:''The Strip redirects here. For other uses, please see The Strip (disambiguation).''

Coordinates	33°51′35.9″N151°12′40″N
Name	Las Vegas Strip
Alternate name	The Strip Las Vegas Boulevard South
Length mi	4.2
Length round	1
Length ref
Direction a	South
Terminus a	Russell Road
Direction b	North
Terminus b	Sahara Avenue }}

The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester. Most of the Strip has been designated an All-American Road.

Many of the largest hotel, casino and resort properties in the world are located on the Las Vegas Strip. Nineteen of the world's 25 largest hotels by room count are on the Strip, with a total of over 67,000 rooms. One of the 19, the Las Vegas Hilton, is an "off-Strip" property but is located less than east of the Strip.

One of the most visible aspects of Las Vegas' cityscape is its use of dramatic architecture. The modernization of hotels, casinos, restaurants, and residential high-rises on the Strip has established the city as one of the most popular destinations for tourists.

Boundaries

Historically, the casinos that were not in Downtown Las Vegas along Fremont Street were restricted to outside of the city limits on Las Vegas Boulevard. In 1959 the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign was constructed exactly outside of the city limits. The sign is today about south of the southernmost entrance to Mandalay Bay (the southernmost casino).

In the strictest sense, "the Strip" refers only to the stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard that is roughly between Sahara Avenue and Russell Road, a distance of . However, the term is often used to refer not only to the road but also to the various casinos and resorts that line the road, and even to properties which are not on the road but in proximity. Certain government agencies, such as the Nevada Gaming Commission, classify properties as "Las Vegas Strip" for reporting purposes, although these definitions can include properties which are or more away from Las Vegas Boulevard (such as the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino). Phrases such as ''Strip Area'', ''Resort Corridor'' or ''Resort District'' are sometimes used to indicate a larger geographical area.

The Nevada Gaming Commission considers the Strip's northern terminus as the Sahara Casino. At one time, the southern end of the Strip was Tropicana Avenue, but continuing construction has extended this boundary to Russell Road. Mandalay Bay is located just north of Russell Road and is the southernmost resort considered to be on the Strip by the Nevada Gaming Commission.

Because of the number and size of the resorts, the Resort Corridor can be quite wide. Interstate 15 runs roughly parallel and to the west of Las Vegas Boulevard for the entire length of the Strip. Paradise Road runs to the east in a similar fashion, and ends at St. Louis Avenue. The eastern side of the Strip is bounded by McCarran International Airport south of Tropicana Avenue. North of this point, the Resort Corridor can be considered to extend as far east as Paradise Road, although some consider Koval Lane as a less inclusive boundary. Interstate 15 is sometimes considered the western edge of the Resort Corridor from Interstate 215 to Spring Mountain Road. North of this point, Industrial Road serves as the western edge.

The Nevada Gaming Commission defines ''the Strip'' gaming area as encompassing all resorts located on Las Vegas Boulevard South between Russell Road and Sahara Avenue, as well as several nearby properties not directly located on Las Vegas Boulevard. This includes The Rio, The Palms, and several other smaller resorts west of Las Vegas Boulevard and Interstate 15, but does not include The Orleans one block further west. Properties located east of Las Vegas Boulevard on Paradise Road, such as the Las Vegas Hilton, Terrible's Casino, Westin Casuarina Las Vegas Hotel, Casino & Spa, Hooters Casino Hotel, and the Hard Rock, are also included in this area. The Stratosphere, however, is not included in the Nevada Gaming Commission definition of the Strip since it lies north of Sahara Avenue on Las Vegas Boulevard.

The famous Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign is located in the median just south of Russell Road, across from the now-defunct Klondike Hotel & Casino; another similar sign is in the median at the north end of the Strip near the intersection of east St. Louis and south Main Streets.

Newer resorts such as South Point and the M Resort are on Las Vegas Boulevard South as distant as 8 miles south of the Welcome to Las Vegas sign. Marketing for these casinos usually states that they are on southern Las Vegas Boulevard and not "Strip" properties. However this area is frequently referred to as the South Strip.

History

The first casino to be built on Highway 91 was the Pair-o-Dice Club in 1931, but the first on what is currently the Strip was the El Rancho Vegas, opening on April 3, 1941, with 63 rooms. That casino stood for almost 20 years before being destroyed by a fire in 1960. Its success spawned a second hotel on what would become the Strip, the Hotel Last Frontier, in 1942. Organized crime figures such as New York's Bugsy Siegel took interest in the growing gaming center leading to other resorts such as the Flamingo, which opened in 1946, and the Desert Inn, which opened in 1950. The funding for many projects was provided through the American National Insurance Company, which was based in the then notorious gambling empire of Galveston, Texas.

Several decades ago, Las Vegas Boulevard South was called Arrowhead Highway, or Los Angeles Highway. The Strip was reportedly named by Los Angeles police officer Guy McAfee, after his hometown's Sunset Strip.

