Overview
North Las Vegas in Nevada is a city in its own right within the Las Vegas metropolitan area. With a population in 2019 of 252,000, it's the fourth largest city in the state, and is primarily residential with some industry. It borders the Mojave Desert. Its main attractions are the speedway, and Nellis Air Force Base which sometimes puts on air shows.
5 sights · 9 things to do · 1 places to eat · 6 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about North Las Vegas
Nellis Air Force Base
Home base of the air demonstration squadron United States Air Force Thunderbirds among others, the base is open to the public during airshows. Other than that, you can see military aircraft taking off and landing from a …
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument
For the more serious fossil bed hunter (see Floyd Lamb below for more accessible viewings).
Floyd Lamb Park
A pleasant oasis with ponds and tules and also the Tules Spring Ranch with some roaming peacocks and Pleistocene fossil exhibits.
Desert National Wildlife Refuge
Though not regularly visited, this is actually the largest national wildlife refuge in the lower 48 states. Coincidentally, it overlies part of the Nevada Test Site, so you can't just wander too willy-nilly, although the…
Clark County Shooting Complex
Craig Ranch Regional Park
Skate and BMX park, sports fields and dog park. Includes the AMP, an outdoor amphitheater/ concert venue.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Feb–May, Oct–Nov. Summer highs reach about 104°F; winter lows dip to about 40°F. Very hot (Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Feb and Jan. (climate data from nearby Las Vegas)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- LAS Harry Reid International Airport, Las Vegas — 8 mi away (major hub). Directions
- BLD Boulder City Municipal Airport, Boulder City — 23 mi away. Directions
Air travel to the city of North Las Vegas is handled by McCarran International Airport (LAS), which sits just south of the Las Vegas Strip, and about 15 miles south of North Las Vegas.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 3-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning West Wind Las Vegas 6 Drive-In, City of North Las Vegas Municipal Par 3 and Disc Golf Club, Craig Ranch Regional Park
- Lunch MRKT Sea & Land
- Afternoon Community College of Southern Nevada's Planetarium and Observatory, Aliante Golf Club
Day 2
- Morning Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, Floyd Lamb Park
- Afternoon Clark County Shooting Complex, Desert National Wildlife Refuge
Day 3
- Morning Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas Motor Speedway
- Afternoon Sun Buggy Fun Rentals, Exotics Racing School
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
North Las Vegas has numerous restaurants and fast food places to choose from. It does not have as many high-end establishments as Las Vegas does, but still has a large variety of options and many of them are open 24 hours a day.
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
By plane
Air travel to the city of North Las Vegas is handled by McCarran International Airport (LAS), which sits just south of the Las Vegas Strip, and about 15 miles south of North Las Vegas.
By car
Interstate 15 can be traveled northbound from the Los Angeles metro area, and southbound from Salt Lake City to the Las Vegas metro area.
By train
Although the Union Pacific Railroad (UPR) provides freight train service to the Las Vegas metropolitan area, that doesn't help those in need of passenger train service. Until 1997, Amtrak's Desert Wind train used to provide service into Las Vegas using UPR tracks. Amtrak trains will provide motorcoach bus service into Las Vegas; generally after a train ride getting you somewhat close, such as to Kingman, Arizona, or Bakersfield, California. From there, and as part of your Amtrak ticket, a motorcoach will then provide bus service into Las Vegas. For a rapidly growing metro area like Las Vegas, this isn't sustainable. There are studies and plans in the works to provide rail service once again on (UPR) tracks, and high-speed rail to Southern California.
Get around
By car
A car will provide the best option for getting around North Las Vegas, as well as the Las Vegas metro area itself. Cars also tend to be relatively inexpensive to rent in the metro area. Although you may hit the occasional traffic jam, freeways are usually not severely clogged. Because the region is laid out on a grid pattern, navigating is not too difficult in the area.
By bus
If you must get around by bus, it's not totally horrific in the Las Vegas area as it could be in many western U.S. cities. Bus service in North Las Vegas, as well as Las Vegas and Henderson, is provided by the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC). Fares are $2 per bus ride. However, it may be more useful to purchase a 24-hour pass for $5 when boarding the bus. If you plan to be in the area for a while, RTC also sells a 5-day pass for $20 at many supermarkets and check cashing institutions, but this pass is not available on the bus itself.
By taxi
Taxi service in North Las Vegas is handled by calling for a taxi and then waiting for it to come and pick you up. Do not expect to hail a cab off the street as though you were in New York City or Chicago. Taxis are only plentiful and easily accessible at McCarran Airport, hotels on the Las Vegas Strip, or Downtown Las Vegas where they are queued up waiting for passengers. Outside of these areas, expect to call a cab and generally wait 20-40 minutes for it to come to you.
See
See West Wind Las Vegas 6 Drive-In
If time permits, and you don't mind watching a movie on your vacation, consider a visit to West Wind Drive-in; especially if visiting from out of the country where drive-ins are infrequent. And for an added bonus; it's normally a double-feature, so you get two movies for the price of one.
See Desert National Wildlife Refuge
Though not regularly visited, this is actually the largest national wildlife refuge in the lower 48 states. Coincidentally, it overlies part of the Nevada Test Site, so you can't just wander too willy-nilly, although the latter is quite distant. But this refuge's visitor center and trails will introduce you to aspects of the Mojave Desert ecosystem that are framed by some rather tall desert peaks, with a chance to see bighorn sheep and other species and even a yucca forest if you hike far enough.
Do
Do Community College of Southern Nevada's Planetarium and Observatory (CSN Planetarium)
It's not on par with L.A.'s Griffith Observatory or Chicago's Adler Planetarium, but this planetarium and observatory can still help give an understanding to the skies and open space beyond. There's also an adjacent astronomy store that's open during the show times. Be aware, however, that chairs do not lean back, so there is a lot of looking up on your part.
Golf
If golf is your thing, there is plenty of that to do in North Las Vegas.
Driving
Although they are not in North Las Vegas, these attractions are recommended to all automobile enthusiasts.
Eat
North Las Vegas has numerous restaurants and fast food places to choose from. It does not have as many high-end establishments as Las Vegas does, but still has a large variety of options and many of them are open 24 hours a day.
Eat MRKT Sea & Land
Fine dining that features premium beef and poultry selections as well as seafood such as king crab, lobster, and scallops. MRKT also has one of North Las Vegas' most extensive wine lists.
Sleep
Nearby
Blue Diamond
City / town · 3 listings · 19 mi away
Boulder City
City / town · 24 listings · 22 mi away
Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Park · 3 listings · 22 mi away
Primm
City / town · 26 listings · 43 mi away
Moapa Valley
City / town · 9 listings · 45 mi away
Pahrump
City / town · 17 listings · 50 mi away
Searchlight
City / town · 23 listings · 52 mi away
Shoshone
City / town · 1 listings · 66 mi away
My experience
Write about your trip here. Notes save automatically in this browser as you type; back them up from My journal.