Laughlin Facts

LODGING
Total rooms-Laughlin: 10,817

Laughlin:

• Nine hotels-10,713 rooms
• One motel-104 rooms

AIRPORT
The $23 million Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport is located in Arizona minutes from casinos on the Nevada side of the Colorado River. A 10,500-square-foot (3,150-square-meter) terminal houses ticket counters, a baggage claim area, air charter companies, car rental agencies, a lounge area, conference room and a gift shop. The 7,500-foot-by-150-foot (2,275-meter) runway can accommodate Boeing 737s, DC-10s and MD-80s. An estimated 183,693 passengers enplaned and deplaned at the airport in 2002, an increase of 15.5% over 2002.

HEALTH CARE
University Medical Center, Western Arizona Regional Medical Center, Colorado River Medical Center, and one extended care facility.

TRANSPORTATION
Silver Rider operates two bus routes, 7-days-a-week, year round in the Laughlin area. General fare for those 18 and older is $1.50. For seniors 62 and older, and children 6 to 17, the fare is 75 cents. Children under 6 ride free. Water taxis transport riders on the Colorado River to the casino of their choice for a $2 one-way ticket or $3 round-trip ticket. Cabs are also available in Bullhead City.

CLIMATE
Laughlin and Bullhead City are located on the northeast edge of the Mohave Desert. Laughlin is approximately 510 feet above sea level (153 meters). Bullhead City is about 504 feet above sea level (162 meters). The average high mean temperature is 87 degrees Fahrenheit (30.5 degrees Celsius) and the average low mean temperature is 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius). The highest temperature recorded was 126 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius). Rainfall averages about 4 inches a year.

POPULATION
Laughlin-Approximately 8,100 permanent residents.

RECREATIONAL VEHICLE PARKS
21 RV parks in the Laughlin/ Bullhead City area with 2,463 total sites, 2,263 with hookups; 9 mobile home parks with 538 spaces.

LIBRARIES
Laughlin Library, Bullhead City Library

GAMING
Gaming establishments reported a gross gaming win of $551 million in 2002 a 1.1% increase over 2002 figures.

CASINOS

• Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino-Purchased and opened in 1966 by Don Laughlin who still owns the property; 1,440 rooms
• Golden Nugget-Laughlin-Originally opened in 1967; currently owned by Poster Financial Group, Inc.; 304 rooms.
• Pioneer Hotel & Gambling Hall-Opened in 1979; now owned by the Santa Fe Corp.; 416 rooms.
• Edgewater Hotel & Casino-Originally opened in 1981; owned by Mandalay Resort Group; 1,421 rooms.
• River Palms Resort-Hotel-Casino-Opened in 1984, the casino was purchased in 1997 by the late California millionaire Allen Paulson. It originally was owned by John Midby and Associates; 1,003 rooms.
• Colorado Belle Hotel & Casino-Owned and operated by Mandalay Resort Group; 1,201 rooms.
• Ramada Express-Opened in 1988 and owned by Ramada since 1989 (parent company, Aztar Corp.); 1,501 rooms.
• Harrah's Laughlin-Built by Promus Co. (Harrah's) in 1988, it is now operated by Harrah's Entertainment Inc.; 1,616 rooms.
• Flamingo Laughlin-Built by Hilton Corp. in 1990 and operated by Park Place Entertainment; 1,912 rooms.

MOTELS

• Bay Shore Inn-Opened in 1992; 100 rooms, no casino.

GOVERNMENT
Laughlin, NV
An unincorporated area of Clark County, Laughlin has a town advisory board with a town manager; it is protected by the Clark County Fire Department and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

ELECTED OFFICIALS
Nevada
Gov. Kenny Guinn; Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.; Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev.; Rep. Shelley Berkley, R-Nev.; Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev.

TOURISM
In 2002 more than 4.2 million tourists visited Laughlin. The hotel occupancy rate in 2002 was 83 percent.

WEDDINGS
Wedding licenses can be obtained in Laughlin at the Justice Court in the Regional Government Center on Laughlin Civic Drive. The office is open at 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday -Thursday and Saturday; and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday. There is no waiting period and no blood test is required. All that is necessary to purchase a license is $55 in cash and proof of age. Weddings can be arranged at most Laughlin hotel/casinos or on a Colorado riverboat cruise. Couples should arrive no later than one hour before closing time to obtain a marriage license.

ATTRACTIONS
Colorado River Museum-Operated by the Colorado River Historical Society, a tri-state organization. Free admission. Displays include ancient fossils and artifacts pertaining to the mining history of Bullhead City, Laughlin and the surrounding area. The museum has a model of the motel Don Laughlin purchased in 1966. The museum closes July and August.

Grapevine Canyon-Located 7 miles (11.2 kilometers) from Davis Dam. Visitors travel west on Highway 163 in Nevada, turn at Christmas Tree Pass. A short hike is required on a clearly marked trail to discover Indian petroglyphs and a running stream.

Katherine Landing-Lake Mohave resort and marina on the Arizona side with boat slips, boat rentals including houseboats and personal watercraft, launch ramp, sandy beaches with barbecues and picnic areas, campgrounds with and without RV hookups, motel, boat storage, boat repair shop, store, restaurant and lounge. As part of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, national park entry fees became effective in June 2000. An annual vehicle, individual or vessel pass is $20. Day and senior passes are available for a reduced fee.