In 1968, Kirk Kerkorian purchased the Flamingo and hired Sahara Hotels Vice President Alex Shoofey as President. Alex Shoofey brought along 33 of Sahara's top executives. The Flamingo was used to train future employees of the International Hotel, which was under construction. Opening in 1969, the International Hotel, with 1,512 rooms, began the era of mega-resorts. The International is known as the Las Vegas Hilton today.

The first MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, also a Kerkorian property, opened in 1973 with 2,084 rooms. At the time, this was one of the largest hotels in the world by number of rooms. The Rossiya Hotel built in 1967 in Moscow, for instance, had 3200 rooms; however, most of the rooms in the Rossiya Hotel were single rooms of 118 sq. ft (roughly 1/4 size of a standard room at the MGM Grand Resort). On November 21, 1980, the MGM Grand suffered the worst resort fire in the history of Las Vegas, killing 87 people as a result of electrical problems. It reopened eight months later. In 1986, Kerkorian sold the MGM Grand to Bally Manufacturing, and it was renamed Bally's.

The Wet 'n Wild water park opened in 1985 and was located on the south side of the Sahara hotel. The park closed at the end of the 2004 season and was later demolished.

The opening of The Mirage in 1989 set a new level to the Las Vegas experience, as smaller hotels and casinos made way for the larger mega-resorts. These huge facilities offer entertainment and dining options, as well as gambling and lodging. This change affected the smaller, well-known and now historic hotels and casinos, like The Dunes, The Sands, the Stardust, and the Sahara.

In 1995, following the death of Dean Martin, the lights along the Strip were dimmed in a sign of respect to him. This was repeated in 1998 in honor of the recently deceased Frank Sinatra. In 2005, Clark County renamed a section of Industrial Road (south of Twain Avenue) as Dean Martin Drive, also as a tribute to the famous Rat Pack singer, actor, and frequent Las Vegas entertainer.

In an effort to attract families, resorts offered more attractions geared toward youth, but had limited success. The (current) MGM Grand opened in 1993 with Grand Adventures amusement park, but the park closed in 2000 due to lack of interest. Similarly, in 2003 Treasure Island closed its own video arcade and abandoned the previous pirate theme, adopting the new ''ti'' name.

In addition to the large hotels, casinos and resorts, the Strip is home to a few smaller casinos and other attractions, such as M&M; World, Adventuredome and the Fashion Show Mall. Starting in the mid-1990s, the Strip became a popular New Year's Eve celebration destination.

In 2004, MGM Mirage announced plans for ''Project CityCenter'', a , $7 billion multi-use project on the site of the Boardwalk hotel and adjoining land. It consists of hotel, casino, condo, retail, art, business and other uses on the site. City Center is currently the largest such complex in the world. Construction began in April 2006, with most elements of the project opened in late 2009.

In 2006, the Las Vegas Strip lost its longtime status as the world's highest-grossing gambling center, falling to second place behind Macau.

The Strip today

Transportation

While not on the Strip itself, the Las Vegas Monorail runs on the east side of the Strip from Tropicana Avenue to Sahara Road.

RTC Transit (formerly CAT or Citizens Area Transit 1992–2008) provides service on the Strip with double decker buses known as The Deuce. The Deuce runs between Mandalay Bay at the southern end of the Strip to the Downtown Transportation Center (DTC) near the Fremont Street Experience, with stops near every casino. RTC also operates an express bus called the ACE Gold Line. This route connects the Strip to the Las Vegas Convention Center and Downtown Las Vegas, with stops at selected hotels and shopping attractions.

A tourist trolley service travels up and down the Strip and stops at various, but not all, Strip hotels, along with a stop at the Fashion Show Mall. The fare is $3 for a one way ride, regardless how far riders travel down the Strip. Alternatively, a 24-hour pass is $7, and exact change is required. Trolleys are scheduled to arrive every 15 minutes.

Several free trams operate on the west side of the Strip:

Mandalay Bay Tram connecting the Mandalay Bay, Luxor, and Excalibur

CityCenter Tram connecting the Monte Carlo, Crystals, and Bellagio

Between Treasure Island and The Mirage

Taxis can only stop at hotel entrances or designated spots, so when planning to get somewhere, passengers inquire as to which hotel or taxi stand is closest to the intended destination.

Before CAT Bus came on in 1992, mass transit on the Strip was provided by a private transit company, Las Vegas Transit. The Strip route was their only profitable route and supported the whole bus system.

Free shuttles

Some of the shuttles have a policy requiring a room key from an affiliated casino. Enforcement of these policies may vary.

Between Harrah's and the Rio. Approximately every 30 minutes.

Between Sam's Town and Bill's Gamblin' Hall, Harrah's, Riviera, and Tropicana. Approximately every hour and a half.

Between Paris/Bally's and the Rio. Approximately every 30 minutes.

Between Hard Rock and the Fashion Show Mall. Leaves the Hard Rock every 60 minutes on the hour.

Walking around

Several Strip hotels have undertaken efforts to make the street more pedestrian-friendly. New casinos design their façades to attract walk-up customers, and many of these entrances have become attractions themselves—the Fountains at Bellagio, the volcano at The Mirage, and the Sirens of TI show at Treasure Island. Spectators gather on the sidewalks in front of the casinos to watch these shows.

