Clark County is the most populous

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

with 2,265,461 residents as of the 2020 census. The county is the location of the state's three largest cities,

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to 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-l ...

(the county seat), Henderson, and North Las Vegas, as well as the

Las Vegas Strip The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas city limits ...

Nellis Air Force Base Nellis Air Force Base ("Nellis" colloquialism, colloq.) is a United States Air Force military installation, installation in southern Nevada. Nellis hosts Aerial warfare, air combat exercises such as Exercise Red Flag and close air support exerc ...

, and

Hoover Dam The Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado, Black Canyon of the Colorado River (U.S.), Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona. Constructed between 1931 and 1936, d ...

. Clark County has of land area, roughly the size of

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. Although the county has 70% of Nevada's population making it the 11th-most populous county in the United States, Clark County covers only 7% of Nevada's land mass. Despite having the name ''Las Vegas'' as part of their address, over 1 million residents live in unincorporated Clark County, with

municipal services Municipal services or city services refer to basic services that residents of a city expect the local government to provide in exchange for the taxes which citizens pay. Basic city services may include sanitation (both sewer and refuse), wa ...

provided by the county. The county plays a role much larger than is typical in the US as it has direct jurisdiction over the Las Vegas Strip and such a large population. Clark County is governed by the Clark County Commission as its

partisan Partisan(s) or The Partisan(s) may refer to: Military * Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line ** Francs-tireurs et partisans, communist-led French anti-fascist resistance against Nazi Germany during WWII ** Ital ...

, seven member elected body which enacts ordinances and appoints the county manager to administer the ordinances and daily operations of the county. The

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (also known as the LVMPD or Metro) is a combined city and county law enforcement agency for the Las Vegas, City of Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, United States. It is headed by the Sheriff of Clar ...

(LVMPD) is a city-county

law enforcement agency A law enforcement agency (LEA) is any government agency responsible for law enforcement within a specific jurisdiction through the employment and deployment of law enforcement officers and their resources. The most common type of law enforcement ...

with jurisdiction over all Clark County, resulting from the merger between the city of Las Vegas’ police department and the county sheriff's office. Originally occupied by the

Southern Paiute people The Southern Paiute people () are a tribe of Native Americans who have lived in the Colorado River basin of southern Nevada, northern Arizona, and southern Utah. Bands of Southern Paiute live in scattered locations throughout this territory an ...

and others, the area became part of the Mexican territory of

Alta California Alta California (, ), also known as Nueva California () among other names, was a province of New Spain formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but was made a separat ...

—then after the

Mexican-American War Mexican Americans are Americans of full or partial Mexican descent. In 2022, Mexican Americans comprised 11.2% of the US population and 58.9% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexican Americans were born in the United State ...

part of the United States—first as part of the

New Mexico Territory The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of '' Nuevo México'' becomi ...

, and later the

Arizona Territory The Territory of Arizona, commonly known as the Arizona Territory, was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the ...

, before becoming part of Nevada as Lincoln County. Clark County was formed from the southern portion of Lincoln on July 1, 1909.

History

, the state's most populous city, has been the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

since its establishment. The county was formed by the

Nevada Legislature The Nevada Legislature is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of Nevada, consisting of the Nevada Assembly (lower house with 42 members) and the Nevada Senate (upper house with 21 members). With a total of 63 seats, the Legisla ...

by splitting off a portion of Lincoln County on February 5, 1909, and was organized on July 1, 1909. The

Las Vegas Valley The Las Vegas Valley is a major metropolitan area in the Southern Nevada, southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada, and the second largest in the Southwestern United States. The state's largest urban agglomeration, the Las Vegas Metropolitan St ...

, a basin, includes Las Vegas and other major cities and communities such as North Las Vegas, Henderson, and the

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

Paradise In religion and folklore, paradise is a place of everlasting happiness, delight, and bliss. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical, eschatological, or both, often contrasted with the miseries of human ...

. Native Americans lived in the Las Vegas Valley beginning over 10,000 years ago. Paiutes moved into the area as early as AD 700. Previously part of the Mexican Territory of

, the Clark County lands were subsequently traversed by American

beaver Beavers (genus ''Castor'') are large, semiaquatic rodents of the Northern Hemisphere. There are two existing species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers are the second-large ...

trappers. Word of their journeys inspired the New Mexican merchant Antonio Armijo in 1829 to establish the first route for mule trains and herds of livestock from Nuevo Mexico to Alta California through the area, along the

Virgin Virginity is a social construct that denotes the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. As it is not an objective term with an operational definition, social definitions of what constitutes virginity, or the lack thereof ...

and

Colorado River The Colorado River () is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The river, the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), 5th longest in the United St ...

