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107-413: The Trans-Pecos region consists of nine counties: Brewster , Culberson , El Paso , Hudspeth , Jeff Davis , Pecos , Presidio , Reeves , and Terrell . Brewster County, the largest, has a land area of 6,193 sq mi (16,040 km). The land area of Brewster County is about 10% larger than the state of Connecticut , yet it has a population density of only 1.4 persons per square mile compared to

214-755: A pluton , rises within the Rio Grande Rift just to the west of El Paso on the New Mexico side of the Rio Grande. Nearby volcanic features include Kilbourne Hole and Hunt's Hole , which are Maar volcanic craters 30 miles (50 km) west of the Franklin Mountains. On November 8, 2023, a 5.3 magnitude Earthquake struck the El Paso region. The epicenter of the earthquake was 22 miles (35 kilometers) southwest of Mentone , according to

321-615: A 1772 expedition to locate sites for forts on the Comanche Trail along the Rio Grande. In October 1851, Danish -born Col. Edvard Emil Langberg, Mexican commandant of Chihuahua , visited southern Brewster County. Surveyor William H. Emory in 1852 sent M. T. W. Chandler to survey what is now the heart of Big Bend National Park. Chandler explored Santa Elena Canyon, the Chisos Mountains Mariscal Canyon, and Boquillas Canyon. An 1859 expedition of

428-487: A Federal Communications Report stated that in daylight hours it was possible to get radio from Fort Stockton, Texas . Despite its substantial Hispanic population, Brewster County is Republican leaning in presidential elections, though not as strongly Republican as other rural counties in the Trans-Pecos region or West Texas. No candidate has won the county with double digit margins since George W. Bush in 2000 , and

535-452: A celebrated scout, was put in charge of a 250-strong private security detail hired by John Hays Hammond , who in addition to owning large investments in Mexico, was a close friend of Taft from Yale and a U.S. vice presidential candidate in 1908. On October 16, the day of the summit, Burnham and Private C.R. Moore, a Texas Ranger, discovered a man holding a concealed palm pistol standing at

642-411: A four-acre resort-like area with a lazy river, kiddy splash pad, pool, grass areas, and a food truck area, the developers reported. Jessica Herrera, director of the city of El Paso Economic and International Development Department, in a statement released by the developers, said Campo del Sol will generate hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues, "which will stimulate other growth and development on

749-575: A larger military presence in the area. President Wilson mobilized the National Guard to reinforce the Army, and by the end of 1916, an estimated 116,957 guardsmen were stationed along the border from California to Texas. As the mines and wax factories played out after World War I , raids from across the border abated. The geographic region known as the Big Bend is a loosely defined section of

856-625: A mercury ore. Silver and lead from mines on the Mexican side of the river in the Boquillas area were shipped north, as were candelilla wax produced at factories at Glenn Spring and Mariscal, and the guayule rubber from a factory in Marathon. Brewster County became targeted by incursions of bandits from Mexico, inspired at least in part by Pancho Villa . In June 1915, Governor James E. Ferguson asked President Woodrow Wilson to station troops in

963-603: A planned summit in El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, a historic first meeting between the Presidents of the two countries, and also the first time an American President crossed the border into Mexico. However, tensions rose on both sides of the border, including threats of assassination; so the Texas Rangers , 4,000 U.S. and Mexican troops, U.S. Secret Service agents, FBI agents, and U.S. marshals were all called in to provide security. Frederick Russell Burnham ,

1070-594: A population of 1,098,541. These three cities form a combined international metropolitan area sometimes referred to as the Paso del Norte or the Borderplex . The region of 2.7 million people constitutes the largest bilingual and binational workforce in the Western Hemisphere . The city is home to three publicly traded companies, and former Western Refining , now Marathon Petroleum , as well as home to

1177-601: A population of 868,859 in 2020. El Paso stands on the Rio Grande across the Mexico–United States border from Ciudad Juárez , the most populous city in the Mexican state of Chihuahua . The Las Cruces area, in the neighboring U.S. state of New Mexico , has a population of 219,561. On the U.S. side, the El Paso metropolitan area forms part of the larger El Paso–Las Cruces combined statistical area , which has

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1284-592: A portion of the Rio Grande floodplain upstream from downtown, which is known locally as the Upper Valley and is located on the west side of the Franklin Mountains . The Upper Valley is the greenest part of the county due to the Rio Grande. The West Side is home to some of the most affluent neighborhoods within the city, such as the Coronado Hills, Country Club, and Three Hills neighborhoods. It

1391-500: A single night through the potent agencies of Monte and poker. There were only two or three American ladies, and most of the whites kept Mexican mistresses. All goods were brought on wagons from the Gulf of Mexico and sold at an advance of three or four hundred percent on Eastern prices. From hills overlooking the town, the eye takes in a charming picture—a far-stretching valley, enriched with orchards, vineyards, and cornfields, through which

1498-593: A small bar district. This bar scene has grown over the years and has attracted thousands to its annual Mardi Gras block party , as well as after sporting events or concerts. Young men and women make up the majority of the crowds who stop in between classes or after work. Sunset Heights is one of the most historic areas in town, which has existed since the latter part of the 1890s. Many wealthy residents have had their houses and mansions built on this hill. Although some buildings have been renovated to their former glory, many have been neglected and have deteriorated. During

