49 El Paso, Texas Facts: History, Geography, Demographics, And More

Texas is a major state in the southern central part of the United States of America.

Texas spans around 268,596 sq mi (695,662 sq km), and hosts approximately 29 million residents; and after Alaska, this is the second largest by the size of its land. After California, it is the second state that is largest by population.

Texas shares its borders with Arkansas towards the northeast, New Mexico lies in the west, Louisiana to the east, and multiple Mexican states like Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Chihuahua, and Tamaulipas to the south. Texas also has a coast joining the Gulf of Mexico to its southeast.

It is said that when the Spanish settlers were greeted by the Caddo tribe, they said Tay-yas, meaning friends. This sounds exactly like the name of the State, Texas!

Texas also took the title as the Lone State in the year 1836, when the Republic of Texas was declared as an independent nation; they hoisted a flag with a single star on it. Texas is also home to many different species of animals and birds.

You might spot armadillos, cougars, coyotes, and endangered animals such as tiger salamanders, leopard frogs, and jaguarundis.

And multiple bird species such as hummingbirds and screech owls. Some of the commonly found plants and trees include cottonwood, a variety of cacti, pinyon pines as well as Texas mesquite.

Facts About El Paso, Texas

El Paso is one of the border towns located on the western side of West Texas; it also has the north bank of the Rio Grande river sitting on the Mexico- U.S. border. Let's take a look at some other interesting facts:

• It has a mostly well-known wild west history. El Paso has a high desert community that was founded in the year 1850. There is an old myth that says Billy the Kid went and made his way through Texas, and he freed the only ever man to escape from the ancient El Paso jail.
• El Paso has a spectacular culinary scene that has kept on growing for many years. It also has a well-known large military presence anchored by Fort Bliss. It has top-class museums, restaurants, and theaters!
• El Paso has been nicknamed the Sun City, and before that is was also called the Six Shooter Capital.
• Did you know that El Paso is known as the boot capital of the world! El Paso has around 302 sunny days making this town one of the sunniest places in the United States of America. It also is known as one of the safest cities in the United States.
• One of the lesser-known facts about El Paso is that the first Thanksgiving took place in the county of San Elizario in the year 1598.
• There is a classic song by Marty Robbins called 'El Paso', which is about a love-struck countryside boy. The third tram ever built in the United States is known as the Wyler Aerial Tramway, and it also shows a 7000 sq mi (18129.92 sq km) view to look at two countries and three states. The mission trail of El Paso goes back to 1598. The only Border Patrol Museum residing in the United States is located in El Paso.
• This town is also home to one of the 13 Holocaust museums situated in the United States. One of the longest rivers in North America, the Rio Grande river is situated between El Paso and the Mexican city of Juarez.
• Billy the Kid also broke into just one jail which was the El Paso jail called San Elizario. He also posed as a Texas Ranger here. Eventually, he was gunned down by Pat Garrett, a lawman who lived in infamy in El Paso.
• The landmark hotel of this town called the Plaza Hotel and was opened in 1930 as a Hilton by the famous hotel mogul Conrad Hilton. He also opened the famous high-rise hotel in 1930 in El Paso.
• El Paso is most known for having many haunted places that people visit. It is also unique because it is the only main city in Texas that works on the Mountain Standard Time.
• The official slogan of the city of El Paso is You Better El Paso Up.
• There is a well-known Buffalo Soldiers memorial which is located in the Concordia Cemetery that is especially dedicated to the black soldiers who had served in the military of the country after the Civil War. This is one reason why El Paso is important to Texas history.
• El Paso Street in Texas is one of the oldest in the area and is thought to be the first street. It's said it has seen the footsteps of Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid, and President William Howard Taft, as well as Pat Garrett.
• Concordia Cemetery in El Paso is a cemetery that is home to the grave of John Hardin, who died in the year 1895. He is said to have killed numerous men, even more than Billy the Kid or Jesse James. Legend has it that he once killed an innocent man for snoring too loud.

