The Las Vegas Strip is a section of road that is primarily located in Clark County, Nevada, rather than within the city limits of Las Vegas. Many people consider the sign on Las Vegas Boulevard that says “Welcome to Las Vegas” to be one end of the Strip. The Strip is famous for its array of hotels, casinos and other types of entertainment, but not all of Las Vegas' hotels and casinos are found on the Strip.
More facts about Las Vegas:
- The El Rancho Las Vegas is considered to have been the first hotel on what is now the Strip. The El Rancho opened on 3 April 1941 and had 63 guest rooms.
- More than 19,000 conventions were held in the city in 2009, with more than 36 million people visiting the city for business or pleasure. That compares with a little less than 7 million who visited Las Vegas in 1970.
- The first racially integrated hotel in Las Vegas was the Moulin Rouge. The hotel opened in May 1955 and closed in November of that year, with the owners declaring bankruptcy in December 1955. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the 1990s but was gutted by an arson fire in 2003.
By Malcolm Tatum
, Writer
Malcolm Tatum, a former teleconferencing industry professional, followed his passion for trivia, research, and writing to become a full-time freelance writer. He has contributed articles to a variety of print and online publications, including WiseGeek, and his work has also been featured in poetry collections, devotional anthologies, and newspapers. When not writing, Malcolm enjoys collecting vinyl records, following minor league baseball, and cycling.