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Las Vegas Strip

geography Maturity 7-9 Next article →

The Las Vegas Strip is a world-famous stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard.

LVStriptraffic
LVStriptraffic

It is located in Clark County, Nevada. The area sits just south of the Las Vegas city limits. It is part of the unincorporated towns of Paradise and Winchester. Most people simply call this area "Las Vegas." The Strip is known for its high concentration of resort hotels and casinos. It is a major driving force for the local economy. Many of the largest hotel-casino properties on Earth are found here.

Vegas Strip viewed from the STRAT
Vegas Strip viewed from the STRAT

The boundaries of the Strip can be defined in different ways. In a strict sense, it is the stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard between Sahara Avenue and the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign. Clark County uses the term "Resort Corridor" to describe a larger area. This includes the boulevard between the 215 Beltway and Sahara Avenue. The Sahara is considered the northern terminus by the county. However, many travel guides extend the Strip north to the Strat. At the southern end, Mandalay Bay is considered the southernmost resort.

Bellagio Las Vegas December 2013 panorama
Bellagio Las Vegas December 2013 panorama

The history of the Strip began with small establishments. The Pair-o-Dice Club opened in 1931 as the first casino on Highway 91. The El Rancho Vegas opened on April 3, 1941, as the first full-service resort. It featured 63 bungalow hotel rooms. The success of this resort led to the opening of the Hotel Last Frontier in 1942.

Gas station Last Frontier hotel
Gas station Last Frontier hotel

In 1946, organized crime figure Bugsy Siegel funded the Flamingo. The Flamingo casino opened in December 1946, and its hotel opened in March 1947. The name "Strip" was given by Guy McAfee. He named it after the Sunset Strip in Hollywood.

A major shift occurred with the rise of mega-resorts. This era was driven by developers like Kirk Kerkorian. He established Caesars Palace in 1966. In 1969, he opened the International Hotel, which had 1,512 rooms. This hotel is known today as Westgate Las Vegas. Kerkorian also opened the first MGM Grand in 1973 with 2,084 rooms. This resort suffered a tragic fire on November 21, 1980. Electrical problems caused the fire, which killed 87 people. The hotel reopened eight months later.

Wynn Casino Las Vegas Gambling Resort
Wynn Casino Las Vegas Gambling Resort

The 1980s and 1990s brought even larger developments. The Mirage opened in 1989 and set a new standard for the area. This led to the creation of many themed hotels. Examples include the Luxor, Excalibur, and Mandalay Bay. During the 1990s, The Bellagio was constructed. It cost $1.7 billion, making it the most expensive hotel in the world at that time. Entertainment also changed during this period. In 1993, the Mystère show by Cirque du Soleil debuted at Treasure Island.

Modern developments have focused on luxury and diverse attractions. The CityCenter project was a massive $8.5 billion multi-use development. It was built between 2006 and 2009 on the former Boardwalk hotel site. In recent years, new landmarks have appeared. The Sphere opened in September 2023. The Fontainebleau Las Vegas also opened in December 2023. The Strip continues to evolve with new projects like the upcoming New Las Vegas Stadium. This stadium is set to host the Athletics baseball team in 2028.

Moving around the Strip requires various transportation methods. Tens of thousands of people walk the area daily. In 2019, about 50,000 pedestrians walked the Strip on an average day. To keep people safe, many elevated pedestrian footbridges were built.

Pedestrian Bridge in Vegas
Pedestrian Bridge in Vegas

These bridges connect major resorts and shopping centers. Visitors can also use RTC Transit buses, such as the double-decker "Deuce." A monorail runs along the east side of the corridor. It has stations at several properties, including the MGM Grand and the Sahara.

Las Vegas taxi
Las Vegas taxi

Gambling remains a central part of the Strip experience. In 2019, about 81% of visitors reported gambling while in Las Vegas. Most of these visitors, about 89%, gambled specifically on the Strip. Large casinos with over $72 million in annual gaming revenue generate significant wealth. In 2019, these "Big Las Vegas Strip Casinos" earned more than $6 billion annually. This represents about 26% of total annual revenues. The types of games played have also shifted over time. For example, the number of Blackjack tables dropped from 77% in 1985 to 50% in 2019. Meanwhile, Baccarat grew to represent 37% of revenue by 2019.

Wynn Casino Las Vegas Gambling Resort
Wynn Casino Las Vegas Gambling Resort
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🖼️ Images & Media (16)
File:Gas station Last Frontier hotel.jpg
Gas station Last Frontier hotel.jpg
File:Nevada National Guard patrols Las Vegas Strip on New Years (2017).jpg
Nevada National Guard patrols Las Vegas...
File:Bellagio_Las_Vegas_December_2013_panorama.jpg
Bellagio_Las_Vegas_December_2013_panorama.jpg
File:Vegas Strip viewed from the STRAT.jpg
Vegas Strip viewed from the STRAT.jpg
File:LVStriptraffic.JPG
LVStriptraffic.JPG
File:Pedestrian Bridge in Vegas.jpg
Pedestrian Bridge in Vegas.jpg
File:Las Vegas taxi.jpg
Las Vegas taxi.jpg
File:Wynn Casino Las Vegas Gambling Resort.jpg
Wynn Casino Las Vegas Gambling Resort.jpg
File:Hakkasan Night Club, Las Vegas.jpg
Hakkasan Night Club, Las Vegas.jpg
File:T Mobile Arena The Strip Las Vegas (29798246202).jpg
T Mobile Arena The Strip Las Vegas...
File:Allegiant Stadium (cropped).jpg
Allegiant Stadium (cropped).jpg
File:Miracle Mile Shops.jpg
Miracle Mile Shops.jpg

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