The fair place to meet is Phoenix, AZ — the city closest to the midpoint of El Paso and Los Angeles. From the farther side that’s about 7 hr 29 min of driving.
Recommended midpoint
Phoenix, AZ
From El Paso
7 hr 15 min
345 mi to Phoenix
From Los Angeles
7 hr 29 min
357 mi to Phoenix
That’s an even split — both sides drive within 14 min of each other. El Paso and Los Angeles are about 700 miles apart.
El Paso and Los Angeles are about 700 miles apart by road. Split the difference and you arrive near Phoenix, the city closest to the halfway point between them. That splits the trip almost evenly — about 7 hr 15 min from El Paso and 7 hr 29 min from Los Angeles.
That's a half-day drive from each side, so Phoenix suits an overnight or a weekend rather than a quick coffee — long enough to want a reason to stay, short enough to drive.
If Phoenix doesn't have what you're after, Tucson and Las Vegas are also close to the midpoint and worth a look — each keeps the drive reasonably balanced between El Paso and Los Angeles.
Phoenix is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, Phoenix is the fifth-most populous city in the United States and the most populous state capital. Read more →
El Paso is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States. It is the 22nd-most populous city in the U.S., sixth-most populous city in Texas, and the most populous city in West Texas with a population of 678,815 at the 2020 census. Read more →
Los Angeles (LA) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Southern California. Read more →
City descriptions adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA); photos via Wikimedia Commons, credited above.
Estimates use straight-line distance and typical road speeds; real drive times vary with route and traffic.