Fast Facts

American Express -- Sun Travel American Express, 3100 N. Mesa St., Suite B (tel. 915/532-8900), offers American Express services Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm.

Babysitters -- Front desks at major hotels often can make arrangements on your behalf.

Dentists -- Contact 1-800-DENTIST (tel. 800/336-8478).

Doctors -- Call El Paso County Medical Society (tel. 915/533-0981).

Drugstores -- Walgreens Drug Stores has a 24-hour prescription service at 1831 N. Lee Trevino Dr. (tel. 915/594-1129).

Emergencies -- For police, fire, and medical emergencies, call tel. 911. To reach the Poison Center, dial tel. 800/764-7661 or 915/544-1200.

Hospitals -- Full-service hospitals, with 24-hour emergency rooms, include Sierra Medical Center, 1625 Medical Center Dr. (tel. 915/747-4000), just northwest of downtown, and Del Sol Medical Center, 10301 Gateway W. (tel. 915/595-9000), on the east side of the city.

Newspapers & Magazines -- The El Paso Times (www.elpasotimes.com) is the city's only daily English-language newspaper, and an El Paso edition of El Diario de Juárez (www.eldiario.com.mx) is published in Spanish daily. El Paso Scene (www.epscene.com) is the city's free monthly arts-and-entertainment paper. El Paso Inside & Out (www.elpasoinsideandout) is a monthly magazine focusing on arts, culture, and regional issues.

Post Office -- The main post office, located downtown at 219 E. Mills Ave., is open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5pm, Saturday from 8:30am to noon.

Safety -- While El Paso has among the lowest crime rates of any major U.S. city, it is far from crime-free, and drugs and auto theft are two preeminent problems. It's important to keep aware of your surroundings at all times and ask at your hotel or a visitor center about the safety of a given neighborhood, especially after dark. Note: When visiting Mexico, it is important to remember that Ciudad Juárez is one of the world's most active drug-smuggling centers, but crime against tourists is rare.

Taxes -- In the city of El Paso, the total sales tax is 8.25% and 15.5% for lodging.

Time Zone -- El Paso is in the Mountain Standard Time zone, like nearby New Mexico but unlike the rest of Texas, which is in the Central Standard Time zone. Set your clock back 1 hour if you enter El Paso from the east.