
Did you know that car insurance in Las Vegas is among the most expensive in the United States?
Let’s face it – driving in Las Vegas is different than in any other city. Drivers can be careless, tourists make sudden lane changes, people are distracted with cell phones, and road rage is a real thing. This is also Las Vegas where residents and tourists alike can drink any time, day or night.
** Las Vegas and New Orleans are the only two US cities that allow bars and clubs to stay open 24/7. And Nevada is the only state where alcohol can be purchased at any time beer and liquor.
You’ll also notice that construction is everywhere, and car accidents or road congestion can stop traffic often and abruptly. The Vegas Strip is always congested, and during peak times, parking is a nightmare.
For tourists who rent cars, Las Vegas residents, pedestrians, and cyclists who navigate to and from destinations across the metropolitan area, the following tips will help you survive Las Vegas driving.
Beware of Rush Hours Traffic
Las Vegas is a 24-hour city where normal rush hour times of day do not apply. Residents of Las Vegas work at all hours of the day and night. Unlike other big cities where work weeks are typically Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm, rush hour in Vegas happens multiple times a day. Las Vegas rush hour times:
3:00-4:00 PM, for example, is when most of the Strip workers head to their evening shifts. And then there’s another one from midnight to 1am when they get off work.
** The Bellagio casino is rumored to have 4,000 employees at their main location on the Strip. Add in the fact that there’s a dozen other casinos of similar size and the usual traffic, and you’ll get a sense for how many vehicles that is.
However, typical rush hour congestion in Las Vegas consists of locals, passer-byers and tourists traveling on the main roads. Most traffic occurs in the morning rush hours from 7:00 am until 9:00 am and evening hours from 4:00 until 6:00 pm. During these busiest times of day, if you are traveling east to west, or west to east, you are well advised to avoid crossing the Strip at major intersections like Sahara, Flamingo, and Tropicana Avenues.
If you have to use major highways, settle back and be patient. The stop-and-go traffic will drive you crazy if you let it. You can always count on certain areas for congestion during rush hours:
- Spaghetti Bowl adjacent to the northwest side of downtown Las Vegas where I-15 and Highway 95 meet
- Southbound I-15 from about Washington all the way to Tropicana
- Northbound I-15 from Tropicana as far north as Cheyenne Boulevard
The 215 beltway is unpredictable with rush hour traffic snarls typically occurring where it meets Highway 95, meets I-15, slows down around the Durango to Tropicana curve on the southside, and jams up as traffic exits off northbound ramps heading out past Sahara Avenue.
Driving the Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is slow-going most of the time, especially on weekends. Industry conventions and 3-day weekends can transform it into Times Square.
The Las Vegas Strip has the most traffic after 4:00pm weekdays, and on the weekends after about 11am.
Nearby parallel roadways provide alternate access to major destinations on the Strip and tend to move faster than trying to travel down Las Vegas Boulevard. These streets include Industrial Road and Frank Sinatra Drive located west of the Strip and Paradise Road just east of the Strip. For longer journeys to destinations on the Strip, say more than a few blocks, traveling north or south in the city, it is usually worth taking I-15, which runs parallel to the Las Vegas Strip.
Driving Under the Influence
In Nevada, licensed adults 21 years of age and older risk the very real reality of getting arrested for driving under the influence if their blood alcohol level is 0.08 or higher. Don’t chance it! And if you’re an intoxicated, unlicensed driver who gets stopped by Metro, “What were you thinking?” doesn’t even begin to cover it! While recreational use of marijuana is legal in the State of Nevada, you have to be over 21 years of age to be legal.
** Driving under the influence (DUI) of marijuana is a crime and treated much the same as a DUI for alcohol.
Instead of risking a DUI felony, here’s 4 alternatives:
- Ride-sharing with Uber or Lyft.
- Las Vegas Monorail: it runs the length of the Strip and stops at seven points along the way
- Free shuttle rides: many available at off-the-strip hotels and casinos
- Taxis: they’re everywhere!
There’s even cheap public transportation that runs from the Strip to Downtown Las Vegas/Fremont Street. Deuce on the Strip, SDX Strip and Downtown Express are economical and reliable ways to get around. It stops at nearly every property on the Strip and has its own lane to get you there quicker!
Home of the Construction Cone
Nevada is notorious for being “Home of the Construction Cone” because it’s in a constant state of growth. In Las Vegas, roadwork is a common sight and a daily driving obstacle. Drivers need to pay close attention to signage, watch speed, conform to the lines of highway cones, and prepare for sudden traffic stops along the way.
For current traffic reports and road conditions in Nevada, call 1-877 NV ROADS or see visit https://www.nvroads.com/.
Parking on the Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Blvd. also known as the Las Vegas Strip has no street parking, but there are parking garages and valets at almost every hotel and casino. Be aware that most Strip casinos today (unlike a few years ago), now charge you for self-parking.
Parking prices on the Strip:
- Regular parking cost between $22 to $30
- Self-parking rates are $12 to $35 (depending on duration and location)
- Valet parking rates are $24 to $45 (depending on duration, location and schedule of events)
- ** Some downtown casinos charge hourly rates as well.
While there is some limited street parking available in the downtown area of Las Vegas, self-parking garages at major downtown casinos are probably the safest. Usually, if you are parked less than 1-hour, there is no charge. Also, some casinos offer validation stamps if you were in a restaurant or attractions, so be sure and take your parking stub in with you.
Las Vegas Street Parking
Parking regulations on streets around Las Vegas are strictly enforced.
If you’re parked at a meter, feed it and closely watch your time. Use street parking only when you truly lack options or when you know for sure you’re jumping out for a short time.