Historical Facts About El Paso

El Paso has four principal industries that have shaped the way the economy has flourished in Texas before World War II. Let's explore some other historical facts about El Paso:

• The four industries included using bison and cattle, oil, cotton, and timber. Before and even after the civil war, where Texas had dominated, it was the major economic factor for the flourishing state.
• This has also created the famous image of traditional-looking cowboys we think of while thinking about Texas!
• In the 19th century, later on, lumber and cotton evolved to be some of the main industries in Texas, and eventually, the industry of cattle breeding became less and less popular.
• In El Paso, the Texas Revolution, which happened in 1836 was not felt extensively. This region of El Paso was taken by the State of Texas as they had signed the treaty with the country of Mexico.
• Various attempts were made by Texas to claim the El Paso region and also the area surrounding it, but the village area, which is now called El Paso, remained mostly a self-governing community of citizens with representing people from Texas as Mexican governments kept negotiating with each other until finally in the year 1846, Texas took complete control of the city and the surrounding region.
• During the years 1836 and 1848, even when it was not under the complete control of the U.S., the American citizens kept settling the region.
• There were multiple thriving communities being built along with the extant Settlements of Hispanics like Rancho de Juan María Ponce de León, and Anglo-American settlers such as Hugh Stephenson and Simeon Hart were a part of it.
• In 1850, the county of El Paso was established, and the first county seat was San Elizario. The boundary between El Paso and New Mexico was fixed by the United States government, ignoring the geography and topographical history at the 32nd parallel.
• Post opposite Paso was a post of the military created opposite Paso del Norte, which was alongside the Río Grande (Rio Grande) river. After the army left in the year 1851, the rancho had gone into default and got repossessed.
• In the subsequent year on the rancho bearing name, a post office was also established in El Paso to give an example of the cross Mexico border town name, but soon after, the name El Paso del Norte was changed to Juarez in the year 1888.
• The El Paso company, after changing hands several times, was finally set up in 1859. Anson Millis was hired to survey and organize the town properly, which is how we know the streets in downtown El Paso county today.
• El Paso, the Sun City, is also the home to the El Paso city ballet company, a professional ballet company.
• The shopping areas are located along El Paso street, the oldest street in the state.
• The famous El Paso zoo also houses more than 220 species of animals.
• The downtown El Paso museum is also adored by the people.
• There is an El Paso museum for art as well as for history. There is also an El Paso symphony and orchestra. Along with that, El Paso also has an El Paso Chamber of Commerce.
• El Paso also has many cultural and music festivals (Desert Music festivals and Music Under the Stars Festival), which are El Paso's premier events, along with the El Paso Convention center.
• El Paso is also known for its lovely Mexican food.

Geographical Facts About El Paso, Texas

Texas is located between two prominent cultural orbs of the world, especially pre-Columbian North America. They include the plains and the southwestern areas. Before their first European contact, three primary unique culture spheres were well established and also had reached their peak, according to the archeologists who studied the area. Let's find out more:

