Table of Contents Introduction to Our City . .1 Why Southern Nevada? . .2 Las Vegas Cost of Living . .4 Employment . .5 Schools . .6 Libraries . .9 Hospitals . .10 Moving Tips . .11 Important Numbers . .13 Map of Las Vegas . .14-15 Transportation . .16 Getting Involved . .17 Seniors . .18 What to Do in Las Vegas . .19 Golf Courses . .23 Hotels/Casinos/Websites . .24 Las Vegas Communities . .25 Shopping . .26 Getting to Know Nevada . .27-28 “It is my pleasure to provide you with information on Las Vegas, Nevada - the Diamond in the Desert.” Introduction to Our City Las Vegas and the Metropolitan Area he City of Las Vegas covers a land area of 135.9 square miles. In addi - T tion to Las Vegas, the city’s metropolitan region includes North Las Vegas, Boulder City, Henderson, Mesquite and a large number of unincorpo - rated communities. The downtown area of Las Vegas, known as Glitter Gulch, is characterized by long-established casinos. It is the site of the Fremont Street Experience, a renovation project completed in 1995, designed to revitalize the downtown area and attract more people to the street’s casinos. Covering a five-block stretch of Fremont Street, this section is a covered pedestrian mall where thousands of lights play out animated scenes overhead. In addition to the casinos and attractions downtown, more are located on The Strip, a 4.5-mile neon-lined portion of Las Vegas Boulevard, located slightly south of downtown. Some of the extravagant casinos on The Strip play on epic Hollywood themes, while others advertise attractions, such as an Egyptian pyramid, a medieval castle, or an erupting volcano. Ever-grander casinos open each year attracting patrons with such draws as replicas of New York City landmarks or roller- coasters atop towers. Outside the city lies Hoover Dam, a massive concrete dam that was completed in 1936 as part of a federally funded water works project. Population Statistics The population of Las Vegas’ metropolitan area increased markedly in recent decades, rising from 164,674 in 1980 to 258,295 in 1990. Increasingly, Las Vegas is home to people who have left California for Nevada. California migrants constitute about one-third of newcomers to Las Vegas and contribute to the growth in home construction, landscaping, residential security, and light manufacturing in the increasingly varied Vegas economy. The growth of the Las Vegas metropolitan region was the fastest in the nation in the 1990’s, increasing 83 percent between 1990 and 2000. The population of the region Month High Low jumped from 528,000 in 1980 to 853,000 in 1990. By 2008 the population January 57 34 reached 1,986,145, estimated to be 1,966,630 in 2011 and is projected to February 63 39 reach 2.7 million by the year 2020. March 69 44 April 78 51 Climate May 88 60 While it is hot in the summer, Las Vegas has one of the best climates in the June 100 69 United States. Our summer heat is easier to deal with than the summer heat July 106 76 in most other places including parts of the midwest, east and south. Las Vegas August 103 74 enjoys a low annual humidity with 298 days of sunshine (85%) and a low September 95 66 average rainfall of just 4.05 inches. Since this is a “night-time” 24-hour city, October 82 54 the warm, dry summer nights are outstanding for visitors and locals. November 67 43 Listed to the right are the average daily high and low temperatures by month Ë December 58 34 1 Las Vegas Average Temperatures Introduction to Our City LAS VEGAS HISTORY Las Vegas was an important stop along the Old Spanish Trail between Santa Fe, New Mexico and southern California for much of the 19th century. The oasis enabled Spanish traders to shorten their route to Los Angeles by cutting directly across the desert. Descriptions of the lush val - ley, made in 1829 and widely circulated, generated much interest. In 1844 explorer John C. Fremont camped in the Las Vegas Valley and described the fertile landscape in his journals. Missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormon Church) began an intermittent settlement of the Las Vegas Valley in 1855. This settlement served as a link to California and the Pacific Ocean. The coming of the railroad in 1905 stabilized the Las Vegas Valley, and an era of slow growth ensued. In the early 1900s Nevada passed laws allowing divorce after only six months’ residency in the state. By 1931 the requirement was reduced to six weeks, and Las Vegas gained a reputation as an easy place to get a divorce. Population growth accelerated in the 1930s with two innovations. In 1931 the Bureau of Reclamation started construction of Boulder (later Hoover) Dam on the nearby Colorado River. It was the largest dam in the world at that time. Dam construction brought job growth, city