To alleviate traffic issues at popular intersections, several footbridges have been installed to help pedestrians safely traverse the roads. The Tropicana – Las Vegas Boulevard footbridges were the first to be installed, and based on the success of this project additional footbridges have been built on Las Vegas Boulevard at the Flamingo Road intersection; between The Mirage/Treasure Island and The Venetian; at the Las Vegas Boulevard-Spring Mountain and Sands Avenue intersection connecting the Wynn with the Fashion Show Mall and The Palazzo; and the latest one being constructed to connect Planet Hollywood with CityCenter.

Golf courses

In recent years, all but one of the on-Strip golf courses (the Desert Inn Golf Course) have fallen prey to the mega-resorts' need for land and have closed. Developer Steve Wynn, founder of previously owned Mirage Resorts, purchased the Desert Inn and golf course for his new company Wynn Resorts. In 2005, he opened Wynn Las Vegas, complete with remodeled golf course providing tee times to hotel guests only.

In 2000, Bali Hai Golf Club opened just south of Mandalay Bay and the Strip.

Major hotel locations

{| align="center" | colspan=3 align="center" | North towards Fremont Street |- | | align="center" | ↑ |- | rowspan="3" align="right" | Stratosphere |- | bgcolor="#C0C0C0" width="35" rowspan="35" | |- | |- | bgcolor="#C0C0C0" width="200" height="18" | ''Sahara Avenue'' | bgcolor="#C0C0C0" width="200" align="right" | ''Sahara Avenue'' |- | rowspan="3" align="right" |Circus Circus |- | Fontainebleau |- | Riviera |- | rowspan="2" align="right" | | |- | bgcolor="#C0C0C0" align="right" | ''Convention Center Drive'' |- | | rowspan="2" | Encore | |- | align="right" rowspan="2"| Fashion Show Mall |- |Wynn | rowspan="2" | | |- | bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | ''Spring Mountain Road'' | bgcolor="#C0C0C0" align="right" | ''Sands Avenue'' |- | align="right" rowspan="2" | Treasure Island | The Palazzo |- | The Venetian |- | align="right" rowspan="3" | The Mirage | Casino Royale |- | Harrah's |- | Imperial Palace |- | align="right" rowspan="2" | Caesars Palace | Flamingo |- | |- | bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | ''Flamingo Road'' | bgcolor="#C0C0C0" align="right" |''Flamingo Road'' |- | rowspan="2" align="right" | Bellagio | Bally's |- | Paris |- | align="right" | Cosmopolitan | Planet Hollywood, Grand Chateau |- | align="right" | Vdara, The Harmon |- | bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | ''Harmon Avenue'' | bgcolor="#C0C0C0" align="right" | ''Harmon Avenue'' |- | align="right" | Aria, Mandarin Oriental | |- | align="right" | Monte Carlo |- | align="right" | New York-New York | MGM Grand, The Signature |- | bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | ''Tropicana Avenue'' | bgcolor="#C0C0C0" align="right" | ''Tropicana Avenue'' |- | align="right" | Excalibur | Tropicana |- | align="right" | Luxor | |- | align="right" | THEHotel |- | align="right" |Four Seasons, Mandalay Bay |- | bgcolor="#C0C0C0" align="left" | ''Russell Road'' |- | |- | colspan=3 align="center" | ↓ |- | colspan=3 align="center" | South towards |}

Shopping attractions

! Name	! Description
Bonanza Gift Shop2440 Las Vegas Boulevard South	Billed as the "World's Largest Gift Shop", with over of shopping space. Located Just north of the Strip.
	Luxury retailer mall featuring the only Barneys New York department store in Las Vegas.
Fashion Show Mall3200 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Grand Canal Shoppes3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South
The Forum Shops at Caesars Las Vegas Boulevard South	A luxury mall connected to Caesars Palace with more than 160 shops and 11 restaurants.
	Luxury high fashion mall at CityCenter.

Entertainment

Most of the attractions and shows on the Strip are located on the hotel casino properties. Some of the more popular free attractions visible from the Strip include the water fountains at Bellagio, the Sirens of TI show at Treasure Island—TI, the volcano at The Mirage, and the Fall of Atlantis and Festival Fountain at Caesars Palace. MGM Grand features a glass-sided lion habitat inside the casino area, in which up to six lions are shown every day.

Cinemas

The only movie theatre directly on the Strip is the 10-screen Regal Showcase Theatre in the Showcase Mall next to the MGM Grand (opened in 1997 and operated by Regal Entertainment Group).

Demolished or closed Strip casinos and hotels

Big Red's Casino: Closed in 1982. Property developed for CBS Sports World Casino (Changed name to Sports World Casino after the CBS threatened to sue): Closed in 2001, now a shopping center.

Boardwalk Hotel and Casino: Demolished May 9, 2006 to make way for CityCenter.

Bourbon Street Hotel and Casino: Demolished February 6, 2006, now an empty lot.

Desert Inn (and golf course): Inn demolished in 2004, now Wynn Las Vegas; golf course retained and improved.

The Dunes (and golf course): Demolished in 1993, now Bellagio.

