FACT BRIEFIs the Las Vegas Strip located in Las Vegas?
NO
The 4.2-mile stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard lined by hotels and casinos and known as the Strip is located in unincorporated Clark County, not within Las Vegas city limits.
The hotel corridor is part of Paradise, an unincorporated town that was formed on Dec. 8, 1950. The City of Las Vegas was mainly contained to the downtown area that was established in 1905. In 1941, the El Rancho Vegas Hotel and Casino became the first resort on what is known today as the Strip.
The Strip’s location outside of city limits enticed hoteliers seeking to avoid municipal taxes. In 1950, then-Las Vegas Mayor Ernie Cragin proposed annexing the Strip to capture tax revenue, but casino owners pushed the county to create an unincorporated township to block the mayor.
Today, the “room tax” in unincorporated Clark County is 12 percent, while the City of Las Vegas’ is 13.38 percent.
This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
maps.clarkcountynv.gov Clark County Map
City of Las Vegas City of Las Vegas History Timeline
Las Vegas Review-Journal Knowing Vegas: Why isn’t the Strip in Las Vegas?
Google Books “Las Vegas: The Fabulous First Century” - By Thomas Ainlay, Judy Dixon Gabaldon
files.lasvegasnevada.gov City of Las Vegas Transient Lodging Establishment Room Tax Instructions and Guidelines
clarkcountynv.gov Amendment to Clark County Code updating transient lodging tax rates
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