)

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. Papa Eric's, 2519 N Piedras St, ☏ +1 915-565-7272. Specializing in hefty burgers and green chiles. Smokey's Pit Stop and Saloon. There are 3 locations of these barbecue joints slash bars on the East and Northeast part of El Paso. The inside of the Pit Stops aren't much to look at, but the food is great. Again, vegetarians forget about it. All of the food is starch and meat, with the exception of cole slaw. , 1346 Lee Trevino, ☏ +1 915-593-6332. , 9100 Viscount, ☏ +1 915-592-3141. , Zaragosa Rd. The Tap, 408 East San Antonio Ave, ☏ +1 915-532-1848. An old downtown El Paso bar that serves unpretentious Mexican food. The nachos are especially good, and the crowd is a mixture of blue-collar workers and college students. Chico's Tacos. Is an El Paso Tradition. There are 5 different stores in El Paso serving these unique rolled tacos. These tacos are unlike either the "Taco Bell" tacos many Americans are familiar with, or those served in an authentic Mexican taquería. Resembling flautas more than tacos, a single order of tacos will not cost you more than $2 and provide you with three tacos. A "double" or "triple" order will fill up those who are more hungry. The tacos are served with a red sauce and piled high with cheese. They don't look appetizing, but the consensus is you either love them or hate them. Chico's Tacos also serves delicious hamburgers, El Paso-style hot dogs (sliced franks served on a

Drink & nightlife

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.

Sleep

Budget El Paso Hostel / Gardner Hotel, 311 East Franklin Avenue, ☏ +1 915-532-3661, [email protected]. Beds start at $25.99 per night. (updated Apr 2019)

Mid-range 1 Hawthorn Suites By Wyndham El Paso, 6789 Boeing Dr, ☏ +1 915-613-3798. Hotel features spacious suites, some with full kitchens, exercise facilities, video cassette players and on-site guest laundry and valet service. 2 Best Western El Paso Airport Entrada Hotel, 2001 Airway Blvd, ☏ +1 915-772-3650. Motel 6 El Paso, TX - Southeast, 12211 Gateway Blvd W, ☏ +1 915-858-1600. Quality Inn & Suites El Paso I-10, 6185 South Desert Blvd, ☏ +1 915-584-2026.

Splurge 3 Hotel Paso Del Norte, Autograph Collection, 101 S El Paso St, ☏ +1 915-534-3000. A renovated downtown hotel, promises to bring back the original luxury from when it opened in 1912. (updated Jan 2018) 4 Holiday Inn El Paso Airport, 6351 Gateway Blvd W, ☏ +1 915-772-4088. 5 Hyatt Place El Paso Airport, 6030 Gateway Blvd East (On Interstate 10), ☏ +1 915-771-0022.

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. 13 Presidio Chapel of San Elizario (in San Elizario, a few miles south on Hwy. 20), ☏ +1 915-851-1682. Built in 1877 to replace the original constructed in the 1770s. (updated Oct 2020) 14 Socorro Mission, 328 S. Nevarez Rd (I-10 at Moon Rd. and FM 258, south of town), ☏ +1 915-859-7718. M-F 8AM-4PM, Sa 10AM-2PM. Originally Nuestra Señora de la Concepción del Socorro from 1682, but rebuilt in 1840 due to flooding, it served as a refuge for displaced individuals during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 and incorporates decorative beams salvaged from the original structure. (updated Oct 2020) 15 Ysleta Mission, 131 S Zaragosa Rd (near the US 800 junction, south of town), ☏ +1 915-859-9848. Built in 1682 with the official name "La Misión de la Ysleta del Sur" and improved in 1744, it's the oldest in Texas. (updated Oct 2020) San Elizario Historic Art District, 1501 Main St (off Socorro road on the El Paso Mission Trail), ☏ +1 915-851-0093. Featuring 2 museums, 6 art galleries and over 21 artist studios. Also visit the Old El Paso County Jail of Billy the Kid fame, with occasional reenacted shootouts, the El Bandido Restaurant and Cantina and 18 historical sites from the Old Presidio Fort era. Tours and shuttle available. White Sands National Park is northeast on US-54. Las Cruces, the closest major city in the neighbori