1605-473: A whole has voted for the Democratic Party's presidential candidate in every election since 1988, including Joe Biden, who received 65.7 percent of the vote in 2020. This is in large part because of El Paso County, which also has been solidly Democratic since Ronald Reagan won the county in 1984 . However, Presidio is the most consistently Democratic county in the Trans-Pecos, being like South Texas

1712-424: Is 2.6 in (6.6 cm) at the airport (but with a median of 0, meaning most years see no snow at all). Snow is most rare around Ysleta and the eastern valley area, which usually include large numbers of palm trees ; in the higher neighborhoods, palm trees are more vulnerable to snow and cold snaps and are often seen with brown, frost-damaged fronds. One example of El Paso's varying climate at its most extreme

1819-448: Is a region of extremes, and at the opposite extreme from sparsely populated Terrell County is El Paso County, which is the smallest but most populated of the nine counties. El Paso County has a land area of only 1,015 sq mi (2,629 km), yet it has a population of 800,647 individuals, resulting in a population density of 789 persons per square mile, a value that exceeds that of Connecticut. El Paso County makes up 93.5 percent of

1926-605: Is half the width of the Rio Grande . The county's area is larger than the combined area of Delaware and Rhode Island, and larger than area of the individual states Connecticut , Delaware , and Rhode Island . The Roadian Age of the Permian Period of geological time is named for rock strata in Road Canyon in the northern part of the county. The Wordian Age of the Permian Period is probably named for

2033-690: 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 256.3 sq mi (663.7 km ). The 24,000-acre (9,700 ha) Franklin Mountains State Park , one of the largest urban parks in the United States, lies entirely in El Paso, extending from

2140-482: Is known as "The Castle" due to its round walls and a crenelated rooftop. Kern Place is extremely popular with college and university students. The area is known for its glitzy entertainment district, restaurants and coffee shops that cater to both business patrons and university students. After UTEP's basketball and football games, UTEP fans pack the Kern Place area for food and entertainment at Cincinnati Street,

2247-761: Is located in Alpine. Brewster County is within the Odessa College District for community college. In 1985, there was a daily subscription of, in the county: 483 for the San Angelo Standard Times , 1.1% of its total circulation; and 270 for the Odessa American , making up 0.7% of its total circulation. In 1985, KVLF-AM, in Alpine, was the only radio station licensed in Brewster County. An individual quoted in

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2354-548: Is one of the fastest-growing areas of El Paso. The main high schools in the westside include Canutillo High School , Coronado High School (El Paso, Texas) , and Franklin High School (El Paso, Texas) . West-central El Paso is located north of Interstate 10 and west of the Franklin Mountains. The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and the Cincinnati Entertainment district are located in the heart of

2461-740: Is spelled with a "Y" because 19th-century script did not differentiate between a capital "Y" and a capital "I". Some people in this area and its twin city across the river, Ciudad Juárez, are direct descendants of the Spaniards. El Paso is surrounded by many cities and communities in both Texas and New Mexico. The most populated suburbs in Texas are Socorro , Horizon City , Fort Bliss, and San Elizario. Other Texas suburbs are Anthony , Canutillo , Sparks , Fabens , and Vinton . Although Anthony , Santa Teresa , Sunland Park , and Chaparral lie adjacent to El Paso County, they are considered to be part of

2568-484: Is the largest county by area in the state - at 6,192 square miles (16,040 km ) it is over three times the size of the state of Delaware , and more than 500 square miles (1,300 km ) bigger than Connecticut . As of the 2020 census , the population was 9,546. The county is named for Colonel Henry Percy Brewster , a Secretary of War for the Republic of Texas . Paleo-Indian hunter-gatherers existed in

2675-969: Is the third-largest area of the city, behind east El Paso and central El Paso. Hawkins Road and Interstate 10 border the Mission Valley. This location is considered the oldest area of El Paso, dating back to the late 16th century when present-day Texas was under the rule of New Spain . In 1680, the Isleta Pueblo tribe revolted against the Spaniards who were pushed south to what is now El Paso. Some Spaniards and tribe members settled here permanently. Soon afterward, three Spanish missions were built; they remain standing, currently functioning as churches: Ysleta Mission -1682 (La Misión de Corpus Christi y de San Antonio de la Ysleta del Sur/Our Lady of Mt. Carmel), Socorro Mission -1759 (Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción del Socorro)-1759, and San Elizario Chapel (Capilla de San Elcear)-1789. On April 30, 1598,

2782-608: Is to the capital of its own state, Austin (528 miles (850 km) away). It is closer to Los Angeles , California (700 miles (1,100 km) away) than it is to Orange, Texas (858 miles (1,381 km) away), the easternmost town in the same state as this city. El Paso is located within the Chihuahuan Desert , the easternmost section of the Basin and Range Region . The Franklin Mountains extend into El Paso from

2889-604: The Department of the Army pressured El Paso authorities to crack down on vice (thus "benefitting" vice in neighboring Ciudad Juárez). With the suppression of the vice trade and in consideration of the city's geographic position, the city continued into developing as a premier manufacturing, transportation, and retail center of the U.S. Southwest. In 1909, the El Paso Chamber of Commerce hosted U.S. President William Howard Taft and Mexican President Porfirio Díaz at

