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58-518: 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 4.2 mi (6.8 km) long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas city limits in the unincorporated towns of Paradise and Winchester , but is often referred to simply as "Las Vegas". Many of

116-743: A tax shelter for casinos. McAfee resided at the Biltmore Hotel , a luxury hotel in Downtown Los Angeles . He was married three times. With his first wife Eva, he had a daughter, Alice. He married his second wife, June Brewster , in 1936. She filed for divorce in 1941. His third wife, Kathleen, was the owner of a brothel in Los Angeles. He adopted her daughter, Kathleen Elizabeth McAfee. They resided in Beverly Hills, California . In 1950, their house burned down;

174-558: A city street for locals and tourists. Its current name, in effect since 1959, reflects its importance to the Valley rather than past names when it served as a main intra-city road. On October 16, 2009, the Federal Highway Administration announced the designation of a new National Scenic Byway on the boulevard. The 3.5-mile (5.6 km) section starting at Sahara Avenue and running north to Washington Avenue

232-426: A dedicated broadcast booth, and the ability to watch up to 15 sporting events at once. The sports network ESPN is broadcasting sports betting shows from a dedicated studio at The Linq. Some sportsbooks are now offering self-service betting kiosks. The Las Vegas Strip is known for its lounges, showrooms, theaters and nightclubs, most on the hotel casino properties. Some of the more popular free attractions visible from

290-476: A key point in transforming Las Vegas Strip entertainment. In an effort to attract families, resorts offered more attractions geared toward youth, but had limited success. The Wet 'n Wild water park opened in 1985 and was located on the south side of the Sahara hotel. It closed at the end of the 2004 season and was later demolished. The current MGM Grand opened in 1993 with MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park , but

348-626: Is an exception, as it is rarely referred to as "North Las Vegas Boulevard" and "South Las Vegas Boulevard". The road instead is usually referred to as "Las Vegas Boulevard North" (abbreviated LVBN) and "Las Vegas Boulevard South" (stylized LVBS), by both residents and various media outlets. At its northern end, the Boulevard starts at the south end of Moapa Paulite Solar Road. Running north of, but roughly parallel with I-15, it heads southwest toward Las Vegas, passing through an industrial complex of manufacturing plants and power plants running along

406-812: Is designated as an All-American Road . Just past the end of "The Strip", the road passes the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign (located in the median) as it abuts the western edge of the Harry Reid International Airport property. The sign is often considered the south end of the Strip. "South Strip" is now used to describe the section of Las Vegas Boulevard between Russell Road and Blue Diamond Road. Along this stretch, development thins out, except for newer shopping malls , hotels , resorts , casinos and condominiums (such as South Point Hotel & Casino and The Grandview at Las Vegas ) as

464-512: Is sometimes called by longtime Las Vegas residents, starts at about 3.75-mile (6.04 km) southwest of the ghost town of Crystal , and continues south to about 2 mi (3.2 km) south of Jean , in the Mojave Desert . The Boulevard shows up again in Primm , but is currently not connected to the northern sections. There are tentative plans to connect the existing section at Primm to

522-720: The American Red Cross . With Jake Kozloff and Beldon Katleman , McAfee acquired the Frontier Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in 1951. They acquired it from Bill Moore for US$ 5.5 million. McAfee named the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas after the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. McAfee was a co-founder of the unincorporated place of Paradise, Nevada , near Las Vegas. It was established as

580-730: The Clover Club , an upmarket club on the Sunset Strip . His nicknames were "Slats," for his height and build, and "the Whistler," because when he was on what was then called the purity squad, he would warn vice dens by calling them up and whistling a certain tune while feigning for his police compatriots that there was no answer. Reformers called him the "Capone of LA". His associates included Charlie Crawford , slot-machine king Bob Gans , political fixer Kent Parrot , Zeke Caress , Tutor Scherer , Farmer Page , Charles Cradick , Chuck Addison , and Tony Cornero . When Judge Fletcher Bowron

