How did Las Vegas get its name?

• The Las Vegas oasis was first noticed in 1829 by Spanish explorers. They named this valley "Las Vegas" which means "the meadows." Mormon settlers arrived shortly thereafter and made this area home. The town itself was founded in 1905 but did not begin its incredible growth spurt until Nevada legalized gambling in 1931. Since that time Nevada has been one of the fastest growing states in the Union. At over 1.4 million residents, Las Vegas is a city intent on being the #1 vacation destination and entertainment mecca in the world. From: http://www.lvlg.com/faqpage.htm

• Year first casino was licensed 1931

• Current number of licensed gambling places in Las Vegas 1701

• Approximate number of Las Vegas city residents 500,000

• Approximate number of Clark County residents 1,500,000

• Number of slot machines in the city 197,144

• Annual visitors to Las Vegas, in millions 36.7

• Percentage of visitors from Southern California 25

• Percentage of visitors who say they come to Vegas mainly to gamble 5

• Percent of visitors who end up gambling during their stay 87

• Hours per day average visitor spends gambling 3.9

• Annual state gaming revenue, in billions of dollars 9

• Percent of Nevada's general fund fed by gaming-tax revenue 43

• Average gambling budget per trip, in dollars 559

• Number of people moving to Las Vegas annually 60,000

• Average monthly apartment rent, in dollars 631.22

• Average price for an acre of land in the Valley, in thousands of dollars 161

• Price for a prime acre of land on the Strip, in millions of dollars 11

• Number of hotel rooms 124,270

• Average number of pillowcases washed daily at MGM Grand 15,000

• Average nightly room rate, in dollars 66

• Average length of stay, in nights 3.7

• Number of conventions hosted annually 3749

• Average number of Vegas weddings per day 315

• Number of local golf courses 37

• Amount in miles of lighted neon tubing on the Strip and Downtown 15,000

• Percentage of county's population over 24 years old with college degree 13.8

• Percentage of residents who claim to be religious 82.2

• Percentage of population registered to vote 42.2

• Percent of Nevada land owned by the federal government 87

• Paved roads in Nevada, in miles 5429

• Dirt or gravel roads in Nevada, in miles 33,010

• Nevada's population growth since 1990, in percentage 83.3

• Nevada's prison-population growth since 1990, in percentage 100.4

• State's nationwide rank in gold production 1

• Cost of Nevada marriage license, in dollars 35

• Average cost of filing for divorce in Nevada, in dollars 450