El Paso County, Texas

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El Paso County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 865,657,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> making it the ninth-most populous county in the state of Texas. Its county seat is the city of El Paso,<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> the sixth-most populous city in Texas and the 22nd-most populous city in the United States. The county was created in 1850 and later organized in 1871.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

El Paso is short for "El Paso del Norte", which is Spanish for "The Route of the North". It is named for the pass the Rio Grande creates through the mountains on either side of the river. The county is northeast of the Mexico–United States border.

El Paso County is included in the El Paso metropolitan area. Along with Hudspeth County, it is one of two counties of Texas entirely in the Mountain Time Zone (all other Texas counties except for northwestern Culberson County use Central Time). El Paso County is one of nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas.

Geography

File:US-Mexico border fence.jpg

El Paso is on the US-Mexico border

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (0.2%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Adjacent counties and municipalities

Doña Ana County, New Mexico – northwest
Otero County, New Mexico – northeast
Hudspeth County – east
Guadalupe, Chihuahua, Mexico – south
Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico – south
Práxedis G. Guerrero, Chihuahua, Mexico – southeast

National protected area

Major highways

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Demographics

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**El Paso County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition**
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Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 1990<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	% 1990	% 2000	% 2010	Template:Partial
White alone (NH)	151,313	115,535	105,246	98,219	25.58%	17.00%	13.15%	11.35%
Black or African American alone (NH)	20,525	18,671	20,649	24,415	3.47%	2.75%	2.58%	2.82%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	1,634	2,057	2,269	2,365	0.28%	0.30%	0.28%	0.27%
Asian alone (NH)	5,820	6,148	7,551	10,692	0.98%	0.90%	0.94%	1.24%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	N/A	440	805	1,527	N/A	0.06%	0.10%	0.18%
Other race alone (NH)	699	497	602	2,422	0.12%	0.07%	0.08%	0.28%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	N/A	4,620	5,391	10,666	N/A	0.68%	0.67%	1.23%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	411,619	531,654	658,134	715,351	69.58%	78.23%	82.20%	82.64%
Total	591,610	679,622	800,647	865,657	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 800,647 people living in the county. 82.1% were White of largely Hispanic descent, 10.5% of other races, 3.1% African American or Black, 2.5% of two or more races, 1.0% Asian, 0.8% Native American and 0.1% Pacific Islander. 82.2% were Latino (of any race).

As of the census<ref name="GR8">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, there were 679,622 people, 210,022 households, and 166,127 families living in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 224,447 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The city was 78.23% Latino of any race. The racial makeup of the county was 73.95% White, 17.91% from other races, 3.06% African American or Black, 0.82% Native American, 0.98% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, and 3.19% from two or more races.

There were 210,022 households, out of which 44.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.70% were married couples living together, 18.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.90% were non-families. 17.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.18 and the average family size was 3.63.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 32.00% under the age of 18, 10.60% from 18 to 24, 29.30% from 25 to 44, 18.40% from 45 to 64, and 9.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 93.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,051, and the median income for a family was $33,410. Males had a median income of $26,882 versus $20,722 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,421. About 20.50% of families and 23.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.50% of those under age 18 and 18.50% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Most of El Paso County is included in the 16th Congressional District in the U.S. House, represented by Democrat Veronica Escobar. A small eastern portion of the county is in the 23rd Congressional District, represented since 2021 by Republican Tony Gonzales. El Paso County is historically Democratic and the 2008 presidential election was no exception. Democrat Barack Obama won 66% of the vote with 121,589 votes even though he lost the entire state of Texas by about 946,000 votes. Republican John McCain won 33% of the vote in El Paso County with 61,598 votes. Other candidates won 1% of the vote. In 2004, Democrat John F. Kerry won El Paso County but by a smaller margin than Barack Obama. John Kerry won 56% of the vote, while Republican and former Governor of Texas George W. Bush won 43% of the vote with 73,261 votes.

