Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam, once known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Arizona and Nevada. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936.

The dam was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Its construction was the result of a massive effort involving thousands of workers, and cost over one hundred lives.

A total of 21,000 men worked on the dam with an average of 3,500 and a maximum of 5,218 daily.

The dam was controversially renamed after President Herbert Hoover.


Overall, there is enough concrete in the dam to pave a two-lane highway from San Francisco to New York. The concrete was made in such a way that it is getting stronger as it ages and is not subject to deterioration.

Location

Mohave County
Arizona, USA

Getting There

Hoover Dam is located on the border of Arizona and Nevada, about 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada.

If you are coming from the Arizona side, the closest major airport is McCarran International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas. From there, you can rent a car or take a shuttle or taxi to Hoover Dam, which is about a 45-minute drive away.

If you are already in the state of Arizona, you can also fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) or Tucson International Airport (TUS), both of which are about a 4-hour drive away from Hoover Dam.

Nearby Airports

This is a list of primary airports in Arizona that have scheduled passenger service on commercial airlines.