Las Vegas Info
About the Las Vegas, Nevada Area
Imagine settling down in the ideal Southwest metropolis where housing prices offer incomparable value, jobs are plentiful and the sun shines 320 days out of the year. A place where friendly family neighborhoods provide good schools with nearby libraries, parks and shopping plus something exciting to do every night of the week. You were dreaming of Las Vegas, right?
So much more than the glitz and glamour of the dazzling “Strip”, Las Vegas is a lovely place to call your hometown with 1.6 million residents and the nation’s fastest growing housing market. More than 6,000 new residents join the party every month to take advantage of the local cost of living that’s lower than in other comparable US cities, in part because residents pay no personal state income tax.
The economy is booming and Las Vegas has ranked first nationally in employment growth since 1995 with no end in site. Combining economic prosperity with a healthy climate, sensational recreation opportunities and world class entertainment, it’s no wonder that Las Vegas has spent the past two decades as the fastest growing metro area in the country.
Property values are continually on the rise with plenty of appreciation potential and prices that promise a whole lotta’ house for your money. No matter what kind abode you dream of, from a brand new, 3,000 square foot executive home in a master-planned community to a mid-century rancher with resort backyard in a well-tended, mature neighborhood, fabulous family homes come in all shapes, sizes and styles to capture your imagination. Perhaps a low-maintenance townhome for your busy professional lifestyle or an elegant condominium in a luxury, highrise for enjoying your golden years is more to your liking? No matter your housing needs or desires, you can fulfill them in Vegas.
The average price of a home in the Las Vegas Valley costs approximately $50,000 less than it would cost in Los Angeles and $75,000 less than in San Diego. Residents have more disposable income than in comparable cities and really like to get out and enjoy life. Despite tremendous growth, city officials and business leaders work hard to preserve the desirable quality of life that has made the area so attractive. Every year the city expands with new schools, roads and health care facilities that offer the most modern services to meet the needs of the growing population. There’s a reason that over two-thirds of the respondents to a community wide survey indicated satisfaction with living in lovely Las Vegas.
While it’s always fun to take in the amazing tourist attractions like the mega resorts on the Strip featuring spectacles of showgirls, magicians and international entertainers, Las Vegas is also the closest major city to more renowned national parks than any other in the nation. Gateway to Grand Canyon and Death Valley, just a few hours from Zion and Bryce Canyon, these national treasures are practically your backyard playground when you come home to Las Vegas.
Sparkling Lake Mead, where you can enjoy the finest in boating, fishing and water-sports as well as Red Rock Canyon, where you can hike surrounded by a stunning desert landscape, are only minutes away and local favorites. Great Basin National Park, the largest in Nevada, is an hour’s drive west and home to the famed Lehman Caves where you can descend into world of amazing shapes and colors created by Mother Nature that is sure to thrill the kids.
As a matter of fact there are plenty of munchkin-friendly activities to take in including NASCAR and all sorts of auto racing events at the new 107,000-seat Las Vegas Motor Speedway plus thrilling UNLV Sports action in both men’s and women’s basketball. There are more than 50 performing arts and museum facilities to enrich the lives of all members of the community as well as stupendous shopping from luxury purveyors in the mega-resort shopping arcades to one of the finest outlet malls in the entire nation. Whether it’s a precious bauble found at the Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace or something sensational at a bargain price discovered at the Factory Stores of America Mall, from the sublime to the ridiculous you can buy it in Vegas.
Educational facilities continue to expand and residents recently approved a $650 million bond for modernization of public school structures. The Clark County School District is the 10th largest in the nation, with 170,000 students and over 200 elementary, middle and senior high schools that are committed to a rigorous curriculum and high standards. There are numerous parochial and private elementary and secondary schools plus the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the Community College of Southern Nevada for higher education opportunities. UNLV’s School of Law offers an acclaimed program for future lawyers while the University of Nevada Medical School offers highly prized educational and residency programs for future physicians. Las Vegas has world-class hospitals and medical treatment with a health care delivery system that continues to expand and attract top-level talent.
