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In 1829, a young scout named Rafael Rivera set foot in the oasis of Las Vegas valley. He became the first European to discover the oasis-like valley. His discovery of an oasis with plentiful water supply eased the hardships of Spanish traders and fueled the rush for California gold. The valley was later named Las Vegas, which means "The Meadows" in Spanish.

After Rivera's discovery, John C. Fremont led an expedition to the west in 1844. He set up camp at the Las Vegas Springs. Today, his name can be seen in popular hotels and streets. The Fremont Hotel-NightClubs in Downtown Las Vegas Fremont Street bears his name. He is also remembered in museums and history books.

On 15th May 1905, Las Vegas was founded as a city when 110 acres of land was auctioned off. The land was marked between Stewart Avenue on the north, Garces Avenue to the south, Main Street to the west, and 5th Street to the east. Later, on 16th March 1911, Las Vegas is incorporated as a States in the United States of America and it has a population of 800.

The construction of Hoover Dam began in 1931 and it brought an influx of construction workers to the city. The influx boomed population and increased the overall economy of the Valley. With the growing economy, gambling was legalized in Las Vegas in March 1931.

In 1935, Hoover Dam is completed and it stands 726 feet tall and more than 1,200 feet long. It was the tallest dam in the world and President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave a speech for the dam's dedication.

At the outbreak of World War II, the defense industry was established in the Valley. The isolated location, plentiful water supply and inexpensive energy, makes Las Vegas the perfect site for military and defense related industries. Accordingly, residents of the city found greater employment opportunities in these industries.

After World War II, many lavishly decorated resort hotels and gambling nightclubs were erected in Las Vegas. They offer world-class entertainment, which boomed the tourism industry in the Valley.

In 1951, the first atomic bomb was detonated at the Nevada Test Site, which is situated to the north of Las Vegas. People gathered in large groups to watch the tests until the limited Test Ban Treaty of 1963, which made it mandatory for nuclear tests to be conducted underground.

By the year 2000, the US Census reports that the population of Las Vegas is 478,434 over a land area of 113 square miles. The city is also reported to have over 500 churches and synagogues, 799 acres of parks, 7 television stations, and 12 radio stations. Thus, Las Vegas was termed as the largest metropolitan city in the U.S. that was founded in 20th century.

The Las Vegas Springs Preserve is opened to public as a cultural and historical experience in June 2007. The 180-acre national historic site is located in close proximity to downtown Las Vegas and is commonly referred to as the "birthplace of Las Vegas."

On 15th May 2005, the city of Las Vegas celebrated its 100th birthday. The event celebrated the auction of 1905 when 110 acres of downtown Las Vegas laid the foundation for the city.