Las Vegas Valley The Las Vegas Valley is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U . S . state of Nevada , and is the heart of the Las Vegas – Paradise , NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas – Paradise – Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County , Nevada . The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform , a basin area that contains the largest concentration of people in the state . The history of the Valley significantly intertwines with the history of the city of Las Vegas and one of the two primary cities ( as used by the census bureau ) in the MSA , with the other being Paradise . The valley is home to the three largest incorporated cities in Nevada : Las Vegas , Henderson and North Las Vegas . The six unincorporated towns in the valley make up Las Vegas Township which is the largest community in the state of Nevada . The names Las Vegas and Vegas are used to indicate the valley , the strip , the city and are used as a brand by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and used to denominate the entire region . The metropolitan area ' s population was at 741 , 459 in 1990 . The population was approximately 2 million in 2010 ( estimated ) . Today , Las Vegas is one of the top tourist destinations in the world . The valley is an area generally defined by the Spring Mountains on the west , Sheep Mountains to the north , Muddy Mountains and Lake Mead to the east , and the Black Mountains to the south . Las Vegas is one of the fastest growing cities in America according to Money CNN . It is known for its extensive gaming , shopping , fine dining , and outdoor activities . Outdoor lighting displays are everywhere on the many tourist destination buildings in the area . Las Vegas , which bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World , is famous for the number of casino resorts and associated entertainment . Las Vegas is also home to a growing retirement community and numerous celebrities . As seen from space , Las Vegas is the brightest city in the world . History . The area was previously settled by Mormon farmers in 1854 and later became the site of a United States Army fort in 1864 , beginning a long relationship between southern Nevada and the U . S . military . Since the 1930s , Las Vegas has generally been identified as a gaming center as well as a resort destination , primarily targeting adults . Relatively inexpensive real estate prompted a residential population boom in the Las Vegas Valley in the 1990s and is still expanding in every direction . Nellis Air Force Base is located in the northeast corner of the valley . The ranges that the Nellis pilots use and various other land areas used by various federal agencies , limit growth of the valley in terms of geographic area . Due to this reason , the valley has seen more mid - and high - rise buildings erected . Businessman Howard Hughes arrived in the late 1960s and purchased many casino hotels , as well as television and radio stations in the area . Legitimate corporations began to purchase casino hotels as well , and the mob was run out by the federal government over the next several years . The constant stream of tourist dollars from the hotels and casinos was augmented by a new source of federal money from the establishment of what is now Nellis Air Force Base . The influx of military personnel and casino job - hunters helped start a land building boom which is now leveling off . The Las Vegas area remains one of the world ' s top entertainment destinations . Boundaries . The valley is contained in the Las Vegas Valley landform . This includes the cities of Las Vegas , North Las Vegas , and Henderson , and the unincorporated towns of Paradise , Spring Valley , Sunrise Manor , Enterprise , Winchester , and Whitney . The valley is technically located within the larger metropolitan area , as the metropolitan area covers all of Clark County - including parts that do not fall within the valley . The government of Clark County has an " Urban Planning Area " of Las Vegas . This definition is a roughly rectangular area , about from east to west and from north to south . Notable exclusions from the " Urban Planning Area " include Red Rock , Blue Diamond , and Mount Charleston . The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is the largest police department in the valley and the state and exercises jurisdiction in the entire county . There are approximately 3 , 000 police officers that cover the city of Las Vegas ; unincorporated areas ; the town of Laughlin , about from Downtown Las Vegas ; and desert and park areas within Clark County . The department does not exercise primary jurisdiction in areas with separate police forces such as North Las Vegas , Henderson , Boulder City , Nellis Air Force Base and the Paiute reservation . Geography and environment . The Las Vegas Valley lies in the Mojave Desert . The surrounding land is desert with mountains in the distance . Climate . The Las Vegas Valley lies in a relatively high - altitude portion of the Mojave Desert , which tends to produce drastic changes of temperature between seasons , and also between day and night . The Valley generally averages less than of rain annually . Daily daytime summer temperatures in July and August are typically around degrees . Very low humidity , however , tempers the effect of these temperatures , though dehydration , heat exhaustion , and sun stroke can occur after even a limited time outdoors in the summer . The interiors of automobiles often prove deadly to small children and pets during the summer and surfaces exposed to the sun can cause first - and second - degree burns to unprotected skin . July and August can also be marked by " monsoon season " , when moist