Big Bend / Far West
El Paso County, Texas
A porch-side guide to the county: the stories that give it a shape, practical local checks, and a few things worth knowing before they surprise you. Every note points to its source.
18 stories · 21 practical · 5 good to know
The practical part
El Paso County offices and deadlines
Appraisal district & tax office →
The Comptroller's official directory for El Paso County: who sets your value and who sends the bill.
Homestead exemption →
File Form 50-114 with the appraisal district. It is free. The regular deadline is April 30, and late filing is allowed for up to two years.
Protest your appraisal →
The usual deadline is May 15, or 30 days after your notice arrives, whichever is later.
Estimate a tax bill →
Model a bill from local rates, the homestead exemption, and the appraisal cap.
Start here
A little of what makes this place itself
El Paso · County Park
Ascarate Park Gives El Paso a County Lake
Ascarate Park is El Paso County's largest public park, built around a 48-acre lake, with an aquatic center, sports fields, and a 27-hole golf course.
El Paso · Wetlands
Rio Bosque Brings Back River Habitat
Rio Bosque Wetlands Park is a 372-acre City of El Paso park in the lower valley, run by UTEP, where old Rio Grande habitat is being restored.
Mission Valley · Trail
The Playa Drain Trail Adds a Valley Route
The Playa Drain Trail gives Mission Valley residents a paved walking and biking route near Shawver Park and Yarbrough Drive.
Practical The Paso del Norte Trail Is a Long-Range Plan The Paso del Norte Trail is a planned countywide trail, so check which segments are actually open before you build a ride around it. Practical E-Fast Pass Helps Frequent Bridge Drivers Pay Tolls The City of El Paso offers E-Fast Pass for prepaid toll payment at the Stanton and Ysleta-Zaragoza international bridges. Good to know El Paso Trail Plans Need Desert Weather Checks El Paso's official trail guidance reminds hikers that desert sun, wind, heat, and sudden storms can turn a simple outing serious.
All 44 local notes
The full county shelf is mixed so stories and useful checks travel together. Use the filters when you need one kind.
Showing all 44 notes.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Ascarate Park Gives El Paso a County Lake Ascarate Park is El Paso County's largest public park, built around a 48-acre lake, with an aquatic center, sports fields, and a 27-hole golf course. El Paso
- Practical Outdoors The Paso del Norte Trail Is a Long-Range Plan The Paso del Norte Trail is a planned countywide trail, so check which segments are actually open before you build a ride around it.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Rio Bosque Brings Back River Habitat Rio Bosque Wetlands Park is a 372-acre City of El Paso park in the lower valley, run by UTEP, where old Rio Grande habitat is being restored. El Paso
- Practical Cars & Driving E-Fast Pass Helps Frequent Bridge Drivers Pay Tolls The City of El Paso offers E-Fast Pass for prepaid toll payment at the Stanton and Ysleta-Zaragoza international bridges.
- Good to know Outdoors El Paso Trail Plans Need Desert Weather Checks El Paso's official trail guidance reminds hikers that desert sun, wind, heat, and sudden storms can turn a simple outing serious. El Paso
- Stories & local character Outdoors The Playa Drain Trail Adds a Valley Route The Playa Drain Trail gives Mission Valley residents a paved walking and biking route near Shawver Park and Yarbrough Drive. Mission Valley
- Practical Outdoors What You Can Hunt in El Paso County and When El Paso County sits in TPWD's Trans-Pecos mule deer country, with separate rules for javelina, dove, quail, and waterfowl.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Chamizal Has Grounds, Art, and Boundary History Chamizal National Memorial gives central El Paso open grounds and a cultural center tied to a peaceful border settlement. El Paso
- Practical Money & Taxes Bingo Operators Report Local Award Fees to the County Bingo conductors operating in El Paso County file quarterly award-fee reports and pay local fees through the county Tax Office.
- Good to know Home & Property El Paso Faces Frequent Drought and Intense Summer Heat El Paso County is one of the hottest and driest parts of Texas, with drought conditions present in most years and summer temperatures regularly above 100 degrees.
- Stories & local character Outdoors City Trailheads Put Mountain Trails Inside Daily Life El Paso's city trailhead system lets residents reach Franklin Mountains and foothill trails without treating them as a far-away trip. El Paso
- Practical Rules & Licenses Both People Must Appear for an El Paso County Marriage License El Paso County marriage licenses are issued by the County Clerk, and both people need valid photo ID and an in-person visit.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Scenic Drive Turns Into a Sunday Walking Route The City of El Paso closes Scenic Drive to vehicle traffic on Sunday mornings so people can walk, bike, and take in the view over the city. El Paso
- Practical Rules & Licenses Burn Ban Orders Cover Unincorporated El Paso County El Paso County can issue outdoor burning orders for unincorporated areas when drought and wildfire conditions create a public safety hazard.
- Good to know Home & Property El Paso Has Water Restrictions — Outdoor Watering Is Regulated El Paso Water limits when and how much you can water outdoors, and those limits get stricter when drought conditions worsen.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Franklin Mountains State Park Sits Inside El Paso City Limits Franklin Mountains State Park covers nearly 27,000 acres of desert mountain terrain inside El Paso, with over 100 miles of trails.
