About Las Vegas 

If you’re dreaming of a better life where the urban beat of the big city meets the wide-open spaces of a stunning desert landscape, Las Vegas is where those dreams can be realized.  So much more than the world’s famed gaming capital, Vegas is a friendly hometown where there’s a residence to suit every taste and pocketbook.  Beyond the dazzling resorts and glittering lights where 35-million pleasure seekers wager millions of dollars every year, you’ll discover a southwestern metropolitan area with schools, parks, libraries, grocery stores and quiet neighborhoods that more than 1.6-million people call home.

Jobs are plentiful thanks to a booming local economy as well as a pro-business environment where companies pay no corporate taxes.  The cost of living in Las Vegas is lower than in other comparable US cities, in part because of the absence of any personal income tax.  The people are friendly, the climate is healthy, incomparable recreational opportunities are just outside your door and there’s something fun to do every night of the week.  It’s no wonder that for the past twenty years, Las Vegas has been the fastest growing metro area in the nation.

Each month, 6,000 new residents flock to Las Vegas to enjoy its warm weather, unparalleled entertainment, indoor-outdoor lifestyle and economic prosperity which means appreciation potential for homebuyers is astronomical and property values are continually on the rise.  Las Vegas has continued to rank first nationally in employment growth since 1995 and the city is projected to maintain its position well into the millennium.

Every year brings new schools, new roads, and new health care facilities to meet the needs of a growing population.  Perhaps the biggest factor in Southern Nevada’s tremendous population growth is the quality of life that the area offers.  Over two-thirds of the respondents to a Las Vegas community-wide survey indicated satisfaction with living in this dazzling metropolis.

It comes as no surprise that the housing market is among the nation’s fastest growing, offering substantially lower prices than in most western urban areas.  The average price of a home in the Las Vegas Valley, is about $50,000 less than the same home would cost in Los Angeles and $75,000 less than in San Diego.  With more disposable income and an annual average of 320 sunny days each year, Las Vegans love to get out and enjoy the plethora of activities the area offers.

Las Vegas is the closest major city to more internationally famous parks than any other city in the United States.   Not only is it gateway to the Grand Canyon and Death Valley, but Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks are just a few hours away while Great Basin National Park, only an hour’s drive west is home to the famed Lehman Caves where spelunkers can descend into a breathtaking environment of magical shapes and colors.  Sparkling Lake Mead is only twenty minutes away providing incomparable opportunities for boating, fishing plus every water sport imaginable and the stunning geology of Red Rock Canyon makes it a local favorite for hiking.  If you get your thrills from watching, NASCAR fans can now enjoy all forms of motor sport racing at the new 107,000-seat Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located just 8 miles north of Downtown.

There are more than 50 performing arts centers and cultural organizations to enrich the lives of all Las Vegans not to mention the grand spectacles of showgirls, magicians and international superstars who perform on the Strip.  Entertainment superstores such as the Mirage, MGM Grand, Bellagio, Venetian and Caesar’s Palace provide exciting destinations for residents and visitors alike.

Educational facilities continue to expand to meet the needs of the growing populace.  Las Vegas residents strongly support public education and recently approved a $650 million bond for modernization of 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 schools plus the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the Community College of Southern Nevada provide excellent higher education opportunities.  In addition, the University of Nevada Medical School offers educational and residency programs while UNLV’s School of Law offers an acclaimed program for future lawyers.

Las Vegas has world-class hospitals and medical treatment with a health care delivery system that continues to expand and attract top-level talent. The outstanding life style is complimented by shopping that’s beyond compare with many luxury goods purveyors found in mega resorts, such as the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace.  Whether it’s a precious bauble or something more modest at a bargain price, there’s no shortage of exciting shopping experiences including the Galleria Mall, the Factory Stores of America, the Boulevard Mall, the Fashion Show Mall and Meadows Mall.

There’s plenty of available commercial land plus low utility and transportation costs plus community leaders and elected officials who recognize the importance of economic diversification.  There is a consolidated effort to make Las Vegas an attractive destination for companies seeking to relocate or expand and the city has assisted over 34 non-gaming companies to relocate here, creating more than 3,000 new jobs.

Yet tourism continues to be the lifeblood of the Las Vegas Valley. 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.

So go ahead and see all the great tourist attractions the city has to offer.  Enjoy a stroll downtown on a warm desert evening to view the Fremont Street Experience, a dazzling light show that spans several blocks or take in the amazing recreations on the Strip like erupting volcanoes, the Eiffel Tower and the Sphinx of Egypt.   But always remember beyond the glamour, glitter and neon lights, Las Vegas is a community that has made quality of life for residents, a way of life.