638-521: The Downtown Las Vegas Boulevard Scenic Byway by the state. This designation continues south to Sahara Avenue. Further south is a stretch of road that has many of the older motels , bars and wedding chapels that were among the high points of the old Vegas before the era of the megaresorts . The Boulevard leaves the city of Las Vegas at Sahara Avenue and assumes its unofficial name the Las Vegas Strip for

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696-611: The Dunes golf course in the mid-90s. Steve Wynn , founder of previously owned Mirage Resorts , purchased the Desert Inn and golf course for his new company Wynn Resorts and redeveloped the course as the Wynn Golf Club. This course closed in 2017, but the development planned for the course was cancelled and the course was renovated and re-opened in late 2019. In 2000, Bali Hai Golf Club opened just south of Mandalay Bay and

754-834: The El Rancho , another casino. He was a co-founder of the Pioneer Club in 1942. Three years later he announced plans to build the Golden Nugget, downtown Las Vegas, which opened in 1946. McAfee was president of Golden Nugget from 1952 until his retirement in 1960. McAfee was also a real estate investor in California. For example, he was the co-proprietor of the Chapman Building in Fullerton, California , alongside N. Morty Bernstein in 1949, which he leased to

812-744: The SLS Las Vegas continued to transform the Strip in 2014. The Las Vegas Festival Grounds opened in 2015. In 2016, T-Mobile Arena , The Park, and the Park Theater (now known as Dolby Live) opened. On October 1, 2017, a mass shooting occurred on the Strip at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival, adjacent to the Mandalay Bay hotel. 60 people were killed, and approximately 867 were injured. The gunman, Stephen Paddock , opened fire on concertgoers with several rifles from his suites on

870-509: The Strat 0.4 miles (0.64 km) to the north. Mandalay Bay , just north of Russell Road is the southernmost resort considered to be on the Strip (the Klondike was the southernmost until 2006, when it was closed, although it was not included in the Strip on some definitions and travel guides). According to Clark County, the southern end of the Strip is the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign;

928-605: The Union Pacific Railroad line in Apex . Traveling south, the road meets Nellis Air Force Base on the east side and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on the west side. As the road enters the city of North Las Vegas , it passes through some of the older commercial areas in the region. As the road approaches the city of Las Vegas proper, some of what historical Las Vegas became visible, as some of

986-527: The 1990s, more than 12 new hotels opened, including themed hotels like the Luxor , Excalibur , and Mandalay Bay . At $ 1.7B, the most expensive hotel in the world at the time, The Bellagio , was built in the 1990s. These huge facilities offer entertainment and dining options, as well as gambling and lodging. In 1993, the launch of the Mystère show at the new Treasure Island hotel by Cirque du Soleil marked

1044-430: The Boulevard continues to travel south, just to the east of Interstate 15 . After passing the M Resort , the Boulevard enters rural desert areas. It continues to parallel Interstate 15 and eventually arrives at Jean . South of Jean, the road ceases to be a major artery for a stretch of several miles before resuming just north of Primm , where it runs alongside two of the resort's hotels and shopping mall; just short of

1102-614: The City of Las Vegas. Caesars Palace was established in 1966. Opening in 1969, the International Hotel , with 1,512 rooms, began the era of mega-resorts. The International is known as Westgate Las Vegas today. The first MGM Grand Hotel and Casino opened in 1973 with 2,084 rooms. On November 21, 1980, MGM Grand suffered the worst resort fire in the history of Las Vegas as a result of electrical problems, killing 87 people. It reopened eight months later. In 1986, Kerkorian sold

1160-746: The Fremont Street Experience in Downtown Las Vegas , with stops near every casino. Several free trams operate between properties on the west side of the Strip: While not on the Strip itself, the Las Vegas Monorail runs a 3.9-mile route on the east side of the Strip corridor from Tropicana Avenue to Sahara Avenue, with stops every 4 to 8 minutes at several on-Strip properties including the MGM Grand and

1218-596: The Las Vegas Strip) and State Route 6 (entire segment, unsigned ). South of the city, Las Vegas Boulevard was commonly known as the Los Angeles Highway . Just north of Jean is the place where the last spike on the San Pedro, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake Railroad line was driven. With the construction of I-15, Las Vegas Boulevard went from being the main through road to one that only served as

