Las Vegas, Nevada

Vital Statistics | Where to Stay | Things To Do
History | Nearby Resources

 Vital Statistics

Location / Description

Las Vegas is located along Interstate 15 in Clark County of southern Nevada. Generally regarded as the gambling capital of the U.S., glitz is supplied in quantity by huge hotel/casino complexes, which offer inexpensive lodging and dining, as well as entertainment from glamorous stars. Las Vegas is also the gateway to Lake Mead National Recreation Area.


Las Vegas

Population / Elevation

508,300 / 2,174 feet above sea level

Weather / Climate

Las Vegas receives an average 4 inches of rain and 250 days of sunshine a year. Temperatures are extremely hot May to October, over 100 degrees F. June through August, but humidity is extremely low.

 Las Vegas, Nevada - Monthly Climate Normals
   Year  Jan  Feb  Mar  Apr  May  Jun  Jul  Aug  Sep  Oct  Nov  Dec
 High °F 81  57  63  69  78  88  100  106  103  95  82  67  58
 Low °F 54  34  38  44  51  60  69  76  74  66  54  43  34
 Avg °F   67  46  51  56  64  74  85  91  89  81  68  55 46
 Rain  4.13  .48  .48  .42  .21  .28  .12  .35  .49  .28  .21  .43  .38


Click for Las Vegas, Nevada Forecast

Las Vegas

Hotels/Motels/Timeshares

There are hotels and motels in Las Vegas with something for every taste and price range. For more information and a complete list. Click Here. (Rates, availability and reservation online)

Holiday Group offers Las Vegas timeshares for sale at leading resorts on and off the strip. View other timeshare resort destinations

Camping & RV Parks

  • Lake Mead NRA
  • Red Rock Canyon (Primitive)
  • Desert National Wildlife Range (Primitive)

History

Las Vegas, once an oasis en route to California, began as a Mormon settlement during the silver rush of the 1800s. It was revived by ranching in the 1850s. With the arrival of the Union Pacific Railroad in 1905, bars, gambling houses and other businesses sprouted in the downtown area.

In 1931, during the Great Depression, a stampede of unemployed arrived in Las Vegas to work in the construction of Hoover Dam, on the nearby Colorado River. The hydroelectric marvel that was finished in 1936 now lights the neon signs for which the city is famous.

That same year, state legislators allowed legalized gambling in Las Vegas. Immediately, casinos and hotels sprang up, transforming the city almost overnight. After World War II, huge resort/hotels began rising higher and higher on the strip, and with them, came world-class entertainment: the country's best collection of singers, dancers, musicians and comedians.

Things To Do

Events Calendar

January: Gun and Knife Show (Cashman Field)
February: Las Vegas International Marathon
March: Las Vegas Archery Show (Sands)
April: Crafter's Village Show (Cashman Field)
May: Emerging Artists & Talent in Music Festival (Sands)
June: Jazz in the Park (Clark County Gov. Center)
July: Red, White & Boom Fourth of July (Desert Breeze Park)
August: Concert Fantasy (Cashman Field)
September: Unlimited Hydroplane Racing (Lake Mead)
October: AMA Bikeweek Nevada
November: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Race
December: NFR Cowboy Christmas Gift Show (Cashman Field)

Lake Mead Video - Houseboating & Hoover Dam

Read Vegas On A Budget on our Desert Road Trippin' Blog

Resources & Nearby Attractions

Resources

Cities & Towns

Parks & Monuments

Wilderness & Recreation Areas

  • Lake Mead National Recreation Area: 17 miles east.
  • Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area: Renowned for geological wonders, including sandstone escarpments in striking colors.
  • Desert National Wildlife Range: 1, 588, 459 acres north of Las Vegas offering camping, hiking and hunting. (USFWS)
    • Corn Creek
    • Desert View Naturural Environment Area
  • Spring Mountains National Recreation Area: 316,000 acres offering camping, hiking and hunting. (USFS)

Historic & Points of Interest

  • Hoover Dam: Highest concrete dam in the western hemisphere impounds Lake Mead.
  • Moapa River Indian Reservation: Moapa Band of Paiute Indians occuppy 71,000 acres north of Las Vegas.
  • Nevada State Museum and Historical Society: Depicts 10,000 years of regional history. 702-486-5205
  • Las Vegas Museum of Natural History: Highlights regional natural history, wildlife and art. 702-384-3466
  • Zoological-Botanical Park: 4-acre zoo featuring many desert plant and animals. 702-648-5995

 

 


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Laughlin, Nevada, Take a virtural trip on Lake Mohave and the Colorado river in this DesertUSA video. If you have never been to Laughlin you need to see this video
before you pick a place to stay. Click Here

Laughlin - Lake Mohave - Davis Dam
The Davis Dam and Powerplant facility was constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation in Pyramid Canyon, 67 miles downstream from Hoover Dam. The site is about 10 miles north of the point where Arizona, Nevada and California meet, and approximately 2 miles upstream from the Laughlin, Nevada/Bullhead City, Arizona, communities.

Lake Mead - Houseboating & Hoover Dam
In October of 2009, DesertUSA rented a houseboat to explore the western part of Lake Mead. Our first stop was the Hoover Dam off the Boulder Basin. Without Hoover Dam, Lake Mead wouldn't exist today. Come along with DesertUSA staff as they explore Lake Mead and check out Hoover Dam. Take a look at the cove where we camped, and the Bighorn Sheep encounter we had there!

Death Valley - Overview
 Take the Death Valley grand tour - see the Badwater Basin, the lowest place in North America; the dramatically eroded Sabriski Point; Artist’s Palette, with its unusual tonal colors; Salt Creek and its pupfish, Titus Canyon and more! See why Death Valley is such a spectacular National Park!

Death Valley - Scotty’s Castle
Find out how Scotty's Castle came to be, when Albert Johnson met Walter Scott, later known as Death Valley Scotty. Take a tour of the magnificent rooms and see the castle's fantastic furnishings. Hear the organ in the music room as you experience this place of legend first-hand.

 

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We have a online Wildflower Field Guide that is designed to help you identify desert wildflowers by color, scientific name, region and common name. The pictures are sized to work on the iPod, iPhone and similar devices. With your iPod or phone you will easily be able to identify wildflowers while in the desert. Links for downloads are on the bottom of the Wildflower Field Guide page.