Paradise | |
|---|---|
 TheLas Vegas Strip, largely located within Paradise | |
 Location of Paradise inClark County, Nevada | |
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| Coordinates:36°4′55″N115°7′29″W / 36.08194°N 115.12472°W /36.08194; -115.12472 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Nevada |
| County | Clark |
| Founded | December 8, 1950; 74 years ago (1950-12-08) |
| Founded by | Clark County Commission |
| Named after | Paradise Valley |
| Area | |
• Total | 42.41 sq mi (109.83 km2) |
| • Land | 42.41 sq mi (109.83 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,057 ft (627 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 191,238 |
| • Density | 4,509.9/sq mi (1,741.28/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−08:00 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−07:00 (PDT) |
| Area codes | 702 and 725 |
| FIPS code | 32-54600 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0845094 |
| Website | clarkcountynv.gov/paradise |
Paradise is anunincorporated town[2] andcensus-designated place (CDP) inClark County, Nevada, United States, adjacent to the city ofLas Vegas. It was formed on December 8, 1950. Its population was 191,238 at the 2020 census, making it the fifth-most-populous CDP in the United States; if it were an incorporated city, it would be the fifth-largest in Nevada.[3] As an unincorporated town, it is governed by theClark County Commission with input from the Paradise Town Advisory Board.
Paradise containsHarry Reid International Airport; theUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV); the majority of theLas Vegas Strip; and most of the tourist attractions in the Las Vegas area (excludingdowntown). However, all Paradise addresses, as well as other unincorporated areas in theLas Vegas Valley, have "Las Vegas" addresses.[4]
The southern part of theLas Vegas Valley was referred to as Paradise Valley as early as 1910, owing to a highwater table that made the land particularly fertile for farming.[5][6] County commissioners established a Paradise school district in 1914.[7]
In 1950, Mayor Ernie Cragin of Las Vegas sought to annex theLas Vegas Strip, which was unincorporated territory, to expand the city's tax base to fund his ambitious building agenda and pay down the city's rising debt.[8] A group of casino executives, led byGus Greenbaum of theFlamingo, lobbied the county commissioners for town status, which would prevent the city from annexing the land without the commission's approval.[8] The commission voted to create the unincorporated town of Paradise on December 8, 1950.[9][10] The town encompassed a strip one mile (1.6 km) wide and four miles (6.4 km) long, from the southern city limits of Las Vegas to just south of the Flamingo.[10] The town board initially consisted of five casino managers, chaired by Greenbaum.[10][11]
A month after its establishment, the town was expanded to include the residential areas of Paradise Valley, giving it a total area of 54 square miles (140 km2).[11] Months later, however, county officials reportedly had determined that the town had not been properly established because the petition for the town's formation had an insufficient number of signatures and because it had violated a state law forbidding formation of a town spanning multiple school districts.[12] On August 20, 1951, county commissioners accepted petitions to create two new towns covering the area of the putative town.[13] Town "A" of Paradise included the areas that lay within a Las Vegas school district, extending from the city limits to a point one mile south, while Town "B" included the areas within the Paradise school district.[12]
In 1953, Town A was renamed asWinchester, and Town B became known simply as Paradise.[14]
In 1975, Nevada enacted a law that would have incorporated Paradise (along withSunrise Manor and Winchester) into the City of Las Vegas.[15] Before it could take effect, however, the bill was struck down as unconstitutional by theNevada Supreme Court.[16][17]
The deadliest fire that occurred in the entire Las Vegas Valley was the MGM Grand fire on November 21, 1980. In the early morning hours, a deli counter had an electrical short that resulted in a fire in the walls of the hotel. TheMGM Grand was built to the fire code of 1973, which did not require sprinkler systems, so sprinklers were only installed in the kitchens and theater. The fire traveled in the walls of the hotel, damaging the fire alarm system.[18] As the fire burned, toxic smoke entered the ventilation system, traveling to the rooms of the hotel. Guests broke windows to get fresh air, while waiting for rescue from firemen. Eighty-five people died in the fire, with two more dying later, bringing the death toll to 87. In addition to those who died, nearly 700 people were injured in the fire.[19] This fire contributed to a widespread change in the requirements for fire safety in hotels.[19]
On October 1, 2017, the deadliestmass shooting in the United States by a lone gunman occurred in Paradise when 64-year-oldStephen Paddock opened fire on the crowd attending theRoute 91 Harvest music festival on the Strip from his 32nd-floor suite in theMandalay Bay hotel.[20] He fired more than 1,000 rounds, killing 60 people and wounding at least 413 others.[21] The ensuing panic brought the total number of injured to about 867. Around an hour later, he was found dead in his room from aself-inflicted gunshot wound.[22]
On January 1, 2025, around 8:39 am (PST), an improvised explosive device exploded in aTesla Cybertruck parked outside the main entrance of theTrump International Hotel Las Vegas in Paradise. The driver and alleged perpetrator was Matthew Alan Livelsberger, an American-born, active-duty United States Army Special Forces soldier from Colorado Springs, Colorado.[23] He was on leave from overseas duty and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head immediately before the explosion.[23] Seven bystanders were injured by the blast.[23] Authorities found that the vehicle contained firework mortars and gas canisters, which had fueled the explosion and fire. Per a note from Livelsberger, "the explosion was a stunt meant to be a 'wake up call' for the nation’s troubles".[24]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, thecensus-designated place (CDP) of Paradise (which may not coincide exactly with the town boundaries) has a total area of 46.7 square miles (121 km2), all of it land.