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1276-419: The MGM Grand to Bally Manufacturing , and it was renamed Bally's . The opening of The Mirage in 1989 set a new level to the Las Vegas experience, as smaller hotels and casinos made way for the larger mega-resorts. Some of the key features of The Mirage included tropical landscapes with waterfalls, an erupting volcano, restaurants with world-class chefs, and a show with illusionists Siegfried & Roy . In

1334-696: The Mandalay Bay's 32nd floor. Paddock's motive was never determined, and he committed suicide after the massacre. It was the deadliest mass shooting in modern United States history. In 2018, the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino was renamed the Park MGM and in 2019, the SLS changed its name back to Sahara Las Vegas . In 2021, the Pinball Hall of Fame moved near the "Fabulous Las Vegas" sign at

1392-665: The Nevada/California state line, the road changes its name to Lotto Store Road and becomes a local road. RTC Transit Route(s) 113 (and the MAX, before February 2016, when it was decommissioned) serves the road from Downtown Las Vegas north to Nellis Air Force Base, The Deuce serves the Road from Downtown Las Vegas south to Warm Springs and then to the South Strip Transfer Terminal (SSTT)). Route 117 serves

1450-648: The Sahara at each end of the route. The stations include: The monorail began operating in 1995 with two trains from Walt Disney World . In 2020, the monorail was acquired by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). Tens of thousands of pedestrians are walking along the Strip at any given time. As of 2019, about 50,000 pedestrians walked the Strip on an average day. In the 1990s, several pedestrian footbridges were erected over Las Vegas Boulevard to increase pedestrian safety and alleviate traffic congestion at popular intersections. The first

1508-463: The Strip has been designated as an All-American Road , and the North and South Las Vegas Strip routes are classified as Nevada Scenic Byways and National Scenic Byways . Historically, casinos that were not in Downtown Las Vegas along Fremont Street sat outside the city limits on Las Vegas Boulevard. In 1959, the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign was built exactly 4.5 miles (7.2 km) outside

1566-940: The Strip include the water fountains at Bellagio , the volcano at The Mirage , and the Fall of Atlantis and Festival Fountain at Caesars Palace . There are several Cirque du Soleil shows, such as Kà at the MGM Grand, O at Bellagio, Mystère at Treasure Island, and Michael Jackson: One at Mandalay Bay . Many notable artists have performed in Las Vegas, including Elvis Presley , Frank Sinatra , Wayne Newton , Dean Martin , Sammy Davis Jr. , Rod Stewart and Liberace , and in more recent years Celine Dion , Britney Spears , Barry Manilow , Cher , Elton John , Bette Midler , Diana Ross , Donny and Marie Osmond , Garth Brooks , Jennifer Lopez , Reba McEntire , Mariah Carey , Janet Jackson , Kylie Minogue , Shania Twain , Criss Angel , Olivia Newton-John , Queen + Adam Lambert , Lady Gaga , and Gwen Stefani have had residencies in

1624-415: The Strip trended towards the luxurious high-end segment through most of the 2000s, while some older resorts added major expansions and renovations, including some de-theming of the earlier themed hotels. High end dining, specialty retail, spas and nightclubs increasingly became options for visitors in addition to gambling at most Strip resorts. There was also a trend towards expensive residential condo units on

1682-891: The Strip, including: The Strip also hosts the Las Vegas Grand Prix which has been part of the Formula One World Championship since 2023 . It will also house the New Las Vegas Stadium for the Oakland Athletics in 2028 when the team relocates to the Las Vegas Valley. The Aladdin had a nine-hole golf course in the 1960s. As land values on the Strip have increased over the years, the resort-affiliated golf courses have been removed to make way for building projects. The Tropicana Country Club closed in 1990 and

