Incorporated
1873El Paso incorporated as a Texas city in 1873.
Local history
The History of El Paso
Indigenous homelands, the Mission Trail, railroads and a binational border city — explore El Paso's history.
The name
The passThe name refers to the Rio Grande's passage through the mountains.
Border city
El Paso–Ciudad JuárezTwo cities share a long history across the Rio Grande.
El Paso, era by era
Before European colonization
Indigenous homelands
The region has a long Indigenous history. Hueco Tanks preserves rock imagery and places of enduring cultural and spiritual importance. The Tigua community at Ysleta del Sur Pueblo remains a living part of the region.
Hueco Tanks · Ysleta del Sur Pueblo
1659–1682
Missions along the river
The mission at what is now Ciudad Juárez was founded in 1659. Ysleta and Socorro trace their mission histories to 1682, following the Pueblo Revolt. Today's Mission Trail connects Ysleta, Socorro and San Elizario; these are living communities, not simply museum stops.
Ysleta · Socorro · San Elizario
1848–1873
An international boundary and a new city
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo established the Rio Grande as part of the international boundary in 1848. El Paso incorporated in 1873. Trade, migration and family connections continued to link communities on both sides of the river.
Rio Grande · Incorporation in 1873
1881–early 1900s
Railroads reshape the city
Railroads arrived in 1881, accelerating commerce and population growth. Downtown developed as a regional trading center. Surviving architecture and the Magoffin Home offer ways to understand this period without reducing it to frontier legends.
Railroads · Downtown · Magoffin Home
1914–1966
Education, culture and civil rights
The institution now known as UTEP opened in 1914 as the Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy. In 1966, Texas Western won the NCAA men's basketball championship with an all-Black starting lineup, a landmark moment in American sports history.
UTEP · 1966 basketball championship
1963–present
Chamizal and the modern Borderland
The 1963 Chamizal Convention resolved a longstanding boundary dispute caused by changes in the river's course. Chamizal National Memorial interprets that history. Today El Paso's identity draws on its binational ties, Fort Bliss, UTEP, arts, industry and desert landscape.
Chamizal National Memorial · Borderland communities
Places where history is still visible
Magoffin Home · 1875
An adobe home now preserved as a state historic site. Check the Texas Historical Commission for current tour information.
Plaza Theatre · 1930
A restored atmospheric theater in Downtown El Paso that continues to host performances.
San Jacinto Plaza · Historic downtown gathering place
A public square whose alligator sculpture recalls the live alligators once kept in its pond.
Mission Trail · Centuries of community history
Visit Ysleta, Socorro and San Elizario respectfully; confirm opening hours and worship schedules before entering.
Chamizal National Memorial · A shared border history
National Park Service exhibits explain the boundary settlement and the people affected by it.
People to know
Don Haskins
Texas Western's coach led the Miners to the 1966 NCAA men's basketball championship.
Tom Lea
The El Paso artist and writer depicted the people, landscapes and history of the Southwest.
Abraham Chávez
The conductor helped shape El Paso's musical life; the downtown theater bears his name.
Go deeper with the El Paso Museum of History, the El Paso Public Library's Border Heritage Center, the National Park Service and Ysleta del Sur Pueblo's own cultural resources.
Explore El Paso