El Paso Electric's Franklin Mountains Star Stands as World's Largest Illuminated Star

El Paso Electric Company first illuminated the star on the south face of the Franklin Mountains in 1940 as a holiday decoration. After a storm destroyed the original structure, it was rebuilt and by 1946 reached its current size of 459 feet tall and 278 feet wide, with 459 bulbs arranged at a 30‑degree angle.

The star can be seen from the ground up to 35 miles away and from the air up to 100 miles, making it the world's largest man‑made illuminated star. It is a nightly landmark for the city of El Paso, visible from both the United States and Mexico, and is recognized by the Library of Congress as an informal community landmark. The star is often compared with the Roanoke Star in Virginia, which is the largest freestanding illuminated star, but El Paso's star remains significantly larger and has been shining continuously since the 1940s.