Clark County, Nevada

Clark County
U.S. county
Clark County
From top, left to right: Caesars Palace panorama, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Fremont Street Experience, Clark County Government Center, The Venetian, Elephant Rock at Valley of Fire State Park
Seal
Motto(s):  "Living Relentlessly, Developing Economically!"
Location within the U.S. state of Nevada
Nevada's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°12′N 115°01′W / 36.2°N 115.02°W / 36.2; -115.02
Country	United States
State	Nevada
Founded	January 4, 1909; 112 years ago (1909-01-04) (founded) July 1, 1909; 112 years ago (1909-07-01) (organized)
Named for	William A. Clark
Seat	Las Vegas
Largest city	Las Vegas
Area
• Total	8,061 sq mi (20,880 km2)
• Land	7,891 sq mi (20,440 km2)
• Water	169 sq mi (440 km2)  2.1%
Population  (2010)
• Total	1,951,269
• Estimate  (2019)	2,266,715
• Density	240/sq mi (93/km2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
Congressional districts	1st, 3rd, 4th
Website	www.clarkcountynv.gov

Clark County is located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,951,269, with an estimated population of 2,266,715 in 2019.^[1] Most of the county population resides in the Las Vegas Census County Divisions, which hold 1,771,945 people as of the 2010 Census, across 476 square miles (1,233 km²).^[2] It is by far the most populous county in Nevada, and the 11th most populous county in the United States. It covers 7% of the state's land area but holds 74% of the state's population, making Nevada one of the most centralized states in the United States.

History[]

Las Vegas, the state's most populous city, has been the county seat since its establishment. The county was formed by the Nevada Legislature by splitting off a portion of Lincoln County on February 5, 1909,^[3] and was organized on July 1, 1909.^[4] The Las Vegas Valley, a 600 sq mi (1,600 km²) basin, includes Las Vegas and other major cities and communities such as North Las Vegas, Henderson, and the unincorporated community of Paradise.

Originally part of the Mexican Territory of Alta California, the Clark County lands were first traversed by American beaver 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 and Colorado Rivers. 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 Las Vegas, to which John C. Frémont 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, becoming part of the northwestern corner of New Mexico Territory. In 1847, Jefferson Hunt and other Mormon Battalion members returning to Salt Lake City from Los Angeles pioneered a wagon route through the County that became the Mormon Road. In 1849, this road became known as the "Southern Route", the winter route of the California Trail from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles during the California Gold Rush. By the mid 1850s, the route now known as the Salt Lake Road in California, and the California Road in Utah Territory, was a wagon trade route between the two. In the mid 1850s, Mormons established a settlement at Las Vegas. In the 1860s, Mormon colonies were established along the Virgin and Muddy Rivers.

All of the county was part of Mohave County, Arizona Territory, 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, the southernmost part of Nye County.

Clark County was named for William A. Clark, a Montana copper magnate and Democratic U.S. Senator.^[5] Clark was largely responsible for construction of the Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad through the area, contributing to the region's early development. Clark County is a major tourist destination, with 150,000 hotel rooms. The Las Vegas Strip, home to most of the hotel-casinos known to many around the world, is not within the City of Las Vegas city limits, but in unincorporated Paradise. It is, however, in the Las Vegas Valley.

Clark County is coextensive with the Las Vegas MSA, a metropolitan statistical area designated by the Office of Management and Budget and used by the United States Census Bureau and other agencies for statistical purposes.^[6]

Geography[]

The Colorado River forms the county's southeastern boundary, with Hoover Dam forming Lake Mead 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 and Arizona. Greater Las Vegas is a tectonic valley, surrounded by four mountain ranges, with nearby Mount Charleston being the highest elevation at 11,918 ft (3,633 m), 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.^[7] The terrain slopes to the south and east.^[8] The county has an area of 8,061 square miles (20,880 km²), of which 7,891 square miles (20,440 km²) is land and 169 square miles (440 km²) (2.1%) is water.^[9]

Adjacent counties[]

National protected areas[]

20 official wilderness areas in Clark County are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. 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 (BLM):

Environmental factors[]

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Clark County has a diverse desert flora and fauna, including higher elevation mountain areas, the desert floor and the Colorado River/Lake Mead ecosystems. Variations in diurnal temperature as well as seasonal swings in temperature create demanding adaptation elements on the species of this county. Population expansion, especially since 1970, has placed additional pressure on species in the area.

