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Paradise, Nevada
The Las Vegas Strip, largely located within Paradise
The Las Vegas Strip, largely located within Paradise
Location of Paradise in Clark County, Nevada
Location of Paradise in Clark County, Nevada
Location of Paradise, Nevada
Country United States
State Nevada
County Clark
Founded December 8, 1950; 73 years ago (1950-12-08)
Founded by Clark County Commission
Named for Paradise Valley
Area
 • Total 46.7 sq mi (121 km2)
 • Land 46.7 sq mi (121 km2)
 • Water 0.0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation
2,057 ft (627 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 223,167
 • Estimate 
(2016)
242,013
 • Density 4,777/sq mi (1,844/km2)
Time zone UTC−08:00 (PST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−07:00 (PDT)
Area code(s) 702 and 725
FIPS code 32-54600
GNIS feature ID 0845094
Major airport LAS
Interstate Highways I-15, I-215, I-515
Other major highways US 93, US 95, SR 171, SR 604
Website Paradise Town Advisory Board

Paradise is an unincorporated town and census-designated place (CDP) in Clark County, Nevada, United States, adjacent to the city of Las Vegas. It was formed on December 8, 1950. Its population was 231,858 as of 2017, making it the most populous CDP in the United States; if it were an incorporated city, it would be the fourth largest in Nevada. As an unincorporated town, it is governed by the Clark County Commission with input from the Paradise Town Advisory Board.

Paradise contains Harry Reid International Airport, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), most of the Las Vegas Strip, and most of the tourist attractions in the Las Vegas area (excluding downtown). Despite this, the name Paradise remains relatively obscure because all of the ZIP Codes serving Paradise are assigned the default place name "Las Vegas, NV."

History

The southern part of the Las Vegas Valley was referred to as Paradise Valley as early as 1910, owing to a high water table that made the land particularly fertile for farming. County commissioners established a Paradise school district in 1914.

Las Vegas Suburbs
Neighborhoods on the east side of Paradise

In 1950, mayor Ernie Cragin of Las Vegas, looking to fund an ambitious building agenda and pay down the city's rising debt, sought to expand the city's tax base by annexing the Las Vegas Strip which was unincorporated territory. A group of casino executives, led by Gus Greenbaum of the Flamingo, lobbied the county commissioners for township status which would prevent the city from annexing the land without the commission's approval. The commission voted to create the unincorporated township of Paradise on December 8, 1950.

In 1975, Nevada enacted a law that would have incorporated Paradise (along with Sunrise Manor and Winchester) into the City of Las Vegas. Before it could take effect, however, the bill was struck down as unconstitutional by the Nevada Supreme Court.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the census-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.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
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:

At the census of 2010, there were 223,167 people residing in Paradise. The racial makeup was 59.8% White, 8.9% African American, 0.8% Native American, 9.5% Asian, 1.0% Pacific Islander, and 5.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents made up 31.2% of the population, and 46.3% of the population was non-Hispanic White.

As of the census 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 people per square mile (1,524.0/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% from other races, and 4.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.47% of the population.

There were 77,209 households, out of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.9% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 21.2% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 33.3% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.0 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $39,376, and the median income for a family was $46,578. Males had a median income of $31,412 versus $25,898 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $21,258. 11.8% of the population and 8.1% of families were below the poverty line. 15.3% of those under the age of 18 and 7.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

With about 225,000 residents, if Paradise were to become an incorporated city it would be the fourth or fifth largest city in the state, after Las Vegas (585,000), Henderson (260,000), and North Las Vegas (229,000); Reno has a population of about 225,000.

Culture

Bellagio Fountain, Las Vegas (Time Lapse Movie) (5395252538)
The Bellagio at dusk

Sports

T-Mobile Arena (31534778122)
T-Mobile Arena in Paradise

Paradise is home to Las Vegas's three major league sports teams: the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL), which play at T-Mobile Arena, the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) which play at Allegiant Stadium, and the Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA which play at Michelob Ultra Arena. Super Bowl LVIII in 2024 will be played at Allegiant Stadium.

As UNLV is located in Paradise, most of its various teams play in the township. The UNLV Rebels football program plays at Allegiant Stadium, and the Runnin' Rebels and Lady Rebels play at Thomas & Mack Center and in the Cox Pavilion respectively.

Also, since 2004, the Las Vegas Summer League, organized by the National Basketball Association (NBA), is played in the Thomas & Mack Center and in the Cox Pavilion.

Paradise will also become the home of the upcoming Las Vegas Grand Prix where the circuit will take place around the Las Vegas Strip. The grand prix will become take place in November 2023 as part of the 2023 Formula One World Championship.

Education

The Clark County School District serves Paradise, as well as the rest of Clark County. The township is home to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Paradise (Nevada) para niños

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