In 2024 Donald Trump got the biggest vote share for a Republican in the county since 2004 with 41.8%, constituting a 20 point shift margin-wise to the right from 2020.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This was largely due to increased support for Trump among Latinos, whom he won in Texas with 54%.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Like all Texas counties, El Paso County is governed by a Commissioners Court, which consists of a County Judge, who is elected county-wide, and four County Commissioners, who represent individual precincts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> While the County Judge possesses some traditional powers of a judge, the County Judge functions primarily as the chief executive of the county. The County Judge presides over Commissioners Court meetings, casts one vote on Commissioners Court (as do County Commissioners), and lacks veto authority.

The El Paso County Judge is Ricardo Samaniego, and the county commissioners are Carlos Leon (Precinct 1), David Stout (Precinct 2), Iliana Holguin (Precinct 3),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Carl L. Robinson(Precinct 4). The commissioners and the county judge are all Democrats.

Vogt was appointed County Judge in October 2017 by the County Commissioners, following County Judge Veronica Escobar's resignation to run for Congress. He was previously Escobar's chief of staff. He will serve the remainder of her term, through the end of 2018.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Leon and Perez were first elected to their positions in 2012, were re-elected in 2016,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and have been in office since 2013. Haggerty and Stout were first elected to their positions in 2014, and have been in office since 2015.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The first woman to hold elected office in El Paso County was a teacher, Myra Carroll Winkler, who was elected as superintendent of El Paso County schools in 1912.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite journal</ref>

United States Congress

Representatives		Name	Party	First Elected	Area(s) of El Paso County Represented
	District 16	Veronica Escobar	Democratic	2018	City of El Paso, Fort Bliss, Horizon City, Sparks
	District 23	Tony Gonzales	Republican	2020	Agua Dulce, Biggs Field, Butterfield, Clint, Fabens, Homestead Meadows North, Homestead Meadows South, Socorro, San Elizario, Tornillo

Texas Legislature

Texas Senate

District		Name	Party	First Elected	Area(s) of El Paso County Represented
	29	Cesar Blanco	Democratic	2020	Entirety of El Paso County

Texas House of Representatives

	Name	Party	First Elected	Area(s) of El Paso County Represented
74	Eddie Morales	Democratic	2020	Northeast El Paso County
75	Mary González	Democratic	2012	Parts of the city of El Paso and Socorro, Clint, Fabens, Horizon City, San Elizario and Tornillo.
77	Evelina Ortega	Democratic	2016	Parts of the city of El Paso
78	Joe Moody	Democratic	2008	Northern El Paso County, including parts of the city of El Paso and Anthony, Canutillo, Prado Verde, Vinton and Westway.
130	Claudia Ordaz	Democratic	2022	Parts of the city of El Paso and Fort Bliss

County government

El Paso County elected officials

	Name	Party
County Judge	Ricardo Samaniego	Democratic
Commissioner, Precinct 1	Carlos Leon	Democratic
Commissioner, Precinct 2	David Stout	Democratic
Commissioner, Precinct 3	Iliana Houglin	Democratic
Commissioner, Precinct 4	Sergio Cornando	Democratic
District Attorney	Bill D. Hicks	Republican
District Clerk	Norma Favela Barceleau	Democratic
County Attorney	Jo Anne Bernal	Democratic
County Clerk	Delia Briones	Democratic
Sheriff	Richard D. Wiles	Democratic
Tax Assessor-Collector	Ruben P. Gonzalez	Democratic
Constable, Precinct 1	Oscar Ugarte	Democratic
Constable, Precinct 2	Danny T. Zamora	Democratic
Constable, Precinct 3	Hector J. Bernal	Democratic
Constable, Precinct 4	Luis Aguilar	Democratic
Constable, Precinct 5	Manny Lopez	Democratic
Constable, Precinct 6, Place 1 & 2	Javier Garcia	Democratic
Constable, Precinct 7	Humberto "Beto" Enriquez	Democratic

Communities

Cities

Towns

Unincorporated communities

Economy

As of 2021, El Paso County had a total GDP of around $30 billion and $35,000 per capita.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Education

School districts include:<ref>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref>

All of the county is in the service area of El Paso Community College.<ref>Texas Education Code, Section 130.178, "El Paso County Community College District Service Area".</ref>

National Historic Landmark

The Rio Vista Bracero Reception Center was designated It was named a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, on December 11, 2023. The Rio Vista Farm buildings and surrounding fields in Socorro, TX are included in the Historic Landmark district.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

References

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External links

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