A Little History and Interesting Facts of the Growth of Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas started with humble beginnings in the late 1800s as a rest and watering stop for aminals and travelers from Utah to California and even to New Mexico.

During the 19th Century, Mexican and Mormon settlers filtered in and out of Las Vegas, many en route to California via the Old Spanish Trail or to take advantage of the California Gold Rush. Mormons in Salt Lake City traveled to Las Vegas to protect a mail route; they built adobe structures, planted fruits and vegetables, and mined for lead. But by 1858, they had abandoned the area.

In 1890, railroad developers decided that Las Vegas would serve as a prime stop along the San Pedro, Salt Lake City, and Los Angeles railroad route; it would also connect Las Vegas to major cities on the Pacific Coast. Little had changed in the city up until this point; with the arrival of the railroad in 1905, Las Vegas boomed: saloons, stores, and boarding houses sprung up around town.

On May 15, 1905, Las Vegas officially was founded as a city making Las Vegas. On May 15, 2021 Las Vegas will be 116 years old.

In 1931 construction of the Hoover Dam was commenced. (Hoover Dam created Lake Mead just outside of Las Vegas. The Colorado River flows into and then out of Lake Mead) In 1931 the population of Las Vegas went from about 5,000 to 25,000 as workers for the dam and other supporting businesses were needed. The damn was finished in 1935.

Since 1931 Las Vegas really started to grow fast and has not stopped since. The estimated current population of Las Vegas Metro area is about 2.7 million with many more living in attached cities such as Henderson, North Las Vegas and the unincorporated city limits in Clark County.

Las Vegas Metro Area Population 1950-2020