Las Vegas, Nevada
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This article is about the city in Nevada. For other uses, see Las Vegas.
This article is about the City of Las Vegas, Nevada only, not to be confused with the Las Vegas Strip or the Las Vegas metropolitan area.
| Las Vegas | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| — City — | |||
| City of Las Vegas | |||
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| Nickname(s): "The Entertainment Capital of the World" "Sin City" "Capital of Second Chances" "Lost Wages" "The City of Lights" | |||
 | |||
  Las Vegas | |||
| Coordinates: 36°10′30″N 115°08′11″W / 36.175°N 115.13639°W | |||
| Country | United States | ||
| State | Nevada | ||
| County | Clark County | ||
| Government | |||
| - Type | Council-Manager | ||
| - Mayor | Oscar B. Goodman (D) | ||
| - City Manager | Betsy Fretwell | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 131.3 sq mi (340.0 km2) | ||
| - Land | 131.2 sq mi (339.8 km2) | ||
| - Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.16 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 2,001 ft (610 m) | ||
| Population (2008)[1][2] | |||
| - City | 558,383 (28 th U.S.) | ||
| - Density | 4,154/sq mi (1,604/km2) | ||
| - Urban | 1,314,357 | ||
| - Metro | 1,865,746 | ||
| Time zone | PST (UTC−8) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC−7) | ||
| ZIP codes | |||
| Area code(s) | 702 | ||
| FIPS code | 32-40000 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0847388 | ||
| Website | www.lasvegasnevada.gov | ||
Established in 1905, Las Vegas officially became a city in 1911. With the growth that followed, at the close of the century Las Vegas was the most populous American city founded in the 20th 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. Outdoor lighting displays are everywhere on the Las Vegas Strip and are seen elsewhere in the city as well. As seen from space, the Las Vegas metropolitan area is one of the brightest on Earth.[3]
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. This 4 mi (6.4 km) stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard is partly in the Las Vegas city limits, but mainly in the unincorporated communities of Paradise and Winchester, and continues partly into unincorporated Enterprise.
Contents[hide] |
[edit] History
Main article: History of Las Vegas
John C. Frémont traveled into the Las Vegas Valley on May 3, 1844, while it was still part of Mexico.[6] 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, serving as a stopover for travelers along the "Mormon Corridor" between Salt Lake and the briefly thriving colony of saints at San Bernardino, California. However, Mormons abandoned Las Vegas in 1857. Las Vegas was established as a railroad town on May 15, 1905, when 110 acres (44.5 ha) owned by Montana Senator William A. Clark's San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad, was auctioned off in what is now downtown Las Vegas. Las Vegas was part of Lincoln County until 1909 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.[7] Las Vegas became an incorporated city on March 16, 1911.
Though Las Vegas's gambling revenues have been surpassed by Macau, the city remains one of the world's top entertainment destinations.[9][10]
[edit] Geography and climate
The city is in an arid basin surrounded by dry mountains. City elevation is around 2,030 ft (620 m) above sea level. The Spring Mountains lie to the west. As befits a desert, much of the landscape is rocky and dusty. Within the city, however, there are a great deal of lawns, trees, and other greenery. Due to water resource issues, there is now a movement to encourage xeriscapes instead of lawns. Another part of the water conservation efforts include scheduled watering groups for watering residential landscaping. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 131.3 square miles (340.0 km2), of which 131.2 square miles (339.8 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (0.04%) is water.
[edit] Climate
The summer months of June through September are very hot and mostly dry with average daytime highs of 94 °F (34 °C)-104 °F (40 °C) and nighttime lows of 69 °F (21 °C)-78 °F (26 °C); and most days in July and August exceed 100 °F (38 °C) but with very low humidity, frequently under 10%.
Las Vegas' winters are of short duration and the season is generally mild, with daytime highs near 60 °F (16 °C) and nighttime lows around 40 °F (4 °C). The mountains surrounding Las Vegas accumulate snow during the winter but snow is rare in the Las Vegas Valley itself.[11] Several years apart, however, snow has fallen in the valley. Temperatures can sometimes drop to freezing 32 °F (0 °C) but winter nighttime temperatures will rarely dip below 30 degrees.
