Las Vegas master planned communities are where most people in this valley actually live, and there are more of them than almost any transplant expects. This is a plain guide to the main ones, from Summerlin in the northwest to Lake Las Vegas on the outskirts of Henderson, and how to think about choosing between them.
Start with the valley, not the community
The whole Las Vegas Valley is smaller than people expect. Almost anywhere to almost anywhere else is a 30 to 45 minute drive, and usually less.
If you’re coming from Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Phoenix or Seattle, that one fact changes your entire search. You’re used to forty miles meaning ninety minutes each way and a decision about the rest of your life. Here, picking the wrong side of town costs you fifteen or twenty minutes.
So don’t start by narrowing to one area. Start with what you want in a house and a neighborhood, and let the location follow.
What is a master-planned community?
Master-planned communities are the dominant form of housing here, and they’re different from anything most transplants have lived in. A developer lays out thousands of acres at once, brings in several builders, and plans the parks, trails, schools and retail alongside the homes. You get variety in floor plans and price points, and amenities a single subdivision could never support.
The tradeoff is HOA dues and design rules. Worth knowing going in.
Las Vegas master planned communities including North Las Vegas and Henderson
Here are the ones you may hear about most. This is not all of them.
Aliante
North Las Vegas. 1,905 acres. Nature Discovery Park, walking trails, a golf course, sports fields, and the Aliante Resort and Casino.
Anthem
Henderson. 4,755 acres built by Del Webb, set high in the Black Mountains at the south end of the valley. Includes a guard-gated country club. Sun City Anthem within it is an age-restricted 55+ community.
Desert Shores
Northwest Las Vegas. 682 acres built around several manmade lakes, with community docks, a beach and a clubhouse.
Eldorado
North Las Vegas. Modestly priced homes with schools and parks inside the community.
Green Valley
Henderson. At 8,400 acres, one of the largest master plans in the valley and one of the oldest, so the trees and landscaping are grown in. Parks, schools and established retail throughout.
Green Valley Ranch
Henderson. 1,300 acres, built as a sister community to Green Valley. Biking trails, parks, green belts and schools. Contains The District at Green Valley Ranch, an open-air shopping and restaurant district, and the Henderson Community Center with an amphitheater, library and pool.
Inspirada
Henderson. 2,000 acres in the southern foothills. Built dense and walkable, with narrow streets, village squares and parks. Homes from five builders, more than 50 models.
Lake Las Vegas
Henderson. Built around a manmade lake with a Mediterranean design theme. Two marinas, hotels, and a village of shops and restaurants.
Mountain’s Edge
Southwest Las Vegas. 3,000 acres. Community parks plus a clubhouse with two pools, a spa, kitchen, party room, basketball court, playground, workout areas and barbecue facilities.
Peccole Ranch
West Las Vegas, near The Lakes and Summerlin. Pocket parks and walking paths throughout. Includes the luxury guard-gated Queensridge community.
Providence
Northwest Las Vegas. 1,200 acres in the northwest corner, close to Mount Charleston and Floyd Lamb State Park. Around 7,500 homes across 30 distinct neighborhoods.
Rhodes Ranch
Southwest Las Vegas. Guard-gated, built around a championship public golf course, with landscaped sidewalk trails and a recreation center with pools, a clubhouse and workout facilities.
Seven Hills
Henderson. 1,300 acres in the southern foothills with some of the best city views in the valley. Built around the Rio Secco championship golf course and the Butch Harmon School of Golf. Four large city parks.
Silverado Ranch
Southeast Las Vegas. Adjacent to Green Valley, close to the airport and the Strip. Its own restaurants, theaters and stores.
Skye Canyon
Far Northwest Las Vegas. One of the newest, positioned between the Strip and Mount Charleston. Built around Skye Center, an 8,000 square foot amenity with pools and a coffee shop.
Summerlin
Northwest Las Vegas. By far the largest, at 22,500 acres and more than 64,000 homes, ranging from modest single-family to custom estates. Parks, biking and hiking trails, shops, schools, libraries, business districts, tennis courts, pools and an amphitheater. Both public and private golf courses, and several age-restricted sections.
The Lakes
West Las Vegas, directly west of the Strip. Developed around several manmade lakes with water sports. Green belts and jogging trails throughout. Condominiums through semicustom homes up to custom waterfront estates.
Tule Springs
Northwest Las Vegas, between Centennial Hills and Aliante. Home to Tule Springs Ranch and the 2,040-acre Floyd Lamb Park.
Tuscany Village
Southeast Las Vegas, near Lake Las Vegas. The championship Tuscany Golf Course, a 35,000 square foot recreation center, resort-style pools, and miles of open trails along lakes and palm trees.
How to actually use this list
Don’t pick from it.
These descriptions tell you what exists, not what’s right for you. The difference between two streets inside the same community is often bigger than the difference between two communities, and no list is going to tell you which side of Summerlin gets afternoon sun on the back patio or which stretch backs a six-lane road.
Tell me what matters to you and I’ll narrow it honestly, including telling you when the place you had in mind isn’t the right fit.