Clark County Government is run by the Clark County Commission which consists of 7 members who are elected to serve staggered 4 year terms in biannual nonpartisan elections. After each election, the members elect a Chairperson who runs the Commission Meetings. Actual day to day operations are handled by the County Manager who is hired by the Commission.

The County operates out of the Clark County Government Center located in the City of Las Vegas. The building is unusual in shape, and includes an outdoor amphitheater where concerts and other events are held.

The Regional Justice Center replaced the Clark County Courthouse in 2005, and is located about 3 blocks from downtown Fremont Street, at 200 Lewis Avenue. Marriage licenses are issued at the Clark County Clerk’s Marriage License Bureau located on the Clark Street side of the Regional Justice Center. The Marriage License Bureau is open from 8:00 am to Midnight Monday through Thursday, Friday 8:00 am to Midnight Sunday, and is open 24 hours on holidays. See the Clark County Clerk Marriage License Bureau Homepage.

The Clark County Detention Center (CCDC) is located another block away at 300 S. Casino Center Blvd. Visitation is by a schedule defined by the housing location of the inmate. Visitors must arrive one hour prior to visitation for check in. Visits are 30 minutes long. Two persons per visit. Each inmate is allowed two visits per week. Valid state or federal issued picture identification is required for all visitors. Persons entering will be searched and checked for warrants (and if needed, arrested). Inmate conversations are monitored since all communications are done via closed-circuit television.

The unincorporated townships also have appointed boards that provide advice to the Clark County Commission.

There were 512,253 households out of which 31.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.70% were married couples living together, 11.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.70% were non-families. 24.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the county the population was spread out with 25.60% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 32.20% from 25 to 44, 22.30% from 45 to 64, and 10.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 103.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $44,616, and the median income for a family was $50,485. Males had a median income of $35,243 versus $27,077 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,785. 10.80% of the population and 7.90% of families were below the poverty line. 14.10% of those under the age of 18 and 7.30% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

The Colorado River forms the county’s southeastern boundary, with Hoover Dam forming Lake Mead along much of its length. Las Vegas is frequently, yet incorrectly labeled a valley. By definition, Greater Las Vegas is a land basin or bowl, surrounded by four mountain ranges, with nearby Mount Charleston being the highest elevation at 11,918 ft, located to the northwest. Other than the forests on Mount Charleston, the geography in Clark County is a desert. Creosote bushes are the main native vegetation, and the mountains are mostly rocky with little vegetation.

Adjacent Counties
Lincoln County, Nevada - north
Nye County, Nevada - west
Inyo County, California - southwest
San Bernardino County, California - south
Mohave County, Arizona - east

Most people do not make a distinction between the County and the City of Las Vegas using Las Vegas to describe both, especially in the Las Vegas Valley area.

Clark County is a major tourist destination having 150,000 hotel and motel rooms as of 2005.This excitement is surely a factor in the nation-leading growth of Clark County’s booming population of 1.8 million. Another factor is the high quality of life afforded by its low tax rate, wonderful business climate, great weather, friendly people and smorgasbord of recreational venues.

Those venues stretch beyond the Strip to include the gambling destinations of Mesquite, Primm and Laughlin, located on the fun-filled Colorado River. But they also feature Lake Mead National Recreation Area and engineering marvel Hoover Dam, Mt. Charleston and the Toiyabe National Forest, Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire and parks, museums and recreational and cultural attractions.

Clark County is a wonderfully diverse place, and Clark County government is organized and positioned to meet those myriad needs. First, it provides urban services. In fact, more people live in urban Clark County than in any of Southern Nevada’s cities, including the city of Las Vegas. Geographically, this area of the unincorporated county includes the world-famous Las Vegas Strip and takes in McCarran International Airport, the Las Vegas Convention Center, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and, of course, the neighborhoods where our residents live, work and play.

Second, it provides regional services for more than 1.8 million residents and 38.2 million tourists a year (2005) and occupies an area (8,012 square miles) larger than New Jersey. Clark County government takes a leadership role in protecting the quality of our air through its Air Quality and Environmental Management Department and water through the Las Vegas Valley Water District, whose board is comprised of the seven members of the Clark County Commission. The county also operates McCarran and other airports, Southern Nevada’s only public hospital (University Medical Center), social services, community planning and the court system. Further, the county plays a key role in promoting tourism, transportation, public health and flood control.

Third, it provides town services for unincorporated townships such as the gambling destination of Laughlin and for rural treasures such as Overton (home of the Lost City Museum), Goodsprings, Jean and Searchlight.

