North Las Vegas, Nevada
North Las Vegas is a suburban city in Clark County, Nevada, United States, in the Las Vegas Valley. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 262,527, with an estimated population of 296,653 in 2025. The city was incorporated on May 1, 1946. It is the 4th most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the 73rd most populous city in the United States.
Prehistory
Native Americans were the first to inhabit the area. Paiute Indians settled in the area in around 700 AD.
Early history (1860s–1946)
During the 1860s, Conrad Kiel established a ranch at the modern-day intersection of Carey Street and Losee Road in what would be North Las Vegas. In 1917, libertarian Thomas L. Williams of Eureka, Utah visited the Las Vegas Valley, back when Las Vegas, Las Vegas Indian Colony, and Arden were the only entities in the valley. He did not approve of Las Vegas, perhaps because of its rowdiness (he was a Christian, or at least went to church), or because Las Vegas' attempts at municipal control over its citizens. However, he was pleased by the abundance of the valley's artesian water and potential for agriculture. Two years later in 1919, he moved together with his family (his wife and three sons) to a 160-acre piece of land a mile from Las Vegas. That year, he founded his town, developing the town by building for himself and his family a house, sinking a well, grading roads, extending power lines, and forming a system of irrigation ditches. Williams believed that churches and church people should govern the new town, and so encouraged churches to buy property in the town. In 1919, the federally enforced Volstead Act was passed, which prohibited the sale, possession, and consumption of alcohol. Since there was no local law against alcohol, and because of a system of tunnels that would connect the town's underground speakeasies, the town attracted bootleggers from Las Vegas, although Williams was initially unaware of this. This gave his town the nickname of "Old Town". When he did discover it, he stuck with agriculture for his economic purposes.
Incorporation (1946–present)
On May 1, 1946, North Las Vegas was incorporated as a city. In 1957, North Las Vegas planned to annex an area to its southeast, and in response, the Clark County Commission created the town of Sunrise Manor to prevent further annexation attempts. On May 13, 1964, First Lieutenant Raynor Lee Hebert, a student pilot from Port Arthur, Texas, took off from Nellis Air Force Base at approximately 2:00 PM on an F-105 fighter jet. He radioed his flight leader saying that he could not retract his nose gear, and thus could not gain altitude. He was at a height high enough to bail out, but so low that if he did, he would have hit Lincoln Elementary School, which was in session with 800 students. He kept the plane nose up long enough to pass the school, and eventually hit nine residential houses on Lenwood Avenue. The crash killed Hebert and four civilians. Hebert Memorial Park was created by the City of North Las Vegas with a plaque at the crash site to commemorate Hebert.
Located within the Mojave Desert in the southwestern United States, North Las Vegas sits northeast of Las Vegas. According to the United States Census Bureau, North Las Vegas has a total area of 101.4 square miles (262.6 km2), of which 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2), or 0.04%, is water. In the Las Vegas Valley, there are several prominent mountain ranges nearby.
Climate
Due to its location within the Mojave Desert, North Las Vegas has a desert climate. Temperatures are generally mild in the winter and hot in the summer. Like most of the hot deserts of the United States, snowfall only occurs once every few years on average. In winter, temperatures are mild during the day but typically fall below freezing overnight. In the summer, monsoons can reach the area, bringing heavy rain and thunderstorms.
2010 US census
At the census of 2010, there were 216,961 people residing in North Las Vegas. The racial makeup was 47.4% White, 19.9% African American, 0.8% Native American, 6.3% Asian, 0.8% Pacific Islander, and 5.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 38.8% of the population, and 31.2% of the population was non-Hispanic White.
2000 US census
As of the 2000 census, there were 115,488 people, 34,018 households, and 27,112 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,471.0 inhabitants per square mile (568.0/km2). There were 36,600 housing units at an average density of 466.2 per square mile (180.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 55.93% White, 19.02% African American, 0.82% Native American, 3.24% Asian, 0.53% Pacific Islander, 15.78% from other races, and 4.68% from two or more races. 37.61% were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 34,018 households, out of which 47.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% were married couples living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.3% were non-families. 13.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.36 and the average family size was 3.67.
Bigelow Aerospace is headquartered in North Las Vegas. Traditionally, manufacturing, industrial and warehouse distribution companies have dominated the local market. High-tech businesses, including solar and green technology, and custom manufacturing facilities are moving to North Las Vegas. On May 12, 2019, Amazon opened a 850,000-square-foot fulfillment center in North Las Vegas which currently employs more than 1,500 people. In October 2019, Sephora opened a 715,000-square-foot distribution center in North Las Vegas. As construction began on the nearby Brightline West highspeed railroad project, PCM Railone AG announced in June 2024 that they would build a production facility for concrete ties and open a North American headquarters in North Las Vegas. Florence McClure Women's Correctional Center, Nevada's only female correctional facility, is located in North Las Vegas. North Las Vegas has many medical/recreational marijuana dispensaries, and opened the first 24-hour dispensary in the Las Vegas Valley.
Mayor and council
The city of North Las Vegas provides recreational amenities, police and fire protection, and water and wastewater services. The city, which was incorporated in 1946, encompasses 262.6 square kilometres (101.4 sq mi). The city operates under a council-manager form of government, with a mayor and four council members. The mayor is elected at large, and council members must live within, and are elected by their wards. The city has two municipal judges who are elected at large.
City management
The city manager and city attorney are appointed by and report to the city council. The city manager's administration consists of an Economic Development Division, Strategic Planning Division, community Outreach Division, Communications and Marketing Division and the following departments: Administrative Services, City Clerk, Community Services and Development, Finance, Fire, Human Resources, Parks and Recreation, Police, Public Works, the North Las Vegas Library District, and Utilities. The City of North Las Vegas operates an extensive system of open spaces, parks and leisure services. The city maintains 34 parks totaling more than 475 acres (192 ha) of developed park land. Six of the city's parks feature water amenities, including pools, ponds and spray pads. The city also runs two recreation centers.
Police
The North Las Vegas Police Department was established in 1946 (when the city incorporated) to serve North Las Vegas, which at that time consisted of four square miles and a population of around 3,000. NLVPD grew to keep pace with the rapid growth of the city of North Las Vegas and Clark County. As of 2016, NLVPD provided law enforcement services to an area of 100.48 square miles (260.2 km2) and a population of approximately 233,808 citizens. As of July 2016, NLVPD had 309 commissioned personnel (police and detention officers) and 106 civilian support personnel.
North Las Vegas city presidential election results
North Las Vegas is home to the Cheyenne Campus of the College of Southern Nevada. The institution covers an area of roughly 80 acres (32 ha) and provides for a broad variety of different courses. As of 2013, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas was planning to open a branch in North Las Vegas near the I-215 Beltway, though this plan had yet to be implemented as of 2022. Primary and secondary school students in North Las Vegas are served by the Clark County School District (CCSD), the fifth-largest in the United States with over 300,000 students enrolled in any of its 357 schools. CCSD has a workforce of over 35,000 people, and is considered a major employer in the county. The following high schools are in North Las Vegas:
North Las Vegas Airport, formerly known as Sky Haven Airport, was established on December 7, 1941. A division of Vision Airlines operates tours to the Grand Canyon in Arizona from the airport. RTC Transit provides bus service in the city, as it does throughout the Las Vegas metropolitan area.
A wide range of different cultures have led to a number of diverse restaurants, including Mexican, Filipino, and fusion eateries.
