Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam is a concrete-arch dam on the Colorado River at the Nevada-Arizona border, constructed in the early 1930s and completed during the mid-1930s. It impounds Lake Mead, a large reservoir that supplies water and hydroelectric power to the U.S. Southwest.

The site is visited for its engineering history, guided tours of the dam and powerplant, and panoramic views of the river gorge and Lake Mead. The visitor centre and public walkways allow views of the dam face and intake structures, and many trips combine a visit with drives into nearby desert recreation areas. Safety measures restrict some areas, and official tours cover the interior turbine halls and maintenance galleries.

The dam was built as a federal public-works project during the Great Depression and employed thousands of workers; it has since been central to regional water management, irrigation and power generation. The facility remains a key piece of infrastructure for several U.S. states.

Hoover Dam stands in a narrow gorge on the Colorado River, about 48 kilometres southeast of Las Vegas and adjacent to the small city of Boulder City, Nevada. It is accessible by road and is a common day trip from Las Vegas.

• Construction period: Construction took place during the Great Depression, beginning in 1931 and completing in the mid-1930s, with dedication ceremonies in 1935.
• Dimensions: Height about 221 metres and crest length roughly 379 metres, forming one of the most significant concrete-arch dams in the United States.

What to See #

• Lake Mead: The reservoir formed upstream of the dam, which is a major recreation and water-supply resource for the region and one of the largest man-made lakes in the United States.
• Visitor centre and tours: The dam's public visitor centre and guided tour routes that explain its construction, engineering features and role in regional water management.