s. Called the Armijo Route of the Old Spanish Trail, the route was later modified into the Main Route by the passing merchants, trappers, drovers, Ute raiders and settlers over the years by moving to a more direct route. In Clark County it was northward away from the Colorado to a series of creeks, waterholes and springs like those at

, to which

John C. Frémont Major general (United States), Major-General John Charles Frémont (January 21, 1813July 13, 1890) was a United States Army officer, explorer, and politician. He was a United States senator from California and was the first History of the Repub ...

added Frémont's Cutoff on his return from California to Utah in 1844. What is now Clark County was acquired by the United States during the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

, becoming part of the northwestern corner of

. In 1847,

Jefferson Hunt Jefferson Hunt (January 20, 1803 – May 11, 1879) was a U.S. western pioneer, soldier, and politician. He was a captain in the Mormon Battalion, brigadier general in the California State Militia, a California State Assemblyman, and a represent ...

and other Mormon Battalion members returning to

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...

from

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

pioneered a wagon route through the County that became the

Mormon Road Mormon Road, also known to the 49ers as the Southern Route, of the California Trail in the Western United States, was a seasonal wagon road pioneered by a Mormon party from Salt Lake City, Utah led by Jefferson Hunt, that followed the route of S ...

. In 1849, this road became known as the "Southern Route", the winter route of the

California Trail The California Trail was an emigrant trail of about across the western half of the North American continent from Missouri River towns to what is now the state of California. After it was established, the first half of the California Trail f ...

from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles during the

California Gold Rush The California gold rush (1848–1855) began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California from the rest of the U ...

. By the mid-1850s, the route now known as the Salt Lake Road in California, and the California Road in

Utah Territory The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah, the 45th st ...

, was a wagon trade route between the two. In the mid-1850s, Mormons established a Mormon Fort at

. In the 1860s, Mormon colonies were established along the Virgin and Muddy Rivers. All of the county was part of

Mohave County Mohave County occupies the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona, one of 15 counties in the state. As of the 2020 census, its population was 213,267. The county seat is Kingman, and the largest city is Lake Havasu City. It is th ...

, when that Territory was formed in 1863, before Nevada became a state. In 1865, it became part of Pah-Ute County, Arizona Territory. The part of Pah-Ute County north and west of the Colorado River was assigned to the new State of Nevada in 1866; however, Arizona territory fought the division until 1871. Pah-Ute County became part of Lincoln County and the westernmost part became the southernmost part of Nye County. Clark County was named for William A. Clark, a

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

copper magnate and Democratic

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...

. Clark was largely responsible for construction of the

San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad The Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad was a rail company in California, Nevada, and Utah in the United States, that completed and operated a railway line between its namesake cities (Salt Lake City, Utah, and Los Angeles, California), via Las ...

through the area, contributing to the region's early development. Clark County is a major tourist destination with 150,000 hotel rooms. The

, home to many famous hotel-casinos, is not within the City of Las Vegas limits, but in unincorporated Paradise. It is, however, in the

. Clark County is geographically coextensive with the Las Vegas MSA, a metropolitan statistical area designated by the

Office of Management and Budget The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP). The office's most prominent function is to produce the president's budget, while it also examines agency pro ...

and used by the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

and other agencies for statistical purposes. Over time and influenced by

climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...

drought A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, ...

s in Southern Nevada have been increasing in frequency and severity, putting a further strain on Clark County's and Las Vegas's

water security The aim of water security is to maximize the benefits of water for humans and ecosystems. The second aim is to limit the risks of destructive impacts of water to an acceptable level. These risks include too much water (flood), too little water (d ...

Geography

The

forms the county's southeastern boundary, with

forming

Lake Mead Lake Mead is a reservoir formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River in the Southwestern United States. It is located in the states of Nevada and Arizona, east of Las Vegas. It is the largest reservoir in the US in terms of water capacity. L ...

along much of its length. The lowest point in the state of Nevada is on the Colorado River just south of Laughlin in Clark County, where it flows out of Nevada into

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

and

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

. Greater Las Vegas is a tectonic valley, surrounded by four mountain ranges, with nearby

Mount Charleston Mount Charleston, including Charleston Peak (Nuvagantu, literally "where snow sits", in Southern Paiute or Nüpakatütün in Shoshoni) at , is the highest mountain in both the Spring Mountains and Clark County, in Nevada, United States. It ...

being the highest elevation at , located to the northwest. Other than the forests on Mount Charleston, the geography in Clark County is a desert. Creosote bushes are the main native vegetation, and the mountains are mostly rocky with little vegetation. The terrain slopes to the south and east. The county has an area of , of which is land and (2.1%) is water.

