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Summerlin, Nevada facts for kids

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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 master-planned 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 is partly within the official city limits of Las Vegas and partly within unincorporated Clark County. This rapidly growing community occupies over 22,500 acres and according to its developers, "has grown to encompass more than 230 parks, more than two dozen public and private schools, 14 houses of worship, nine 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. The community has received national acclaim for its amenities. Notably, it was named the "#1 best place to live and play" by National Geographic Adventure in 2007 and one of the "Best Places to Live in America" by Money magazine in 2014.

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 Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. purchased 25,000 acres (10,000 ha) in Southern Nevada near Las Vegas and called the area "Husite." After Hughes died in 1976, his heirs felt the empty land had the potential to become a master-planned community. They changed the name from "Husite" to "Summerlin", after Hughes' paternal grandmother, Jean Amelia Summerlin, who was born on May 6, 1842 in Keosauqua, Van Buren County, Iowa and died on November 4, 1928 in Los Angeles, California. Summa Corporation was then organized to oversee the Hughes vast business empire and land holdings, including the large parcel of Southern Nevada desert that is the Summerlin of today.

In 1988, Summa Corporation exchanged more than 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) of land adjoining Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area for 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) of land located south of Summerlin. This landmark land exchange was facilitated by The Nature Conservancy and critically acclaimed by the environmental community. It created a buffer zone to protect Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area from future development.

Summa Corporation began construction of the Summerlin communities in 1990 but initiated planning and infrastructure construction – including Summerlin Parkway – in the late 1980s.

In 2002, Summa, (kip)known by now as The Howard Hughes Corporation, enacted a second exchange with the Bureau of Land Management, giving more than 1,000 acres (400 ha) of environmentally sensitive land adjacent to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area for 900 acres (360 ha) more suitable for development south of Summerlin.

Summerlin is currently home to more than 150 neighborhood and village parks, more than 150 completed miles of the Summerlin Trail System, nine golf courses – including Nevada’s only two Tournament Players Club courses, TPC at Summerlin and TPC Las Vegas, more than a dozen houses of worship, shopping centers, medical and cultural facilities, business parks and 26 public and private schools.

The community is unfolding in villages and today, 19 of 31 total villages are complete or are under development.

Summerlin offers homes in a variety of styles and prices to create a true multi-generational community. As of January 2009, Summerlin has approximately 9,000 acres (3,600 ha) available for development.

Climate

Summerlin has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification: BWh) typical of the Mojave Desert in which it lies. However, owing to its high elevation (ranging from 3,000 feet to 3,500 feet), Summerlin is always cooler than downtown Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Strip, and also receives slightly more precipitation. Clear skies and sunshine are abundant year-around, with 310 days of sunshine per year and exceptionally low dew points and low humidity in every season.

Winters in Summerlin are brief, with only December and January averaging daytime highs below 60 degrees. Temperatures drop to and below freezing on roughly half of all nights in December and January, making Summerlin the leading community in Las Vegas for reaching that benchmark. Snowfall is unusual, occurring once every several years, though several inches can fall at once during a major event.

Spring and fall are dominated by mild to warm days, with occasional surges of hot temperatures. Warming occurs rapidly beginning in March, and comfortably warm temperatures linger through the end of October and into early November. Daytime highs frequently range from the mid 60s to mid 80s, with overnight lows in the mid 40s and mid 50s.

Summers are characterized by lengthy stretches of hot days, with daytime temperatures exceeding 100 degrees on most days in July and August. Overnight lows often remain above 70, and can occasionally remain above 80 during the hottest days of the year.

Weather chart for TPC Golf Course in Summerlin
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Metric conversion
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Recreation

Cycling

Bicycle lanes are provided on most major roads in Summerlin. As the gateway into Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Summerlin is frequented daily by scores of cyclists making their way to the Conservation Area and using the community’s extensive trail system.

Parks

Most Summerlin neighborhoods have small pocket parks that are maintained by one of the Summerlin associations which make up a system of almost 150 parks. Large community parks, which are available for use to all Summerlin residents, are located throughout Summerlin. As of 2008 there are nearly two dozen community parks that feature a variety of recreational amenities.

The following parks are owned, maintained and operated by The Summerlin Council.

  • Arbors Paseo Park
  • The Arbors Sports Park', 18 acres (7.3 ha)
  • The Arbors Tennis & Play Park
  • Cottonwood Canyon Park
  • The Crossing Park, 12.5 acres (5.1 ha)
  • The Gardens Park and Community Center
Summerlin-Gardens Park Monument
Gardens Monument
  • The Hills Park, 6.7 acres (2.7 ha)
  • The Mesa Park
  • North Tower Park
  • Oxford Park
  • The Paseos Park
  • The Pueblo Park, 68 acres (28 ha)
  • Ridgebrook Park
  • South Tower Park
  • Spotted Leaf Park
  • Summerlin Centre Community Park
  • The Trails Linear Park
  • The Trails Park and Community Center, 28 acres (11 ha)
  • Tree Top Park
  • Village Green Park
  • The Vistas Community Park
  • The Willows Park and Community Center, 12 acres (4.9 ha)
  • Willows Paseo Park

Pools

The following pools are owned, maintained and operated by The Summerlin Council:

  • The Trails Pool
  • The Willows Pool

The following pool is maintained and operated by the City of Las Vegas:

  • Pavilion Center Pool

Trails

DowntownSummerlin 13
A summer sunset as seen from Downtown Summerlin

The Summerlin Trail System is currently more than 150 miles and connects neighborhoods to various amenities throughout the community. 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 southwest.

The Summerlin Trail System includes five types of planned trails: street-side, village, bike, regional and natural.

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

Economy

Allegiant Air has its corporate headquarters in Summerlin.

Sports

The city's NHL franchise, the Vegas Golden Knights, practice at City National Arena near 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 near Summerlin.

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

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

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
  • 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 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).

Library

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

Notable people

The following is an incomplete list of Summerlin's most notable residents:

Images for kids

  • DowntownSummerlin3

    A palm tree-lined street in Downtown Summerlin

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Summerlin para niños

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