Correspondingly air quality 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 began to be violated 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 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 massive "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.^[10]

The Apex Landfill, at 2,200 acres (890 ha) is the nation's largest landfill.^[11] Republic Services 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 M6.0 or greater earthquake occurring within 50 km (31 mi) of Las Vegas.^[12]

Demographics[]

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1910	3,321		—
1920	4,859		46.3%
1930	8,532		75.6%
1940	16,414		92.4%
1950	48,289		194.2%
1960	127,016		163.0%
1970	273,288		115.2%
1980	463,087		69.5%
1990	741,459		60.1%
2000	1,375,765		85.5%
2010	1,951,269		41.8%
2020	2,265,461		16.1%
US Decennial Census[13] 1790–1960[14] 1900–1990[15] 1990–2000[16] 2010–2018[1]

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.^[19] 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.^[20]

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.^[21] The population density was 247.3 inhabitants per square mile (95.5/km²). There were 840,343 housing units at an average density of 106.5 per square mile (41.1/km²).^[22] The racial makeup of the county was 60.9% White, 10.5% Black or African American, 8.7% Asian, 0.7% Pacific islander, 0.7% American Indian, 13.5% from other races, and 5.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 29.1% of the population.^[21] In terms of ancestry, 11.7% were German, 9.1% were Irish, 7.6% were English, 6.3% were Italian, and 2.7% were American.^[23]

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.^[21]

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, including 16.9% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.^[24]

Economy[]

The county is home to many gaming related companies. Station Casinos is headquartered in unincorporated Clark County, along with^[25][26] Golden Entertainment, American Casino & Entertainment Properties, Bally Technologies, Cannery Casino Resorts, The Majestic Star Casino, LLC, Ameristar Casinos, Archon Corporation, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Wynn Resorts, DBT Online Inc., Two Plus Two Publishing, Gambler's Book Shop / GBC Press, Millennium Management Group, Navegante Group, Pinnacle Entertainment and Tropicana Entertainment

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:^[27]

30,000 to 39,999 Employees

• Clark County School District

5,000 to 10,000 Employees

2,500 to 4,999

Tourism[]

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority posts the historical numbers of visitors and hotel rooms in Clark County. The era of massive modern casino resorts began with the opening of the Mirage in November 1989.

Gaming areas[]

The State of Nevada divides the state into several gaming districts. Accordingly, the Clark County is divided into the following reporting districts:^[28][29]

• 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, Sunset Station, Fiesta, Eldorado, and Jokers Wild.
• Downtown: There are 19 casinos in this reporting area.
• LV Strip: This region is composed of all the casinos on Las Vegas Boulevard, from The Stratosphere at the north end to Mandalay Bay on the south end. Also included are resorts near this area, such as The Rio, South Point, and the Hard Rock; and Harry Reid International Airport (formerly McCarran Airport).
• North Las Vegas: This region has 11 casinos and includes the Fiesta Rancho, Texas Station, Jerry's Nugget, and the Santa Fe Station.
• Laughlin: The casinos in Laughlin.
• Mesquite: The casinos in Mesquite.
• Balance of County: There are 66 casinos^[when?] in this category that includes casinos at Lake Las Vegas, Jean, Primm, the Railroad Pass and Hacienda casinos, along with other casinos that don't fit any other category such as Arizona Charlie's Decatur, Gold Coast, The Orleans, The Palms, Suncoast, Rampart, 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 partisan 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 in the City of Las Vegas. The building is unusual in shape, and includes an outdoor amphitheater for concerts and other events.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department 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 University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the Clark County School District, and cities such as Henderson, Mesquite, Boulder City and North Las Vegas. The Clark County Park Police is responsible for all of the 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.^[30] Each elects its own justices of the peace for limited jurisdiction cases and a constable.^[31] They do not correspond with city boundaries. The Las Vegas Justice Court Township the city of Las Vegas^[32][33][34] and the unincorporated towns of Blue Diamond, Cactus Springs, Enterprise, Indian Springs, Mount Charleston, Paradise, Spring Valley, Summerlin South, Sunrise Manor (partially in North Las Vegas Township), Whitney (partially in Henderson Township) and Winchester.^[35][32] The city of Las Vegas has a separate municipal court for traffic and criminal misdemeanor offenses that occur within the city's incorporated boundaries.^[36]

Voter registration[]

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

Clark County Voter Registration Statistics as of February, 2021
Political Party		Total Voters	Percentage
	Democratic	562,367	39.45%
	Republican	390,788	27.41%
	Nonpartisan	367,616	25.79%
	Independent American	63,626	4.46%
	Libertarian	13,059	0.92%
	Other	28,206	1.98%
Total		1,425,662	100.00%

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 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 at every election since 2000. 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 in his 2006 victory, even as Jim Gibbons lost it in his gubernatorial win over Dina Titus that year. Both Kenny Guinn and Brian Sandoval carried the county in both gubernatorial terms they won, however.