Adjacent counties

* Lincoln County – north *

– east (observes

Mountain Time The Mountain Time Zone of North America keeps time by subtracting seven hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) when standard time ( UTC−07:00) is in effect, and by subtracting six hours during daylight saving time ( UTC−06:00). The clo ...

) *

San Bernardino County, California San Bernardino County ( ), officially the County of San Bernardino and sometimes abbreviated as S.B. County, is a County (United States), county located in the Southern California, southern portion of the U.S. state of California, and is locat ...

– south *

Inyo County, California Inyo County () is a County (United States), county in the Eastern California, eastern central part of the U.S. state of California, located between the Sierra Nevada and the state of Nevada. In the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the po ...

– northwest * Nye County – west

National protected areas

* Avi Kwa Ame National Monument *

Desert National Wildlife Refuge The Desert National Wildlife Refuge is a protected wildlife refuge, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, located north of Las Vegas, Nevada, in northwestern Clark County, Nevada, Clark and southwestern Lincoln County, Nevada, Li ...

(part) * Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (part) *

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Lake Mead National Recreation Area is a U.S. national recreation area in Southeastern Nevada and Northwestern Arizona. Operated by the National Park Service, Lake Mead NRA follows the Colorado River corridor from the westernmost boundary of Gran ...

(part) * Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge * Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area * Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area * Spring Mountains National Recreation Area (part) * Toiyabe National Forest (part) * Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument (part) Twenty official

wilderness area Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural) are Earth's natural environments that have not been significantly modified by human activity, or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally ...

s in Clark County are part of the

National Wilderness Preservation System The National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS) of the United States protects federal government of the United States, federally managed Wilderness, wilderness areas designated for preservation in their natural condition. Activity on formally ...

. Many of these are in, or partially in, one of the preceding protected areas, as shown below. Many are separate entities that are managed by the

Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands, U.S. federal lands. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the BLM oversees more than of land, or one ...

(BLM): * Arrow Canyon Wilderness (BLM) * Black Canyon Wilderness (Nevada) (Lake Mead National Recreational Area RA * Bridge Canyon Wilderness (Lake Mead NRA) * Eldorado Wilderness (Lake Mead NRA / BLM) * Ireteba Peaks Wilderness (Lake Mead NRA / BLM) * Jimbilnan Wilderness (Lake Mead NRA) * Jumbo Springs Wilderness (BLM) * La Madre Mountain Wilderness (BLM / Toiyabe National Forest F * Lime Canyon Wilderness (BLM) * Meadow Valley Range Wilderness (BLM) mostly in Lincoln County, Nevada * Mormon Mountains Wilderness (BLM) mostly in Lincoln County, Nevada * Mount Charleston Wilderness (Toiyabe NF / BLM) * Muddy Mountains Wilderness (BLM / Lake Mead NRA) * Nellis Wash Wilderness (Lake Mead NRA) * North McCullough Wilderness (part of Sloan Canyon NCA, which is managed by BLM) * Pinto Valley Wilderness (Lake Mead NRA) * Rainbow Mountain Wilderness (BLM / Toiyabe NF) * South McCullough Wilderness (BLM) * Spirit Mountain Wilderness (Lake Mead NRA / BLM) * Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness (BLM) White Domes trail movie site

Environmental factors

Clark County has diverse

desert A desert is a landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions create unique biomes and ecosystems. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About one-third of the la ...

flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

and

fauna Fauna (: faunae or faunas) is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding terms for plants and fungi are ''flora'' and '' funga'', respectively. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively ...

, including higher-elevation mountain areas, the desert floor, and the

ecosystems. Variations in diurnal temperature as well as seasonal swings in temperature create demanding adaptation elements on the

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of this county.

Population expansion Population growth is the increase in the number of people in a population or dispersed group. The World population, global population has grown from 1 billion in 1800 to 8.2 billion in 2025. Actual global human population growth amounts to aroun ...

, especially since 1970, has placed additional pressure on species in the area. Correspondingly,

air quality Air pollution is the presence of substances in the Atmosphere of Earth, air that are harmful to humans, other living beings or the environment. Pollutants can be Gas, gases like Ground-level ozone, ozone or nitrogen oxides or small particles li ...

levels prior to the 1960s were in a favorable range, but the proliferation of automobiles with the human population expansion created circumstances where some federal air quality standards were violated starting in the 1980s. To plan for the wave of development forecast by 1980, Clark County embarked on a regional environmental impact assessment funded by a federal Section 208 program, with Sedway-Cooke conducting the planning work and Earth Metrics performing environmental analysis. This endeavor projected population growth, land use changes and environmental impacts. To prevent the loss of federal funds due to unacceptable dust levels in the Las Vegas valley, in 2003 the Nevada Air Quality Management division (under direction of Clark County officials) created the "Don't Be a Dusthole" campaign. The campaign successfully raised awareness of dust pollution in the Las Vegas Valley, quantifiably reducing pollutants and preserving ongoing federal funding. The Apex Landfill, at , is the nation's largest landfill.

