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"Summerlin" redirects here. For the surname, see Summerlin (surname).
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Summerlin
Planned community
Neighborhood of Las Vegas, Nevada
Summerlin Entrance Marker
Summerlin Entrance Marker
Summerlin is located in Nevada
Summerlin
Summerlin
Location in Nevada
Country United States
State Nevada
County Clark
City Las Vegas
Founded 1990; 34 years ago (1990)
Founded by Summa Corporation
Named for Jean Amelia Summerlin
Associations Summerlin North
Summerlin South
Summerlin West
Sun City Summerlin
Siena

Summerlin is a community in the Las Vegas Valley of Southern Nevada. It lies at the edge of the Spring Mountains and Red Rock Canyon to the west; it includes the census-designated place of Summerlin South, is partly within the official city limits of Las Vegas and partly within unincorporated Clark County. This community occupies over 22,500 acres and holds over 230 parks, more than two dozen public and private schools, 14 houses of worship, ten golf courses, three resort hotels, recreational facilities, retail and entertainment centers, well-established office parks, a medical center, and more.

The community is divided into three associations (North, South, and West), which oversee two dozen commercial and residential villages.

At the time of the 2010 census, Summerlin's population was nearly 100,000, having risen from 59,000 residents in the year 2000.

Summerlin was named after Jean Amelia Summerlin, the grandmother of billionaire land developer Howard Hughes. The Howard Hughes Corporation maintains ownership of the master-planned community, along with Downtown Summerlin (the community's premier shopping, dining, and entertainment district) and the Las Vegas Ballpark (home of the Las Vegas Aviators minor league baseball team, which is named in Hughes' honor).

History

In 1952, the film director, aviator, and casino mogul Howard Hughes purchased 25,000 acres (10,000 ha) of land in Southern Nevada, making him the Las Vegas Valley's largest landowner. Despite his initial intentions, he ultimately chose not to relocate his company to Nevada, so the purchased land remained undeveloped and empty for decades. After Hughes died of kidney failure in 1976, the Summa Corporation was organized by his heirs to oversee his vast business empire and land holdings. In 1988, the corporation announced that they would be developing the empty acres of land into a master-planned commercial and residential community. They named the project "Summerlin", after Hughes' paternal grandmother, Jean Amelia Summerlin.

In preparation for this large-scale development, Summa Corporation made a deal with the Bureau of Land Management in which they traded 5,000 acres of environmentally sensitive land for 3,000 acres of land better suited for development. After this environmental concern was addressed, development began. By the end of 1990, the construction of Summerlin's first residential village, park, and school had been completed. In 1994, Summa Corporation rebranded itself as the Howard Hughes Corporation and continued to develop new Summerlin villages.

New home construction continued to boom through the turn of the century. From 1997 to 2007, Summerlin was consistently ranked as the #1 community in the nation for new home sales. The Great Recession caused a temporary slow-down in construction, but signs of revival became especially apparent in 2014, when Downtown Summerlin opened, bringing 106 acres of shopping, dining, and entertainment to Summerlin residents. Residential development also saw a great revival following the recession, and by 2016, Summerlin was once again one of the top communities in America for new home sales.

Summerlin is still a growing community. As of 2018, over two dozen commercial and residential villages have been constructed, with over 6,000 acres still available for future development.

Geography

Climate

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Summerlin has a hot desert climate typical of the Mojave Desert in which it lies (Köppen climate classification: BWh).

Summers tend to be very hot and very dry, with daily highs often exceeding 100 °F (38 °C); temperatures as high as 118 degrees have been observed. The spring and fall seasons are generally sunny, warm, and dry, with daily highs in the 70s and 80s. Winters tend to be cool and windy, with daily highs in the 50s; temperatures seldom drop below freezing, and snowfall is rare, but some rain is common (especially in January and February).

Economy

Allegiant Air has their corporate headquarters in Summerlin.

Hotel and casinos

The Summerlin area is home to three major resort casinos.

  • JW Marriott Las Vegas, which includes the attached Rampart Casino, both opened in 1999.
  • Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa, opened in 2006.
  • Suncoast Hotel and Casino, opened in 2000. Generally considered a Summerlin property, but actually located just outside the community.

Summerlin is also home to a non-gaming hotel known as Element Las Vegas, developed by Westin Hotels. It opened in 2008.

Arts and culture

Downtown Summerlin

Main articles: Downtown Summerlin and Downtown Summerlin (shopping center)
DowntownSummerlin3
A palm tree-lined street in Downtown Summerlin

Downtown Summerlin is a 400-acre (160 ha) mixed-use district. It opened in 2014, and includes a 106-acre (43 ha) shopping center with more than 125 shops, bars, and restaurants. It also features office and residential space. In addition, Downtown Summerlin also includes two sports facilities:

  • City National Arena, opened in 2017. It serves as a practice facility for the Vegas Golden Knights NHL franchise and is also the home arena of the UNLV Rebels hockey program.
  • Las Vegas Ballpark, opened in 2019 and home of the Las Vegas Aviators minor league baseball team.

