El Paso

Formed January 1, 1850 (82^nd county)

El Paso County (865,655), El Paso (678,697)

Seven courthouses have been in El Paso County since it was organized on January 1, 1850.  San Elizario had one, Ysleta had two, and El Paso has had four.  The latest one was built in El Paso in 1991.  The architects are Garland, Hilles, Fisher, and Cordova for this Modern glass and steel skyscraper.  El Paso County was originally part of Bexar County and the 82^nd county.  The interior and exterior designs on the building reflect the West Texas/Mexican culture predominant in this county.  It is located at 500 East San Antonio Avenue, seven blocks south of Interstate Highway 10 and United States Highway 80.  El Paso is Spanish for “the pass” and is descriptive of the pass between New Mexico and Old Mexico along the Rio Grande.  Both the county and county seat’s names are derived from the pass of the north, El Paso del Norte. 

El Paso County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge serves El Paso, Culberson, and Hudspeth counties and Fifteen District Court Judges and Fourteen County Court Judges serve El Paso County.  The county is as far as Texas goes west.  El Paso is bordered by New Mexico to the north and to the west and by Old Mexico across the Rio Grande to the west and to the south. The county center is 15.2 miles East of El Paso nearer Butterfield.  The county is surrounded clockwise by New Mexico and Hudspeth County and Mexico.  El Paso is 815 miles on Interstate 10 from Los Angeles, California and 880 miles on Interstate 10 from Orange, Texas on the Texas/Louisiana border.  Tourist trade with neighboring Juarez, Mexico is a big business. 

The area of the county is 1013 square miles.  It is 71 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 9 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 854.5 persons per square mile making it 10 out of 254 in the state.  El Paso County has 87.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 10 crosses north to southeast from New Mexico into Hudspeth County.  United States Highway 54 comes from the north, New Mexico, and terminates in the county.  United States Highway 62 enters from Hudspeth County, to the east, and terminates in El Paso County.  United States Highway 85 comes with Interstate Highway 10 in from New Mexico but terminates in the county.  United States Highway 180 also comes in with Interstate Highway 10 from New Mexico but joins United States Highway 62 to exit into Hudspeth County on the east.  The county is funnel shaped and El Paso is in the northwest along the western border.  El Paso is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 78.4% of the county population.  This county is in the El Paso Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Vinton