In 2018, Dean Heller carried 15 of Nevada's 17 county-level jurisdictions in his bid for a second full term in the U. S. Senate. Democratic challenger Jacky Rosen won Clark county. In that year's gubernatorial election, Democrat Steve Sisolak lost 15 out of 17 county-level jurisdictions, but won Clark. Since 2008, the Democratic presidential candidate has won Clark by more than enough votes to carry Nevada.

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.^[37][38]

United States presidential election results for Clark County, Nevada^[39] show

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	430,930	44.31%	521,852	53.66%	19,728	2.03%
2016	320,057	41.72%	402,227	52.43%	44,872	5.85%
2012	289,053	41.82%	389,936	56.42%	12,201	1.77%
2008	257,078	39.48%	380,765	58.47%	13,329	2.05%
2004	255,337	46.82%	281,767	51.66%	8,293	1.52%
2000	170,932	44.72%	196,100	51.31%	15,166	3.97%
1996	103,431	39.37%	127,963	48.71%	31,316	11.92%
1992	97,403	32.17%	124,586	41.15%	80,793	26.68%
1988	108,110	56.37%	78,359	40.86%	5,310	2.77%
1984	94,133	62.60%	53,386	35.50%	2,844	1.89%
1980	76,194	59.80%	38,313	30.07%	12,917	10.14%
1976	48,236	46.92%	51,178	49.78%	3,398	3.31%
1972	53,101	59.06%	36,807	40.94%	0	0.00%
1968	31,522	41.99%	33,225	44.26%	10,318	13.75%
1964	23,921	36.98%	40,760	63.02%	0	0.00%
1960	18,197	43.18%	23,949	56.82%	0	0.00%
1956	18,584	49.32%	19,095	50.68%	0	0.00%
1952	13,333	52.93%	11,855	47.07%	0	0.00%
1948	6,382	36.57%	10,787	61.81%	284	1.63%
1944	4,543	38.20%	7,350	61.80%	0	0.00%
1940	2,170	29.63%	5,154	70.37%	0	0.00%
1936	1,178	18.79%	5,091	81.21%	0	0.00%
1932	1,347	18.75%	5,837	81.25%	0	0.00%
1928	1,284	56.61%	984	43.39%	0	0.00%
1924	533	32.58%	288	17.60%	815	49.82%
1920	589	44.62%	620	46.97%	111	8.41%
1916	529	28.55%	1,115	60.17%	209	11.28%
1912	110	13.14%	358	42.77%	369	44.09%

Regional agencies[]

The Clark County Regional Flood Control District (CCRFCD) was created in 1985 by the Nevada Legislature allowing Clark County to provide broad solutions to flooding problems.

The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada operates the RTC Transit 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 surrounding the wash. As part of the effort to restore the wash to a more natural state, they have removed more than 500,000 pounds (230,000 kg) of trash.

State government[]

The Grant Sawyer State Office Building, which houses many branches of state government, is within the City of Las Vegas.^[40]

The Nevada Department of Corrections 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.^[41]

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. On October 1, 2004, the Department of Corrections took direct control of the facility.^[42] It houses the female death row.^[43]

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.

Colleges serving the area are University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), College of Southern Nevada, and Nevada State College.

Transportation[]

Major highways[]

Communities[]

Bracketed number refers to location on map, right

Cities[]

• Boulder City (21)
• Henderson (19)
• Las Vegas (10) (county seat)
• Mesquite (4)
• North Las Vegas (9)

Census-designated places[]

Air Force bases[]

• Creech Air Force Base
• Nellis Air Force Base

Other unincorporated communities[]

Climate[]

Clark County Climate chart (explanation) J F M A M J J A S O N D     10     14 1     21     16 4     10     26 10     18     35 13     16     44 21     3     45 26     15     48 27     26     45 27     25     43 22     45     31 14     33     24 8     29     14 −1 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm Source: [45] showImperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0.4     57 34     0.8     61 39     0.4     79 50     0.7     95 55     0.6     111 70     0.1     113 79     0.6     118 81     1     113 81     1     109 72     1.8     88 57     1.3     75 46     1.1     57 30 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches

See also[]

• Clark County Fire Department (Nevada)
• List of airports in Clark County, Nevada
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Clark County, Nevada

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Clark County, Nevada.

• Official website
• Clark County Television (County of Clark owned television station with Live Internet Feed)

Coordinates: 36°12′N 115°01′W / 36.20°N 115.02°W / 36.20; -115.02