North Las Vegas, city, Clark County, southeastern Nevada, a growing suburb of Las Vegas; incorporated 1946. A warehouse and distribution center, it has some manufacturing industries. Tourism and Nellis Air Force Base also are important to the city's economy. In the 1990s several casinos opened in the city. North Las Vegas Airport and a community college are here, and Lake Mead National Recreational Area is in the vicinity. Settled in 1855, the community was developed in the early 1920s. It was briefly named Vegas Verde but in 1932 the name was changed to North Las Vegas. Population 42,739 (1980); 47,707 (1990); 115,488 (2000).