1740-684: The Strip. In 2004, MGM Mirage announced plans for CityCenter , a 66-acre (27 ha), $ 7 billion multi-use project on the site of the Boardwalk hotel and adjoining land. It consists of hotel, casino, condo, retail, art, business and other uses on the site. Most elements of the project opened in late 2009. In 2012, the High Roller Ferris wheel and a retail district called The Linq Promenade broke ground in an attempt to diversify attractions beyond that of casino resorts. Renovations and rebrandings such as The Cromwell Las Vegas and

1798-529: The Strip. In 2016, a TopGolf opened near the Strip. Adventuredome indoor amusement park at Circus Circus on the Strip is a major tourist attraction; it is enclosed in glass, with a carousel, mini-golf, two roller coasters, bowling, spinning rides, an arcade, virtual reality rides, a carnival midway, and clown shows. Las Vegas Boulevard Las Vegas Boulevard runs the length of the Las Vegas metropolitan area in Clark County. "The Boulevard", as it

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1856-520: The Strip. Most of the resorts have a showroom, nightclub and/or live music venue on the property and a few have large multipurpose arenas. Major venues include: The Strip is populated with many restaurants and fine dining establishments, many of which are inside the casinos and resorts. In recent years, many celebrity chefs have opened restaurants along the Strip, including Wolfgang Puck , Michael Mina , Gordon Ramsay , Guy Savoy , and Joël Robuchon . Professional sports are found at venues on or near

1914-511: The average trip gambling budget, $ 591.06, was increased from 2018. About nine in ten (89%) visitors who gambled did so on the Strip Corridor. UNLV reported that in 2019, Big Las Vegas Strip Casinos (defined as Strip casinos with more than $ 72M in annual gaming revenues) had more than $ 6B in annual gaming revenues, corresponding to about 26% of total annual revenues. From the time period spanning 1985 to 2019, there have been some changes in

1972-1177: The bollards resulted in the removal of 49 of the 82 stars of the Las Vegas Walk of Stars . In 2019, the bollards on Las Vegas Blvd. were shortened after drivers complained that they were obstructing street views. 283 of the 4,500 bollards will be shortened from 54 inches to 36 inches. The shortened bollards line 20 driveways. Studies conducted by Clark County in 2012 and 2015 identified issues with congestion. The studies resulted in $ 5 million of improvements, including LED lights, ADA ramps, containment fencing, widening sidewalks, and removing permanent obstructions, such as signs, signposts, trash cans, and fire hydrants. The studies also identified non-permanent obstructions causing congestion, such as street performers, vendors, handbillers, sign-holders, and illegal street gambling. Modifications to non-obstruction zones and increased enforcement were implemented in order to reduce congestion. Taxis are available at resorts, shopping centers, attractions, and for scheduled pickups. The Nevada Taxicab Authority provides information about taxi fares and fare zones. In 2021, there

2030-399: The city limits. The sign is currently located in the median just south of Russell Road (which is 4.2 miles (6.8 km) from The Sahara.), across from the location of the now-demolished Klondike Hotel and Casino and about 0.4 miles (0.64 km) south of the southernmost entrance to Mandalay Bay , which is the Strip's southernmost casino. In the strictest sense, the Strip refers only to

2088-534: The city's rising debt. Instead, Gus Greenbaum of the Flamingo led a group of casino executives to lobby the Clark County commissioners for town status. Two unincorporated towns were eventually created, Paradise and Winchester . More than two decades later, the Supreme Court of Nevada struck down a 1975 Nevada state law that would have folded the Strip and the rest of the urban areas of Clark County into

2146-690: The county acknowledges that some argue for Russell Road at the southernmost terminus. The first casino to be built on Highway 91 was the Pair-o-Dice Club in 1931, but the first full service casino-resort on what is currently called the Strip was the El Rancho Vegas , which opened with 63 bungalow hotel rooms on April 3, 1941. Its success spawned a second nearby hotel, the Hotel Last Frontier in 1942. Organized crime figures such as Bugsy Siegel took an intense interest in

2204-724: The former El Rancho Hotel and Casino and Algiers Hotel . The Tropicana closed in April 2024 and was demolished in October 2024. It will be replaced with a new Bally's Las Vegas resort and New Las Vegas Stadium which will become the home of the Oakland Athletics after they relocate to Las Vegas. The Mirage also closed in July 2024. BLVD is opening in 2025. Dream Las Vegas , a casino and 20-story boutique hotel next to Harry Reid International Airport began construction in 2022 for an opening originally scheduled for 2024. Construction