2996-822: The Escondido Valley AVA , the Texas Davis Mountains AVA , and a portion of the Mesilla Valley AVA , most of which is in New Mexico . Brewster County, Texas Brewster County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas . It is in West Texas and its county seat (and only city) is Alpine . It is one of the nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos region, and borders Mexico . Brewster County

3103-634: The July 4 holidays, as well as the American hostage crisis of 1980, and was lit continuously following the September 11 attacks in 2001 until around 2006. During the Christmas holidays, a design of a Christmas tree was used, and at times, the letters "UTEP" were used to support University of Texas at El Paso athletics. The tower is now only lit during the holiday months, or when special events take place in

3210-508: The Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway traverses the county en route to Presidio . Download coordinates as: About 39.4% of Brewster County is classified as having a hot arid desert climate ( Köppen BWh ). The remainder has a semiarid steppe climate with 32.1% experiencing a cold steppe climate (Köppen BSk ), while 28.5% is assigned as a hot steppe climate (Köppen BSh ). Temperatures are coolest and rainfall most abundant in

3317-665: The Las Cruces, New Mexico metropolitan area by the United States Census Bureau. El Paso has a hot desert climate ( Köppen BWh ) featuring hot summers, with little humidity, and cool to mild, dry winters. Rainfall averages 8.8 in (220 mm) per year, much of which occurs from June through September, and is predominantly caused by the North American Monsoon . During this period, southerly and southeasterly winds carry moisture from

Trans-Pecos - Misplaced Pages Continue

3424-579: The Mexico–United States border at Presidio / Ojinaga , after which it continues as Mexican Federal Highway 16 . State Highway 17 begins in Pecos and traverses Balmorhea State Park before joining Route 67 in Marfa, while State Highway 118 begins shortly after the junction of Interstates 10 and 20 near Kent and continues south to Study Butte at the entrance of Big Bend National Park . The Trans-Pecos region contains three American Viticultural Areas :

3531-526: The National Weather Service ; from this, the city is nicknamed "The Sun City". Due to its arid, windy climate, El Paso often experiences sand and dust storms during the dry season, particularly during the springtime between March and early May. With an average wind speed often exceeding 30 mph (50 km/h) and gusts that have been measured at over 75 mph (120 km/h), these wind storms kick up large amounts of sand and dust from

3638-614: The Terlingua International Chili Championship , and the Original Terlingua International Chili Cookoff . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 6,192 square miles (16,040 km ), of which 6,184 square miles (16,020 km ) are land and 8.5 square miles (22 km ) (0.1%) are covered by water. It is the largest county in Texas by area. The only substantial water

3745-569: The Texas House of Representatives , El Paso County is divided between House Districts 75–79, while the remainder of the region is included in House District 74. Interstates 10 and 20 are the largest freeways in the Trans-Pecos region. Major federal highways include US Highway 90 and US Highway 67 , which are partially cosigned ; Highway 90 continues from Alpine east to Del Rio , while Highway 67 runs south from Marfa to

3852-552: The U.S. Camel Corps under 2d Lt. Edward L. Hartz explored the Comanche Trail through Persimmon Gap and down Tornillo Creek to the Rio Grande. A year later, a second camel expedition under 2d Lt. William Echols also explored along the Rio Grande. Brewster County was marked off in 1887 from Presidio County and named for Henry Percy Brewster . Murphyville, later renamed Alpine, was selected as county seat. In response to threats of ongoing Indian attacks, Camp Peña Colorado

3959-551: The USGS El Paso's second-tallest building, the Wells Fargo Plaza, was built in the early 1970s as State National Plaza. The black-windowed, 302-foot (92 m) building is famous for its 13 white horizontal lights (18 lights per row on the east and west sides of the building, and seven bulbs per row on the north and south sides) that were lit at night. The tower did use a design of the United States flag during

4066-439: The 1950s and 1960s. It is one of the more ethnically diverse areas in the city due to the concentration of military families. The Northeast has not developed as rapidly as other areas, such as east El Paso and northwest El Paso, but its development is steadily increasing. The population is expected to grow more rapidly as a result of the troop increase at Ft. Bliss in the coming years. The area has also gained recognition throughout

4173-574: The 19th century. Spanish explorers Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca in 1535 and Antonio de Espejo in 1583 crossed Brewster County on their way to La Junta de los Ríos, the junction of the Rio Grande and the Rio Conchos . In 1684, Juan Domínguez de Mendoza camped at Kokernot Spring and wrote the earliest recorded description of it. Pedro de Rábago y Terán , Governor of Coahuila in the 1740s, led an expedition to La Junta de los Ríos. Northern Mexican military governor Lt. Col. Hugo Oconór led

4280-643: The 723 persons per square mile who reside in Connecticut. Terrell County , which borders both the Pecos River and the Rio Grande , is the least-populated county in the Trans-Pecos region. According to the United States Census of 2000 , Terrell County had a total population of 984 residents occupying a land area of 2,358 sq mi (6,107 km), resulting in a population density less than 0.5 persons per square mile. The Trans-Pecos

