Current Time in Henderson, United States

Henderson is the second largest city in the state of Nevada, lying in the Mojave Desert immediately southeast of Las Vegas and forming part of its metropolitan area. The city spreads across a broad basin between the McCullough Range and the River Mountains, rising towards Black Mountain in the south, and its higher neighbourhoods enjoy long views over the valley and the resort towers of the Strip. The desert climate brings extremely hot summers, mild sunny winters and very little rainfall, with brief but dramatic storms in late summer.

About three hundred and twenty thousand people live in Henderson. It is consistently ranked among the safest large cities in the United States and among the most desirable places to live in the American Southwest, and it has become a favoured destination for families and for retirees moving from California.

The city owes its existence to the Second World War. In 1942 the federal government built an enormous plant here to produce magnesium for bombs and aircraft parts, drawing on power from the newly completed Hoover Dam nearby, and a townsite was created for the thousands of workers. When the plant closed after the war the community faced extinction, but the state purchased the property and Henderson was incorporated as a city in 1953. Chemical manufacturing continued for decades and remains part of the local economy alongside distribution, gaming, healthcare and professional services.

Growth since the 1980s has been rapid and carefully planned, producing a series of large master planned communities such as Green Valley, Anthem, Seven Hills and Inspirada, each with its own parks, trails, schools and shopping districts. The city maintains an extensive network of paths and open spaces, and outdoor recreation is a central part of life, with hiking and cycling in the surrounding hills.

Visitor attractions include the historic Water Street district, the Clark County Museum with its street of restored houses from different periods of southern Nevada history, the Ethel M chocolate factory and its botanical cactus garden, Cowabunga Bay water park and the resorts around Lake Las Vegas with their Mediterranean styled village. Professional sport has arrived in force, with a National Hockey League club's minor league team playing at a modern arena in the city and the Las Vegas Raiders football team basing their headquarters and training facility here.

The greatest attractions lie just outside. Lake Mead National Recreation Area, the Hoover Dam and the road towards the Grand Canyon are all within an hour, while the Las Vegas Strip is twenty minutes away and Harry Reid International Airport is closer still.

Transport relies on the freeway system and on regional bus services, with the interstate highways running north towards Salt Lake City and southwest towards Los Angeles.

Higher education is provided by Nevada State University, based in Henderson, along with Touro University Nevada, a college of osteopathic medicine, and campuses of the College of Southern Nevada.

Henderson is popular as a comfortable, well organised desert city offering an alternative pace of life beside one of the world's most famous entertainment destinations.