El Rancho (formerly Thunderbird/Silverbird): Closed in 1992 and demolished in 2000, will be the site of the 4000-room casino-hotel Fontainebleau which is currently under construction.

El Rancho Vegas: Burned down in 1960. The Hilton Grand Vacation Club timeshare now exists on the south edge of the site where the resort once stood; the remainder remains vacant.

Glass Pool Inn: Demolished in 2006. It was called ''Mirage Motel'' until 1988 and changed names due to The Mirage opening down the Strip in 1989.

Hacienda: Demolished in 1996, now Mandalay Bay. A separate Hacienda now exists outside of Boulder City, formerly the Gold Strike Inn.

Holy Cow Casino Cafe and Brewery: First micro brewery in Las Vegas. Closed in 2002, property currently vacant.

Jackpot Casino: Closed in 1977, now the Sahara.

Klondike Hotel & Casino: Closed in 2006, demolished in 2008.

The Landmark: Demolished in 1995. Now the site of a parking lot for the Las Vegas Convention Center (Demolition was filmed for the feature ''Mars Attacks!'').

Lucky Slots Casino: Closed in 1981, now a shopping center.

Lotus Inn Hotel & Casino: Closed in 1978, now a Rodeway Inn.

Money Tree Casino: Closed in 1979, now Bonanza Gift & Souvenir Shops.

Marina Hotel and Casino: Westward pointing tower (known as the West Wing) of the MGM Grand.

The New Frontier: Closed July 16, 2007, demolished November 13, 2007. Was to have been replaced by the new Las Vegas Plaza, but that project was put on hold.

Nob Hill Casino: Closed in 1990, now Casino Royale.

Paddlewheel Hotel & Casino: Closed in 1991 and reopened in 1993 as Debbie Reynolds' Hollywood Hotel & Casino, which itself closed in 1996 and is now the Greek Isles Hotel & Casino.

Sahara Hotel and Casino: Closed May 16, 2011, The owner of the hotel, Sam Nazarian, left open the possibility of reopening the property at a later date.

San Souci: Closed in 1962 for the Castaways, which itself was demolished in 1987. Now the site of The Mirage.

The Sands: Demolished in 1996, now The Venetian.

Silver City Hotel & Casino: Closed in 1999, now the Silver City Shopping Center.

Silver Slipper: Demolished in 1988 for a parking lot. Now the site of the Desert Inn Road Arterial.

Stardust Resort & Casino: Closed November 1, 2006, demolished March 13, 2007. Was to have been replaced by Echelon Place, but that project was put on hold in August 2008.

Tally Ho Hotel: Closed in 1966. Became the Aladdin, which in 2007 became Planet Hollywood.

Vacation Village Resort & Casino; Closed in 2002, demolished in 2006. Site of the new Town Square development.

Vegas World: Demolished in 1995 and rebuilt as the Stratosphere; parts of the old Vegas World still remain.

Westward Ho Hotel and Casino: Closed in 2005, demolished in 2006.

Gallery

See also

Downtown (Nevada gaming area)

Atlantic City

References

Further reading

.

External links

Las Vegas Weather and Climate from NOAA

Official State of Nevada Tourism Site

Neon Sin City: Las Vegas in Lights—slideshow by ''The First Post''

Category:All-American Roads Category:Landmarks in Nevada Category:Nevada Scenic Byways Category:Paradise, Nevada Category:Streets in the Las Vegas metropolitan area Category:U.S. Route 91 Category:Shopping districts and streets in the United States Category:Entertainment districts

da:Las Vegas Strip de:Las Vegas Strip es:Las Vegas Strip fa:نوار لاس وگاس fr:Las Vegas Strip ko:라스베이거스 스트립 id:Las Vegas Strip it:Las Vegas Strip he:הסטריפ nl:Las Vegas Strip ja:ラスベガス・ストリップ pl:Las Vegas Strip pt:Las Vegas Strip ru:Лас-Вегас-Стрип fi:Las Vegas Strip sv:Las Vegas Strip vi:Dải Las Vegas

Coordinates	33°51′35.9″N151°12′40″N
Name	Las Vegas
Official name	City of Las Vegas
Settlement type	City
Nickname	"Sin City""Capital of Second Chances""The Marriage Capital of the World"
Image seal	Las Vegas seal.jpg
Map caption	Location of Las Vegas in Clark County, Nevada
Pushpin map	USA2
Pushpin map caption	Location in the United States
Coordinates region	US-NV
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	United States
Subdivision type1	State
Subdivision name1	Nevada
Subdivision type2	County
Subdivision name2	Clark County
Government type	Council-Manager
Leader title	Mayor
Leader name	Carolyn Goodman (N.P.)
Leader title1	City Manager
Leader name1	Betsy Fretwell
Area magnitude	1 E9
Unit pref	Imperial
Area total km2	340.0
Area total sq mi	131.3
Area land km2	339.8
Area land sq mi	131.2
Area water km2	0.16
Area water sq mi	0.1
Population as of	2010
Population urban	1,314,356
Population metro	1,951,269
Population total	583,756
Population note	(30th U.S.)
Population density km2	1604
Population density sq mi	4154
Population demonym	Las Vegan
Timezone	PST
Utc offset	−8
Timezone dst	PDT
Utc offset dst	−7
Postal code type	ZIP codes
Area code	702
Elevation m	610
Elevation ft	2001
Website	www.lasvegasnevada.gov
Blank name	FIPS code
Blank info	32-40000
Blank1 name	GNIS feature ID
Blank1 info	0847388
Footnotes	}}