4387-554: The Big Bend. The request was denied by Maj. Gen. Frederick Funston , who believed such security was a state issue. Although a number of events took place to effect policy change, the tipping point was the May 5, 1916, raid at Glenn Spring. Only nine soldiers had been stationed in the area for protection against the bandits. Estimates vary as to the number of Mexican raiders who attacked the soldiers, from 60 to several hundred. The raid caused

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4494-539: The Chamber of Commerce building along the procession route in El Paso. Burnham and Moore captured, disarmed, and arrested the assassin within only a few feet of Taft and Díaz. By 1910, an overwhelming number of people in the city were Americans, creating a settled environment, but this period was short-lived as the Mexican Revolution greatly impacted the city, bringing an influx of refugees—and capital—to

4601-576: The Chili Appreciation Society. Fellow columnist Wick Fowler joined in the fun and became a charter member. The World Championship Chili Cookoff at Terlingua began as a tongue-in-cheek challenge between Fowler and humorist H. Allen Smith in 1967 and has become a November tradition, celebrated across the state and nation. On the first Saturday in November Terlingua now hosts two competing international chili championships:

4708-590: The Civil War's conclusion, the town's population began to grow as white Texans continued to move into the villages and soon became the majority. El Paso itself, incorporated in 1873, encompassed the small area of communities that had developed along the river. In the 1870s, a population of 23 non-Hispanic Whites and 150 Hispanics was reported. With the arrival of the Southern Pacific , Texas and Pacific , and Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railroads in 1881,

4815-612: The Democrats by Bill Clinton in 1996, have become comparably Republican to Jeff Davis in the past couple of elections. The remaining three counties, especially Brewster County, have been “swing” counties since the 1970s, although Hillary Clinton consolidated Democratic majorities in Culberson and Reeves counties in 2016. The city of El Paso and its environs form Texas's 16th congressional district , currently represented by Congressman Veronica Escobar ( D - El Paso ). The remainder of

4922-703: The Medical Center of the Americas, the only medical research and care provider complex in West Texas and Southern New Mexico, and the University of Texas at El Paso , the city's primary university. The city hosts the annual Sun Bowl college football postseason game, the second-oldest bowl game in the country. El Paso has a strong federal and military presence. William Beaumont Army Medical Center , Biggs Army Airfield , and Fort Bliss are located in

5029-546: The Mexican Revolution, a widely popular Mexican revolutionary leader, Doroteo Arango (also known as Francisco "Pancho" Villa ), owned and resided in this area during the 1910s. During the 1910 Mexican Revolution many Mexicans fled Mexico and settled in Sunset Heights. This part of town is located north of central El Paso and east of the Franklin Mountains. Development of the area was extensive during

5136-655: The Mexican side. The present New Mexico–Texas boundary placing El Paso on the Texas side was drawn in the Compromise of 1850 . El Paso remained the largest settlement in New Mexico as part of the Republic of Mexico until its cession to the U.S. in 1848, when the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo specified the border was to run north of El Paso De Norte around the Ciudad Juárez Cathedral which became part of

5243-441: The National Catholic Welfare Fund. In 1916, the Census Bureau reported El Paso's population as 53% Mexican and 44% Non-Hispanic whites. Mining and other industries gradually developed in the area. The El Paso and Northeastern Railway was chartered in 1897, to help extract the natural resources of surrounding areas, especially in southeastern New Mexico Territory. The 1920s and 1930s had the emergence of major business development in

5350-422: The Pacific, the Gulf of California , and the Gulf of Mexico into the region. When this moisture moves into the El Paso area and places to the southwest, orographic lift from the mountains, combined with strong daytime heating, causes thunderstorms , some severe enough to produce flash flooding and hail, across the region. The sun shines 302 days per year on average in El Paso, 83% of daylight hours, according to

5457-425: The Rio Grande where they visited the land that is present-day New Mexico in 1581–1582. The expedition was led by Francisco Sánchez, called "El Chamuscado", and Fray Agustín Rodríguez, the first Spaniards known to have walked along the Rio Grande and visited the Pueblo Indians since Francisco Vásquez de Coronado 40 years earlier. Spanish explorer Don Juan de Oñate was born in 1550 in Zacatecas, Zacatecas , Mexico, and

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5564-404: The Trans-Pecos, although generally agreed to comprise its more southern portions. Characterized by an extremely rugged, arid Chihuahuan Desert landscape, the region takes its name from the sharp northeastward turn made by the Rio Grande nearby. Often noted for its stark beauty, the Big Bend was described by the historian Walter Prescott Webb as "the finest example of earth-wreckage in Texas". It

5671-496: The United States and is larger than the state of Rhode Island . Big Bend Ranch State Park (located partially in Presidio County ) opened to the public in 1991; at 300,000 acres (1,200 km ), it is the largest state park in Texas. Terlingua produced 40% of the nation's quicksilver in 1920, but declining population has since qualified it as a ghost town . In 1962, The Dallas Morning News columnist Francis X. Tolbert published his ode to chili Bowl of Red and founded

5778-405: The Word Ranch in the Glass Mountains, also in the northern part. U.S. Highway 90 crosses the county in the north; U.S. Highway 385 enters Brewster County from the northeast and proceeds south to the county's main attraction, Big Bend National Park , part of the Big Bend . The Sunset Route of the Union Pacific Railroad crosses northern parts of the county, and a recently revived portion of