Local events are held in Downtown Summerlin throughout the year, including an annual art festival, outdoor fitness classes, wine walks, holiday festivals, and visits from celebrity guest speakers.

Library

Summerlin has a public library, a branch of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District.

Sports

The city's NHL franchise, the Vegas Golden Knights, practice at City National Arena in Summerlin. The arena also offers skating lessons, hosts youth and adult amateur hockey leagues, and trains competitive figure skaters.

The UNLV Hockey team plays its home games at City National Arena in Summerlin.

The Las Vegas Aviators (a minor league baseball franchise) play at the Las Vegas Ballpark in Summerlin.

Parks and recreation

Cycling

Bicycle lanes are provided on most major roads in Summerlin, as well as in the adjacent Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

Community parks

Large community parks, which are available for free public use, are located throughout Summerlin. As of 2018, there are 25 community parks that feature a variety of recreational amenities, which may include: community centers, barbecue areas, walking trails, playgrounds, swimming pools, interactive water features, soccer fields, baseball fields, football fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, volleyball courts, bocce ball and shuffleboard courts, and motorized toy areas. In addition, the parks with community centers typically offer special events, classes, and children's camps.

Walking trails

As of 2018, the Summerlin Trail System is more than 150 miles long and connects local neighborhoods to various amenities throughout the community. The system includes five types of planned trails: street-side, village, bike, regional, and natural.

Upon completion, the trail system will be more than 200 miles long and will connect to more than 2,000 miles of regional trails, making it one of the most comprehensive and efficient trail systems in the southwestern United States.

In 2008, Summerlin and the Howard Hughes Corporation received the American Trails Developer Award, which is given to developers in recognition of "quality, well designed multi-use trails systems that are integrated into private developments."

Mountain recreation

The adjacent Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area offers 26 hiking trails (ranging in difficulty from easy to strenuous). The canyon is also suitable for bouldering and rock climbing and has an overnight camp site.

Education

Public schools

Public schools in Summerlin belong to the Clark County School District, which serves almost all of Southern Nevada.

Elementary schools located in Summerlin

  • Shelley Berkley Elementary School
  • John W. Bonner Elementary School
  • Roger M. Bryan Elementary School
  • Linda Rankin Givens Elementary School
  • John & Judy Goolsby Elementary School
  • William R. Lummis Elementary School
  • D’vorre & Hal Ober Elementary School
  • Ethel W. Staton Elementary School
  • James B. McMillan Elementary
  • Katz Elementary

Middle schools located in Summerlin

  • Ernest Becker Middle School
  • Victoria Fertitta Middle School
  • Sig Rogich Middle School

High schools located in Summerlin

  • Palo Verde High School
  • Cimarron-Memorial High School
  • West Career And Technical Academy (magnet school)

In addition to the above-listed public schools, some Summerlin residents may be zoned for schools located just outside of the Summerlin boundaries (many families in Summerlin South, for example, are zoned for Durango High School in nearby Spring Valley).

Private schools

Summerlin is also home to several private schools, including:

  • The Adelson Educational Campus (K-12; Jewish)
  • Alexander Dawson School (K-8; Secular)
  • Bishop Gorman High School (9-12; Catholic)
  • Faith Lutheran Academy (K-5; Lutheran)
  • Faith Lutheran Jr/Sr High School (6-12; Lutheran)
  • The Meadows School (K-12; Secular)
  • Merryhill School (K-5; Secular)
  • St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School (K-8; Catholic)
  • The Shenker Academy (Kindergarten only; Jewish)
  • Sholom Schechter Day School of Las Vegas (K-5; Jewish)

Higher education

Higher education within the community of Summerlin is mostly limited to small satellite campuses, including:

  • The College of Southern Nevada (Summerlin Center Campus; Public)
  • The Roseman University of Health Sciences (Summerlin Campus; Private)

However, Summerlin is also located within 10 miles of the College of Southern Nevada's main campus (CSN - Charleston), within 20 miles of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and within 30 miles of Nevada State College (NSC).

Infrastructure

Healthcare

The Summerlin Hospital Medical Center, a private hospital operated by the Valley Health System, provides 485 beds to the local community. It is an accredited Chest Pain Center and Primary Stroke Center. Other features include: the Children's Medical Center, the Breast Care Center, the Cancer Center, the Rehab Center, and the Robotic Surgery Center. Its 40-acre campus is located in The Crossings village of Summerlin North.

Notable people

See also

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