Las Vegas Guide Strip districts, off-Strip neighborhoods, and day trips

Arrival

Getting to Las Vegas

Almost every visitor arrives through Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), which sits about two miles east of the south end of the Strip, or drives in on I-15 from Southern California and Utah. The airport is unusually close to the resorts, so the last mile from the terminal to your hotel is often the part worth planning.

Last checked July 12, 2026

Flying into Harry Reid International (LAS)

Harry Reid International Airport (airport code LAS, formerly McCarran) is the region's main airport and one of the busiest in the United States. It is run by the Clark County Department of Aviation and sits in Paradise, immediately southeast of the Strip, which is why a taxi or rideshare from the terminal to a south-Strip resort is often a short ride rather than a long transfer.

The airport has two passenger terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, connected by shuttle. Ground transportation — taxis, ride-hail pickup zones, hotel and off-airport shuttles, and rental-car centre buses — is signed from baggage claim. Confirm which terminal your airline uses before your return trip, since they are not walkable to each other.

Getting from the airport to your hotel

Rideshare (Uber and Lyft) and taxis use designated areas at each terminal; rideshare pickup is generally on a specific level or lot rather than at the curb, so follow the app and the posted signage. Ask a taxi for the freeway (the I-15 tunnel) rather than the surface Strip if traffic is heavy, and agree it is metered.

The RTC public bus also serves the airport: Route 108, Route 109, and the Centennial Express (CX) stop on Level Zero at Terminal 1, and Route 109 links the terminal to the South Strip Transit Terminal and the wider bus network for a low flat fare — though with luggage and transfers most first-time visitors headed to the Strip choose a taxi or rideshare. The Las Vegas Monorail does not serve the airport.

Driving in

Interstate 15 is the spine of the region: it runs southwest to Los Angeles and Southern California and northeast toward Mesquite and Utah, paralleling the Strip a few blocks to the west. Las Vegas Boulevard (the Strip) runs alongside it, and the I-15 frontage can be faster than the Boulevard when the resort corridor is congested.

US 95 / Interstate 11 heads southeast toward Boulder City and Hoover Dam and northwest toward Mount Charleston and Reno. Weekend traffic between Las Vegas and Los Angeles on I-15 can be very heavy on Friday afternoons outbound and Sunday afternoons returning; check current conditions with the Nevada Department of Transportation before timing a drive.

Sources

Reviewed source trail