winds from the Gulf of California soak much of the Southwestern United States . While not only raising humidity levels , these winds develop into dramatic desert thunderstorms that can sometimes cause flash flood ing . Winter season temperatures in Las Vegas range from mild to chilly , with many days being quite sunny . Winter daytime highs are near and winter nighttime lows are about . The mountains surrounding the valley are snow - covered during the winter season , but snow accumulation in the area itself is uncommon . Every few years apart , however , Las Vegas does get a measurable snowfall . Fault zones . The valley has seven known earthquake fault zone s ; Frenchman Mountain Fault ; Whitney Mesa Fault ; Cashman Fault ; Valley View Fault ; Decatur Fault ; Eglington Fault ; West Charleston Fault . Air quality . Having part of the region located in a desert basin creates issues with air quality . From the dust the wind picks up , to the smog produced by vehicles , to the pollen in the air , the valley has several bad air days . Pollen can be a major issue several weeks a year with counts occasionally in the 70 , 000 plus range . Local governments are trying to control this by banning plants that produce the most pollen . The dust problems usually happen on very windy days , so they tend to be short and seasonal with full fledged dust storms occurring rarely . Smog on the other hand gets worst when there is no wind to move the air out of the valley . Also in winter it is possible to get an inversion in the valley air that actually traps any smog in the valley . Since manufacturing is not a dominant industry of Las Vegas , and with Clark County working to control air quality problems , some success has been shown over the years . The constant tightening of federal requirements for allowable particles in the air , however , make the task of meeting air quality standards difficult . Water . The native flora does little to help the soil retain water . During the intense rains of monsoon season or ( relatively ) wet months of January and February , a network of dry natural channels , called washes or arroyos , carved into the valley floor allows water to flow down from the mountains and converge in the Las Vegas Wash which runs through the Clark County Wetlands Park . The wash system used to form a large natural wetlands which then flowed into the Colorado River , until the construction of Hoover Dam on the Colorado River led to the creation of Lake Mead . Further development in the 1980s and 1990s made Lake Las Vegas , which required directing the Las Vegas Wash into tunnels which run under Lake Las Vegas and into Lake Mead . Nevada receives an allocation of water each year from Lake Mead , with credits for water it returns to the lake . The allocations were made with the Colorado River Compact when Nevada had a much smaller population and very little agriculture . The allocations were also made during a wet string of years , which overstated the available water in the entire watershed . As a result , precipitation that is below normal for a few years can have a major impact on the Colorado River Reservoirs . The Las Vegas area uses most of this allocation with Laughlin , Nevada using most of the remaining allocation . In June 2007 , the price of a cubic meter was 57 cents in Las Vegas . Las Vegas gets around 90 percent of its water from Lake Mead . Early Vegas depended on the aquifer which fed the flowing springs supporting the meadows that gave the area its name , but the pumping of water from these caused a large drop in the water levels and ground subsidence over wide areas of the valley . Today , the aquifers are basically used to store water that is pumped from the lake during periods of low demand and pumped out during periods of high demand . Urbanization . The population doubling time in the greater metropolitan area was under ten years , since the early 1970s and the Las Vegas metropolitan area now has a population approaching two million people . This rapid population growth led to a significant urbanization of desert lands into industrial and commercial areas ( see suburbia ) . Economy . The driving force in Las Vegas is the tourism industry and the area has about 150 , 000 hotel rooms , more than any city in the world . In the past , casinos and celebrity shows were the two major attractions for the area . Now shopping , conventions , fine dining , and outdoor beauty are also major forces in attracting tourist dollars . Las Vegas serves as world headquarters for the world ' s two largest Fortune 500 gaming companies , Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts International . Several companies involved in the manufacture of electronic gaming machines , such as slot machine s , are located in the Las Vegas area . In the first decade of the 21st century , shopping and dining have become attractions of their own . Tourism marketing and promotion are handled by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority , a county - wide agency . Its annual Visitors Survey provides detailed information on visitor numbers , spending patterns , and resulting revenues . While Las Vegas has historically attracted high - stake gamblers from around the world , it is now facing tougher competition from the UK , Hong Kong and Macau ( China ) , Eastern Europe and developing areas in the Middle East . The financial and operating risks associated with pursuing the high - roller market will persist , but some U . S . casinos may opt out of chasing high - end players altogether as the costs to attract these players increase significantly and the relative incentive declines . Las Vegas has recently enjoyed a boom in population and tourism . The urban area has grown outward so quickly that