There’s plenty of available commercial land plus low utility and transportation costs. The gaming industry, which contributes about one-third of the state’s tax revenue, has never been healthier and a number of new resorts are currently under construction, or nearing completion that will expand demand for products and services creating hundreds of new companies and thousands of jobs. A great place for entrepreneurs of all kinds, Las Vegas is open for business.
Residents take pride in the great tourist attractions the city has to offer. There’s nothing like a stroll Downtown on a warm desert evening to view the dazzling light show that spans several blocks or a promenade up the Strip to take in the amazing recreations like the Eiffel Tower and the Sphinx of Egypt. The entertainment superstores may be what have made Las Vegas a celebrity but beyond the neon lights is a community that offers a phenomenal quality of life. There’s never been a better time to buy, come take a home tour and be sold!
Las Vegas is located in the southwestern corner of Nevada near the borders of California and Arizona. It is situated in a broad, flat desert valley surrounded by stunning mountains including the Spring Mountains to the west, Frenchman’s Mountains to the east, Sheep Range to the north and McCullough Range to the south. Much of the surrounding dramatic landscape is rocky and dusty as befits a desert although within the city limits you’ll discover an oasis of green with sweeping lawns and lush tropical landscaping everywhere you look.
Primary roadways into Las Vegas include I-15 (north to Salt Lake City–south to San Diego), US 93 (north to Ely and Jackpot–south to Kingman, Arizona) and US 95 (north towards Reno–south to Searchlight). Las Vegas covers a land area of 83 square miles with a metro region that includes the surrounding cities of North Las Vegas, Boulder City, Henderson, Mesquite and a large number of unincorporated communities.
Las Vegas is centrally located and well situated for exploring the many wonders of the Southwest like the Grand Canyon, which is only 150 miles east while Death Valley is only 150 miles west. The CA border is 60 miles west, Los Angeles is 270 miles west and the Nevada state capital at Carson City is 450 miles north.
You can conveniently get around Las Vegas on one of many primary roadways including the I-15 (north to Salt Lake City–south to San Diego), US 93 (north to Ely and Jackpot–south to Kingman, Arizona) and US 95 (north towards Reno–south to Searchlight).
Las Vegas is an easy city to navigate. The principal north-south artery is Las Vegas Boulevard, which runs roughly parallel to the I-15, less than a mile to the west. The “Strip” is a 3.5-mile stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South where a majority of the city's hotels and casinos are clustered. Many of the major streets running east-west like Tropicana Avenue, Flamingo Road, Desert Inn Road and Sahara Avenue are named for the casinos built at their intersections with the Strip.
The CAT (Citizens Area Transit) Bus is a popular means of public transportation among locals offering 51 bus routes that cover a large portion of the valley. The fare for 24/7 CAT buses on the Strip is $2, while the schedule for all other buses is 5:00 AM to 1:00 AM daily with a fare of $1.25. There’s also a brand new monorail connecting the Strip destination resorts, from the MGM Grand Hotel at the south end to the Sahara Hotel at the north end, for a fare of $3 per ride.
Las Vegas is heavily serviced by taxicabs. You can hail a cab from anywhere and if you dine at a restaurant, the restaurant will call a taxi to take you home. The fare is $2.70 on the meter when you get in, plus $1.80 for every mile. Taxis are limited by law to carrying a maximum of four passengers and taxis leaving the airport are allowed to add an airport surcharge of $1.20.
McCarran International Airport, which recently opened a new terminal featuring 60 additional gates, provides commercial flights to every destination imaginable, many direct from Las Vegas. The airport is the seventh largest in the country and also serves private aircraft as well as domestic and international passenger flights and freight/cargo flights.
While there is no passenger train service, intercity bus service to Las Vegas is provided by traditional carriers, including Greyhound, which maintains an in-town depot as well as many charter services like Green Tortoise.