Oatman, AZ-About 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Laughlin off U.S. 95. Authentic western ghost town and historic gold mining area with museums, shops and eateries. Gunfighters stage shows on the town's main street at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. Oatman sits on historic Route 66. Gold Mine Road offers daily gold mine tours, authentic stagecoach and Hummer tours through the scenic desert landscape.

London Bridge, English Village And Lake Havasu-The same bridge that spanned the river Thames in England for nearly 145 years, was moved, piece by piece, and reassembled at Lake Havasu City, AZ, 67 miles (107 kilometers) southeast of Laughlin, on U.S. 95. Lake Havasu stretches behind Parker Dam and is the site for some annual fun in the form of London Bridge Days and the I.J.S.B.A. World Jet Ski Finals.

Chloride-About 46 miles (74 kilometers) northwest of Laughlin, it is located off U.S. 93 through Grasshopper Junction, AZ. Melodramas are staged in this historic mining town of the 1860s.

Grand Canyon Caverns-Located about 92 miles (160 kilometers) east of Laughlin between Kingman and Seligman, AZ, on Route 66.
Grand Canyon Railway-This original 1901 steam train with authentically restored coach cars runs between Williams, AZ., and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Williams is about 150 miles (240 kilometers) east of Laughlin off Interstate 40. The train operates on the original 1901 rails.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Golf-Seven area country club and/or golf venues including:

• Emerald River Golf Course in Laughlin-18-hole target style, par 72, rating 73.6, seasonal rates available.
• Chaparral Country Club in Bullhead City-9 holes, par 32, rolling terrain, trees, water.
• Riverview Golf Club in Bullhead City-9 holes, par 27, challenging course with trees, water, hills.
• Desert Lakes Golf Course 15 miles from Laughlin in Fort Mojave, AZ-18 holes, par 72, rating 69.5, small trees, fairways, water.
• Needles Municipal Course 25 miles southwest of Laughlin in Needles, CA-18-hole championship-style course, par 70, rating 68.9, large trees, rolling river bottom terrain, driving range and practice putting green.
• London Bridge Golf Club in Lake Havasu, AZ, 67 miles southeast of Laughlin on U.S. 95-two 18-hole championship courses; winter and summer rates variable on both East and West courses.
• Mohave Resort Golf Club next to the Avi Hotel & Casino 16 miles from Laughlin-18 holes, par 72, rating 73.2, rolling terrain, water hazards, natural sand dunes, strategically placed bunkers.

Fishing
Anglers can fish Lake Mohave and the Colorado River year round. Game fish include largemouth bass, catfish, crappie, rainbow trout and striped bass. The Nevada record for striped bass of more than 55 pounds was caught in Lake Mohave. A state license from Arizona or Nevada is necessary in order to fish in the Colorado River or Lake Mohave. Other restrictions may apply.

Swimming
The Lake Mohave and Colorado River area is a paradise for swimmers and scuba divers. With more than 150 miles of shore around the lake, there are many secluded coves that can be enjoyed for all kinds of water activities. Additionally, there are four swimming beaches in the Laughlin/Bullhead City area. Harrah's Laughlin has an ocean-style beach on the river. Swimming areas are at Davis Camp north of the Laughlin Bridge and another at Katherine Landing above Davis Dam.

Boating
Personal watercraft can be rented at all of the Laughlin hotels or at several locations in Bullhead City.

Tennis
The Flamingo Laughlin has courts on the third floor of the hotel that are free to hotel guests. There are also courts at all of the high schools in the Laughlin and Bullhead City area.

EMPLOYMENT
Major employers in the Laughlin area are the casinos (more than 14,000 employees) and the Southern California Edison Co. generating plant.

RECREATION
Fishing, swimming, boating, water skiing, scuba diving, camping, hiking, bird watching, back-country driving, wildlife watching, photography, sunbathing, golf, tennis and picnicking. The Riverside Resort Casino opened a $15 million, 34-lane bowling center in early 1999.

CHURCHES
There are approximately 25 houses of worship in Bullhead City and Laughlin combined.

SHOPPING
With 225,000 square feet, Horizon Outlet Center features 50 food and retail outlets, a cinema complex and a basement garage with 1,220 parking spaces.

NEVADA
Name means "snowcapped" in Spanish. Admitted to the Union in 1864 during the Civil War and thus its nickname of "Battle Born State." It is the seventh largest state in terms of square miles and ranks 38th in population.

CLARK COUNTY
County was created Feb. 5, 1908, and bears the name of William A. Clark, U.S. senator from Montana who built the San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad. The county covers 7,881 square miles (20,490.6 square kilometers) which is comparable to the area of Massachusetts.

LAUGHLIN
Named in 1968 by a U.S. Postal Service inspector after Don Laughlin, pioneer casino owner and developer in the area.

SCHOOLS
Laughlin
William G. Bennett Elementary School, opened in 1987, has grades kindergarten through 5; Laughlin Junior/Senior High School has grades 6 through 12; Community College of Southern Nevada-Laughlin campus.

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