Primm, Nevada facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Primm, Nevada
Unincorporated community
Primm off Interstate 15
Primm, Nevada Location in Nevada Show map of Nevada Primm, Nevada Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Nevada
County	Clark
Founded	1920s
Founded by	Pete MacIntyre
Named for	Ernest Jay Primm
Elevation	2,618 ft (798 m)
Population  (2007)
• Total	1,132
Time zone	UTC-8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP codes	89019
Area code(s)	702 and 725
GNIS feature ID	849405

Primm is a small town in Clark County, Nevada, United States. It used to be called State Line. Primm is special because it sits right on the border between Nevada and California. It is located on Ivanpah Dry Lake, which is a large, flat area that used to be a lake.

Primm began in the 1950s with a small motel and coffee shop. Ernest Primm built these first places. His son, Gary Primm, later helped the town grow by adding hotels with casinos. In 1996, the town was officially named Primm. This was done to honor its founder and to avoid confusion with another town called Stateline, Nevada in northern Nevada.

The town's main business comes from its three casinos, known as the Primm Valley Resorts. These places attract visitors from Southern California. People often stop here before they reach Las Vegas, which is about 40 miles (64 km) north. It's also a last stop for fun before leaving Nevada. Most people who live in Primm work at these casinos.

Interestingly, a store just across the California border from Primm sells California State Lottery tickets. This is popular with Nevada residents. Nevada's laws do not allow a state lottery. Besides games and shopping, Buffalo Bill’s Resort and Casino has fun rides. One famous ride is the Desperado rollercoaster. When it opened in 1996, it was one of the tallest and fastest steel rollercoasters in America. It goes both outside and inside the casino! There is also a log flume ride inside the casino building.

In 2000, about 436 people lived in Primm. By 2007, the population was around 1,132. More recently, in 2020, the population was about 650 people.

Getting to Primm

Primm, Nevada, is located right on Interstate 15. It is about halfway between Las Vegas, Nevada, and Baker, California.

The closest major airport is Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.

Primm also had an Amtrak train station at Whiskey Pete's Resort until 2017. This service connected Bakersfield, California, and Las Vegas.

Primm's Past

In the 1920s, a man named Pete MacIntyre owned a gas station at the state line. This road later became U.S. Route 91. Pete MacIntyre had a tough time with his gas business. He started making and selling alcohol illegally. People remembered him as “Whiskey Pete.”

A local story says that when Pete MacIntyre died in 1933, he wanted to be buried standing up. He also wanted a bottle of his illegal alcohol in his hands. He wished to "watch over" the area. Later, when workers were building a bridge connecting Whiskey Pete's to Buffalo Bill's Hotel and Casino, they accidentally found his unmarked grave. His remains were moved. Now, people say he is buried in one of the caves where he used to make his illegal drinks.

Primm used to have many family-friendly attractions. These included the Adventure Canyon Log Flume and the Desperado roller coaster. The Desperado was once the tallest in the world. However, by the 2000s, Primm became less busy. In 1998, a company called MGM Grand bought the casinos from the Primm family. Then, in 2007, they were sold to Affinity Gaming.

From the early 1950s to the early 1970s, Dale Hamilton ran the State Line area. He built a Chevron gas station. He also opened a small casino with slot machines and a café. He called his business "State Line Bar:Slots." Hamilton also worked hard to get an Interstate 15 exit built for the area. This exit was not part of the original plans.

In 2004, 52 apartment buildings were built in Primm. These were for the casino employees to live closer to work. The apartment complex is called Desert Oasis.

Prizm Outlets, once known as the Fashion Outlets of Las Vegas, is a large shopping mall. As of 2023, it is mostly empty. It was sold in 2021 for $400,000.

Weather in Primm

Primm has a hot desert climate. This means it is very dry and hot.

Fun Events in Primm

Primm has hosted many exciting events over the years:

• In 1996, SCORE International started an annual off-road race called Terrible's SCORE Primm 300. This race is part of a series that includes famous races like the Baja 1000.
• The 20th World's Strongest Man competition was held in Primm in 1997.
• Primm was the finish line for the 2004 DARPA Grand Challenge. It was also the start and finish for the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge. This was a robot car race where the winning team from Stanford University won $2 million.
• The Stateline Supermoto Challenge happens every year at Buffalo Bill's casino. It brings together professional and amateur supermoto racers.
• Primm is also the location of the Mint 400, another well-known American off-road race.
• WORCS (World Off Road Championship) holds several rounds of motocross, UTV, and ATV off-road racing in Primm.
• On October 25, 2014, Simon Lizotte set a new world record for flying disc distance in Primm. He threw a disc 263.2 meters (863.5 feet)!

The Bonnie and Clyde Getaway Car

Primm is home to a famous car: the vehicle that Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were in when they were shot. This car was once inside Whiskey Pete's casino. In 2022, it was moved to the area connecting the Prizm Outlet Mall and the Primm Valley Hotel & Casino.

Bonnie and Clyde were actually stopped and killed in Gibsland, Louisiana. That's about 1,500 miles away from Primm.

Primm in Pop Culture

Primm appears in the 2010 video game Fallout: New Vegas. Players can visit it in the game.

See also

In Spanish: Primm (Nevada) para niños