Summerlin

In 1952, the famous film director, aviator, and casino mogul Howard Hughes purchased 25,000 acres (10,000 ha) of land in Southern Nevada, making him the Las Vegas Valley’s largest landowner. Despite his initial intentions, he ultimately chose not to relocate his company to Nevada, so the purchased land remained undeveloped and empty for decades. After Hughes died of kidney failure in 1976, the Summa Corporation was organized by his heirs to oversee his vast business empire and land holdings. In 1988, the corporation announced that they would be developing the empty acres of land into a master-planned commercial and residential community. They named the project “Summerlin”, after Hughes’ paternal grandmother, Jean Amelia Summerlin.

In preparation for this large-scale development, Summa Corporation made a deal with the Bureau of Land Management, in which they traded 5000 acres of environmentally sensitive land for 3000 acres of land better suited for development. After this environmental concern was addressed, development began. By the end of 1990, the construction of Summerlin’s first residential village, park, and school had been completed. In 1994, Summa Corporation rebranded itself as the Howard Hughes Corporation and continued to develop new Summerlin villages.

New home construction continued to boom through the turn of the century. From 1997 to 2007, Summerlin was consistently ranked as the #1 community in the nation for new home sales. The Great Recession caused a temporary slow-down in construction, but signs of revival became especially apparent in 2014, when Downtown Summerlin opened, bringing 106 acres of shopping, dining, and entertainment to Summerlin residents. Residential development also saw a great revival following the recession, and by 2016, Summerlin was once again one of the top communities in America for new home sales.

Summerlin is still a growing community. As of 2018, over two dozen commercial and residential villages have been constructed, with over 6,000 acres still available for future development.

Allegiant Air has its corporate headquarters in Summerlin.

Summerlin lies partially within an incorporated municipality and partially within an unincorporated area.

Summerlin is Patrolled by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department – Summerlin Area Command (SAC)

The area north of Charleston Boulevard is within the city of Las Vegas, while the area south of Charleston Boulevard is located in unincorporated Clark County. As a planned community, Summerlin is managed by three master associations (Summerlin North, Summerlin South, and Summerlin West). Summerlin is further developed into commercial and residential villages. Many individual subdivisions also have their own homeowners associations.

Summerlin has three age-restricted communities for senior citizens (Sun City Summerlin, The Regency, and Siena).

Summerlin has a hot desert climate typical of the Mojave Desert in which it lies (Köppen climate classification: BWh).

Due to its relatively higher elevation, Summerlin is often a few degrees cooler than Downtown Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Strip and may receive slightly more precipitation. Clear skies and sunshine are abundant year-around, with 310 days of sunshine per year and low humidity in every season.

Summers tend to be very hot and very dry, with daily highs often exceeding 100 °F (38 °C); temperatures as high as 118 degrees have been observed. The spring and fall seasons are generally sunny, warm, and dry, with daily highs in the 70s and 80s. Winters tend to be cool and windy, with daily highs in the 50s; temperatures seldom drop below freezing, and snowfall is rare, but some rain is common (especially in January and February).

Cycling

Bicycle lanes are provided on most major roads in Summerlin, as well as in the adjacent Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

Community parks

Large community parks, which are available for free public use, are located throughout Summerlin. As of 2018, there are 25 community parks that feature a variety of recreational amenities, which may include: community centers, barbecue areas, walking trails, playgrounds, swimming pools, interactive water features, soccer fields, baseball fields, football fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, volleyball courts, bocce ball and shuffleboard courts, and motorized toy areas. In addition, the parks with community centers typically offer special events, classes, and children’s camps.

The following community parks are owned, maintained, and operated by the Summerlin Council:

• The Arbors Paseo Park
• The Arbors Sports Park
• The Arbors Tennis & Play Park
• The Cottonwood Canyon Park
• The Crossing Park
• The Fox Hill Park
• The Gardens Park & Community Center
• The Hills Park
• The Mesa Park
• The North Tower Park
• The Oxford Park
• The Paseos Park
• The Pueblo Park
• The Ridgebrook Park
• The Sagemont Park
• The South Tower Park
• The Spotted Leaf Park
• The Summerlin Centre Community Park
• The Trails linear park
• The Trails Park & Community Center
• The Tree Top Park
• The Village Green Park
• The Vistas Community Park
• The Willows Park & Community Center
• Willows Paseo Park

Most Summerlin neighborhoods also have small pocket parks that contribute to the extensive Summerlin park system.

Water park

The Wet’n’Wild Las Vegas water park opened in 2013.

Walking trails

As of 2018, the Summerlin Trail System is more than 150 miles long and connects local neighborhoods to various amenities throughout the community. The system includes five types of planned trails: street-side, village, bike, regional, and natural.

