Boulder City, Nevada, a place of parks and small town values was created out of the arid desert by the government. Just 23 short miles from glittering Las Vegas, the "reservation" of the 1930's has evolved over the decades. Home to retirees, families, artists and others, overlooking Lake Mead, just around the corner from Hoover Dam, and up the hill from Las Vegas our town has something for everyone.  Boulder City is best known as the city that was created for the construction of Hoover Dam. The town housed more than 4,000 workers during the construction of Hoover Dam, which lasted from 1931 to 1935. More than 1,500 permanent and temporary buildings were built to accommodate the needs of the construction workers, including over a thousand homes, a dozen dormitories, four churches, tourist centers, trade facilities, a grade school, a theater, and a recreation hall. Once Hoover Dam was completed, the federal government changed the basic function of Boulder City to the headquarters of several government agencies involved in Hoover Dam's water and power operations. Boulder City was supervised and regulated by the Bureau of Reclamation and all land in and around Boulder City was owned by the federal government. Through the 1940's, Boulder City's development centered on government-related activities. Additional federal agencies established operations in Boulder City, as did the contractor utilities responsible for the production and distribution of electricity and water from Hoover Dam. Boulder City prospered as a regional center, as well as a pleasant, civic-oriented community. In 1958, the federal government passed the Boulder City Act (P.L. 85-900) and established the independent municipal government of Boulder City. Under the Act, the federal government transferred title to the existing town site, approximately 33 square miles of land, and the utility system, to the city. The City Charter, approved by the residents, prohibits gaming, which makes Boulder City unique as the only city in Nevada where gaming is illegal. The 1995 purchase of an additional 167 square miles adjoining the original town site made Boulder City the geographically largest city in Nevada. View city map. In 1979, the citizens of Boulder City passed a referendum and instituted a controlled growth ordinance. This controlled growth ordinance was enacted to preserve the small town quality of life in Boulder City and to preserve the utility systems. Due to this unique ordinance, the City limits the number of residential and hotel/motel building permits issued each year to control the rate of growth of the community. Since the inception of the controlled growth ordinance, the growth of the community has been limited to less than 3% per year. Ownership of 200 square miles within the City provides it unprecedented control over development. As an owner/landlord, the City recently adopted a land management planning process and a Strategic Plan as the framework for City growth and development.