BRIEF HISTORY 
A young Spanish scout named Rafael Rivera was the first person of European ancestry to look upon the Las Vegas Valley. He dubbed it Las Vegas, Spanish for “The Meadows” discovering that the valley was abundant with wild grasses and a plentiful water supply. It wasn’t until famed explorer Captain John Fremont wrote of Las Vegas in 1844 that anyone other than Spanish explorers, missionaries and the indigenous Indian population even knew the valley existed.
In 1855, Brigham Young assigned thirty Mormon missionaries to build a fort in the valley. The fort constituted the first non-Indian settlement in the region. Their primary purpose was to teach the Paiute Indians farming techniques but the native tribe rejected the teachings and occasionally raided the fort until it was abandoned in 1857.
With the discovery of minerals and precious metals, a mining industry emerged in the late 19th century spurring the Nevada State Land Act of 1885, which offered sections of land at $1.25 per acre. Soon farmers moved in to take advantage of the value prices and agriculture became the dominant industry in the valley for the next 20 years.
When the main railway was completed, linking Southern California with Salt Lake City in 1905, Las Vegas became an important railroad town because the availability of water made it an ideal refueling point and rest stop. The railroad was the principal industry in Las Vegas for the next 25 years.
Las Vegas was officially founded as a city on May 15, 1905, when 110 acres of land were auctioned off situated between Stewart Avenue on the north, Garces Avenue on the south, Main Street on the west, and 5th Street (now Las Vegas Boulevard) on the east. The new City of Las Vegas was governed as part of Lincoln County until 1909 when it became the county seat for the newly established Clark County.
Las Vegas became an incorporated city and adopted its first charter on March 16, 1911. At the time of incorporation, the city encompassed 19 square miles and had approximately 800 inhabitants while all of Clark County had a population of only 3,321.
Las Vegas had grown to a population of 5,000 by 1931 when three events occurred that would change the city forever. On March 19, 1931 gambling was legalized in the State of Nevada and one month later, the City of Las Vegas issued six gambling licenses. Divorce laws were liberalized in the state making residency easier to attain so a "quickie" divorce could be completed after only six weeks. Short-term residents awaiting the disposition of their divorce proceedings stayed at dude ranches that were the forerunners of the sprawling Strip hotels. 1931 also saw the beginning of the construction of Hoover Dam, which brought an influx of construction workers. A population boom began giving the Valley’s economy, then in the throes of the Great Depression, a needed boost.
By 1940, when the population had grown to 8,500, the outbreak of World War II brought the defense industry to the valley. The isolated location, plentiful water and inexpensive energy, made Las Vegas an ideal site for military and defense related industries. Nellis Air Force Base was located in the northeast, and the Basic Management Complex, providers of raw materials for military industry, was located in the southeastern suburb of Henderson. The defense industry continues to employ a significant number of valley residents to this day.
Following World War II, lavishly decorated resort hotels and gambling casinos offering top-name entertainment came into existence. Tourism and entertainment took over as the largest employer and in 1956, the city annexed one square mile of land, its first such addition since incorporation 45 years earlier.
By 1960, Las Vegas covered 25 square miles and had a population of 65,000. During the 1960s, Howard Hughes began a phenomenon that ultimately turned “gambling” into “gaming. Corporations began building and buying hotel/casino properties transforming Vegas into a world-class destination resort. Throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s, corporations continued to invest in the hotel/casino industry and resorts had stock traded on the market.
Beginning in the mid 1980s, a period of unprecedented growth commenced that continues unabated. Annual population increases averaging nearly 7 percent caused the city's population to almost double between 1985 and 1995, increasing to 370,000 during that time, a 97.6 percent increase. That is equivalent to building a city larger than Reno in 10 years.
Contributing to the population growth was a 4 percent annual increase in hotel rooms and a 9 percent annual increase in jobs with growth continuing right up to this day. The latest prediction is that more than 2 million people will reside in the Las Vegas Valley by the end of the decade making it the largest city established during the twentieth century. For a place like Las Vegas that knows no bounds, the next hundred years are certain to be as exciting and dynamic as the first hundred.
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