• El Paso, the Sun City, has a unique location that borders two countries, namely the United States of America and Mexico, and intersects three states, namely Texas, Chihuahua, and New Mexico.
• El Paso is known to be the only prominent Texas city to completely use the Mountain Time instead of Central Time. The city of Juarez also used to use Central Time, but now has shifted to Mountain Time too!
• El Paso, the Sun City, is known to be closer to the major capital cities of four states than it is to it's own state capital. Santa Fe, New Mexico 273 mi (439 km) away; Phoenix, Arizona 430 mi (690 km) away; Chihuahua 218 mi (351 km) away; Hermosillo, Sonora 325 mi (523 km) away and Ciudad Chihuahua. Austin, the capital of Texas is 528 mi (850 km) away. It is also closer to the city of Los Angeles in California (700 mi (1,100 km) away) than El Paso is to Orange, 858 mi (1,381 km) away, which is the easternmost town in Texas.
• The elevation of the city is 3,740 ft (1,140 m) which is calculated above sea level. At 7,192 ft (2,192 m) calculated above sea level, the North Franklin Mountain is the highest peak. It can also be seen all the way from 600 mi (100 km) from any and all directions! This range of mountains is a natural home to the famous clay formation, which is red in color, and the thunderbird, which is locally known as the mascot for the school called Coronado High School.
• According to the United States Census, the overall city has a whooping area of 256.3 sq mi (663.7 sq km). The surrounding valley and the fertile mountains of El Paso del Norte were all-weather passes in the Rockies.
• As the city of El Paso is very dry and arid, sometimes windy, the city many times experiences dust and sand storms during the dry season. Especially during the spring season, which occurs during the months of March and early in May. The average speed of these winds can often go beyond 30 mph (50 kph), and they also have gusts that have been known to measure beyond the rates of 75 mph (120 kph).
• Coming from the desert with sand and small particles causes visibility loss during the storms making it difficult to see. Even though the average rainfall annually in the city of El Paso is only measured to be about 8.8 in (22.35 cm), El Paso occasionally experiences floods and thunderstorms, which can be difficult to control. Due to contamination, El Pasoans (people from El Paso) should be careful while drinking tap water in El Paso, Texas.

El Paso's Demographic Profile

Houston City is one of the most populous cities in the state of Texas. Let's explore some more facts:

• Houston City is also known as the fourth largest city in the United States. San Antonio is the seventh-largest metropolitan area in the country. Greater Houston is the fifth largest, and Dallas Fort Worth is the fourth largest metropolitan area in the country of the United States.
• Some of the other main cities in Texas include Austin, which is the second major populous state capital in the United States of America. El Paso is also one of the major cities in Texas.
• Texas state is Lone Star State for the former status it has as an independent nation. It also showed the struggle the state had to get independence from the country of Mexico.
• The 2019 U.S. Census had estimated that the city of El Paso has a population of 681,728, which has since increased 5.2% in 2010. At the 2010 census in the United States, 216,694 households, 649,121 people, and 131,104 families lived in the city. The density of population was found to be 2,263.0 people per sq mi (873.7 per sq km).
• Of the 216,894 households in 2010, there were about 37.6% of families that had children and were under 18 years of age and living with them. Almost 49% of the people were married people living together. 20% of the households had a female in the house with no husband present at home. 26% of the people were not families. Around 21% of the houses were made of individual people, and about 25% had people of age over 65 who were living alone. The average size of the family in Texas is 3.47, and the average size of the households is about 2.95.
• In the city, the distribution of age is around 29% who are below 18 years. 7.5% of the people were in the age group ranging from 20-24. 26% of the people were in the age group ranging from 25-44 years of age. At the same time, 22.8% were in the age group ranging from 45-64. The remaining age group of 64 and above people were around 11.1%. The average age calculated was 32.5 years!
• In a general household, the median income of the city of El Paso was found to be around $44,431. For a well-settled family, the median income was found to be $50,247. There was also found to be a clear distinction between the average earned income of males and females.
• The males earned an average income of about $28,989, while the female population earned an average income of around $21,540. The average income for the city of El Paso was around $21,120. Around 20.3% and 17.3% of the families in the population were beneath the poverty line. Here around 28.5% were under the age of 18 years and 18.4% of those who were 65 years ago or even more.
• The census from the years 2012 to 2013 showed that the city's population of white people was around 92%. The non-Hispanic white population was 11.8%, African American population was around 3.9%, two or more races were around 1.5%, and the Asian population was around 1.3%, the native American population was found to be 1.0%, and Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander group was about 0.2%.
• The population with Hispanic or Latino background was found to be around 82.8% in 2013. In the year 2019, the non-Hispanic white population was found to be 12.8%, whereas 3.6% was African American. Only 0.6% of the population was Alaska Native or American Indian, 1.4% of the population was Asian, 0.2% was Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders. Hispanic or Latin Americans of any race were found to be 81.4%.