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Hoover Dam

Location

Las Vegas

United States

36° 0' 57.8376" N, 114° 44' 15.8352" W

See map: Google Maps

US

General info:

Ever wondered how much electricity is needed to power all of the spectacular Las Vegas attractions and where does it come from? Well, a part of the electricity is generated at the power plants at the Hoover Dam. With 17 generators producing 4 billion kilowatts of electricity a year, it also is one of the country's largest hydroelectric power facilities.

The Hoover Dam and the power plant was built on the Colorado river on the border between Nevada and Arizona in the 1930’s. It was the largest of its kind at the time. The construction of the dam produced an artificial lake, the Mead lake with the area of 640 square meters.

The dam is 220 meters tall and the water drop is 180 meters which makes it one of the highest waterfalls in the world. The view from the dam offers a breathtaking look at Lake Mead, the country's largest man-made reservoir. It also has become a popular recreation area, sought out by more than 9 million visitors each year.
Many people also come here to pay a respect to hundreds of workers that gave their lives for the construction of the Hoover Dam.

Getting there:

The location of the Hoover Dam is on the border between two states, Nevada and Arizona, in the area called Boulder City. To get there from Las Vegas, you’ll need to go approximately 35 miles (40km) to the east. There are organized day trips from Las Vegas, which you can find here -> http://goo.gl/NUzgtq.

Costs:

Dam Tour fee: $30 per person. Dam Tour tickets must be purchased in person and are on a first-come first-served basis.

Power Plant Tour fee: $11 for adults ages 17-61

Visitors center open daily (except Thanksgiving and Christmas), from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. (Last ticket sold at 4:15 p.m.)

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