El Paso, Texas

El Paso lies in far west Texas and is the 19th most populous city in the U.S. with a population of almost 650,000. Standing on the Rio Grande, El Paso is across the U.S./Mexico border from Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, so the city is loaded with history and historic places. The Franklin Mountains extend into El Paso from the north and nearly divide the city into two sections: the west side forming the beginnings of the Mesilla Valley and the east side expanding into the desert and lower valley. At an elevation of 3,800 feet above sea level, with the highest peak in the city being North Franklin Mountain at 7,192 feet above sea level. El Paso is also home to the 24,000-acre Franklin Mountains State Park, the largest urban park in the United States. El Paso is a thriving metropolitan city and is home to the University of Texas at El Paso, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Fort Bliss, one of the largest military complexes of the United States and neighbors Alamogordo, New Mexico, home to Holloman Air Force Base. In 2010 El Paso was awarded an All-American City Award, the oldest community recognition program in the United States.