El Paso is located in the Chihuahuan Desert of West Texas along the Rio Grande River. Occupying 248 square miles, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 22nd largest in the United States. El Paso and its sister city, Ciudad Juárez, enjoy on average 305 days per year of clear, sunny skies and a dry climate. This is attributed to the high desert region and the fact that El Paso and Juárez are shielded on three sides by mountains.

El Paso del Rio del Norte (the pass through the river of the north) had already been home to native cultures for centuries prior to its discovery, in 1581, by the Spanish conquistadores. Don Juan de Oñate officially named the area in 1598 during colonization.

The El Paso area is rich with culture, native desert plant life and year-round outdoor activities due to the mild weather.

Just as with other areas of the desert Southwest, El Paso has magnificent and fiery sunsets.