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Las Vegas is the most populous city in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and entertainment. Although established in 1905, Las Vegas officially became a city in 1911. With the growth that followed, Las Vegas became the most populous American city founded in the 20th century, preceding the 19th century founding of Chicago.
Early History
Las Vegas (English: "The Meadows") was named by Spaniards in the Antonio Armijo party, who used the water in the area while heading north and west along the Old Spanish Trail from Texas. In the 1800s, areas of the Las Vegas Valley contained artesian wells that supported extensive green areas or meadows (vegas in Spanish), hence the name Las Vegas.
Modern Times
Las Vegas started as a stopover on the pioneer trails to the west and became a popular railroad town in the early 1900s. It was a staging point for all the mines in the surrounding area. The completion of the nearby Hoover Dam resulted in substantial growth in tourism, which, along with the legalization of gambling, led to the advent of the casino-hotels for which Las Vegas is famous.
The constant stream of tourist dollars from the hotels and casinos was augmented by a new source of federal money. This money came 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 still goes on today.
Significant events
* Establishment of Las Vegas as a railroad town (May 15, 1905).
* Legalization of gambling (March 19, 1931).
* Completion of Hoover Dam (October 9, 1936).
* Opening of Bugsy Siegel's Flamingo Hotel on what would become the Las Vegas Strip (December 26, 1946).
* Atmospheric nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site (1951 to 1962).
* MGM Grand Hotel fire, Nevada's deadliest disaster (November 21, 1980).
* Las Vegas Hilton hotel fire on February 9, 1981.
* Opening of The Mirage which began the era of megaresort casinos (November 22, 1989).
Topography
The city is located in an arid basin surrounded by mountains varying in color from pink to rust to gray. City elevation is around 2030 feet (620 m) above sea level. The Spring Mountains lie to the west. As befits a desert, much of the landscape is rocky and dusty. Within the city, however, there are a great deal of lawns, trees, and other greenery.
Climate
Las Vegas' climate is an arid desert climate typical of the Mojave Desert, in which it is located, marked with very hot summers, mild winters, abundant sunshine year-round, and very little rainfall. Temperatures in the 90s °F are common in the months of May, June, and September and temperatures normally exceed 100 °F most days in the months of July and August, but with very low humidity, frequently under 10%. Winters are mild, cool and windy, with the majority of Las Vegas' annual 4.49 in (114 mm) of rainfall coming from January to March.