Highlights about our county:
Clark County is one of the fastest-growing areas in the country, with more than 5,000 people moving here each month. Three of five of them move into unincorporated Clark County, often because of economic opportunities. The county has about 38,930 licensed businesses.
Tourism’s economic impact in 2003 was $32.8 billion, including $7.8 billion spent on gambling. In 2003, there were 130,482 hotel and motel rooms in Clark County. The average visitor to Las Vegas is 50.1 years old, stays 3.4 nights at an average nightly room rate of $83, spend $84 per visit shopping, arrives by plane (44 percent come by air, 43 percent visit by car), has in his party 2.6 people and gambles away $480 for an average 3.7 hours per day. Nine percent of our tourists visit from other nations, 32 percent come from Southern California and 59 percent are from the Western United States.
As a “city” government, Clark County responds to the needs of about 781,871 residents in the urban unincorporated area. Sahara Avenue, which crosses the Strip on the north side of the Sahara hotel-casino, is the municipal boundary for the city of Las Vegas. Those residing south of this line receive their traditional urban services from Clark County rather than from any of the county’s five cities: Las Vegas (pop. 575,973), Henderson (pop. 243,730), North Las Vegas (182,159), Boulder City (pop. 15,367) and Mesquite (pop. 16,600). The services provided there include all those functions normally associated with a city, such as public works, building inspections, fire protection, parks and recreation, etc.
Clark County is governed by a seven-member County Commission, elected from geographic districts on a partisan basis for staggered four-year terms. Commissioners biennially elect a chairperson who serves as the commission’s presiding officer. The commission in turn hires a county manager, who is responsible for administrative operations. The chairman is Rory Reid (seated in January 2003). The vice chair is Myrna Williams (January 1995). The other commissioners are Tom Collins (January 2005), Yvonne Atkinson Gates (January 1993), Chip Maxfield (January 2001), Lynette Boggs McDonald (April 2004), and Bruce Woodbury (1981). Thom Reilly has been county manager since August 2001.
Clark County, as of August 26, 2004, employs 10,330 people (7,266 when UMC is excluded) in 38 departments. It has a fiscal year general fund budget of $1.2 billion and a total budget of $5 billion. The county is known for its strong ending-fund balance, overall financial strength and an investment-quality credit rating. It retains the best bond ratings of any local government in the state with an “Aa2″ from Moody’s Investors Service and an “AA” from Standard and Poor’s. The county has committed to policies supporting these high standards in the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.
Clark County is the most populous of Nevada’s 17 counties with 1.7 million residents and 70 percent of the state’s population. Our demographic makeup:
Some 58.9 percent are white; 24.2 percent are Hispanic; 9.1 percent are African American; 6.9 percent are Asian and 4.9 percent are “other.” Hispanics made up 11.2 percent in 1990.
Our median age: 48.4 years. 19 percent are over 65; 18.2 percent are 55-64; 20.6 percent are 45-54; 17.2 percent are 35-44; 15.3 percent are 25-34; and 9.7 percent are 18-24. Some 53.4 percent of our residents are female.
Our median household income: $44,307. Per-capita income is $28,922. 10.4 percent earn at least $100,000 annually; 11.2 percent earn $75,000 to $99,999; 21.0 percent earn $50,000 to $74,999; 19.5 percent earn $35,000 to $49,999; 13.8 percent earn $25,000 to $34,999; 8.7 percent earn $20,000 to $24,999; 5.0 percent earn $15,000 to $19,999; and 10.4 percent earn less than $15,000.
Tourism drives the state’s economy. Clark County’s civilian labor market in 2004 includes 846,100 employees. Some 19.5 percent of the jobs (165,000) are in hotels and gaming; 11.3 percent (96,000) are in retail trade; 11 percent (93,300) are in government; 10.2 percent are in construction (86,000) and 30.5 percent (298,600) are in “other services.” The March 2004 unemployment rate was 4.4 percent.
More than one-third of our residents have a college degree. The breakdown: 17.2 percent have at least a college degree; an additional 4.9 percent have taken graduate-level courses; and 10.5 percent also have a graduate degree. Additionally, 35.4 percent also have taken some college courses; 22.9 percent have earned no more than a high school diploma and 9.1 percent have taken high school classes without graduating.
Clark County, formed in 1909, is named for William Andrews Clark (1839-1925), who established the railroad that linked Los Angeles with Salt Lake City. Las Vegas was founded in 1905 after Clark’s railroad, which made stops here, purchased land for a town site and sold lots by auction, creating downtown Las Vegas

North, 115°7′29″ West (36.082073, -115.124654)1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 122.1 km² (47.1 mi²). 122.1 km² (47.1 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water. == Demographics == As of the census of 2000, there are 186,070 people, 77,209 households, and 43,314 families residing in the town. The population density is 1,524.0/km² (3,947.3/mi²). There are 85,398 housing units at an average density of 699.5/km² (1,811.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 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.

23.47% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 77,209 households out of which 24.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% are married couples living together, 10.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 43.9% are non-families. 31.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.39 and the average family size is 3.04. In the town the population is 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years.

For every 100 females there are 109.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 110.0 males. The median income for a household in the town is $39,376, and the median income for a family is $46,578. Males have a median income of $31,412 versus $25,898 for females. The per capita income for the town is $21,258. 11.8% of the population and 8.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 15.3% are under the age of 18 and 7.6% are 65 or older. ==External link== *Map of hazardous wastes in Paradise, Nevada

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 are living below the poverty line.

Therefore, many tourists visiting “Las Vegas” actually spend most of their time in Paradise. Clark County has resisted efforts by the City of Las Vegas to annex the Strip.Cattle are raised and fruits, olives, nuts, wheat, and nursery stock are grown. Gold was discovered nearby in 1859.

Carson City has a pleasant, semi-desert climate, and boasts an average of 265 sunny days annually. Summers are warm and dry with peak temperatures reaching into the 90° F range, while temperatures can drop into the 50° F range during the evenings. Winters are cold and dry with snow, but not in the amounts of nearby areas that are at a much higher elevation. The temperatures range from the high teens to the 40° F range. Annual snowfall in the city averages about 22 inches.

There are 20,171 households, out of which 29.80% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.00% are married couples living together, 11.00% have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.30% are non-families. 27.80% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.00% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.44 and the average family size is 2.97.

The city’s age distribution is: 23.40% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 28.90% from 25 to 44, 24.90% from 45 to 64, and 14.90% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 106.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 108.20 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $41,809, and the median income for a family is $49,570. Males have a median income of $35,296 versus $27,418 for females. The per capita income for the city is $20,943. 10.00% of the population and 6.90% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 13.70% of those under the age of 18 and 5.80% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.