Las Vegas was founded as a city on May 15, 1905, when 110 acres of land situated between Stewart Avenue on the north, Garces Avenue to the south, Main Street to the west, and 5th Street to the east, were auctioned off.
The city was governed as part of Lincoln County until 1909 when it became the county seat for the newly established Clark County.
Las Vegas became an incorporated city and adopted its first charter on March 16, 1911. At the time of incorporation, the city encompassed 19.18 square miles, and had approximately 800 inhabitants, less than 1 percent of the states total population. Clark County had a population at the time of
3,321.
By 1930, Las Vegas had grown to a population of 5,165. In 1931, three events occurred that would forever change the face of Nevada and the city of Las Vegas.
On March 19, 1931 gambling was legalized in the State of Nevada. One month later, the city issued six gambling licenses.
Beginning in 1931, the construction of Hoover Dam brought an influx of construction workers which started a population boom and gave the Valley’s economy, which was in the grips of the Great Depression, a needed boost.
Following World War II, lavishly decorated resort hotels and gambling casinos offering top-name entertainment came into existence. Tourism and entertainment took over as the largest employer in the valley.
In 1956, the city of Las Vegas annexed one square mile of land, its first such addition since incorporation 45 years earlier.
Throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s, corporations continued to invest in the hotel/casino industry. Gaming had become a legitimate business and some properties had stock traded on the market. Las Vegas economy remained strong and the population increased to 164,674 by 1980. Clark County, meanwhile, had grown to a population of 463,087.
Starting in the mid 1980s, a period of unprecedented growth began. Annual population increases averaging nearly 7 percent caused the city's population to almost double between 1985 and 1995, increasing from 186,380 to 368,360 during that time, a 97.6 percent increase. That is equivalent to building a city larger than Reno in 10 years! At the same time, Clark County’s population increased from 562,280 to 1,036,180, an increase of 84.3 percent.
Contributing to the population growth was a 4 percent annual increase in hotel rooms and a 9.18 percent annual increase in jobs from 1990 through 1994.
And the growth continues still. The latest population prediction in the Las Vegas Valley is 2 million people by 2005.
The Roy and Shirley White Team
CENTURY 21 Aadvantage Gold
5041 N Rainbow Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89130
Direct Line 702-610-4270
Toll Free 1-866-374-3444
Fax Line 702-309-4483
Each office is independently owned and operated
