LOCATION
El Paso is located in the westernmost corner of Texas, right where Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico come together. It lies 710 miles east of Los Angeles, 670 miles northwest of Houston, 565 miles southwest of Dallas, and 710 miles south of Denver. El Paso is 1,250 miles from Chicago, and roughly 1,835 miles from New York or Philadelphia.

POPULATION
Just over 700,000 people live in El Paso, which makes it the fourth most populous city in Texas. Combined with Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, though, the metropolitan area forms the largest population center on any international border in the world. About 2.2 million live in the area, with 700,000 residents in El Paso County. The median age is 27 years.

SIZE
El Paso has 248 square miles in area, making it the fourth largest city in Texas, and 22nd in size in the United States. It is the nation's third fastest-growing metropolitan area. El Paso is the county seat of 1,054-square mile El Paso County.

CLIMATE
Bring your sunglasses and plenty of sun screen, leave the umbrella and raincoat behind. El Paso's average summer high is 95 degrees with very low humidity. Its average winter high temperature is 55-60 degrees. Annual rainfall is only 8.65 inches.

TIME ZONE
El Paso is on Mountain Standard Time. From April through October, the city observes Daylight Savings Time, setting their clocks ahead one hour in April and back an hour in October. Although the Central Time zone begins 120 miles east of El Paso at Van Horn, Texas.

AREA CODE
El Paso's telephone area code is 915. (Area code throughout neighboring New Mexico is 505. And to call Ciudad Juarez, just across the Rio Grande in Mexico, dial 011-52-656 plus the seven digit Juarez number.)

INCOME TAX
El Paso has no state, county, or city income tax.

MAJOR BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRIES
The military and other government agencies, defense-related businesses and education, retail and wholesale trades, manufacturing and agriculture form the city's economic base. The maquila industry, found just across the river in Ciudad Juarez, is also a major employer.

HOUSING COSTS
The average selling price for homes in 1994 was $86,691. Average price of a two-bedroom home was $54,537, while three-bedroom homes averaged $77,771.

DRIVER'S LICENSE AND VEHICLE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS
Residency requirements and driver's licenses are handled by the Texas Department of Public Safety at locations throughout the city for a nominal fee. For more information, call (915)855-2132. Vehicle registration is handled by the El Paso County Courthouse downtown and at three branch offices. All new residents have 30 days to register vehicles in Texas. Fees and taxes for cars are based on age; for trucks they're based on carrying capacity. There is also a $15 new resident tax. Texas also requires annual safety inspections stickers, available at many service facilities. A nominal fee and proof of insurance is required before the sticker can be issued. Get the inspection sticker first, then go to the tax office. Call (915)546-2140.

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO'S RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS
In order to enroll at the University of Texas at El Paso as an in-state resident (with the attendant tuition breaks), the applicant must have lived in Texas as a citizen or permanent resident for the previous 12 months. A person can also receive in-state tuition on a semester-by semester basis by meeting specific criteria; contact UTEP at (915)747-5000.

UTILITY COSTS

• Electricity is provided by the El Paso Electric Company, (915)543-5970.
• Natural gas is provided by the Southern Union Gas company, (915)544-6300.
• Southwestern Bell Telephone (800)464-7928 will set up your telephone service.
• Water and sewage services are provided through the City of El Paso (915)594-5500.
• Trash collection is handled through the City of El Paso Sanitation Department (915)594-8625.

CULTURAL DIVERSITY
El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, separated by the Rio Grande, have been uniquely linked culturally and economically since their founding. Over the past 400 years El Paso's artistic and cultural life has also been enriched by the contributions of native Indians, Spanish conquistadors, Central and South Americans, Europeans and Asians.

COST OF LIVING
El Paso's low cost of living compares very favorably with other major cities. On average, El Pasoans pay 94% of the national average for all items.

Compared to other U.S. cities, El Paso's cost of living is low:

San Diego, CA	122.3
Santa Fe, NM	121.7
Las Vegas, NV	109.0
Bakersfield, CA	107.6
Denver, CO	104.5
Phoenix, AZ	101.2
Tuscon, AZ	99.7
EL PASO, TX!	94.2

These statistics were provided by the Industrial Development Council of the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce.