Las Vegas Airport Parking

Location of Las Vegas McCarran Airport

LAS is located about nine miles (14.5 kilometers) from the center of Las Vegas, close to where the I-215 splits off from the main I-15 route through the city. Running from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City, the I-15 is the main land route in and out of Las Vegas with exit 37 linking to Paradise Road and the airport. Taxis, shared-ride services and rental cars are all available in central Las Vegas.

Public transport in the area is provided by RTC, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, which has several bus routes stopping at the LAS terminals. Routes run from Centennial Hills, central Las Vegas and Westcliff.

History of Las Vegas McCarran Airport

Las Vegas McCarran Airport opened a privately-owned airfield primarily used by Western Air Express. During World War II, Senator Pat McCarran arranged for the City of Las Vegas to buy the field for development into a major airport and it was named after him to honor those efforts and his broad support of the aviation industry in 1941.

McCarran Field shared land with the US Army, which was keen to move public flights elsewhere after World War II, so a deal was formed to move all civil operations to Alamo Field. Alamo was renamed McCarran Field, whilst the previous site became Nellis Air Force Base. The move also broke the Western Air Express monopoly, bringing other carriers in just as the casino industry boomed. Throughout the 1950s, passenger traffic leaped from 35,000 a year to almost a million by the end of the decade.

LAS continued to grow and built new terminals, gates and parking garages, gaining the ‘International’ designation and working to attract more routes from foreign airlines; by 2000, annual passengers numbered more than 35 million. The focus then shifted towards improved efficiency in passenger experience, luggage processing and flight operations, but has recently returned to expansion after the opening of a third terminal in 2012; the largest public works project ever undertaken in Nevada.

Car

Located in the NV 89111 ZIP code, LAS Airport is close to the MGM Grand and Luxor Casinos south of the city center. The I-15 Las Vegas Freeway, which runs through the city from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City and Denver, is the main route into Las Vegas. Exit 37 runs onto E Tropicana Avenue and then Paradise Road for the airport terminals.

Routes 93 and 95 are the best ways into town from Boulder City or Reno, both of which connect to the I-15, The Strip and Paradise Road. Taxis, rentals, limos and shared-ride services to McCarran Airport are available from across the city, including Uber and Lyft.

An extensive list of all the ground transportation options and providers can be found here.

Over 160 concessions are spread across Las Vegas McCarran Airport to offer a wide range of food and refreshments, general shopping and airport services.

With a heavy program of expansions and improvements planned in the coming years, it's always worth checking for the most up-to-date listing of facilities on the Official Las Vegas McCarran International Airport website.

Passenger Services Representatives at LAS are dressed in blue and gold uniforms and can be found dotted around the terminal buildings and at the various information booths to answer your questions and help direct you around the airport.

If you have any inquiries prior to traveling through Las Vegas Airport, you can contact customer services on (+1) 702-261-5211.

• Short-term parking

• Long-term parking

• Valet parking service

• Covered parking garage

• Motorcycle parking

• Bicycle parking

• Cell phone lot

• Accessible parking

• Bus routes

• 24/7 free airport shuttle buses

• Rental car center

• CLEAR, Global Entry and TSA PreCheck

• Nearby hotels

• Hotel shuttles

• Airline lounges

• USO lounge

• Shopping

  • Gifts and souvenirs

  • Duty free

  • Fashion and apparel

  • Jewelry and accessories

  • Cosmetics

  • Luggage and travel essentials

  • Gadgets, technology and entertainment

  • Books and newsstands

• Drinks

  • Coffee shops

  • Juice bar

  • Bar

  • Wine bar

• Food

  • Restaurants

  • Fast food and snacks

  • Food markets and healthy options

  • American, Mexican, Mediterranean, Asian & Italian food

  • Bakeries, yogurts and desserts

  • Deli, sandwiches and subs

• Art program

• Aviation museum

• Slot machines

• Airport walking routes

• Spa

• Nursing suites

• Children's play area

• Pet relief areas

• Wheelchairs

• Translation services

• ATMs

• Banking

• Currency exchange

• WiFi

• Lost and found

Explore the airport art program

There are over 30 large-scale murals, sculptures and installations around the terminal buildings at Las Vegas, many of which are site-specific commissions.

The work varies from traditional painting and photography to more contemporary forms with the subject matter often focused on Nevada, Las Vegas and flight.

Pieces have been created by internationally renowned artists, regional talents and even local schoolchildren. Searching them all out provides a great tour of the airport; you can find a list of all the pieces and their locations to get you started on the McCarran Airport Art Web Page.

Shop and spa

With over 160 concessions in the airport, there's plenty of retail therapy available to pass the time.

Brooks Brothers, Michael Kors, Victoria's Secret, Pandora, Benefit, MAC and Bose are just a few of the fashion, accessories, cosmetics and technology stores at McCarran International.

If you find yourself needing a wind-down afterwards, head over to the XpresSpa in either terminal for a quick massage or beauty treatment.

Play the slot machines

In keeping with the city around it, Las Vegas McCarran Airport is one of the only airports in the world to have slot machines available in the terminal buildings. You'll see and hear them dotted around several areas of the airport.

Remember to gamble responsibly; rumor has it that the airport slots are harder to win than those in the major casinos, but a passenger won almost $1 million on one in 2016, which is a pretty good way to fill a wait for a flight if you ask us.

Indulge in the airport restaurants

LAS is not only great for shopping; its choice of restaurants will leave you stuffed to the brim with delicious food.

You'll find all the usual fast food options, but there are some great local flavors if you look a little further.

The Village Pub in T3 offers typical British pub fare like beer-battered fish and chips alongside hand-crafted local beers. Moe's Southwest Grill in T1 serves up classic southwestern dishes with particular attention to some great tortilla plates. What’s more, there's the Lucky Steak Lounge giving a classic dish the Las Vegas flair.

Visit the aviation museum

McCarran International Airport houses an aviation museum with small exhibits at locations like the gate and ticketing areas and a 3,000-square foot (278.7-square meter) exhibit near the T1 departures entrance.

The museum exhibits are focused on the aviation history of the southern Nevada area, from the first aircraft landing in the state in 1920 to the present day. One of the centerpiece exhibits is a 1958 Cessna 172, which set the world-record for endurance flying, staying in flight for almost 65 days, which is a record that still stands today.