5885-422: The area in 1882 as part of Company B of the Texas Rangers assigned to protect the railroad. By 1882, he had settled near Alpine and taken up ranching, branching out later to become a merchant and civic leader. Jackson is known locally as the father of Sul Ross University due to his efforts that helped lead to the establishment of the school. Sul Ross University, named for Texas Governor Lawrence Sullivan Ross ,

5992-499: The area in 1882 to help his brother's ranching operation, founding the A. S. Gage Ranch , one of the largest ranching operations in Texas, in 1883. In 1927, he built the Gage Hotel in Marathon . Legendary lawman and later Texas Rangers Hall of Fame member James B. Gillett served as sheriff of Brewster County, and operated a ranch in Alpine in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He later retired to his Barrel Spring Ranch in Jeff Davis County . Joseph Daniel Jackson came to

6099-408: The area. Also headquartered in El Paso is the Drug Enforcement Administration domestic field division 7, El Paso Intelligence Center , Joint Task Force North , United States Border Patrol El Paso Sector, and U.S. Border Patrol Special Operations Group. El Paso is a five-time All-America City Award winner, winning in 1969, 2010, 2018, 2020, and 2021, and Congressional Quarterly ranked it in

6206-414: The area. Historic districts Kern Place and Sunset Heights are in this part of town. Kern Place was founded in 1914 by Peter E. Kern , for whom the neighborhood was named. The homes of Kern Place are unique in architecture and some were built by residents themselves. One of the better known homes is the Paul Luckett Home located at 1201 Cincinnati Ave. above Madeline Park, and is made of local rock. It

6313-628: The bustling boom town. Spanish-language newspapers, theaters, movie houses, and schools were established, many supported by a thriving Mexican refugee middle class. Large numbers of clerics, intellectuals, and businessmen took refuge in the city, particularly between 1913 and 1915. Ultimately, the violence of the Mexican Revolution followed the large Mexican diaspora, who had fled to El Paso. In 1915 and again in 1916 and 1917, various Mexican revolutionary societies planned, staged, and launched violent attacks against both Texans and their political Mexican opponents in El Paso. This state of affairs eventually led to

6420-427: The city for the outstanding high-school athletic programs at Andress High School , Parkland High School , Irvin High School , and Chapin High School . In May 2021 a major developer announced plans for a Master Planned Community in the Northeast modeled after Scarborough's Sunfield Master Planned Community in Buda, Texas. The first phase of the development is to include about 2,500 homes, 10-acre park, walking trails,

6527-571: The city to be without water for several days. Monthly means range from 46.1 °F (7.8 °C) in December to 84.4 °F (29.1 °C) in July, but high temperatures typically peak in June before the monsoon arrives, while daily low temperatures typically peak in July or early August with the higher humidity the monsoon brings (translating to warmer nights). On average, 42 night lows are at or below freezing, with 118 days of 90 °F (32 °C)+ highs and 28 days of 100 °F (38 °C)+ highs annually; extremely rarely do temperatures stay below

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6634-453: The city was barely beginning. Today, central El Paso has grown into the center of the city's economy and a thriving urban community. It contains numerous historic sites and landmarks, mostly in the Sunset Heights district. It is close to the El Paso International Airport, the international border, and Fort Bliss. It is part of the El Paso Independent School District . Dr. James Day, an El Paso historian, said that downtown's main business area

6741-440: The city's growth. Additionally, the departure of the region's rural population, which was mostly non-Hispanic White, to cities like El Paso, brought a short-term burst of capital and labor, but this was balanced by additional departures of middle-class Americans to other parts of the country that offered new and better-paying jobs. In turn, local businesses looked south to the opportunities afforded by cheap Mexican labor. Furthermore,

6848-431: The city, partially enabled by Prohibition-era bootlegging. The military demobilization, and agricultural economic depression, which hit places like El Paso first before the larger Great Depression was felt in the big cities, though, hit the city hard. In turn, as in the rest of the United States, the Depression era overall hit the city hard, and El Paso's population declined through the end of World War II, with most of

6955-453: The city. This part of town contains some of the city's oldest and most historic neighborhoods. Located in the heart of the city, it is home to about 44,993 people. Development of the area started in 1827 with the first resident, Juan Maria Ponce de Leon, a wealthy merchant from Paso del Norte (present-day Ciudad Juárez), who built the region's first structure establishing Rancho Ponce within the vicinity of S. El Paso Street and Paisano Dr. when

7062-474: The county's northern highlands and in the upper elevations of the Chisos Mountains in the south. In the southern lowlands along the Rio Grande, snowfall is uncommon, rainfall much reduced, and summer high temperatures can be extreme. Throughout the county, precipitation falls mostly from May through October with the remainder of the year predominantly dry. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 9,546 people, 4,292 households, and 2,300 families residing in

7169-662: The county. As of the 2015 Texas population estimate program, the population of the county was 9,152: non-Hispanic whites , 4,934 (53.9%); non-Hispanic blacks , 76 (0.8%); other non-Hispanics, 261 (2.9%); and Hispanics and Latinos (of any race), 3,881 (42.4%). Per the prior 2010 United States census , 9,232 people resided in the county; 86.6% were White , 1.1% Black or African American , 1.1% Native American , 0.7% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 7.6% of some other race and 2.8% of two or more races . About 42.4% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). These school districts serve Brewster County: In addition, Sul Ross State University