Upon completion, the trail system will be more than 200 miles long and will connect to more than 2,000 miles of regional trails, making it one of the most comprehensive and efficient trail systems in the southwestern United States.

In 2008, Summerlin and the Howard Hughes Corporation received the American Trails Developer Award, which is given to developers in recognition of “quality, well designed multi-use trails systems that are integrated into private developments.”

Mountain recreation

The adjacent Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area offers 26 hiking trails (ranging in difficulty from easy to strenuous). The canyon is also suitable for bouldering and rock climbing and has an overnight camp site.

Downtown Summerlin is the community’s premier shopping, dining, and entertainment district. It hosts over 125 shops, bars, and restaurants.

Downtown Summerlin is also home to the Las Vegas Ballpark (home of the Las Vegas Aviators minor league baseball team), and the City National Arena (practice facility for the Vegas Golden Knights NHL franchise and home arena of the UNLV Rebels hockey program).

Local events are held in Downtown Summerlin throughout the year. Popular events include outdoor fitness classes, wine walks, holiday festivals, and visits from celebrity guest speakers.

The Summerlin area is home to three large resort casinos.

• JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa
• Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa
• Suncoast Hotel and Casino

Summerlin is also home to the Element Las Vegas (a Westin Hotel).

The Summerlin Hospital Medical Center, a private hospital operated by the Valley Health System, provides 485 beds to the local community. It is an accredited Chest Pain Center and Primary Stroke Center. Other notable features include: the Children’s Medical Center, the Breast Care Center, the Cancer Center, the Rehab Center, and the Robotic Surgery Center. The Summerlin Hospital is also recognized by the Healthcare Equality Index as a “Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality.” Its 40-acre campus is located in The Crossings village of Summerlin North.

The Southern Hills Hospital Medical Center is located just outside the boundaries of Summerlin South, in the nearby Spring Valley. This private hospital, operated by Sunrise Healthcare System, provides 186 beds to the Summerlin community. It is an accredited Chest Pain Center and Primary Stroke Center, and was named the Best Hospital in Las Vegas in 2015, 2016, and 2017.

Public schools

Public schools in Summerlin belong to the Clark County School District, which serves almost all of Southern Nevada.

Elementary schools located in Summerlin:

• Shelley Berkley Elementary School
• John W. Bonner Elementary School
• Roger M. Bryan Elementary School
• Linda Rankin Givens Elementary School
• John & Judy Goolsby Elementary School
• William R. Lummis Elementary School
• D’vorre & Hal Ober Elementary School
• Ethel W. Staton Elementary School

Middle schools located in Summerlin:

• Ernest Becker Middle School
• Victoria Fertitta Middle School
• Sig Rogich Middle School

High schools located in Summerlin:

• Arbor View High School
• Palo Verde High School
• West Career And Technical Academy (magnet school)

In addition to the above-listed public schools, some Summerlin residents may be zoned for schools located just outside of the Summerlin boundaries (many families in Summerlin South, for example, are zoned for Durango High School in nearby Spring Valley).

Private schools

Summerlin is also home to several private schools, including:

• The Adelson Educational Campus (K-12; Jewish)
• Alexander Dawson School (K-8; Secular)
• Bishop Gorman High School (9-12; Catholic)
• Faith Lutheran Academy (K-5; Lutheran)
• Faith Lutheran Jr/Sr High School (6-12; Lutheran)
• The Meadows School (K-12; Secular)
• Merryhill School (K-5; Secular)
• St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School (K-8; Catholic)
• The Shenker Academy (Kindergarten only; Jewish)
• Sholom Schechter Day School of Las Vegas (K-5; Jewish)

Higher education

Higher education within the community of Summerlin is mostly limited to small satellite campuses, including:

• The College of Southern Nevada (Summerlin Center Campus; Public)
• The Roseman University of Health Sciences (Summerlin Campus; Private)

However, Summerlin is also located within 10 miles of the College of Southern Nevada’s main campus (CSN – Charleston), within 20 miles of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and within 30 miles of Nevada State College (NSC).

Library

Summerlin has a public library, a branch of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District.

The city’s NHL franchise, the Vegas Golden Knights, practice at City National Arena in Downtown Summerlin. The arena also offers skating lessons, hosts youth and adult amateur hockey leagues, and trains competitive figure skaters.

The UNLV Hockey team plays its home games at City National Arena in Downtown Summerlin.

The Las Vegas Aviators (a minor league baseball franchise) play at the Las Vegas Ballpark in Downtown Summerlin.

The Summerlin Red Rocks FC is a popular amateur soccer league in the area.