Republic Services Republic Services, Inc. is a North American waste disposal company whose services include non-hazardous solid waste collection, waste transfer, waste disposal, recycling, and energy services. It is the second largest provider of waste disposal in ...

owns and operates the landfill.

Earthquake hazards

Nevada is the third most seismically active state in the U.S. (after Alaska and California); the United States Geological Survey has estimated that over the next 50 years, Clark County has a 10–20% chance of a (moment magnitude) M6.0 or greater earthquake occurring within of Las Vegas.

Demographics

2022 American Community Survey

In 2022, there were 857,362 households and 2,322,985 people living in Clark County. By race and ethnicity, the population was 37.6% non-Hispanic white, 32.6% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 11.7% black, 10.7% Asian, 5.9% multiracial, 0.7% Pacific Islander, 0.3% Native American, and 0.6% some other race. The largest ancestries in the county were Mexican (23.2%),

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

(7.4%), Filipino (6.8%), English (6.8%), Irish (6.2%), and

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

(4.5%).

2000 census

In 2000 there were 512,253 households, out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was above age 64. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.17. The county population contained 25.6% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were over age 64. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 103.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.80 males. The median income for a household in the county was $53,536, and the median income for a family was $59,485. Males had a median income of $35,243 versus $27,077 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,785. About 7.9% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.1% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those over age 64. Large numbers of new residents in the state originate from California.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 1,951,269 people, 715,365 households, and 467,916 families in the county. The population density was . There were 840,343 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 60.9% White, 13.5% Black or African American, 8.7% Asian, 0.7% Pacific islander, 0.7% American Indian, 10.5% from other races, and 5.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 29.1% of the population. In terms of European/white ancestries, 11.7% were

, 9.1% were Irish, 7.6% were English, 6.3% were

, and 2.7% were American. Of the 715,365 households, 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.6% were non-families, and 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.26. The median age was 35.5 years. The median income for a household in the county was $56,258 and the median income for a family was $63,888. Males had a median income of $43,693 versus $35,324 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,422. About 8.7% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 16.9% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The county is home to many gaming-related companies including Golden Entertainment,

American Casino & Entertainment Properties American Casino & Entertainment Properties (ACEP) owned and operated 4 casinos. It was purchased by Golden Entertainment in October 2017 for $850 million. ACEP was a casino holding company headquartered at the Stratosphere Las Vegas. ACEP was a ...

, Bally Technologies, Cannery Casino Resorts,

The Majestic Star Casino, LLC The Majestic Star Casino, LLC was a gaming holding company founded in Gary, Indiana by Don H. Barden and was based in Las Vegas, Nevada. History The company was formed on December 8, 1993. It opened the Majestic Star Casino in Gary, Indiana o ...

, Ameristar Casinos, Archon Corporation, Boyd Gaming,

Las Vegas Sands Las Vegas Sands Corp. is an American casino and resort company with corporate headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It was founded by Sheldon Adelson, Sheldon G. Adelson and his partners out of the Sands Hotel and Casino on the Las ...

MGM Resorts International MGM Resorts International is an American Multinational corporation, multinational hospitality, sports and entertainment company. It operates resorts in Las Vegas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Maryland, Ohio, New Jersey, Macau, Shanghai, ...

Wynn Resorts Wynn Resorts, Limited is an American publicly traded corporation based in Paradise, Nevada, that is a developer and operator of high-end hotels and casinos. It was founded in 2002 by former Mirage Resorts Chairman and CEO Steve Wynn and is now r ...

, DBT Online Inc., Two Plus Two Publishing, Gambler's Book Shop / GBC Press, Station Casinos, Millennium Management Group, Navegante Group,

Pinnacle Entertainment Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. was an American gambling and hospitality company. It was acquired by Penn National Gaming in 2018. At the time of acquisition, it operated sixteen casino properties, located in Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mis ...

and

Tropicana Entertainment Tropicana Entertainment Inc. was a publicly traded Gambling, gaming company that owned and operated casinos and resorts in Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Missouri, New Jersey. and Aruba. Tropicana properties collectively had approximatel ...