7276-537: The desert, causing loss of visibility. El Paso and the nearby mountains also receive snow. Weather systems have produced over 1 ft (30 cm) of snow on several occasions. In the 1982–1983 winter season, three major snowstorms produced record seasonal snowfall. On December 25–26, 1982, 6.0 in (15 cm) of snow fell, producing a white Christmas for the city. This was followed by another 7.0 in (18 cm) on December 30–31, 1982. On April 4–7, 1983, 16.5 in (42 cm) of snow fell on El Paso, bringing

7383-407: The features were Mexican: low, flat adobe buildings, shading cottonwoods under which dusky, smoking women and swarthy children sold fruit, vegetables, and bread; habitual gambling universal, from the boys' game of pitching quartillas (three-cent coins) to the great saloons where huge piles of silver dollars were staked at monte. In this little village, a hundred thousand dollars often changed hands in

7490-461: The form of immigration controls to prevent disease, allegedly was abused to create nonconsensual pornographic images of women distributed in local bars. These rumors along with the perceived hazard from kerosene baths led to the 1917 Bath riots . As a result of the increased segregation, the Catholic Church attempted to garner the Mexican-American community's allegiance through education and political and civic involvement organizations, including

7597-564: The intersection of three states (Chihuahua, New Mexico, and Texas) and two countries (Mexico and the U.S.). It is the only major Texas city in the Mountain Time Zone . Ciudad Juarez was once in the Central Time Zone , but both cities are now on Mountain Time. El Paso is closer to the capital cities of four other states: Phoenix, Arizona (430 miles (690 km) away); Santa Fe, New Mexico (273 miles (439 km) away); Ciudad Chihuahua , Chihuahua, (218 miles (351 km) away), and Hermosillo , Sonora (325 miles (523 km) away) —than it

7704-658: The last non-Republican candidate (as of 2020) to win the county was Barack Obama in 2008. However, unlike the rest of southern Texas, the county swung towards Biden in the 2020 election, albeit by less than one percent with both candidates gaining in vote percentage. Brewster County appears in the poem by Campbell McGrath , "Sunset, Route 90, Brewster County, Texas," featured in his book American Noise . 29°48′43″N 103°15′06″W  /  29.81185°N 103.2517°W  / 29.81185; -103.2517 El Paso, Texas El Paso ( / ɛ l ˈ p æ s oʊ / ; Spanish: [el ˈpaso] ; lit.   '

7811-491: The longest-established Democratic stronghold in the nation. Jeff Davis is the most Republican county in the region, last being won for the Democratic Party by Jimmy Carter in 1976, although even George W. Bush ’s 66.79 percent of the vote in 2000 stands modest compared to the 90 percent or more Republican vote common in Panhandle counties since the turn of the millennium. Hudspeth, Pecos and Terrell Counties, last won for

7918-459: The north and dividing the city into several sections along with Fort Bliss and El Paso International Airport . The Rio Grande Rift , which passes around the southern end of the Franklin Mountains, is where the Rio Grande flows. The river defines the border between El Paso and 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 , an example of

8025-666: The north and nearly divide the city into two sections; the west side forms the beginnings of the Mesilla Valley , and the east side expands into the desert and lower valley. They connect in the central business district at the southern end of the mountain range. The city's elevation is 3,740 ft (1,140 m) above sea level. North Franklin Mountain is the highest peak in the city at 7,192 ft (2,192 m) above sea level. The peak can be seen from 60 mi (100 km) in all directions. Additionally, this mountain range

8132-428: The north side of town". The area is located north of Interstate 10, east of Airway Blvd., and south of Montana Ave. It is the largest and fastest growing area of town with a population over 200,000. It includes the 79936 ZIP Code, which was considered in 2013 as the most populous in the nation with over 114,000 people. Formerly known as the lower valley, it includes part of Eastside and all lower valley districts. It

8239-469: The northward-bound Spanish conquistadors crossed large sand dunes about 27 miles south of present-day downtown El Paso. The expeditionaries and their horses reportedly ran toward the river, and two horses drank themselves to death. Don Juan de Oñate , a New Spain-born conquistador of Spanish parents, was an expedition leader who ordered a big feast north of the Río Grande in what is now San Elizario. This

8346-663: The nucleus of Anglo-American and Hispanic settlement within the limits of modern-day El Paso, in 1844: the Republic of Texas, which claimed the area, wanted a chunk of the Santa Fe trade. During the Mexican–American War , the Battle of El Bracito was fought nearby on Christmas Day, 1846. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo effectively made the settlements on the north bank of the river part of the US, separate from Old El Paso del Norte on

8453-585: The period from 1942 to 1956 had the bracero program , which brought cheap Mexican labor into the rural area to replace the losses of the non-Hispanic White population. In turn, seeking better-paying jobs, these migrants also moved to El Paso. By 1965, Hispanics once again were a majority. Meanwhile, the postwar expansion slowed again in the 1960s, but the city continued to grow with the annexation of surrounding neighborhoods and in large part because of its significant economic relationship with Mexico. The Farah Strike , 1972–1974, occurred in El Paso, Texas. This strike

