El Paso is located on the western tip of Texas, approximately halfway between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. The city is ideally located to serve the United States, Canada and Latin America. As of 2006, the city had a population of 609,415. It is the sixth-largest city in Texas and its metropolitan area covers all of El Paso County which had a population of 736,310.

The city stands on the Rio Grande River, across the border from Ciudad Juarez. Juarez is the fourth largest city in Mexico and the undisputed economic center of northern Mexico. Together, El Paso and Juarez form the largest international border community in the world. In addition to their location, strong manufacturing base, inseparable economies, cultures and histories, these cities are a natural transition point between both countries. After all, the two cities form a metropolitan area of 2,280,782.

El Paso has a semi-arid, warm climate, with very hot summers and mild, dry winters. Temperatures range from 28 F to 60 F in January, and from 68 F to 97 F in August. The sun shines 302 days per year on average in El Paso, 83 percent of daylight hours. It is from this that the city is nicknamed, The Sun City.