Largest employers

According to data collected by the Research and Analysis Bureau of the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, Clark County's largest employers, both public and private employers, as reported in the fourth quarter of 2012: 30,000 to 39,999 employees * Clark County School District 5,000 to 10,000 employees * Clark County Government *

Wynn Las Vegas Wynn Las Vegas, often simply referred to as Wynn, is a luxury resort and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. It is owned and operated by Wynn Resorts, and was built on the former site of the Desert Inn re ...

* Bellagio *

MGM Grand Las Vegas The MGM Grand Las Vegas is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by MGM Resorts International. The resort was developed by Kirk Kerkorian through his company, MGM Grand ...

* Aria Resort & Casino * Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino *

Caesars Palace Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The hotel is situated on the west side of the Las Vegas Strip between Bellagio and The Mirage. It is one of Las Vegas's largest and best known landmarks. Caesar ...

University of Nevada, Las Vegas The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The campus is about east of the Las Vegas Strip. It was formerly part of the ...

2,500 to 4,999 *

The Venetian Las Vegas The Venetian Las Vegas is a luxury hotel and casino resort located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by Apollo Global Management. It was developed by businessman Sheldon Adelso ...

The Mirage The Mirage is a defunct casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The 65-acre property included a casino and 3,044 rooms. Mirage Resorts, Golden Nugget, Inc., led by developer Steve Wynn, purchased the future lan ...

* The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas * University Medical Center of Southern Nevada * The Palazzo *

Encore Las Vegas Encore Las Vegas (also called Encore at Wynn Las Vegas or simply Encore) is a luxury resort, casino and hotel located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The resort is connected to its sister resort, Wynn Las Vegas, located directly so ...

Flamingo Las Vegas Flamingo Las Vegas (formerly the Flamingo Hilton) is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment. The Flamingo includes a casino and a 28-story hotel with 3,460 rooms. The reso ...

Southwest Airlines Southwest Airlines Co., or simply Southwest, is a Major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States that formerly operated on a low-cost carrier model. It is headquartered in the Love Field, Dallas, Love Field neighborhood ...

* City of Las Vegas municipal Government *

Paris Las Vegas Paris Las Vegas is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment. Property features include a casino, 3,672 hotel rooms, a 1,400-seat performance theater, and various restaurants. ...

Gaming areas

The State of Nevada divides the state into several gaming districts. Accordingly, the Clark County is divided into the following reporting districts: * Boulder Strip: This region includes 33 casinos on Boulder Highway. Casinos within the Henderson city limits are included as well, such as

Green Valley Ranch Green Valley Ranch is a hotel and casino located within Green Valley, Henderson, the eponymous community in Henderson, Nevada, Henderson, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Station Casinos, and includes a casino. The resort was initially propos ...

, Sunset Station, The Pass, and Jokers Wild. *

Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...

: There are 19 casinos in this reporting area. * LV Strip: This region is composed of all the casinos on

Las Vegas Boulevard Las Vegas Boulevard is a major road in Clark County, Nevada, Clark County, Nevada, United States, best known for the Las Vegas Strip portion of the road and its casinos. Formerly carrying U.S. Route 91 in Nevada, U.S. Route 91 (US 91), wh ...

, from The Stratosphere at the north end to

Mandalay Bay Mandalay Bay is a 43-story luxury resort and casino at the south end of the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by MGM Resorts International. It was developed by Circus Circus Enterprises and complete ...

on the south end. Also included are resorts near this area, such as

The Rio The Rio is a hotel and casino near the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. It is owned and operated by Dreamscape Companies LLC. It includes a casino and 2,520 suites. It features a Brazilian theme based on Rio Carnival. The Ri ...

, South Point, and the

; and

Harry Reid International Airport Harry Reid International Airport , formerly known as McCarran International Airport, is the primary international airport serving the Las Vegas Valley, a metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Nevada. It is located south of downtown Las Vega ...

(formerly McCarran Airport). * North Las Vegas: This region has 11 casinos and includes the Cannery, Jerry's Nugget, and the

Santa Fe Station Santa Fe station may refer to: * Santa Fe Station, a hotel and casino in Las Vegas, Nevada * Santa Fe (Belgrano) railway station, a former station located in Santa Fe, Argentina (1928–1993) * Santa Fe (Mitre) railway station, a former station ...

. * Laughlin: The casinos in Laughlin. *

Mesquite Mesquite is a common name for some plants in the genera ''Neltuma'' and '' Strombocarpa'', which contain over 50 species of spiny, deep-rooted leguminous shrubs and small trees. They are native to dry areas in the Americas. Until 2022, these ge ...

: The casinos in Mesquite. * Balance of County: As of 2008, there are 66 casinos in this category that includes casinos at Lake Las Vegas,

Jean Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * J ...