Annual precipitation in Las Vegas is around 4.5 in (110 mm), which mainly occurs during winter but is not uncommon anytime of the year.
| [hide]Weather data for Las Vegas, Nevada | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Record high °F (°C) | 77 (25) | 87 (31) | 92 (33) | 99 (37) | 109 (43) | 116 (47) | 117 (47) | 116 (47) | 113 (45) | 103 (39) | 87 (31) | 78 (26) | |
| Average high °F (°C) | 57 (14) | 63 (17) | 69 (21) | 79 (26) | 88 (31) | 99 (37) | 104 (40) | 102 (39) | 94 (34) | 81 (27) | 66 (19) | 57 (14) | |
| Average low °F (°C) | 37 (3) | 41 (5) | 47 (8) | 54 (12) | 63 (17) | 72 (22) | 78 (26) | 77 (25) | 69 (21) | 57 (14) | 44 (7) | 37 (3) | |
| Record low °F (°C) | 8 (-13) | 16 (-9) | 19 (-7) | 31 (-1) | 29 (-2) | 48 (9) | 56 (13) | 54 (12) | 43 (6) | 26 (-3) | 15 (-9) | 11 (-12) | |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 0.59 (15) | 0.69 (17.5) | 0.59 (15) | 0.15 (3.8) | 0.24 (6.1) | 0.08 (2) | 0.44 (11.2) | 0.45 (11.4) | 0.31 (7.9) | 0.24 (6.1) | 0.31 (7.9) | 0.40 (10.2) | |
| Source: [12][13][14] May, 5 2009 | |||||||||||||
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 25 | | |
| 1910 | 945 | 3,680.0% | |
| 1920 | 2,304 | 143.8% | |
| 1930 | 5,165 | 124.2% | |
| 1940 | 8,422 | 63.1% | |
| 1950 | 24,624 | 192.4% | |
| 1960 | 64,405 | 161.6% | |
| 1970 | 125,787 | 95.3% | |
| 1980 | 164,674 | 30.9% | |
| 1990 | 258,295 | 56.9% | |
| 2000 | 478,434 | 85.2% | |
| Est. 2008 | 558,383 | [1] | 16.7% |
| source:[15][16] | |||
As of the 2005-2007 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, White Americans made up 70.8% of Las Vegas' population; of which 51.8% were non-Hispanic whites. Blacks or African Americans made up 10.6% of Las Vegas' population; of which 10.4% were non-Hispanic blacks. American Indians made up 0.7% of the city's population; of which 0.6% were non-Hispanic. Asian Americans made up 5.0% of the city's population; of which 4.9% were non-Hispanic. Pacific Islander Americans made up 0.4% of the city's population. Individuals from some other race made up 8.9% of the city's population; of which 0.2% were non-Hispanic. Individuals from two or more races made up 3.5% of the city's population; of which 2.5% were non-Hispanic. In addition, Hispanics and Latinos made up 29.2% of Las Vegas' population.[18][19]
As of the census[20] of 2000, there were 478,434 people, 176,750 households, and 117,538 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,222.5 /sq mi (1,630.3 /km2). There are 190,724 housing units at an average density of 1,683.3 /sq mi (649.9 /km2). The racial makeup of the city was 69.86% White, 10.36% African American, 0.75% Native American, 4.78% Asian, 0.45% Pacific Islander, 9.75% from other races, and 4.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.61% of the population.
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.[21] 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.[22][23] 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 also one of the highest marriage rates of U.S. cities as well, with many licenses issued to people from outside the area (see Las Vegas weddings).
[edit] Economy
Some technology companies have either relocated to Las Vegas or were created there. For various reasons, the Las Vegas area has had a high concentration of technology companies in electronic gaming and telecommunications industries. Some current technology companies in southern Nevada include Bigelow Aerospace, CommPartners, Datanamics, eVital Communications, Petroglyph, SkywireMedia, Switch Communications, and WorldDoc. Companies that originally were formed in Las Vegas, but have since sold or relocated include Westwood Studios (sold to Electronic Arts), Systems Research & Development (Sold to IBM), Yellowpages.com (Sold to Bellsouth and SBC), and MPower Communications.
