Get Trivial About Clark County and Las Vegas

The Golden Gate in downtown Las Vegas is the oldest continuously operating hotel in the city.

  One constant about Las Vegas is that nothing is constant. Las Vegas is a city that thrives on change. It’s a place where the skyline is different almost every time you visit.

  Of course, all that means is that sometimes it takes a bit of effort to learn about the community’s history, which is pretty fascinating. With that in mind, the following are a handful of trivia questions about Las Vegas that are designed to help make you an expert of all things Vegas.

Q: What does Las Vegas mean?

A: It is a Spanish word meaning “the meadows.” Traders on the Old Spanish Trail, which passed through that part of Southern Nevada, are believed to have given the name to the area because of the presence of natural springs and grass. It first appeared in writing in explorer John C. Frémont’s report of his 1844 expedition through the region.

Q: What was the name of the first post office opened in the Las Vegas area?

A: The first non-Indian settlement in the valley was the Las Vegas Mission (or Mormon Fort), established in 1855 by missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. On August 1, 1855, a post office was opened, which was named Bringhurst, in honor of William Bringhurst, one of the leaders of the settlement. The post office closed September 22, 1860.

Q: What percentage of Nevada’s population lives in Clark County (Las Vegas and surrounding area)?

A: According to the last census, Clark County accounts for some 74 percent of Nevada’s total population, with 2.292 million residents. By comparison, the state’s smallest county is Esmeralda, which boasts 743 residents.

Q: How many marriage licenses were issued last year in Clark County?

A: Typically, about 77,000 marriage licenses are issued each year in Clark County, with Valentine’s Day being the busiest marrying day.

Q: What Clark County community holds the state record for hottest temperature on record?

A: Laughlin, located about 90 miles south of Las Vegas, is the state’s hottest place. The highest recorded temperature was 125 degrees in Laughlin on June 29, 1994.

Q: Where is the largest wildlife refuge in the lower 48 states?

A: The Desert Wildlife Refuge, which stretches about 1.5 million acres in Southern Nevada. The refuge, which is home to more bighorn sheep (about 1,500) than any other place in the world, encompasses the Desert, Las Vegas, Pintwater and Sheep mountain ranges.

Q: About how many people visit Las Vegas each year?

A: Every year, an estimated 41 million visitors descend on Las Vegas to enjoy its attractions.

Q: What is the oldest continuously operating hotel and casino in Las Vegas?

A: The venerable Golden Gate in downtown Las Vegas is the oldest. It opened in 1906 as the Hotel Nevada.

Q: Who named the Las Vegas Strip and why?

A: That honor goes to Guy McAfee, a former Los Angeles police officer, who headed the city’s vice squad for a time—while also indulging in some vice-full activities like owning an illegal casino. In 1939, he relocated to Las Vegas and acquired the Pair O’ Dice Club on Highway 91 (the main road between Las Vegas and Los Angeles). He is recognized as the first person to designate the casino-lined Highway 91, “the Las Vegas Strip,” after Los Angeles’ famous Sunset Strip. The name obviously stuck.

Q: How large is Clark County in terms of acreage?

A: The county encompasses 8,061 square miles, of which 7,891 square miles is land and 169 square miles is water. It is the sixth largest county in Nevada.