it borders Bureau of Land Management holdings along its edges . This has led to an increase in land values such that medium - and high - density development is occurring closer to the core . The 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 expanded with shopping centers that contain various Asian businesses . Over the past few years , retirees have been moving to the metro area , driving businesses that support them from housing to health care . Las Vegas has been seeking to expand its manufacturing and research bases . There have been positive signs such as the World Market Center located in the city , and the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health , in addition to many smaller businesses . While the cost of housing spiked up over 40 % in 2004 , the lack of business and income tax es still makes Nevada an attractive place for many companies to relocate to or expand existing operations . Being a true twenty - four hour city , call center s have always seemed to find Las Vegas a good place to hire workers who are accustomed to working at all hours . The construction industry usually accounts for a large share of the economy in Las Vegas . Hotel casinos planned for the Strip can take years to build and employ thousands of workers . The same could be said of the housing boom . With the introduction of Turnberry Towers , developers discovered that there was a large demand for high - end condominium s . At the end of 2004 , several major condominium towers were in various stages of development , however , by 2008 , the construction industry was in a downturn due to the credit crunch . 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 each underway . During the that same period , Las Vegas was regarded as the fastest - growing community in the US . However , the financial crisis of 2007 - 2010 and the accompanying business downturn has sent business and growth tumbling , with Las Vegas recording one of the highest home foreclosure rates in the country . The disappearance of disposable consumer income and the backlash against corporate entertainment spending sent the hospitality industry into a tailspin from which it has yet to fully recover as of summer 2010 . Other promising residential and office developments have begun construction around downtown Las Vegas . New condominium and high - rise hotel projects have changed the 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 recent years rapid Manhattanization and Vancouverism has occurred in Las Vegas . Construction . Construction in Las Vegas is a major industry and quickly growing with the population . In March 2011 , construction employed 40 , 700 people and is expected to grow with the recovering economy . Since the mega resorts that have defined Las Vegas today , began going up in the early 1970s , construction has played a vital role in both commercial and non commercial developments . Cranes are a constant part of the Las Vegas Skyline . At any given time there are 300 new homes being constructed in Las Vegas . Downtown and The strip always have at least one hospitality project under construction . In addition , in recent years Las Vegas has seen a spike in high - rise housing units . Luxurious condos and penthouse suites are always being built . New suburban master planned communities are also becoming common in Las Vegas ever since The Howard Hughes Corporation began work on Summerlin , an upper - class community on the west side of the valley . The massive project CityCenter broke ground on June 26 , 2006 . Now completed at 3780 Las Vegas Boulevard South , it is the largest privately funded building complex in the world . At a cost of $ 9 . 2 billion , CityCenter was one of the largest projects in Vegas history . It put a massive strain on the construction ability and workforce of the area due to number of laborers and amount of materials required . Because of this , prices of almost any construction project in Las Vegas doubled . It is currently held by MGM Resorts International and has three hotels , two condo towers , and a hotel - condo building along with a large shopping and entertainment center . Construction is expected to increase slowly in 2011 and 2012 however will pick up in 2013 with significant spending and millions of new jobs in the industry . In the near future , five years to a decade , it is estimated that Las Vegas will see an increase in commercial skyscraper developments in the Downtown area . A World Jewelry Center tower is planned for Downtown . It would stand as the tallest and only non hospitality or residential tower in Las Vegas . This will hopefully attract other developers and businesses in industries such as banking , finance , real estate , insurance , and media . Housing . Slab - on - grade foundations is the common base for residential buildings in the area . Traditionally , housing consisted primarily of single - family detached home s . Apartment complex es generally were two story buildings . There have been exceptions , but they were few and far between . In the 1990s , Turnberry Associates constructed the first high rise condominium . Prior to this , there were only a handful of mid - rise multi - family buildings . By the mid 2000s , there was a major move into high rise condominiums towers , which had an impact on the region ' s skyline around the Strip . U . S . housing market collapse and recovery . Las Vegas has been one of the top areas in the nation adversely affected by the recent subprime mortgage crisis and United States housing market correction , resulting in a free fall in home prices and mass foreclosures . As of January 2008 , 1 . 