You probably know Spring Valley well already, whether you realize it or not. The community dominates the area between the Strip and Summerlin, reflecting a residential boom in the West Valley that took hold later than other parts of Las Vegas.
🏁 Off to the Races
Development began in the 1960s with the Stardust International Raceway, a sprawling track between what is now Flamingo, Tropicana, Rainbow, and Buffalo. The land was sold by the Stardust to developers, became Spring Valley (the first master-planned community in Vegas), and designated a township in 1981.
🧭 The Lay of the Land
Spring Valley is 36 square miles — too large to have a focused, cohesive identity. The older parts where the track stood are synonymous with single-story homes that wouldn’t look out of place in 1970s California. Newer areas developed with Spanish Trail, Rhodes Ranch, Section 10, and even parts of Chinatown within the Spring Valley borders.
🏒 Things to Do
Living in Spring Valley is often about choices in homes and schools, so activities tend to be family-friendly in nature. The community has two large parks — Desert Breeze and Charlie Frias — and if either one was named “Spring Valley Park,” it may have fostered a greater sense of place among residents. The Las Vegas Ice Center preceded the ice hockey boom associated with the Golden Knights and Cowabunga Canyon is a water park where kids can cool off in the summer.
😋 Food and Drink
Spring Valley is just quiet enough to let local chefs — Dan Krohmer of Other Mama, Jamie Tran of Black Sheep, DJ Flores of Milpa — do their thing over the years without being part of a movement. The Durango Casino & Resort and UnCommons unleashed a new wave of bars and restaurants, just (barely) within the southwest borders of Spring Valley.
- And yes, Milpa is pretty dang awesome. [Hey Las Vegas ✍️]