Constant population growth means that the housing construction industry is vitally important. In 2000 more than 21,000 new homes and 26,000 resale homes were purchased. In early 2005 there were 20 residential development projects of more than 300 acres (120 ha) each underway.
[edit] Redevelopment
See also: List of tallest buildings in Las Vegas
A concerted effort has been made by city officials to diversify the economy from tourism by attracting light manufacturing, banking, and other commercial interests. The lack of any state individual or corporate income tax and very simple incorporation requirements have fostered the success of this effort.
Las Vegas has recently enjoyed an enormous boom both in population and in tourism. The urban area has grown outward so quickly that it is beginning to run into Bureau of Land Management holdings along its edges, increasing land values enough that medium- and high-density development is beginning to occur closer to the core. As a reflection of the city's rapid growing population, the new Chinatown of Las Vegas was constructed in the early 1990s on Spring Mountain Road. Chinatown initially consisted of only one large shopping center complex, but the area was recently expanded for new shopping centers that contain various Asian businesses.
With the Strip expansion in the 1990s, the downtown area (which has maintained an old Las Vegas feel) began to suffer. The city made a concerted effort to turn around the fortunes of downtown. The Fremont Street Experience (FSE) was built in an effort to draw tourists back to the area and has proven to be popular in that regard. The multi-level Neonopolis, complete with 11 theaters (managed by Galaxy Theaters, Inc.), was built to offer more retail opportunity and services. Many highrise condo projects have also been underway as downtown is transforming into a livable neighborhood. Other promising signs emerged for the area. The city had successfully lured the Internal Revenue Service operations from the far west of the city to a new downtown building that opened in April 2005. The IRS move is expected to create a greater demand for additional businesses in the area, especially in the daytime hours.
The city purchased 61 acres (25 ha) of property from the Union Pacific Railroad in 1995 with the goal of creating something that would draw more tourists and locals to the downtown area. In 2004 Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman announced plans for the 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 Corp., to oversee his company's work on Symphony Park. The Lou Ruvo Brain Institute is expected to be completed in 2007.
Along with the Symphony Park, other promising residential and office developments have begun construction around downtown Las Vegas. New condominium and hotel high rise projects have changed the entire Las Vegas skyline dramatically in recent years. Many large high-rise projects are planned for downtown Las Vegas as well as the Las Vegas Strip.
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. In 2005, on a lot adjacent to the city's 61 ac (247,000 m2), the World Market Center opened. It is intended to be the nation's and possibly the world's preeminent furniture wholesale showroom and marketplace, and is meant 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 Downtown's 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, 815 ft (248 m) office tower.[26]
[edit] Tourism
Some of the most notable casinos involved in downtown gaming are on the Fremont Street Experience which was granted variances to allow bars to be closer together, similar to the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego.
- Golden Nugget
- Four Queens
- Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel
- Fremont Casino
- Plaza Hotel & Casino
- Las Vegas Club
- Fitzgeralds Las Vegas
- Golden Gate Hotel and Casino
- California Hotel and Casino
[edit] Culture
Main article: Las Vegas metropolitan area
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 now called the "Arts District".[27]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 (currently under construction) will be located downtown in Symphony Park. The center will be appropriate for Broadway shows and other major touring attractions as well as orchestra, opera, and dance performances.
The city also hosts annual events like the Helldorado Days (Las Vegas).
[edit] Sports
Main article: Sports in Las Vegas
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 major reasons are concern about legal sports betting and competition for the entertainment dollar, both of which Las Vegas has in abundance. The city currently has two minor league sports teams, baseball's Las Vegas 51s of the Pacific Coast League (the AAA farm club of the Toronto Blue Jays), and hockey's Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL (an affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes).In the past, the city had teams in the Canadian Football League, the XFL and the Arena Football League. There was recent mention in the local media that the San Diego Chargers of the NFL may be considering Las Vegas as a relocation destination. There is speculation that the completion of a new arena (expected to open in 2010) will bring teams from the NBA and NHL. The city is reportedly on the short list of Major League Soccer for an expansion franchise in the near future. There have also been contacts between city officials and several Major League Baseball owners regarding relocation. The ownership of the Florida Marlins held a widely-publicized meeting with Mayor Oscar Goodman in the winter of 2004. The city was a strong candidate to be the new home of the Montreal Expos, who eventually became the Washington Nationals. It was reported that the guarantee of a new stadium built entirely with public funds swung the balance in Washington's favor. Major League Baseball held their 2008 winter meetings in Las Vegas.
