History and Description of the Metropolitan Las Vegas, Nevada Regional Area

History and Description of the Las Vegas Regional Area - Search Home and House Property Listings

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Las Vegas is known as "The Entertainment Capital of the World" not only for the theme hotels and grand casinos, which line the Strip, but also for all the entertainment attractions and nearby wonders of nature unique to Southern Nevada. The Strip was once a stretch of desert occupied by indigenous Indian tribes. In the early 1700s, however, Spanish traders found a new route through the then unexplored Las Vegas Valley. The valley was filled with abundant wild grasses and a plentiful water supply, and they promptly named it Las Vegas, which is Spanish for "The Meadows."

Since then, the Las Vegas metropolitan area has evolved from a small Mormon fort to a leader in the mining and farming industries to a railroad town. Las Vegas was incorporated in March 1911 and gambling became legal in 1931. With the construction of the Hoover Dam and the legalization of gaming, the area enjoyed both an economic and population boom. Today, tourism and entertainment are the largest employers in the Las Vegas Valley, home to more than two million people. More of the grand casinos are also catering to family style fun. The High Roller at the Stratosphere Tower is the world's highest roller coaster. The Luxor I-max Theatre offers interactive films, Excalibur has the Magic Motion Rides, bungee jumping is popular at Circus Circus and gondola rides are offered at the Venetian.

Downtown Las Vegas offers a diverse mix of culture from the Las Vegas Art Museum, Liberace Museum and the Guinness World of Records Museum to the Las Vegas Philharmonic and the Las Vegas Performing Arts Center. Mild desert temperatures make outdoor recreation possible all year in Southern Nevada. Within a 30-mile radius of Las Vegas are several spectacular outdoor destinations, such as the national recreation areas of Lake Mead, Red Rock and the Hoover Dam. Mount Charleston offers hiking trails and snow skiing.

The Las Vegas Valley is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the United States. It simply has all the amenities of a complete resort destination: luxurious hotels, fine dining, state-of-the-art convention facilities and exciting live entertainment. Residents enjoy all of this plus low unemployment, affordable housing, a great climate and a restored urban core. From Freemont Street and Lake Mead to the Eiffel Tower and the Sphinx of Egypt hotels and casinos, Las Vegas is a truly superb international destination and a great place to live.