8560-410: The population boomed to 10,000 by the 1890 census, with many Anglo-Americans, recent immigrants, old Hispanic settlers, and recent arrivals from Mexico. The location of El Paso and the arrival of these more wild newcomers caused the city to become a violent and wild boomtown known as the "Six-shooter Capital" because of its lawlessness. Indeed, prostitution and gambling flourished until World War I when

8667-476: The population losses coming from the non-Hispanic White community. Nonetheless, they remained the majority to the 1940s. During and following the war, military expansion in the area, as well as oil discoveries in the Permian Basin , helped to engender rapid economic expansion in the mid-1900s. Copper smelting, oil refining, and the proliferation of low-wage industries (particularly garment making) led to

8774-484: The property, hiring Anson Mills to survey and lay out the town, thus forming the current street plan of downtown El Paso. In Beyond the Mississippi (1867), Albert D. Richardson , traveling to California via coach, described El Paso as he found it in late 1859: The Texan town of El Paso had four hundred inhabitants, chiefly Mexicans. Its businessmen were Americans, but Spanish was the prevailing language. All

8881-606: The region at least 9000 years ago. Mescalaro Apaches emerged later and conducted raids that discouraged settlers. Between 1779 and 1787, Col. Juan de Ugalde drove the Mescalaros back north across the Rio Grande and into the Chisos Mountains . The three leading Mescalero chiefs, Patula Grande, Quemado, and Zapato Tuerto, agreed in March 1789 to submit to Spanish rule. Comanche raiding parties continued through much of

8988-587: The region is located entirely within Texas's 23rd congressional district , currently represented by Congressman Tony Gonzales ( R - San Antonio ). In the Texas Senate , El Paso County forms a single district, Senate District 29 , represented by José R. Rodríguez ( D - El Paso ), while the remainder of the region is included in Senate District 19 , represented by Pete Flores ( R - Pleasanton ). In

9095-541: The region were maize farmers. When the Spanish arrived, the Manso , Suma , and Jumano tribes populated the area. These were subsequently incorporated into the mestizo culture, along with immigrants from central Mexico, captives from Comanchería , and genízaros of various ethnic groups. The Mescalero Apache were also present. The Chamuscado and Rodríguez Expedition trekked through present-day El Paso and forded

9202-604: The region's total population. Overall, the total population of the Trans-Pecos amounts to 856,187 residents occupying an area of 31,479 sq mi (81,530 km), resulting in a population density around 27 persons per square mile (10 persons per km), less than a third of the population density of the state as a whole. If the Trans-Pecos were to become a state, it would rank 45th in population (more than Delaware, less than Montana), 40th in total area (larger than South Carolina, smaller than Maine), and 42nd in population density (higher than Nevada, lower than Kansas). The region as

9309-573: The region, as the American population was small, not more than 10% of the population. However, the region was claimed by Texas as part of the treaty signed with Mexico and numerous attempts were made by Texas to bolster these claims, but the villages that consisted of what is now El Paso and the surrounding area remained essentially a self-governed community with both representatives of the Mexican and Texan governments negotiating for control until Texas irrevocably took control in 1846. During this interregnum, 1836–1848, Americans nonetheless continued to settle

9416-467: The region. As early as the mid-1840s, alongside long extant Hispanic settlements such as the Rancho de Juan María Ponce de León, Anglo-American settlers such as Simeon Hart and Hugh Stephenson had established thriving communities of American settlers owing allegiance to Texas. Stephenson, who had married into the local Hispanic aristocracy, established the Rancho de San José de la Concordia, which became

9523-630: The river traces a shining pathway. Across it appears the flat roofs and cathedral towers of the old Mexican El Paso; still further, dim misty mountains melt into the blue sky. During the Civil War , Confederate military forces were in the area until it was captured by the Union California Column in August 1862. It was then headquarters for the 5th Regiment California Volunteer Infantry from August 1863 until December 1864. After

9630-430: The route ' or ' the pass ' ) is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas , United States. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the U.S. , the most populous city in West Texas , and the sixth-most populous city in Texas . Its metropolitan statistical area covers all of El Paso and Hudspeth counties in Texas, and had

9737-453: The seasonal total to nearly 30 in (76 cm). On December 13–14, 1987, a record storm dumped over 22 in (56 cm) of snow on El Paso, and two weeks later (December 25–26), another 3 in (7.6 cm) fell, bringing the monthly total for December 1987 to an all-time record high of 25.9 in (66 cm) of snow. The average annual snowfall for the city varies widely between different neighborhoods at different elevations, but

9844-418: The settlement of Franklin, which became the nucleus of the future El Paso, Texas; after the army left in 1851, the rancho went into default and was repossessed; in 1852, a post office was established on the rancho bearing the name El Paso as an example of cross-border town naming until El Paso del Norte was renamed Juarez in 1888. After changing hands twice more, the El Paso company was set up in 1859 and bought

9951-476: The state of Chihuahua. El Paso County was established in March 1850, with San Elizario as the first county seat. The United States Senate fixed a boundary between Texas and New Mexico at the 32nd parallel, thus largely ignoring history and topography. A military post called the "Post opposite El Paso" (meaning opposite El Paso del Norte, across the Rio Grande) was established in 1849 on Coons' Rancho beside