2262-733: The growing Las Vegas gaming center and funded another resort; financing the completion of the Flamingo construction with mob money. The Flamingo casino opened in December 1946, and the hotel opened in March 1947. Wilbur Clark 's Desert Inn resort opened in 1950. The funding for many Las Vegas projects was provided through the American National Insurance Company , which was based in the then-notorious gambling empire of Galveston, Texas . Las Vegas Boulevard South

2320-423: The largest hotel, casino, and resort properties in the world are on the Strip, known for its contemporary architecture, lights, and wide variety of attractions. Its hotels, casinos, restaurants, residential high-rises, entertainment offerings, and skyline have established the Strip as one of the most popular and iconic tourist destinations in the world and is one of the driving forces for Las Vegas's economy. Most of

2378-613: The mix of table games in casinos on the Strip: Casino operators have been expanding sports betting facilities and products, as well as renovating and upgrading equipment and facilities. Although sports betting has a relatively low margin, the high-end sportsbooks can generate significant amounts of revenue in other areas, such as food and drink. As a result, sportsbooks have been expanding and upgrading food and drink offerings. High-end sportsbooks include features such as single-seat stadium-style seating, large high-definition screens,

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2436-528: The next 4 miles (6.4 km). This portion of Las Vegas Boulevard begins a few blocks to the north at the Stratosphere (the only major Strip hotel/casino sited within the Las Vegas city limits) and runs through Winchester and Paradise , with the Strip technically ending at Russell Road . This is the section of the road most people are familiar with; it is home to casino megaresorts with their world-famous lights, huge video signs, and other attractions. It

2494-415: The northern section at Jean. Las Vegas Boulevard serves as the Valley's east/west address demarcation boundary line south of the Strat onwards. The road's own north/south street address demarcation boundary is located at its intersection with Fremont Street. Unlike most other cases, where using the more traditional nomenclature of putting the direction before the road name is common practice, The Boulevard

2552-652: The older casinos appear along with some of the more famous and long-operating strip clubs . Upon entering the city limits of Las Vegas, the Boulevard showcases the area's past with many museums , including the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park , the Neon Museum , and the Fremont Street Experience and downtown casino sector. On crossing Washington Avenue, the Boulevard is designated as

2610-506: The park closed in 2000 due to lack of interest. Similarly, in 2003 Treasure Island closed its own video arcade and abandoned the previous pirate theme, adopting the new ti name. In addition to the large hotels, casinos and resorts, the Strip is home to many attractions, such as M&M's World , Adventuredome and the Fashion Show Mall . With the opening of Bellagio , Venetian , Palazzo , Wynn and Encore resorts,

2668-865: The road south from the SSTT past the Las Vegas Premium Outlet South store, the South Point Casino and Silverado Ranch Blvd. Las Vegas Boulevard has had several names, including 5th Street (from Sahara to Owens, within the Las Vegas city limits), Main Street (in North Las Vegas), the Arrowhead Highway , Los Angeles Highway, Salt Lake Highway, US 91 (entire segment), US 93 (from Fremont Street north), US 466 (from Jean to Fremont Street, including

2726-553: The south end of the Strip. Later that year, Resorts World Las Vegas , opened on the site of the former Stardust Resort and Casino . Resorts World incorporates portions of a previously planned resort known as Echelon Place , which was canceled in 2008. In 2022, Bally's was renamed the Horseshoe Las Vegas . The Sphere venue opened in 2023. Also, the Fontainebleau Las Vegas opened on the site of

2784-407: The southeast corner of Harmon Avenue. LVXP Las Vegas , a planned 752-tall resort project and an arena, is opening in 2029. RTC Transit (previously Citizens Area Transit, or CAT) provides bus service on the Strip with double decker buses known as The Deuce . The Deuce runs between the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign and South Strip Transfer Terminal to the Bonneville Transit Center (BTC) and

