Las Vegas

Lore & Background

Las Vegas was settled in 1905 and officially incorporated in 1911. At the close of the 20th century, it was the most populated North American city founded within that century. Population growth has accelerated since the 1960s and into the 21st century, and between 1990 and 2000 the population increased by 85.2%. The city bills itself as the Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous for its luxurious and large casino-hotels.

As of 2023, Las Vegas attracts over 40.8 million visitors annually. The city's tolerance for numerous forms of adult entertainment has earned it the nickname 'Sin City'. In 1829, Mexican trader and explorer Antonio Armijo led a group along the Old Spanish Trail; the group stopped in what would become Las Vegas and noted its natural water sources, now referred to as the Las Vegas Springs. The Spanish 'las vegas' or 'the meadows' was applied to describe the fertile lowlands near the springs.

Nomadic Paleo-Indians traveled to the area 10,000 years ago. A young Mexican scout named Rafael Rivera is credited as the first non-Native American to encounter the valley, in 1829. In 1844, John C. Frémont arrived, and his writings helped lure pioneers to the area. Eleven years later, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chose Las Vegas as the site to build a fort along the Mormon Road; the fort was abandoned in 1857.

Las Vegas was founded as a city in 1905, when 110 acres of land adjacent to the Union Pacific Railroad tracks were auctioned. In 1911, Las Vegas was incorporated as a city. The year 1931 was pivotal: Nevada legalized casino gambling and reduced residency requirements for divorce to six weeks. This year also witnessed the beginning of construction of the tunnels of nearby Hoover Dam.

In late 1941, Las Vegas Army Airfield was established, renamed Nellis Air Force Base in 1950. Following World War II, lavishly decorated hotels, gambling casinos, and big-name entertainment became synonymous with Las Vegas. In 1951, nuclear weapons testing began at the Nevada Test Site. In 1955, the Moulin Rouge Hotel opened and became the first racially integrated casino-hotel in Las Vegas.

In 1995, the Fremont Street Experience opened. Due to the realization of many revitalization efforts, 2012 was dubbed 'The Year of Downtown'.

Reader's Guide

Las Vegas is situated in a basin on the floor of the Mojave Desert, and is surrounded by mountain ranges. Much of the landscape is rocky and arid, with desert vegetation and wildlife. The city's elevation is approximately 2030 ft above sea level. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 135.86 sqmi, of which 135.81 sqmi is land and 0.05 sqmi (0.03%) is water.

Las Vegas has a subtropical hot desert climate, typical of the Mojave Desert. This climate is typified by long, extremely hot summers; warm transitional seasons; and short winters with mild days and cool nights. There is abundant sunshine throughout the year, with an average of 310 sunny days. Rainfall is scarce, with an average of 4.2 in dispersed between roughly 26 total rainy days per year.

Las Vegas is among the sunniest, driest, and least humid locations in North America. The summer months of June through September are extremely hot, though moderated by the low humidity levels. July is the hottest month, with an average daytime high of 104.5 °F. On average, 137 days per year reach or exceed 90 °F, of which 78 days reach 100 °F and 10 days reach 110 °F.