- Practical Rules & Licenses El Paso Has Rules on Short-Term Rentals and Backyard Events The City of El Paso restricts renting out residential pools and backyards for events, and has rules that may affect Airbnb-style hosting.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Ysleta Mission Was Established in 1682 and Is Still Active Today The Corpus Christi de la Isleta Mission in Ysleta, now part of El Paso, was founded in 1682 and is tied to the Tigua people who have lived there continuously since.
- Practical Cars & Driving El Paso Is an Emissions-Test County, Beyond a Safety Inspection Vehicles registered in El Paso County must pass an emissions inspection every year — skipping it means you cannot renew your registration.
- Good to know Outdoors El Paso County Has Restrictions on Live Bait for Fishing Only certain fish species can be used as live or dead bait in El Paso County. TPWD sets these rules to protect local waters from invasive species.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Fort Bliss Has Shaped El Paso Since 1854 Fort Bliss, established in 1854, is one of the largest military installations in the country and a defining part of El Paso's economy and culture.
- Practical Money & Taxes How to Lower Your Tax Bill with a Homestead Exemption If your home is your primary residence, you can apply for a homestead exemption that reduces the taxable value of your property.
- Stories & local character Outdoors El Paso Sits at the Heart of the Chihuahuan Desert El Paso County sits near the northern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert, one of North America's largest deserts and more biologically rich than it looks.
- Practical Home & Property Living Outside City Limits in El Paso County Means No Zoning If your property is in unincorporated El Paso County, outside any city, there are no county zoning rules and the county cannot issue building permits.
- Good to know Home & Property El Paso County Now Has Its First Complete Digital Flood Maps FEMA released revised preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps for El Paso County, the first complete set of digital flood maps the county has had.
- Stories & local character History & Culture El Paso's County Seat Moved Four Times Before Landing in El Paso City El Paso County was created in 1850. Its county seat bounced between San Elizario and Ysleta before El Paso city took over for good in 1883.
- Practical Money & Taxes Pay Property Taxes Through the El Paso County Tax Office El Paso County property tax payments go through the county Tax Office, with collections running through the main tax season.
- Stories & local character Outdoors Hueco Tanks Has Ancient Rock Art and Strict Daily Visitor Limits Hueco Tanks State Park protects thousands of ancient pictographs in the Chihuahuan Desert and limits daily visitors to preserve the site.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Register a Sole-Proprietor DBA Through the County Clerk The El Paso County Clerk records assumed names (DBAs) for unincorporated businesses; corporations and LLCs file theirs with the Texas Secretary of State.
- Stories & local character Outdoors The Wyler Aerial Tramway at Franklin Mountains Is Being Rebuilt The Wyler Aerial Tramway at Franklin Mountains State Park is closed for rebuilding. Texas got $27 million to reconstruct it.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Renew Alcoholic Beverage Licenses Through the County Tax Office El Paso County alcoholic beverage license renewals are payable through the Tax Office, while new beer, wine, and liquor applications start with TABC.
- Stories & local character Outdoors County Parks Reach Beyond Central El Paso El Paso County's parks system is not only in central El Paso; it also serves smaller communities out in the valley.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Security Alarms Need a Sheriff's Office Permit The El Paso County Sheriff's Office has a security alarm permit application for residential and commercial alarm systems.
- Stories & local character History & Culture Four Railroads Arrived in 1881 and Transformed El Paso Overnight The arrival of four major railroads in 1881 turned El Paso from a small village of 736 people into a regional hub of over 15,000 within two decades.
- Practical Money & Taxes Vehicle Dealers File Inventory Tax Reports Monthly Licensed vehicle dealers in El Paso County report and prepay special vehicle inventory tax through the county Tax Assessor-Collector.
- Stories & local character History & Culture The Salt War of 1877 Was a Violent Border Conflict in El Paso County The Salt War of San Elizario in 1877 was a months-long violent fight over salt lake rights. It drew in Texas Rangers and led to Fort Bliss being reopened.
- Practical Cars & Driving Vehicle Paperwork Has County Offices and Full-Service Deputies El Paso County lists tax office locations and contracted full-service deputy offices for many registration and title tasks.
- Stories & local character History & Culture UTEP Has Been Part of El Paso Since 1914 The University of Texas at El Paso was founded in 1914 as a mining school. Today it is a major research university and a key part of city life.
- Practical Money & Taxes Who Appraises Your Home for Taxes in El Paso County The El Paso Central Appraisal District sets the value on your property, and that value drives what you owe in property taxes.
- Stories & local character Home & Property El Paso's Water Comes from the Rio Grande and Two Underground Basins El Paso Water serves hundreds of thousands of people using water from the Rio Grande and two large underground basins.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Coin-Operated Machines Need Annual County Permits Public establishments in El Paso County need a county occupational permit for each taxable coin-operated machine.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Floodplain Permits Apply in Unincorporated El Paso County El Paso County's floodplain order and permit process apply to unincorporated areas, not to property inside city limits.
- Practical Money & Taxes Hotels and Motels File Local Occupancy Tax Reports El Paso County hotel and motel operators file quarterly occupancy tax reports through the county Tax Office.
- Practical Rules & Licenses Rural Septic Work Needs an El Paso County OSSF Permit El Paso County's On-Site Sewage Facility program requires written authorization before a septic system is constructed.
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