High profile limited-duration sporting events have been successful. Las Vegas hosted the 2007 NBA All-Star Game. The NASCAR Sprint Cup series has drawn up to 165,000 fans. Las Vegas also hosts a significant number of professional fights, primarily boxing fights. Many of these fights (such as those in MMA's UFC) take place near downtown or on the Strip in one of the major resort/hotel/casino event centers. Mandalay Bay is frequently a top contender as a venue for the UFC. Las Vegas is often referred to as "The Mecca of boxing"[28] title which it often shares with New York's Madison Square Garden.[29] Meanwhile, the amateur MMA league Tuff-N-Uff competes at The Orleans. The National Finals Rodeo has drawn thousands of fans to the city since 1985, and a contract extension was signed in 2005 keeping the event in Las Vegas through 2014. The NBA Summer League is currently held in the city, and the USA Olympic basketball team trained in the city in 2008.
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas competes in NCAA Division I in men's and women's sports. UNLV is a member of the Mountain West Conference. The College of Southern Nevada also has an athletic program, with significant success in baseball at the community college level.
There are strong athletic programs at many Las Vegas high schools, with a number of players in several sports going on to major colleges and professional careers as athletes, including Andre Agassi, Greg Anthony, Marcus Banks, Steven Jackson, Ryan Ludwick, Greg Maddux, Frank Mir, DeMarco Murray and Ryan Reynolds.
[edit] Parks and recreation
Las Vegas has dozens of parks,[30] including Las Vegas Springs Preserve recreational and educational facility and Floyd Lamb State Park.[edit] 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.[31] Las Vegas is sometimes referred to as Hawaii's Ninth Island.[32] The city is the home to the first ABC Stores branch outside the state of Hawaii.[32][edit] Government
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 as well as some colleges have their own police departments.
A Paiute Indian reservation occupies about one acre (4000 m2) in the downtown area of Las Vegas.
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.
[edit] City council
(Council members' official city websites are also available)- Oscar B. Goodman – Mayor and Council member at Large (Term Expires in 2011)
- Gary Reese – Mayor Pro-Tem and 3rd Ward Council member (Term Expires in 2011)
- Lois Tarkanian – 1st Ward Council member (Term Expires in 2011)
- Steve Wolfson, Esq – 2nd Ward Council member (Term Expires in 2009)
- Stavros Anthony – 4th Ward Council member (Term Expires in 2013)
- Ricki Barlow – 5th Ward Council member (Term Expires in 2011)
- Steve Ross – 6th Ward Council member (Term Expires in 2009)
[edit] Education
Primary and secondary public education is provided by the Clark County School District (CCSD), which is the fifth most populous school district in the nation (projected enrollment for the 2007–2008 school year is 314,000 students in grades K–12).The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is in Paradise, about three miles (5 km) south of the city limits and roughly two miles east of the Strip. The University of Nevada Medical School has a campus near downtown Las Vegas. Several national colleges, including the University of Phoenix, have campuses in the Las Vegas area. Nevada State College and Touro University Nevada are both in nearby Henderson. The College of Southern Nevada has campuses in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson. Henderson also is home to DeVry University and the Keller Graduate School of Management, as well as the University of Southern Nevada. Other private entities in the Las Vegas Valley include Apollo College, National University, ITT Technical Institute.
[edit] Transportation
With the exceptions of 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 officially 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.
- All city street signs begin with a N, S, W, or E designation.
- East-west roads, north to south[34]
- North-south roads, west to east
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 that run through the city. 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 have been discussed but no plan for a replacement has been implemented. The Las Vegas Amtrak station was located in the Plaza Hotel. It held the distinction of being the only train station in the United States that was located in a casino.
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