Las Vegas () is the most populous city in Nevada, United States, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. Las Vegas, which bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, is famous for its casino resorts and associated entertainment. A growing retirement and family city, it is the 28th-most populous city in the United States, with an estimated population by the U.S. Census Bureau of 583,756 as of 2010. The 2010 population estimate of the Las Vegas metropolitan area was 1,951,269.

Established in 1905, Las Vegas officially became a city in 1911. At the close of the 20th century, Las Vegas was the most populous American city founded in that century (a distinction held by Chicago in the 19th century). The city's tolerance for various forms of adult entertainment earned it the title of Sin City, and this image has made Las Vegas a popular setting for films and television programs. There are numerous outdoor lighting displays on Fremont Street, as well as elsewhere in the city.

The name ''Las Vegas'' is often applied to unincorporated areas that surround the city, especially the resort areas on and near the Las Vegas Strip. The stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard known as the Strip is mainly in the unincorporated communities of Paradise, Winchester, and Enterprise.

History

The first reported European visitor to the Las Vegas Valley was Raphael Rivera in 1829. Las Vegas was named by Spaniards in the Antonio Armijo party, who used the water in the area while heading north and west along the Old Spanish Trail from Texas. In the 19th century, areas of the valley contained artesian wells that supported extensive green areas or ''meadows'' (''vegas'' in Spanish); hence the name ''Las Vegas''.

John C. Frémont traveled into the Las Vegas Valley on May 3, 1844, while it was still part of Mexico. He was a leader of a group of scientists, scouts, and observers for the United States Army Corps of Engineers. On May 10, 1855, following annexation by the United States, Brigham Young assigned 30 missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints led by William Bringhurst to the area to convert the Paiute Indian population to Mormonism. A fort was built near the current downtown area that served as a stopover for travelers along the "Mormon Corridor" between Salt Lake and the briefly thriving colony of saints at San Bernardino, California. Mormons abandoned Las Vegas in 1857, during the Utah War. Las Vegas was established as a railroad town on May 15, 1905, when owned by the San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad was auctioned off in what is now downtown Las Vegas. Among the railroad's most notable owners and directors were Montana Senator William A. Clark, Utah U.S. Senator Thomas Kearns, and R.C. Kerens of St. Louis. Las Vegas was part of Lincoln County until 1908, when it became part of the newly established Clark County. The St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church near 4th and Bridger in downtown was founded in 1910. Las Vegas became an incorporated city on March 16, 1911; Peter Buol was the first mayor.

Las Vegas started as a stopover on the pioneer trails to the west, and became a popular railroad town in the early 20th century. It was a staging point for mines in the surrounding area, especially those around the town of Bullfrog, that shipped goods to the rest of the country. With the proliferation of the railroads, Las Vegas became less important, but the completion of the nearby Hoover Dam in 1935 resulted in growth in the number of residents and increased tourism. The dam, located southeast of the city, formed Lake Mead, the US's largest man-made lake and reservoir. Today, tours are offered into lesser-known parts of the dam. The legalization of gambling in 1931 led to the advent of the casino hotels for which Las Vegas is famous. Major development occurred in the 1940s, "due almost entirely" to the influx of scientists and staff from the Manhattan Project, an atomic bomb research project of World War II. Atomic test watching parties were sometimes thrown. American organized crime figures such as Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel and Meyer Lansky managed or funded most of the original large casinos. The rapid growth of Las Vegas is credited with dooming Galveston, Texas; Hot Springs, Arkansas; and other major gaming centers in the 1950s.

Geography and climate

Las Vegas is situated within Clark County in an arid basin on the desert floor, surrounded by dry mountains. The Spring Mountains lie to the west. Much of the landscape is rocky and dusty; the environment is dominated by desert vegetation and some wildlife, and the area is subject to torrential flash floods. The elevation is around above sea level. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.04%) is water.

Within the city there are many lawns, trees, and other greenery. Due to water resource issues, there is now a movement to encourage xeriscapes. Another part of the water conservation efforts include scheduled watering groups for watering residential landscaping. A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant in 2008 funded a program that analyzed and forecast growth and environmental impacts through the year 2019. This study resulted in an expansion of the sewage treatment capacity, which enabled rapid population growth.

Climate

Las Vegas' climate is a subtropical desert climate (Koppen climate classification ''BWh''), typical of the Mojave Desert in which it lies. The city enjoys abundant sunshine year-round: it has an average of about 300 sunny days per year with more than 3,800 hours of sunshine.

The summer months of June through September are very hot and mostly dry, with average daytime highs of and night-time lows of . There are an average of 133 days per year above , and 72 days above , with most of the days in July and August exceeding that benchmark. Humidity is very low, often under 10%.