2842-399: The stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard that is roughly between Sahara Avenue and the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign. Clark County uses the phrase Resort Corridor to describe the area including Las Vegas Boulevard between 215 Beltway and Sahara Avenue and surrounding areas. The Sahara is considered the Strip's northern terminus by Clark County, though travel guides typically extend it to

2900-545: The various resorts on the Strip. The only movie theatre directly on the Strip was the 10-screen Regal Showcase Theatre in the Showcase Mall. The theater opened in 1997 and was operated by Regal Entertainment Group , until its closure in 2018. During 2019, 51% of visitors attended shows, which was down from 2015, 2017, and 2018. Among visitors who saw shows, relatively more went to Broadway/production shows than in past years, while relatively fewer saw lounge acts, comedy shows, or celebrity DJs. Numerous entertainment venues populate

2958-455: The vice squad of the Los Angeles Police Department . He was the owner of brothels and gambling saloons, with ties to organized crime in the 1930s. He co-founded casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada , in the 1940s and 1950s. He is credited as the first person to refer to Las Vegas Boulevard as the Las Vegas Strip , after Los Angeles's Sunset Strip . Guy McAfee was born on August 19, 1888, in Winfield, Kansas . He became an orphan in childhood. He

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3016-409: Was an increase in taxi passengers due to declines in rideshare drivers and rideshare surge pricing. Rideshare services, including Uber and Lyft , are available on the Strip. In 2019, about eight in ten (81%) visitors said they gambled while in Las Vegas, the highest proportion in the past five years. The average time spent gambling, 2.7 hours, represents an increase over the past three years. Also,

3074-404: Was described as a "thin, wing-earred, likable chap, who had come to Los Angeles from the wheat belt". McAfee began his career as a firefighter in Los Angeles, California . He subsequently served as the head of the vice squad of the Los Angeles Police Department . At the same time, he was the owner of gambling "saloons and brothels and had ties to organized crime." He was also the manager of

3132-404: Was designated the City of Las Vegas, Las Vegas Boulevard State Scenic Byway . [REDACTED] Media related to Las Vegas Boulevard at Wikimedia Commons Guy McAfee Guy McAfee (1888–1960) was an American law enforcement officer and businessman. Born in Kansas and orphaned in early childhood, he became a firefighter in Los Angeles, California , and later served as the head of

3190-399: Was elected as the 38th Mayor of Los Angeles on a platform to rid Los Angeles of prostitution, gambling and narcotics in 1938, McAfee moved to Las Vegas, Nevada , within a year. In 1939, McAfee acquired the Pair O'Dice Club on Highway 91 (the future Las Vegas Boulevard ) and renamed it the 91 Club, and the Frontier Club, downtown Las Vegas. Meanwhile, with Milton B. Page, McAfee managed

3248-407: Was halted in March 2023 due to stalled funding plans. It could resume construction in January 2024 and the opening has been rescheduled to the end of 2025. Astral Hotels planned to start building Astral, a 34-story, 620-room hotel and casino on the southern Las Vegas Strip, but the project is delayed. In 2022, businessman Tilman Fertitta received approval to eventually build a 43-story resort at

3306-454: Was previously called Hwy 91, or the Arrowhead Highway , or Los Angeles Highway. The Strip was named by Los Angeles police officer and businessman Guy McAfee , after his hometown's Sunset Strip in Hollywood. In 1950, Mayor Ernie Cragin of the City of Las Vegas sought to annex the Las Vegas Strip, which ran through unincorporated Clark County territory, in order to expand the city's tax base to fund his ambitious building agenda and pay down

3364-473: Was the Tropicana – Las Vegas Boulevard footbridge. Some mimic the theme of nearby resorts.. The footbridges include: Pedestrians have complained that they must walk as much as a quarter-mile to reach a footbridge or intersection to cross the street. After a driver drove into pedestrians on the sidewalk in front of Paris Las Vegas and Planet Hollywood in December 2015, 800 bollards began to be installed on Las Vegas Blvd. starting in 2017. The construction of

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