Smeltertown

Tucked between El Paso and the points where Texas meets both Mexico and New Mexico, Smeltertown was a working-class community built around the ASARCO smelter. Families of smelter workers made their homes here, creating a tight-knit neighborhood tied directly to the industrial operation it served.

Today Smeltertown is a ghost town, and visitors should arrive with modest expectations. The community is long gone, and the site offers a glimpse into El Paso County's industrial and border history rather than dramatic ruins or developed amenities. The surrounding setting near the Rio Grande and the converging state and international borders gives the location a distinctive character of its own.