, Primm, the Railroad Pass and

Hacienda A ''hacienda'' ( or ; or ) is an estate (or '' finca''), similar to a Roman '' latifundium'', in Spain and the former Spanish Empire. With origins in Andalusia, ''haciendas'' were variously plantations (perhaps including animals or orchards ...

casinos, along with other casinos that do not fit any other category such as Arizona Charlie's Decatur, Gold Coast, The Orleans, The Palms, Suncoast,

Rampart Rampart may refer to: * Rampart (fortification), a defensive wall or bank around a castle, fort or settlement Rampart may also refer to: * LAPD Rampart Division, a division of the Los Angeles Police Department ** Rampart scandal, a blanket ter ...

, and Red Rock Resort Spa and Casino

Parks and recreation

Government

The Clark County Commission consists of seven members who are elected to serve staggered four-year terms in biennial

elections. The commission members elect a chairman, who chairs their meetings. A hired county manager handles day-to-day operations under direction of the commission. The county's unincorporated towns also have appointed boards that provide advice to the commission. The county operates out of the

Clark County Government Center The Clark County Government Center serves as the government center building for Clark County, Nevada. It is located in Downtown Las Vegas. The complex was designed by Fentress Bradburn and opened in 1995. It consists of a six-story county admi ...

in the City of Las Vegas. The building is unusual in shape, and includes an outdoor

amphitheater An amphitheatre ( U.S. English: amphitheater) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ('), meaning "place for vie ...

for concerts and other events. The

provides most law enforcement services in the county, including operation of the county's central jail, the Clark County Detention Center (CCDC). The present department was created in 1973 when the Clark County Sheriff's Department merged with the Las Vegas Police Department. Other entities with police forces include

, the College of Southern Nevada, the Clark County School District, and cities of Henderson,

, Boulder City and North Las Vegas. The Clark County Office of Public Safety (formerly Clark County Park Police) is responsible for policing all buildings and parks operated by the county and some selected special venues, such as the Clark County Amphitheater, Clark County Archery Range, and the Desert Rose Golf Course. The Regional Justice Center replaced the Clark County Courthouse in 2005, and is about 3 blocks from downtown Fremont Street, at 200 Lewis Avenue.

Courts

The Clark County Justice Courts are divided into eleven townships. Each elects its own justices of the peace for limited jurisdiction cases and a constable. They do not correspond with city boundaries. The Las Vegas Justice Court Township the city of Las Vegas and the unincorporated towns of Blue Diamond, Cactus Springs,

Enterprise Enterprise (or the archaic spelling Enterprize) may refer to: Business and economics Brands and enterprises * Enterprise GP Holdings, an energy holding company * Enterprise plc, a UK civil engineering and maintenance company * Enterpris ...

, Indian Springs,

, Spring Valley, Summerlin South, Sunrise Manor (partially in North Las Vegas Township), Whitney (partially in Henderson Township) and

Winchester Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...

. The city of Las Vegas has a separate municipal court for traffic and criminal misdemeanor offenses that occur within the city's incorporated boundaries. The Clark County Marshal's Office provides security for Clark County courts. The Marshal is head of the office, while Deputy Marshals act as bailiffs for the court.

Voter registration

According to the Secretary of State's office, Independents comprise a plurality of registered voters in Clark County.

Politics

With nearly three-quarters of Nevada's population, Clark County plays a significant role in determining statewide Nevada elections as well the winner of the state's electoral votes in presidential elections. At the presidential level, the county, like most urban counties nationwide, leans Democratic. The last Republican to carry the county was

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...

in 1988. However, it is somewhat less Democratic than many other urban counties; the GOP candidate has received at least 39 percent of the vote in every election since 1996. In 2024, Republican

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

came the closest to winning Clark County since 1988, winning 47.81% of the vote. This Democratic trend predates the county's explosive growth in the second half of the 20th century. Republican presidential candidates have only won the county six times from 1912 to the present day, all coming in national landslides where the Republican won over 400 electoral votes. At the statewide level, however, the county is more of a swing county, with several Republican gubernatorial candidates and U.S. Senators winning the county since the late 1980s. The last Republican senator to win the county was

John Ensign John Eric Ensign (born March 25, 1958) is an American veterinarian and former politician who served as a United States Senator from Nevada from 2001 until his resignation in 2011 amid a Senate Ethics Committee investigation into his attempts to ...

in his 2006 victory, even as Jim Gibbons lost it in his gubernatorial win over

Dina Titus Alice Constandina "Dina" Titus ( ; born May 23, 1950) is an American politician who has been the United States representative for since 2013. She served as the U.S. representative for from 2009 to 2011, when she was defeated by Joe Heck. Titus i ...