10058-540: The top-three safest large cities in the United States between 1997 and 2014, including holding the title of the safest city between 2011 and 2014. El Paso is also the second-largest majority-Hispanic city in the United States (after San Antonio ), with 81% of its residents being Hispanic . The El Paso region has had human settlement for thousands of years, as evidenced by Folsom points from hunter-gatherers found at Hueco Tanks . This suggests 10,000 to 12,000 years of human habitation. The earliest known cultures in

10165-450: The vast Plan de San Diego , which resulted in the murder of 21 American citizens. The subsequent reprisals by a local militia soon caused an escalation of violence, wherein an estimated 300 Mexicans and Mexican-Americans lost their lives. These actions affected almost every resident of the entire Rio Grande Valley, resulting in millions of dollars of losses; the result of the Plan of San Diego

10272-477: Was 1 °F (−17 °C), breaking the 5 °F (−15 °C) monthly record low set during the cold wave of 1899 . Loss of desert vegetation, such as Mexican/California palm trees, oleanders, and iceplants to the cold weather was one of the results. Two local power plants failed, forcing El Paso Electric to institute rolling blackouts over several days, and electric wires were broken, causing localized blackouts. Many water utility pipes froze, causing areas of

10379-546: Was created by an act of the 35th Legislature in 1917 as a state normal college to train teachers. The population grew from 710 in 1890 to 5,220 in 1910 due for the most part to industries that relied on natural resources. From the turn of the 20th century through World War II , the Terlingua Mining District, west of the Chisos Mountains, was a boom town due to the extraction of cinnabar ,

10486-426: Was established in 1879 a few miles south of the future site of Marathon. Word of mouth about the open rangeland in the area was spread by freighters John W Burgess and August Santleben, leading the way for settlers. The Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway built through the area in 1882, opening up opportunity for entrepreneurs who came on railroad-related business and stayed. Alfred S. Gage moved to

10593-508: Was for this reason that a national park was to be established in the region. Big Bend National Park was established as a state park in 1933 by the state legislature, and expanded the same year by Governor Miriam A. Ferguson . In 1935, the United States Congress passed legislation founding it as a national park. Big Bend opened to the public in 1944. At just over 800,000 acres, it is the fourteenth largest national park in

10700-524: Was founded on the south bank of the Río Bravo del Norte (Rio Grande), in 1659 by Fray Garcia de San Francisco . In 1680, the small village of El Paso became the temporary base for Spanish governance of the territory of New Mexico as a result of the Pueblo Revolt , until 1692, when Santa Fe was reconquered and once again became the capital. The Texas Revolution (1836) was generally not felt in

10807-639: Was located south of Second Avenue and west of Santa Fe Street. Several African Americans and around 300 Chinese Americans also lived in Chihuahuita. Many of the Chinese Americans participated in the building of railroads in the El Paso area. Another downtown neighborhood is El Segundo Barrio , which is near the Mexico–U.S. border. Better known as West El Paso or the West Side, the area includes

10914-418: Was long-standing enmity between the two ethnic groups. Simultaneously, other Texans and Americans gravitated to the city, and by 1920, along with the U.S. Army troops, the population exceeded 100,000, and non-Hispanic Whites once again were in the clear majority. Nonetheless, the city increased the segregation between Mexicans and Mexican-Americans with non-Hispanic Whites. One prominent form of segregation, in

11021-526: Was originally centered between Second Avenue (now Paisano Drive) and San Francisco Avenue. At a later point, the main business area was centered around Stanton Street and Santa Fe Street. In the late 1800s, most of the White American residents lived to the north of the non-White areas, living in brick residences along Magoffin, Myrtle, and San Antonio Avenues. Hispanic-American residents lived in an area called Chihuahuita ("little Chihuahua "), which

11128-549: Was originated and led by Chicanas, or Mexican-American women, against the Farah Manufacturing Company, due to complaints against the company inadequately compensating workers. Texas Monthly described the Farah Strike as the "strike of the century". On August 3, 2019, a terrorist shooter espousing white supremacy killed 23 people at a Walmart and injured 22 others. El Paso is located at

11235-399: Was the damaging winter storm of early February 2011, which caused closures of schools, businesses, and City Hall. The snow, which was light, stopped after about a day, but during the ensuing cold episode, municipal utilities went into a crisis. The high temperature on February 2, 2011, was 15 °F (−9 °C), the lowest daily maximum on record. In addition, the low temperature on February 3

11342-578: Was the first New Spain (Mexico) explorer known to have rested and stayed 10 days by the Rio Grande near El Paso, in 1598, celebrating a Thanksgiving Mass there on April 30, 1598. Four survivors of the Narváez expedition , Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca , Alonso del Castillo Maldonado , Andrés Dorantes de Carranza , and a Moor that was enslaved Estevanico , are thought to have crossed the Rio Grande into present-day Mexico about 75 miles south of El Paso in 1535. El Paso del Norte (present-day Ciudad Juárez )

11449-480: Was the first documented and true Thanksgiving in North America. Oñate declared la Toma (taking possession), claiming all territory north of the Río Grande for King Philip II of Spain . Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo (related to the insurgent Isleta Pueblo Tribe) is also located in this valley. The Tigua is one of three Indian tribes in Texas whose sovereignty is recognized by the United States government. Ysleta

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