Global InformationLas Vegas information
Las Vegas | |
|---|---|
City | |
Downtown Las Vegas World Market Center The Strat Las Vegas Strip Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health Clark County Government Center | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Etymology: from Spanish las vegas 'the meadows' | |
| Nicknames: "Vegas", "Sin City", "City of Lights", "The Gambling Capital of the World",[1] "The Entertainment Capital of the World", "Capital of Second Chances",[2] "The Marriage Capital of the World", "The Silver City", "America's Playground" | |
    | |
  Las Vegas  Las Vegas | |
| Coordinates: 36°10′30″N 115°08′11″W / 36.17500°N 115.13639°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Nevada |
| County | Clark |
| Founded | May 15, 1905 |
| Incorporated | March 16, 1911 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–manager |
| • Mayor | Carolyn Goodman (I) |
| • Mayor Pro Tem | Brian Knudsen (D) |
| • City council | Members
|
| • City manager | Jorge Cervantes |
| Area [3] | |
| • City | 141.91 sq mi (367.53 km2) |
| • Land | 141.85 sq mi (367.40 km2) |
| • Water | 0.05 sq mi (0.14 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,001 ft (610 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • City | 641,903 |
| • Rank | 75th in North America 25th in the United States 1st in Nevada |
| • Density | 4,525.16/sq mi (1,747.17/km2) |
| • Urban | 2,196,623 (US: 21st) |
| • Urban density | 5,046.3/sq mi (1,948.4/km2) |
| • Metro [4] | 2,265,461 (US: 29th) |
| Demonym | Las Vegan |
| GDP [5] | |
| • Las Vegas (MSA) | $160.7 billion (2022) |
| Time zone | UTC−08:00 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−07:00 (PDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 89044, 89054, 891xx |
| Area code | 702 & 725 |
| FIPS code | 32-40000 |
| GNIS feature ID | 847388 |
| Website | lasvegasnevada |
Las Vegas,[6] often known simply as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-largest in the Southwestern United States.[7][8] Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city, known primarily for its gambling, shopping, fine dining, entertainment, and nightlife, with most venues centered on downtown Las Vegas and more to the Las Vegas Strip just outside city limits. The Las Vegas Valley as a whole serves as the leading financial, commercial, and cultural center for Nevada. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had 641,903 residents in 2020,[9] with a metropolitan population of 2,227,053,[10] making it the 25th-most populous city in the United States.
The city bills itself as the Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous for its luxurious and extremely large casino-hotels. With over 2.9 million visitors as of 2019, Las Vegas is the sixth-most visited city in the U.S., after New York City, Miami, Los Angeles, Orlando, and San Francisco.[11] It is a top-three destination in the U.S. for business conventions and a global leader in the hospitality industry, claiming more AAA Five Diamond hotels than any other city in the world.[12][13][14] Las Vegas annually ranks as one of the world's most visited tourist destinations.[15][16] The city's tolerance for numerous forms of adult entertainment had earned it the nickname "Sin City",[17] and has made Las Vegas a popular setting for literature, films, television programs, and music videos.
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 (a similar distinction was earned by Chicago in the 19th century). Population growth has accelerated since the 1960s and into the 21st century, and between 1990 and 2000 the population nearly doubled, increasing by 85.2%. As with most major metropolitan areas, the name of the primary city ("Las Vegas" in this case) is often used to describe areas beyond official city limits. In the case of Las Vegas, this especially applies to the areas on and near the Strip, which are actually in the unincorporated communities of Paradise and Winchester.[18][19] Over time and influenced by climate change, droughts in Southern Nevada, already one of the driest regions in the United States, have been increasing in frequency and severity,[20] putting a further strain on Las Vegas's water security.
- ^ "Words and Their Stories: Nicknames for New Orleans and Las Vegas". VOA News. March 13, 2010. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
- ^ Lovitt, Rob (December 15, 2009). "Will the real Las Vegas please stand up?". NBC News. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
- ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
- ^ "2020 Population and Housing State Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
- ^ "Total Gross Domestic Product for Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV (MSA)". fred.stlouisfed.org.
- ^ (US: /lɑːs ˈveɪɡəs/ lahss VAY-gəss; from Spanish las vegas 'the meadows')
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Brunn, S.D.; Zeigler, D.J.; Hays-Mitchell, M.; Graybill, J.K. (2020). Cities of the World: Regional Patterns and Urban Environments. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 29. ISBN 978-1-5381-2635-6. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
- ^ "QuickFacts: Las Vegas city, Nevada". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
- ^ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Las Vegas city, Nevada". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
- ^ "America's 10 most visited cities", World Atlas, September 23, 2021
- ^ Jones, Charisse (August 21, 2013). "Top convention destinations: Orlando, Chicago, Las Vegas". USA Today.
- ^ Trejos, Nancy (January 17, 2014). "AAA chooses Five Diamond hotels, restaurants for 2014". USA Today. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
- ^ "Top 5 Cities to Get Hired in Hospitality". Hcareers. Archived from the original on January 14, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
- ^ "Overseas Visitation Estimates for U.S. States, Cities, and Census Regions: 2013" (PDF). International Visitation in the United States. US Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, US Department of Commerce. May 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 13, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
- ^ "World's Most-Visited Tourist Attractions". Travel + Leisure. November 10, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
- ^ Schwartz, David G. (December 10, 2018). "Why Las Vegas Is Still America's Most Sinful City". Forbes. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
- ^ Schoenmann, Joe (February 3, 2010). "Vegas not alone in wanting in on .vegas". Las Vegas Sun.
- ^ "Clark County 100 in 2009,Announces Plans" (PDF) (Press release). Clark County, Nevada. October 22, 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 28, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
The Las Vegas Strip is in unincorporated Clark County and not in any city.
- ^ "West megadrought worsens to driest in at least 1,200 years". Las Vegas Sun. February 15, 2022. Retrieved March 5, 2022.