that year. Both Kenny Guinn and Brian Sandoval carried the county in both gubernatorial terms they won, however. Republican Joe Lombardo, who previously served as Clark County sheriff, won the 2022 Nevada gubernatorial election while losing the county by 5.7%. In 2018,

Dean Heller Dean Arthur Heller (born May 10, 1960) is an American businessman and politician who served as a United States senator representing Nevada from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 15th secretary of state of Nevada ...

carried 15 of Nevada's 17 county-level jurisdictions in his bid for a second full term in the U. S. Senate. However, Democratic challenger

Jacky Rosen Jacklyn Sheryl Rosen (née Spektor; born August 2, 1957) is an American politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from Nevada since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party ...

won Clark by over 92,000 votes, almost double her statewide margin of 48,000 votes. In that year's gubernatorial election, Democrat Steve Sisolak lost 15 out of 17 county-level jurisdictions, but won Clark by enough of a margin to get the victory. Between 2008 and 2024, the Democratic presidential candidate won Clark by more than enough votes to carry Nevada, a trend which ended in 2024 where Trump won the state as a whole, largely due to a weak Democratic performance in the county. The city of Las Vegas itself leans Democratic, as do the communities of Paradise, Spring Valley and Enterprise. The city of North Las Vegas and the communities of Sunrise Manor, Winchester and Whitney are more strongly Democratic, while the city of Henderson and the Summerlin South community have a Republican lean. Boulder City, where gambling is prohibited, leans Republican. Outside Las Vegas Valley, the county leans Republican.

Regional agencies

The Clark County Regional Flood Control District (CCRFCD) was created in 1985 by the

allowing Clark County to provide broad solutions to flooding problems. The

Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) is a government agency and the transit authority and the transportation-planning agency for Southern Nevada. It was founded by the Nevada Legislature in 1965. RTC Transit The Region ...

operates the

RTC Transit RTC Transit is the name of the public bus system in the Las Vegas metropolitan area of Clark County, Nevada. It is a subsidiary of the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada. While it services most of Clark County with regularly ...

system, and does planning for most major roadways. The Southern Nevada Water Authority is a multi-agency group that manages the water distribution for the Las Vegas Valley. The Las Vegas Wash Coordination Committee manages and protects the Las Vegas Wash. Since 1999 the group has added more the 15,000 plants to stabilize the wash's banks and restore and expand the

wetlands A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

surrounding the wash. As part of the effort to restore the wash to a more natural state, they have removed more than of trash.

State government

The Grant Sawyer State Office Building, which houses many branches of state government, is within the City of Las Vegas. The

Nevada Department of Corrections The Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC) is a governmental agency in the U.S. state of Nevada. The NDOC headquarters is located on the property of the Stewart Indian School in Carson City. History In 1862, the first prison in Nevada was cr ...

operates three prisons within Clark County. High Desert State Prison, a medium-maximum prison, and the Southern Desert Correctional Center, a medium security prison, are both near Indian Springs, Nevada. The Florence McClure Women's Correctional Center, originally called Southern Nevada Women's Correctional Facility, opened in North Las Vegas on September 1, 1997. It was built and operated by

Corrections Corporation of America CoreCivic, Inc. formerly the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), is a company that owns and manages private prisons and detention centers and operates others on a concession basis. Co-founded in 1983 in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas W. ...

. On October 1, 2004, the Department of Corrections took direct control of the facility. It houses the female death row.

Education

The Clark County School District serves all of Clark County, with 228 elementary schools, 59 middle schools, and 54 high schools being the fifth largest in the country. Student enrollment in 2014 was 324,093. Las Vegas High School 2022-03-29

Colleges serving the area are

(UNLV), College of Southern Nevada,

Nevada State University Nevada State University (NSU), formerly Nevada State College, is a public college in Henderson, Nevada, United States. It is part of the Nevada System of Higher Education and opened on September 3, 2002, as Nevada's first state college. The un ...

Roseman University of Health Sciences Roseman University of Health Sciences is a private university focused on healthcare with its main campus in Henderson, Nevada, United States. It has additional campuses in South Jordan, Utah, and Summerlin, Nevada. It enrolled its first class in ...

, and Touro University Nevada.

Transportation

Public transit

Public transit service throughout Clark County is provided by

, which is a subsidiary of the

. RTC Transit operates The Deuce Bus rapid transit service between

Downtown Las Vegas Downtown Las Vegas (commonly abbreviated as DTLV) is the central business district and historic center of Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It is the original townsite, and the Downtown gaming Las Vegas, Downtown Gaming Area was the primary gambl ...

and the

Major highways

* Interstate 11 *

Interstate 15 Interstate 15 (I-15) is a major Interstate Highway in the Western United States, running through Southern California and the Intermountain West. I-15 begins near the Mexican border in San Diego County and stretches north to Alberta, Ca ...