Las Vegas' winters are of short duration and the season is generally mild, with daytime highs near and nighttime lows around . The mountains surrounding Las Vegas accumulate snow during the winter but snow is rare in the Las Vegas Valley itself. Temperatures can sometimes drop to freezing but winter nighttime temperatures will rarely dip below .

Annual precipitation in Las Vegas is roughly , which on average occurs on 29 days per year. Most of the precipitation falls in the winter, but the driest month (June) has only 2.9 fewer average days of precipitation than the wettest month (March). |source 2 = HKO (sun only) |date=August 2010 }}

Demographics

According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Las Vegas was as follows:

White: 62.1% (Non-Hispanic Whites: 47.9%)

Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 31.5% (24.0% Mexican, 1.4% Salvadoran, 0.9% Puerto Rican, 0.9% Cuban, 0.6% Guatemalan, 0.2% Peruvian, 0.2% Colombian, 0.2% Honduran, 0.2% Nicaraguan)

Black or African American: 11.1%

Asian: 6.1% (3.3% Filipino, 0.7% Chinese, 0.5% Korean, 0.4% Japanese, 0.4% Indian, 0.2% Vietnamese, 0.2% Thai)

Two or more races: 4.9%

Native American: 0.7%

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.6%

Source:

As of the census of 2010, there were 583,756 people, 211,689 households, and 117,538 families residing in the city. The population density was . There are 190,724 housing units at an average density of .

As of 2006, there were 176,750 households, out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 103.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $53,000 and the median income for a family was $58,465. Males had a median income of $35,511 versus $27,554 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,060. About 6.6% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

Las Vegas has one of the highest suicide and divorce rates of the U.S. A study that found Las Vegas residents are 40% less likely to commit suicide if they leave Las Vegas and visitors are more than twice as likely to commit suicide there as elsewhere was published in the Las Vegas Sun newspaper in 2008. The city's high divorce rate is not wholly due to Las Vegans themselves getting divorced. Since divorce is easier in Nevada than most other states, many people come from across the country for the easier process.

For similar reasons, Las Vegas has one of the highest marriage rates of U.S. cities, with many licenses issued to people from outside the area (see Las Vegas weddings).

Economy

The primary drivers of the Las Vegas economy are tourism, gaming, and conventions, which in turn feed the retail and restaurant industries.

Redevelopment

When The Mirage opened in 1989, it started a trend of major resort development of the southern portion of the Las Vegas Strip outside of the city. This resulted in a drop in tourism in the downtown area, but many recent projects and condominium construction have increased the number of visitors to downtown.

A effort has been made by city officials to diversify the economy by attracting light manufacturing, banking, and other commercial interests. The lack of state individual and corporate income tax and very simple incorporation requirements have fostered the success of this effort.

With the Strip expansion in the 1990s, Downtown Las Vegas (which has maintained an old Las Vegas feel) began to suffer. The city made an effort to turn around the fortunes of downtown. The city successfully lured the Internal Revenue Service operations from western side of the city to a new downtown area building that opened in April 2005. The IRS move was expected to create a greater demand for additional businesses in the area, especially in the daytime hours. The Fremont Street Experience (FSE) was built in an effort to draw tourists back to the area, and has been popular. Since the recession began in 2008, many of these shops have closed. The multi-level Neonopolis closed their 11 theaters and nearly all retail stores. Many high-rise condo projects have been under construction, but one of the highest profile buildings, The Streamline Towers, went into bankruptcy.

The city purchased of property from the Union Pacific Railroad in 1995 with the goal of creating something to draw more people to the downtown area. In 2004 Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman announced plans for Symphony Park, which will include residential and office high-rises, the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute, an academic medical center, The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, and a new City Hall. After failed negotiations with The Related Co. on the development of Union Park in October 2005, San Diego-based Newland Communities was chosen by the city as the new development firm. The Newland contract calls for Dan Van Epp, Newland's regional vice president and former president of The Howard Hughes Corporation, to oversee his company's work on Symphony Park. The Lou Ruvo Brain Institute was completed in 2009.

In 2004 the city partnered with Cheetah Wireless Technologies and MeshNetwork to pilot a wide-area mobile broadband system. The pilot system is installed downtown, around the Fremont Street Experience. On a lot adjacent to the city's 61 acre site, the World Market Center opened in 2005. It was intended as a preeminent furniture wholesale showroom and marketplace to compete with the current furniture market capital of High Point, North Carolina.

On October 23, 2006, plans were unveiled to build a World Jewelry Center in Symphony Park. Similar to the World Market Center, the WJC will be a one stop shop for jewelry trade shows from around the world. The project proposes a 57-story, office tower. As of 2009 the project was still on hold.

Las Vegas decided to build a new city hall in the late 2000s. This had several consequences. One being that the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, which shared city hall, would have to find a new location. The second being that the old building would be vacated with the potential negative impact on the downtown area. The police department elected to build a headquarters building in another part of the city and consolidate most of its operations in one place. This increased the departments presence with in the city since it would be moving in employees not presently working in the city. The second problem was address when the city and Zappos reached an agreement for Zappos to move its headquarters into the old city hall.