9 % of homes in the Las Vegas area were in the foreclosure process , almost triple the rate of a year earlier . The problems , as it was mostly nationwide , was rampant speculation from house flippers , who sought quick profits and never intended to live in the homes they purchased . Also , resetting of many mortgage rates increased foreclosures . This downturn also negatively affected rental properties by placing downward pressure on rent prices . However , since the first quarter of 2010 , the rental market has shown some signs of rebounding with average rent increasing in the last six months . The sales market has also seen vast improvement in 2013 . In the Las Vegas metropolitan region , overall home prices jumped 24 percent in 2012 from 2011 , GLVAR ’ s market data shows . The median home price of single - family homes sold in January was $ 150 , 000 , which compares to $ 118 , 000 at the end of January 2012 . Many analysts agree that the Las Vegas economy is recovering , with improving conditions in tourism and the housing market for 2013 . Prices are rising and there has been a large increase in the million dollar home market , with many new custom homes being built . January 2013 marks the 19th consecutive month with home sales higher than the same month in the previous year . In addition , Las Vegas was named America ' s Top Turn Around Market for 2012 by Trulia . Changes in house prices for the area are publicly tracked on a regular basis using the Case – Shiller index ; the statistic is published by Standard & Poor ' s and is also a component of S & P ' s 10 - city composite index of the value of the residential real estate market . Technology companies . Some technology companies have either relocated to Las Vegas or were created there . For various reasons , Las Vegas 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 , WorldDoc / SocialWellth and Zappos . Companies that originally were formed in the Las Vegas region , 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 . Tourism . The major attractions in the Las Vegas Valley are the hotel / casinos . These hotels generally consist of large gambling areas , theaters for live performances , shopping , bars / clubs , and several restaurants and cafes . There are clusters of large hotel / casinos located in both downtown Las Vegas and on the Las Vegas Strip . The largest hotels are mainly located on the Strip , which is a four mile section of Las Vegas Boulevard . These hotels provide thousands of rooms of various sizes . Fifteen of the world ' s 25 largest hotels by room count are on the Strip , with a total of over 62 , 000 rooms . There are many hotel / casinos in the city ' s downtown area as well , which was the original focal point of the Valley ' s gaming industry . Several hotel / casinos ranging from large to small are also located around the city and metro area . Many of the largest hotel , casino , and resort properties in the world are located on the Las Vegas Strip . The valley ' s casinos can be grouped into several locations . The largest is the Las Vegas Strip , followed by Downtown Las Vegas , and then the smaller Boulder Strip . There are also several one - off single standing hotel / casinos dotted around the valley and the metro area . Shopping . Las Vegas has expanded its attractiveness to visitors by offering both affordable and high - end merchandise in many shops and shopping malls . Many hotels on the Las Vegas Strip also have adjacent shopping malls , giving the Las Vegas area the highest concentration of shopping malls in any four mile stretch of road . In addition to the malls on the Strip , there are several outlying malls in the City of Las Vegas , Henderson , and the surrounding area . The monorail , lying somewhat east of the Strip , facilitates north - south travel , including stations at several casinos and the Las Vegas Convention Center . Major malls include : Culture and the arts . The " First Friday " celebration , held on the first Friday of each month , exhibits the works of local artists and musicians in an area just south of downtown , now called the " Arts District " . The Southern Nevada Zoological - Botanical Park , also known as the Las Vegas Zoo , exhibits over 150 species of animals and plants . The Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay is the only aquarium that is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in the state of Nevada . It features over 2 , 000 animals and 1 , 200 species in 1 . 6 million gallons of seawater . The $ 485 million Smith Center for the Performing Arts is located downtown in Symphony Park . The center is appropriate for Broadway shows and other major touring attractions as well as orchestra , opera , and dance performances . Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art is a facility presenting high - quality art exhibitions from major national and international museums . Past exhibits have included the works of Andy Warhol , Alexander Calder , and Peter Carl Fabergé . A self - guided audio tour is also offered . The Las Vegas Natural History Museum features robot dinosaurs , live fish , and more than 26 species of preserved animals . There are several " hands - on " areas where animals can be petted . The Atomic Testing Museum , affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution , houses artifacts from the Nevada Test Site and records the dramatic history of the atomic age through a series of interactive modules , timelines , films , and actual equipment and gadgets from the site . Media . Broadcast . Las Vegas is served by 22 television and 46 radio stations . The area is also served by two NOAA Weather Radio transmitters ( 162 . 55 MHz located in Boulder City and 162 . 