Mesquite Map
Mesquite is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States, adjacent to the Arizona state line and 80 miles (124 km) northeast of Las Vegas. As of the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 15,277. The city is located in the Virgin River Valley. It is home to a growing retiree population, 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 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 casinos.
As of the census of 2000,[dated info] there were 9,389 people, 3,498 households, and 2,571 families residing in the city. The population density was 613.3 per square mile (236.8/km²). There were 4,442 housing units at an average density of 290.1 per square mile (112.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 80.30% White, 1.27% Asian, 0.98% Native American, 0.65% African American, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 14.56% from other races, and 2.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 24.75% of the population. There were 3,498 households out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.8% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. Of all households, 20.4% were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.08.
Nearby cities include Bunkerville, Littlefield.