Tourism

The major attractions in Las Vegas are the casinos and the hotels. There are many hotel casinos in the city's downtown area, which was the focal point of the city's gaming industry in its early days.

Most major downtown casinos are downtown on the Fremont Street Experience, The Stratosphere being the major exception. Fremont East, adjacent to the Fremont Street Experience, was granted variances to allow bars to be closer together, similar to the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego. The goal being to attract a different demographic then the strip attracts.

Downtown area casinos

Las Vegas got its start with casinos in 1931 with the opening of the Northern Club (now the La Bayou). The most notable of the early casinos may have been Binion's Horseshoe (now Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel) while it was run by Benny Binion. Boyd Gaming has a major presence downtown operating the California Hotel and Casino, Fremont Hotel and Casino and the Main Street Casino. The Golden Gate Hotel and Casino is the oldest hotel in the Fremont Street Experience. The Golden Nugget is the largest hotel and casino in the city. The Plaza Hotel & Casino on Main Street was the railway station until Amtrak discontinued service. Other casinos include the El Cortez, Fitzgeralds, Four Queens, Gold Spike Hotel and Casino and the Las Vegas Club.

Nearby communities

Henderson, Nevada, incorporated

North Las Vegas, Nevada, incorporated

Paradise, Nevada, unincorporated

Enterprise, unincorporated

Sunrise Manor, Nevada, unincorporated

Spring Valley, Nevada, unincorporated

Boulder City, Nevada, incorporated

Culture

The city is home to several museums including the Neon Museum home to many of the historical signs from the valley, The Las Vegas Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, Lied Discovery Children's Museum and the Old Las Vegas Mormon State Historic Park.

On the first Friday of each month, the "First Friday" celebration is held, which exhibits the works of local artists and musicians in a section of the city's Downtown region called the "Arts District".

The Thursday prior to First Friday is known in the 18b Arts District as "Preview Thursday". This evening event highlights new gallery exhibitions just opening throughout the district.

The Southern Nevada Zoological-Botanical Park, also known as the Las Vegas Zoo, exhibits over 150 species of animals and plants.

The $485 million Smith Center for the Performing Arts (scheduled for completion in 2012) is located downtown in Symphony Park. The center will host Broadway shows and other major touring attractions as well as orchestra, opera, and dance performances.

The city hosts annual events like the Helldorado Days (Las Vegas).

Sports

Las Vegas does not have major-league sports, although the metropolitan population is as large or larger than many cities that have them. The two main reasons are concern about legal sports betting and competition for the entertainment dollar. The only minor league sports team that plays in the City of Las Vegas is baseball's Las Vegas 51s of the Pacific Coast League, the AAA farm club of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Parks and recreation

Las Vegas has dozens of parks, including Las Vegas Springs Preserve, a recreational and educational facility, and Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs. The city operates 4 golf courses (Angel Park Golf Club, Desert Pines Golf Course, Durango Hills Golf Club and the Las Vegas Municipal Golf Course), 5 dog parks, 9 community centers, 8 senior centers and 20 sports facilities including 9 skate parks and 6 swimming pools.

Attractions

Las Vegas is a popular destination for Hawaiians. In 2002, almost 80,000 former residents of Hawaii lived in Las Vegas, and nearly 3,000 Hawaiians visited Las Vegas every week. Las Vegas is sometimes referred to as Hawaii's Ninth Island. The city is the home to the first ABC Stores branch outside the state of Hawaii.

Government

The City of Las Vegas government operates as a council-manager government. The Mayor sits as a Council member-at-large and presides over all of the City Council meetings. In the event that the Mayor cannot preside over a City Council meeting, the Mayor Pro-Tem is the presiding officer of the meeting until such time as the Mayor returns to his seat. The City Manager is responsible for the administration and the day-to-day operation of all of the municipal services and city departments. The City Manager maintains intergovernmental relationships with federal, state, county, and other local governments.

Much of the Las Vegas metropolitan area is split into neighboring incorporated cities or unincorporated communities. Approximately 700,000 people live in unincorporated areas governed by Clark County, and another 465,000 live in incorporated cities such as North Las Vegas, Henderson, and Boulder City. Las Vegas and nearly all of the surrounding metropolitan area share a police department, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, which was formed after a 1973 merger of the Las Vegas Police Department and the Clark County Sheriff's Department. North Las Vegas, Henderson, Boulder City, and some colleges have their own police departments.

A Paiute Indian reservation occupies about in the downtown area.

Las Vegas, as the county seat and home to the Lloyd D. George Federal District Courthouse, draws numerous legal service industries providing bail, marriage, divorce, tax, incorporation, and other legal services.