40 MHz located on Mount Potosi ) . Transportation . McCarran International Airport ( LAS ) provides commercial flights into the Las Vegas . The airport serves domestic , international , and cargo flights , as well as some private aircraft . General aviation traffic , however , will typically use the much smaller North Las Vegas Airport , or other airfields in the county . Public transportation is provided by RTC Transit . Numerous bus routes cover Las Vegas , Henderson , North Las Vegas , and other suburban areas . The Las Vegas Monorail runs from the MGM Grand Hotel at the south end of the Strip to the Sahara Hotel and Casino at the north end of the Strip . The street numbering system is divided by the following streets : Until 1997 , the Amtrak Desert Wind train service ran through Las Vegas using the Union Pacific Railroad ( UP ) rails that run through the city ; Amtrak service to Las Vegas has since been replaced by 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 had the distinction of being the only train station located in a casino . Two major freeways — Interstate 15 and Interstate 515 / U . S . Route 95 — cross in downtown Las Vegas . I - 15 connects Las Vegas to the Southern California coastal urban centers of Los Angeles and San Diego , and heads northeast to and beyond Salt Lake City , Utah . I - 515 goes southeast to Henderson , beyond which US 93 continues over the Hoover Dam towards Phoenix , Arizona and the Arizona Sun Corridor . US 95 connects the city to northwestern Nevada , including Carson City and Reno . US 93 splits from I - 15 northeast of Las Vegas and goes north through the eastern part of the state , serving Ely and Wells , and US 95 heads south from US 93 near Henderson through far eastern California . A three - quarters beltway has been built , consisting of Interstate 215 on the south and Clark County 215 on the west and north . Other radial routes include Blue Diamond Road ( SR 160 ) to Pahrump and Lake Mead Boulevard ( SR 147 ) to Lake Mead . With the notable exceptions of Las Vegas Boulevard , Boulder Highway ( SR 582 ) , and Rancho Drive ( SR 599 ) , the majority of surface streets outside downtown Las Vegas are laid out along Public Land Survey System section line s . Many are maintained by the Nevada Department of Transportation as state highway s . Rail and bus . While the Las Vegas area does not have any passenger rail service , proposals to revive passenger trains to Las Vegas have included the Desert Xpress high - speed train from Victorville , California ; the California - Nevada Interstate Maglev , which would extend to Anaheim , California , with its first segment being to Primm , Nevada . The Las Vegas Railway Express ; and the Z - Train , which would travel six days a week between Los Angeles Union Station and a new Z - Train Station adjacent to the Strip ; and the Desert Lightning to Los Angeles and Phoenix . Las Vegas receives about 30 freight train s per day in 2004 , and serves as a district crew change point , requiring all trains to stop in downtown . Freight traffic was 179 , 284 cars in 2004 . Roads . Two major freeways — Interstate 15 and U . S . Route 95 — cross in downtown Las Vegas . I - 15 connects Las Vegas to Los Angeles and San Diego , and heads northeast to and beyond Salt Lake City . Interstate 515 goes southeast to Henderson , beyond which U . S . Route 93 continues over the Hoover Dam towards Phoenix , Arizona . US 95 connects the city to northwestern Nevada , including Carson City and Reno . US 93 splits from I - 15 northeast of Las Vegas and goes north through the eastern part of the state , serving Ely and Wells , and US 95 heads south from US 93 near Henderson through far eastern California . A three - quarters beltway has been built , consisting of Interstate 215 on the south and Clark County 215 on the west and north . Other radial routes include SR 160 to Pahrump and SR 147 to Lake Mead . With the notable exceptions of Las Vegas Boulevard , Boulder Highway , and Tonopah Highway ( better known as the northern part of Rancho Drive ) , the majority of surface streets outside downtown Las Vegas are laid out along Public Land Survey System section line s . Many are maintained , in part , by the Nevada Department of Transportation as state highway s . Fuel . The Las Vegas area is dependent on imported gasoline , diesel , and aviation fuel as is most of Nevada , which has only one refinery . The region is dependent on the Calnev Pipeline as its single supply . Limited diesel is delivered to a dedicated terminal in North Las Vegas by rail . Diversified supply is dependent on the planned UNEV pipeline . Electricity . About 25 % of the electric power from Hoover Dam goes to Nevada , and about 70 % of power to Southern Nevada comes from natural gas fired power stations . Sports . Las Vegas is the home of the following minor league teams : Recreation . Las Vegas has many recreational options . There are several multiuse trail systems within the valley operated by multiple organizations . The River Mountains Loop Trail is a long trail that connects the west side of the valley with Hoover Dam and Lake Mead . Summerlin offers more than 150 miles of award winning trails within the community . There are also the Angel Park Trail , Bonanza Trail , and the county ' s Flamingo Arroyo Trail , I - 215 West Beltway Trail ( ) , I - 215 East Beltway Trail ( ) , Tropicana / Flamingo Washes Trail and the Western Trails Park Area Equestrian Trails ( 4 miles ) . Education . Primary and secondary . The Clark County School District operates all of the public primary and secondary schools in the county with the exception of a few which are contracted out to a private organization . Colleges and universities . 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 , National University and Touro University Nevada are 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 and ITT Technical Institute .