The official town boundaries are bordered byDesert Inn Road to the north,Nellis Boulevard to the east,Sunset Road to the south andDecatur Boulevard to the west. There is a southern finger between Bermuda Road andEastern Avenue south to Silverado Ranch Boulevard. South ofRussell Road, the eastern border stairsteps on a rough 45-degree angle toward the corner of Eastern and Robindale Road, and there is an additional finger surroundingInterstate 215 east toSt. Rose Parkway.[25]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 24,477 | — | |
| 1980 | 84,818 | 246.5% | |
| 1990 | 124,682 | 47.0% | |
| 2000 | 186,070 | 49.2% | |
| 2010 | 223,167 | 19.9% | |
| 2020 | 191,238 | −14.3% | |
| source:[26] | |||
As of thecensus of 2020,[27] there were 191,238 people residing in Paradise. The racial makeup was 42.1%White, 13.4%African American, 1.2%Native American, 9.8%Asian, 1.2%Pacific Islander, and 15.1% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino residents made up 33.5% of the population, and 36.6% of the population wasnon-Hispanic White.
As of thecensus of 2010,[3] there were 223,167 people residing in Paradise. The racial makeup was 59.8%White, 10.0%African American, 0.8%Native American, 9.5%Asian, 1.0%Pacific Islander, and 5.5% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino residents made up 31.2% of the population, and 46.3% of the population wasnon-Hispanic White.
As of thecensus[28] of 2000, there were 186,070 people, 77,209 households, and 43,314 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,947.3 inhabitants per square mile (1,524.1/km2). There were 85,398 housing units at an average density of 1,811.6 per square mile (699.5/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 72.51%White, 6.59%African American, 0.77%Native American, 6.52%Asian, 0.59%Pacific Islander, 8.37% fromother races, and 4.65% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 23.47% of the population.
In 2020 there were 80,732 households, out of which 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.6% weremarried couples living together, 29.4% had a female householder with no partner present, and 30.8% had a male householder with no partner present. 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[27]
In the CDP, 21.4% was under the age of 19, 7% from 20 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.6 males. For every 100 females age 20 and over, there were 105.4 males.[27]
The median income for a household in the CDP was $48,032. The median income for a family was $61,743 versus $72,654 formarried couple families. Theper capita income for the CDP was $68,858. 16.8% of the population and 11.8% of families were below thepoverty line. 15.5% of males were living below the poverty line versus 18.2% of females. 19.3% of families with children under the age of 18 and 5.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.[27]
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TheClark County School District serves Paradise, as well as the rest of Clark County.[29]
Paradise is home to theUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas.[30][31]
Harry Reid International Airport (formerly McCarran International Airport) is in Paradise.[30]
Paradise also has multiple casinos connected to theLas Vegas Monorail. The monorail ends at theMGM Grand Monorail Station in Paradise.[32]
Paradise is also served by theRegional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada by bus routes both on and off theLas Vegas Strip.[33]
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Paradise is home to Las Vegas's three major league sports teams: theVegas Golden Knights of theNational Hockey League (NHL), which play atT-Mobile Arena, theLas Vegas Raiders of theNational Football League (NFL) which play atAllegiant Stadium, and theLas Vegas Aces of theWNBA which play atMichelob Ultra Arena.Super Bowl LVIII in 2024 was played at Allegiant Stadium.[34] Paradise will be the future home of theAthletics ofMajor League Baseball (MLB)[35][36] at a yet-to-be-namednew stadium being built at the site of the formerTropicana Las Vegas.
As UNLV is located in Paradise, most of its various teams play in the town limits. TheUNLV Rebels football program plays at Allegiant Stadium, and theRunnin' Rebels andLady Rebels play atThomas & Mack Center and in theCox Pavilion respectively.
Also, since 2004, theLas Vegas Summer League, organized by theNational Basketball Association (NBA), is played in the Thomas & Mack Center and in the Cox Pavilion.[37] ManyNCAA College Basketball Tournament conferences are also hosted at the Thomas & Mack Center in March every year.[38]
Since 1985, almost every December theNational Finals Rodeo has been held at the Thomas & Mack Center. The one exception was in 2020, when the event was held inArlington, Texas, atGlobe Life Field due to public health concerns during theCOVID-19 pandemic.[39] The contract extension signed in June 2024 means that the finals will continue to be held at the Thomas & Mack Center until at least 2035.[40]
Paradise has hosted theFormula OneLas Vegas Grand Prix, held on astreet circuit including part of the Las Vegas Strip, since2023.[41]
Paradise has also been the site of many prominentcombat sports events, such asboxing andMMA, with Las Vegas being considered by many as the "fight capital of the world."[42]
Univ of Nevada Las Vegas[...]McCarran International Arprt(see aircraft symbol for the airport)
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| Related | |||||||
Municipalities and communities ofClark County, Nevada,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Indian reservations | ||
| Proposed communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
Carson City (capital) | |
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Authority control databases: Geographic |
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36°4′55″N115°7′29″W / 36.08194°N 115.12472°W /36.08194; -115.12472
