Mesquite, Nevada

Mesquite, Nevada
City
Main Street, near City Hall
Motto: Escape, Momentarily
Location of Mesquite in Clark County, Nevada
Mesquite, Nevada Location in the United States
Coordinates: 36°48′9″N 114°4′56″W / 36.80250°N 114.08222°W / 36.80250; -114.08222Coordinates: 36°48′9″N 114°4′56″W / 36.80250°N 114.08222°W / 36.80250; -114.08222
Country	United States
State	Nevada
Counties	Clark, Lincoln
Settled	1880
Incorporated	1984
Government
• Mayor	Allan Litman
Area
• Total	32.4 sq mi (83.8 km2)
• Land	31.9 sq mi (82.6 km2)
• Water	0.5 sq mi (1.2 km2)
Elevation	1,601 ft (488 m)
Population (2013 est.)
• Total	16,439
• Density	515/sq mi (199.0/km2)
Time zone	PST (UTC-8)
• Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP codes	89024, 89027, 89034
Area code(s)	702
FIPS code	32-46000
GNIS feature ID	0842060
Website	www.mesquitenv.gov

Mesquite is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States, adjacent to the Arizona state line and 80 miles (130 km) northeast of Las Vegas on Interstate 15. As of 2015, the United States Census estimates that the city had a population of 17,496. The city is located in the Virgin River valley adjacent to the Virgin Mountains in the northeastern part of the Mojave Desert. It is home to a growing retirement community, as well as several casino resorts and golf courses.

Mesquite was settled by Mormon pioneers in 1880, who called it Mesquite Flat. The community was finally established on the third attempt after having been flooded out from the waters of the Virgin River. The name was later shortened to Mesquite, and the city was incorporated in May 1984. Mesquite, like nearby Bunkerville, had its origins in farming. The Peppermill Mesquite casino, which opened in the 1970s, drove Mesquite's diversified economy. [The Western Village Travel Plaza opened in the 1950s, later owned by the Peppermill [1].] The city incorporated in 1984 and established a master development plan during the early 1990s. In the mid-1990s, more casinos opened. By 2006, Mesquite was one of the fastest-growing small towns in the United States, though the late-2000s recession led to the closure of both the Mesquite Star and Oasis (formerly The Peppermill) casinos.

Mesquite occupies the northeast corner of Clark County and extends north into the southeast corner of Lincoln County. The eastern border of the city is the Arizona state line. The city is in the Virgin River valley, occupying the northern side of the river. The city lies adjacent to the Virgin Mountains in the northeastern Mojave Desert near the southern mouth of the Virgin River Gorge.