It is named for the pass the Rio Grande creates through the mountains on either side of the river.

Most of El Paso County is included in the 16th Congressional District in the U.S. House, represented by Democrat Veronica Escobar.

A small eastern portion of the county is in the 23rd Congressional District, represented since 2021 by Republican Tony Gonzales.

El Paso County is historically Democratic and the 2008 presidential election was no exception.

In 2004, Democrat John F. Kerry won El Paso County but by a smaller margin than Barack Obama.

[citation needed] But in 2024 Donald Trump got the biggest vote share for a Republican in the county since 2004 with 41.8%, constituting a 20 point shift margin-wise to the right from 2020.

[18] This was largely due to increased support for Trump among Latinos, whom he won in Texas with 54%.

[22] The Leo Samaniego Law Enforcement Complex is adjacent to the sheriff's office headquarters.

[28] The first woman to hold elected office in El Paso County was a teacher, Myra Carroll Winkler, who was elected as superintendent of El Paso County schools in 1912.

[31] School districts include:[32] All of the county is in the service area of El Paso Community College.

[33] The Rio Vista Bracero Reception Center was designated It was named a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, on December 11, 2023.

The Rio Vista Farm buildings and surrounding fields in Socorro, TX are included in the Historic Landmark district.