development, and major federal funds to Las Vegas. That same year, the State of Nevada legal - ized gambling, facilitating the modern era of Las Vegas, which began with the construction of the Flamingo Casino by gangster Bugsy Siegel in 1945. Other lavish casinos opened soon after, most of which were influenced or owned by criminals. Hotel and motel construction boomed after the war, with showy new casinos being built. A trend began toward huge resorts and family-oriented theme parks. Las Vegas is home to the largest hotel resort in the world with the building of the Palazzo. Las Vegas also lays claim to 9 of the 10 largest resort hotels in the world and growing larger every day. WHY SOUTHERN NEVADA? • Low cost of living • No personal income tax • No state income tax • Widely varied job opportunities • Best economic growth in the United States over the last two decades • Avg. daily high temp 80°F; Avg. daily low temp 58°F with sunny days 85% of the time. Residents appreciate abundant recreational opportunities and numerous art venues--Southern Nevada has 60 golf courses, over 200 recreational areas, including nearly 30 museums and more than 100 art centers and cultural organizations. Education is a top priority--the area is home to the 6th largest school district in the country and reports above average SAT/ACT scores. Southern Nevada is home to more places of worship per capita than any other in the nation. It’s no surprise that Southern Nevada leads the nation in popula - tion growth and receives recognition for its strong economy. 2 L V Chamber of Commerce The Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce is the largest business organization in Nevada. Founded in the early days of Las Vegas, the Chamber has a strong lega - cy of protecting and strengthening the Southern Nevada business community, helping its member businesses grow and thrive and providing a voice for those busi - nesses in local, state and federal government. The Chamber provides business-building programs, a full events calendar of more than 100 events annually to help members connect and do business with one anoth - er, cost-saving programs that help its members’ bottom lines, exposure through the Chamber’s website, in the Business Voice (the Chamber’s monthly magazine) and social media, information and timely news updates to help its members make better business decisions, and advocacy and representation at all levels of government to ensure a business-friendly climate in Southern Nevada. In December 2012, the Chamber revised its name to reflect the valley-wide focus of the Chamber, and the recognition that the region has grown into a true metrop - olis. The Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce is committed to serving and supporting the entire metropolitan area. The Chamber has about 6,000 member busi - nesses from nearly every industry, representing more than 200,000 people. CHAMBER HISTORY Take a look at some of the major accomplishments and milestones of the Chamber throughout its 102-year legacy. For a comprehensive look at some of the Chamber’s major accomplishments in developing and protecting the Las Vegas business community, visit Chamber100.com. 1929 - Work on Boulder Dam breaks ground. Chamber leaders, as well as its founding members, have been in discussions and negotiations to ensure that Southern Nevada receives a major boost in its struggling economy from the dam’s construction. 1931 - Chamber officials campaign to have the ban on gaming lifted. Mayme Stocker’s Northern Club is officially the first Southern Nevada gaming license procured. 1933 - With heavy pushing from Chamber leaders, the first post office and federal building are erected in Las Vegas. 1941 - The U.S. Army Air Corps Gunnery School opens in the space now occupied by McCarran International Airport. The Chamber and Senator McCarran are instru - mental in the gunnery school’s formation. 1945 - Chamber president Maxwell Kelch launches the Livewire Fund to promote Las Vegas as a worldwide tourism destination city.This is a major step forward in establishing Las Vegas as the vacation and tourist destination that it is today. It is also an instrumental step in the formation of the Desert Sea News Bureau, now known as the Las Vegas News Bureau. Charles “Pop” Squires writes in the Las Vegas Age newspaper to rally support for the Livewire Fund, “All businessmen should join in the campaign to spread the fame of Las Vegas to every part of the country in preparation for the vast surge of travel which the end of the war will start.” 1947 - The Chamber, as a part of its initiatives through the Livewire Fund, commissions the West-Marquis Firm, a West Coast-based advertising agency, to design an ad campaign for tourism.