Until the late 90’s, Craig Road was Las Vegas’ last stop for northbound travelers on U.S. Highway 95. Today, land that was mere sagebrush and desert just a
few years ago is now occupied by a major casino, housing communities, auto malls, and even the valley encompassing 215 beltway. In the past twenty years, Northwest Las Vegas has expanded outward, reaching, and in some cases even surpassing, the mountainous circumference that relegates Las Vegas.
The first major addition to Las Vegas’ northwest was the opening of the Santa Fe Hotel and Casino, which was purchased by the ever-growing Station Casinos on September 28, 2000 and was reopened less than two months later as The Santa Fe Station Hotel and Casino. As Coast Casinos learned “the hard way,” a casino along a major U.S. highway can lose out on millions in revenue if it does not have its own exit.
Craig Road soon lost its title of “last stop” once the Ann Road and Rancho exits were constructed. Now both southbound and northbound travelers on Highway 95 have direct access to The Santa Fe Station Hotel and Casino.
Ann Road was only able to hold on to the title of “last stop” for a short time. By 2003, the I-215 Beltway, now formerly known as the Bruce Woodbury Beltway, stretched 53 miles along the outer rim of the valley. Parts of the beltway intersect the valley’s two major highways, U.S. 95 and Interstate 15. The linking of the I-215 beltway with U.S. Highway 95 has led to an enormous outburst of housing in Northwest Las Vegas. Shopping centers equipped with major stores like Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart, and Circuit City accommodate to nearby residents. Furthermore, large auto dealers like Centennial Toyota provide a more convenient proximity for car shoppers than the comparatively distant Valley Auto Mall in Henderson.
With the northwest experiencing such a large boom, steps have also been taken to accommodate to resident commuters. The frontage-like Centennial Parkway runs east-west along I-215, providing a non-commercial commute at non-residential speeds. Construction was recently completed on Durango Drive, Las Vegas’ “interim” last stop. As a result, residents of the northwest communities have access to U.S. Highway 95, the I-215 beltway, and several shopping centers on both the east and west sides of the highway.
Located north of the Durango Drive exit, attractions like Mount Charleston,Lee Canyon, and The Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort offer not only natural resources and world-renowned entertainment but also the promise for more and more “last stops” out of Las Vegas.
Learn more about Northwest Vegas.
