Most people know Las Vegas for the Strip and the entertainment but there is so much more. Las Vegas is just one of the cities situated at the southern tip of Nevada in the Great Basin – the western region between the Sierra Nevada and Wasatch mountain ranges that is the Las Vegas Valley.

The Las Vegas Valley itself is comprised of nearly 600 square miles and runs from northwest to southeast and slopes downward from west to east. The mountains surrounding the valley extend as high as 2,000 to 10,000 feet above the valley floor.

The Sheep Range bounds the valley on the north. The Black Mountains bound the valley on the south. The Spring Mountains are to the west and include Mt. Charleston, the area's highest elevation, peaking at 11,918 feet.

The valley as a whole is comprised of great shopping malls and facilities, schools, parks, business centers, airports, community centers, homes, condos, and apartments to meet any budget or desire. People can find whatever they want once they move into the valley.

The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign is a Las Vegas Strip landmark funded in May 1959 and erected soon after by Western Neon. The sign is located in the median at 5100 Las Vegas Boulevard South.

Some consider the sign to be the official southern end of the Las Vegas Strip. The sign, like most of the Strip, sits in the town of Paradise and is located roughly four miles south of the actual city limits of Las Vegas.

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevad and the county seat of Clark County.Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining.

The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous for its consolidated casino hotels and associated entertainment. A growing retirement and family city, Las Vegas is the 28th-most populous city in the United States, with an estimated population by the U.S. Census Bureau of 583,756 as of 2010. The 2010 population estimate of the Las Vegas metropolitan area was 1,951,269.

The city is home to several museums including the Neon Museum home to many of the historical signs from the valley, The Las Vegas Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, Lied Discovery Children's Museum and the Old Las Vegas Mormon State Historic Park.

The Southern Nevada Zoological-Botanical Park, also known as the Las Vegas Zoo, exhibits over 150 species of animals and plants.

The $485 million Smith Center for the Performing Arts (scheduled for completion in 2012) is located downtown in Symphony Park. The center will host Broadway shows and other major touring attractions as well as orchestra, opera, and dance performances.

McCarran International Airport is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, United States. The airport is located five miles south of the central business district of Las Vegas, in the unincorporated area of Paradise in Clark County. It covers an area of 2,800 acres and has four runways. It is named after the former Nevada Senator Pat McCarran.