* Interstate 215 * US 93

U.S. Route 93 * Business plate

U.S. Route 93 Business (Boulder City, Nevada) * US 95

U.S. Route 95 U.S. Route 95 (US 95) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway System, United States Highway in the western United States. It travels through the states of Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, and Idaho, staying inland ...

U.S. Route 95 Business (Las Vegas) * Nevada 146

State Route 146 * Nevada 147

State Route 147 * Nevada 156

State Route 156 * Nevada 157

State Route 157 * Nevada 158

State Route 158 * Nevada 159

State Route 159 * Nevada 160

State Route 160 * Nevada 161

State Route 161 * Nevada 163

State Route 163 * Nevada 164

State Route 164 * Nevada 165

State Route 165 * Nevada 168

State Route 168 * Nevada 169

State Route 169 * Nevada 170

State Route 170 * Nevada 171

State Route 171 * Nevada 172

State Route 172 * Nevada 173

State Route 173 * Nevada 562

State Route 562 * Nevada 564

State Route 564 * Nevada 573

State Route 573 * Nevada 574

State Route 574 * Nevada 578

State Route 578 * Nevada 579

State Route 579 * Nevada 582

State Route 582 * Nevada 592

State Route 592 * Nevada 593

State Route 593 * Nevada 595

State Route 595 * Nevada 596

State Route 596 * Nevada 599

State Route 599 * Nevada 602

State Route 602 * Nevada 604

State Route 604 * Nevada 610

State Route 610 * Nevada 612

State Route 612 * Nevada 613

State Route 613 * Clark County Route 215 NV

County Route 215

Rail

Las Vegas Monorail The Las Vegas Monorail is a automated monorail mass transit system located adjacent to the Las Vegas Strip in Clark County, Nevada, United States. It connects several large casinos in the unincorporated communities of Paradise, Nevada, Paradis ...

Clark County previously had

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

service on the '' Desert Wind'', which served Las Vegas station until it stopped service in 1997. Las Vegas and Laughlin are still served by

Amtrak Thruway Amtrak Thruway is a system of through-ticketed transportation services to connect passengers with areas not served by Amtrak trains. In most cases these are dedicated motorcoach routes, but can also be non-dedicated intercity bus services, transi ...

service which connects to the ''

Southwest Chief The ''Southwest Chief'' (formerly the ''Southwest Limited'' and ''Super Chief'') is a Amtrak Long Distance, long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak on a route between Chicago and Los Angeles through the Midwest and American Southwest ...

''.

Resort trams

* '' Aria Express'' * '' Mandalay Bay Tram'' * '' The Mirage-Treasure Island Tram''

Communities

''Bracketed number refers to location on map, right''

Cities

* Boulder City (21) * Henderson (19) *

(10) (county seat) *

(4) * North Las Vegas (9)

Census-designated places

* Blue Diamond (18) * Bunkerville (5) * Cal-Nev-Ari (23) *

(17) * Goodsprings (20) * Indian Springs (6) * Laughlin (24) * Moapa Town (1) * Moapa Valley (3) *

(7) *

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

(15) * Sandy Valley (16) *

Searchlight A searchlight (or spotlight) is an apparatus that combines an extremely luminosity, bright source (traditionally a carbon arc lamp) with a mirrored parabolic reflector to project a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays in a part ...

(22) * Spring Valley (13) * Summerlin South (12) * Sunrise Manor (11) * Whitney (formerly East Las Vegas) (26) *

(14)

Air Force bases

Creech Air Force Base Creech Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) command and control facility in Clark County, Nevada used "to engage in daily Overseas Contingency Operations …of remotely piloted aircraft systems which fly missions across the globe. ...

Unincorporated communities

* Arden (former CDP) * Cactus Springs * Cottonwood Cove * Coyote Springs (planned) *

Crescent A crescent shape (, ) is a symbol or emblem used to represent the lunar phase (as it appears in the northern hemisphere) in the first quarter (the "sickle moon"), or by extension a symbol representing the Moon itself. In Hindu iconography, Hind ...

Crystal A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macros ...

(former CDP) * Fort Mojave Indian Reservation (former CDP) (25) * Glendale (former CDP) *

* Logandale * Las Vegas Indian Colony (8) * Moapa River Indian Reservation (2) * Mountain Springs * Overton * Primm * Roach * Sloan * Summerlin * Sutor * Vegas Creek (former CDP)

References

External links

*
Clark County Television
(County of Clark owned television station with live Internet feed) {{authority control 1909 establishments in Nevada Majority-minority counties in the United States Populated places established in 1909 Nevada counties