Standing at 726 feet high and 1,200 feet wide, Hoover Dam is an iconic landmark found in southern Nevada near the Arizona border. Geographically, it is roughly halfway between California’s Mojave Desert to the west and Grand Canyon National Park to the northeast in Arizona.
Hoover Dam (no “the” necessary, by the way!) was part of the Boulder Canyon Project, near what is now Lake Mead Recreation Area, and it sits along the scenic Colorado River.
Hoover Dam lies at the intersection of the southeast corner of Nevada and the northwest corner of Arizona. Its erection established Lake Mead, which is the largest reservoir by volume in the United States when it is full. Hoover Dam was carved out of the Black Canyon on the Colorado River. The dam holds nearly 29 million acre-feet of water and its power plant produces about 4 billion annual kilowatt hours of hydroelectric power for residents of California, Nevada, and Arizona. The dam is approximately 37 miles from Las Vegas.
Season
All Seasons
Region
Southern
Visitors can travel to Hoover Dam directly by car from California, Nevada, and Arizona. Travelers from Arizona will generally take US-93, while those from Las Vegas will take Interstate 11. Those coming from southern California will take Interstate 15 via Boulder City.
Directions from Nevada
The dam can be reached via Highway 93 South from Las Vegas by heading into Boulder City. Those traveling from points further south can take Highway 95 north into Boulder City. The 37-mile drive takes roughly 45 minutes.
Directions from Arizona
From Kingman, Arizona, the closest city in the Grand Canyon State, travel north approximately 75 miles northbound along Highway 93. The drive takes about one hour and 15 minutes.
Is There Parking at Hoover Dam?
There is a parking garage on-site at Hoover Dam. The parking garage is open from 8:00 A.M. to 5:15 P.M. every day of the year. All visitors are subject to thorough security checks before entering the dam’s walkway, the Visitor Center or driving partially across the bridge.
While there are more than enough things to see and enjoy at Hoover Dam, visitors can also marvel at, and even walk across, the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge. As the world’s tallest concrete arch bridge, it is the first concrete-steel arch composite bridge in the United States and towers 880 feet over Hoover Dam. The 1,905-foot-long man-made bridge connects both Nevada and Arizona roadways, so it’s fitting that it’s named the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, as it honors a hero from each state. With 30,000 cubic yards of concrete and 16 million pounds of steel, the massive engineered wonder is the widest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.
Ready to visit Hoover Dam?
Get a little Silver State inspiration before you hit the road with this Neon to Nature trip.
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