No matter what type of home you seek, from a brand new, single family residence in a master planned resort community to a classic mid-century rancher with backyard pool, from a low-maintenance townhome to a chic pied-a-terre in a high-rise tower, Las Vegas is ready to welcome you with the perfect place to settle down at a price point you can afford that’s certain to provide impressive value.  It’s no wonder Las Vegas has grown into one of the most dynamic and prosperous communities in the nation.  Come join the party!

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 mountains varying in color from pink to rust including the Spring Mountains to the west, Frenchman’s Mountains to the east, Sheep Range to the north and McCullough Range to the south. As befits a desert, much of the landscape is rocky and dusty although the city itself is an oasis of green with sweeping lawns and lush tropical landscaping abundant.

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 Big Orange, Los Angeles is 270 miles west and the Nevada state capital at Carson City is 450 miles north.

It was not until famed explorer Captain John Fremont wrote of Las Vegas in 1844 that anyone other than Spanish explorers, missionaries and the indigenous Indian population, knew the valley existed. In 1855, Brigham Young assigned thirty Mormon missionaries to build a fort in the Las Vegas 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.

The discovery of minerals, including precious metals, lead to the beginning of the mining industry in the late 19th century. The State Land Act of 1885 offered sections of land at $1.25 per acre. Farmers moved in and agriculture became the dominant industry for the next 20 years.

The completion of the main railway, linking Southern California with Salt Lake City in
1905, established Las Vegas as a railroad town. 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 founded as a city on May 15, 1905, when 110 acres of land situated between Stewart Avenue on the north, Garces Avenue to the south, Main Street to the west, and 5th Street (now Las Vegas Boulevard) to the east, were auctioned off. The city 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.

In 1931, when Las Vegas had grown to a population of 5,000, three events occurred that would forever change the city. 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 attained after only six weeks of residency. Short-term residents awaiting the completion 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 that began a population boom and gave the Valley’s economy, which was in the grips of the Great Depression, a needed boost.

By 1940, when the Las Vegas population had grown to 8,500, the outbreak of World War II brought the defense industry to the valley. The isolated location, along with plentiful water and inexpensive energy, made Las Vegas an ideal site for military and defense related industries. The site for Nellis Air Force Base was located in the northeast, and the Basic Management Complex, providers of raw materials, was located in the southeastern suburb of Henderson. The defense industry continues to employ a significant number of valley residents.

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 encompassed 25 square miles and had a population of 65,000. During the 1960s, a phenomenon lead by Howard Hughes occurred in Las Vegas. Corporations began building and buying hotel/casino properties transforming “gambling” into "gaming" and 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 began. 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. At the same time, Clark County’s population increased from 562,280 to 1,036,180, an
increase of 84.3 percent.

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 Las Vegas Valley by the end of the decade making it the largest city established during the twentieth century. A place that knows no bounds, the next hundred years are certain to be as exciting and dynamic as the first hundred.

The construction of Hoover Dam tamed the mighty Colorado River and created Lake Mead, the world's deepest man-made lake. Once Hoover Dam was completed, the federal government changed the basic function of Boulder City to the headquarters of several government agencies involved in Hoover Dam's water and power operations. Boulder City was supervised and regulated by the Bureau of Reclamation and the federal government owned all land in and around Boulder City.

Through the 1940's, development centered on government-related activities. Other federal agencies established operations in Boulder City, as did the utilities responsible for producing and distributing the electricity and water from Hoover Dam. Boulder City prospered and was recognized as a pleasant, civic-minded, family oriented community safely tucked away from the wages of sin.

Boulder City continued to be managed by the Bureau of Reclamation until 1958 when the federal government passed the Boulder City Act, transferring title to the existing town site totaling 33 square miles of land plus a utility system, to an independent city government. The City Charter, approved by the residents in a referendum, prohibited gaming, which makes Boulder City the only one in Nevada where gambling is illegal. The 1995 purchase by the City of an additional 167 square miles adjoining the original town site made Boulder City the largest city in Nevada in terms of land area.

In 1979, the citizens passed a referendum that instituted a controlled growth ordinance. The ordinance, which limits growth to less than 3% per year, was enacted not only to preserve the small town quality of life in Boulder City but to preserve the utility systems as well. Due to this unique ordinance, the city limits the number of residential and hotel building permits issued each year and has been spared the rampant, unimpeded growth that has overwhelmed the rest of Clark County.

Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, today’s Boulder City has preserved its picturesque past transforming it into a lovely area offering unique shops, antique stores and quaint restaurants. Cozy hotels and motels provide convenient access to Lake Mead while clean, green local parks provide a charming setting for numerous activities and community events. One thing that will never change in Boulder City is the sense of community and unyielding dedication to protecting and enhancing the best qualities of the past that make today’s town so special.

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