McCarran International Airport is the 8th busiest airport in the world. Las Vegas was founded as a railroad city. Because of its central location, it is still a principal on-route destination for the railroads. Setting Las Vegas is the closest major city to more internationally famous parks than any other city in the United States. Las Vegas is the gateway to the Grand Canyon.
More people visit the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas than from anywhere else.
Lake Mead National Recreation Area is only 20 minutes east of Las Vegas. Lake Mead has over 10 million visitors a year. Hoover Dam is only 30 minutes from Las Vegas. Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon, in Utah, are only a few hours away from Las Vegas. Death Valley gets more visitors from Las Vegas than from anywhere else.