City council

(Council members' official city websites are available)

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%" |- ! style="width:*;"|Name ! style="width:*;"|Position ! style="width:*;"|Termends ! style="width:*;"|References ! style="width:*;"|Comments |- || Stavros Anthony || 4th Ward Council member || 2013 || || |- || Ricki Barlow || 5th Ward Council member || 2015 || || |- || Carolyn Goodman || Mayor and Council member at-large || 2015 || || Replaced her husband, Oscar Goodman, who was term-limited |- || Bob Coffin || 3rd Ward Council member || 2015 || || |- || Steve Ross || 6th Ward Council member || 2013 || || |- || Lois Tarkanian || 1st Ward Council member || 2015 || || |- || Steve Wolfson, Esq || 2nd Ward Council member || 2013 || || |- |}

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Primary and secondary public education is provided by the Clark County School District, which is the fifth most populous school district in the nation (projected enrollment for the 2007–2008 school year was 314,000 students in grades K–12).

Colleges and universities

The College of Southern Nevada (the third largest community college in the United States by enrollment) is the main higher education facility in the city. Other institutions include the University of Nevada School of Medicine, with a campus in the city, and the for-profit private school Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. Many educational opportunities exist around the city. These include University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Nevada State College run by the Nevada System of Higher Education, Desert Research Institute, The International Academy of Design & Technology Las Vegas, Touro University Nevada and the University of Southern Nevada.

Transportation

RTC Transit is a public transportation system providing bus service throughout Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, and other suburban areas of the valley. Inter-city bus service to Las Vegas is provided by Greyhound, many charter services, including Green Tortoise, and several Chinatown bus lines. Amtrak California operates Deluxe Express Thruway Motorcoach dedicated service between the City and its passenger rail station in Bakersfield, California.

A bus rapid transit link in Las Vegas called the Strip & Downtown Express (previously ACE Gold Line) with limited stops and frequent service was launched in March 2010, and connects Downtown Las Vegas, the Strip, the Las Vegas Convention Center, and Town Square.

With some exceptions, including Las Vegas Boulevard, Boulder Highway (SR 582), and Rancho Drive (SR 599), the majority of surface streets in Las Vegas are laid out in a grid along Public Land Survey System section lines. Many are maintained by the Nevada Department of Transportation as state highways. The street numbering system is divided by the following streets:

Westcliff Drive, US 95 Expressway, Fremont Street, and Charleston Boulevard divide the north-south block numbers from west to east.

Las Vegas Boulevard divides the east-west streets from the Las Vegas Strip to near the Stratosphere, then Main Street becomes the dividing line from the Stratosphere to the North Las Vegas border, after which the Goldfield Street alignment divides east and west.

On the east side of Las Vegas, block numbers between Charleston Boulevard and Washington Avenue are different along Nellis Boulevard, which is the eastern border of the city limits.

Interstates 15, 515, and US 95 lead out of the city in four directions. Two major freeways – Interstate 15 and Interstate 515/U.S. Route 95 – cross in downtown Las Vegas. I-15 connects Las Vegas to Los Angeles, and heads northeast to and beyond Salt Lake City, Utah. I-515 goes southeast to Henderson, beyond which US 93 continues over the Mike O'Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge towards Phoenix, Arizona. US 95 connects the city to northwestern Nevada, including Carson City and Reno. US 93 splits from I-15 northeast of Las Vegas and goes north through the eastern part of the state, serving Ely and Wells. US 95 heads south from US 93 near Henderson through far eastern California. A partial beltway has been built, consisting of Interstate 215 on the south and Clark County 215 on the west and north. Other radial routes include Blue Diamond Road (SR 160) to Pahrump and Lake Mead Boulevard (SR 147) to Lake Mead.

;East-west roads, north to south ;North-south roads, west to east

McCarran International Airport handles international and domestic flights into the Las Vegas Valley. The airport also serves private aircraft and freight/cargo flights. Most general aviation traffic uses the smaller North Las Vegas Airport and Henderson Executive Airport.

The Union Pacific Railroad is the only class-one railroad to provide rail freight service to the city. Until 1997, the Amtrak Desert Wind train service ran through Las Vegas using the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. Amtrak service to Las Vegas goes to Needles, California and continues on Amtrak's Thruway Motorcoach bus service. Plans to restore Los Angeles to Las Vegas Amtrak service using a Talgo train were discussed in the late 1990s, but the plan was not implemented. The Las Vegas Amtrak station was located in the Plaza Hotel; it held the distinction of being the only train station in the US that was located in a casino.

Walkability

A 2011 study by Walk Score ranked Las Vegas 25th most walkable of fifty largest U.S. cities.

Sister cities

Ansan, South Korea Jeju City, South Korea Huludao, Liaoning, People's Republic of China Phuket, Thailand Angeles City, Philippines Pamukkale, Turkey

See also

Las Vegas weddings

List of Las Vegans

List of Las Vegas casinos that never opened

List of films set in Las Vegas

List of films shot in Las Vegas

List of mayors of Las Vegas, Nevada

List of television shows set in Las Vegas

Las Vegas Strip

Radio stations in Las Vegas

Television stations in Las Vegas

References

External links

City of Las Vegas, Nevada web site

"The Making of Las Vegas" (historical timeline)

Geologic tour guide of the Las Vegas area from American Geological Institute

National Weather Service Forecast – Las Vegas, NV

Category:Populated places established in 1905 Category:Cities in the Mojave Desert Category:Cities in Nevada Category:Populated places in Clark County, Nevada Category:Gambling in the United States Category:County seats in Nevada

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