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History · Cal-Nev-Ari

Half of Cal-Nev-Ari’s homes were built after 1979

Most of Cal-Nev-Ari was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1979. Below: maps from 1959 on and the census since 2000.

0on the National Register
0.0%homes built before 1940
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Photo: Stan Shebs · CC BY-SA 3.0

What stands out about Cal-Nev-Ari’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Cal-Nev-Ari are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Cal-Nev-Ari’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Cal-Nev-Ari’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story so far

Cal-Nev-Ari, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Cal-Nev-Ari yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Cal-Nev-Ari is a census-designated place on U.S. Route 95 in Clark County, Nevada, United States, near the state's southernmost point. As of the 2020 census, Cal-Nev-Ari had a population of 144. The town's name is a syllabic abbreviation of California, Nevada, and Arizona. Cal-Nev-Ari was created in 1965 by Nancy and Everette "Slim" Kidwell, who acquired a 640-acre (260 ha; 1.00 sq mi) section of land from the U.S. government and commenced development of an airport-based community, an hour by road from Las Vegas. In addition to the FAA-designated Kidwell Airport, the community has grown over the years to include a casino, motel, RV and mobile home parks, convenience market, and over 100 res…

Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 244 to 144 (-41%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

By decade

Cal-Nev-Ari, decade by decade

Today7 recent
Cal-Nev-Ari Plaque at Casino2011Cal-Nev-Ari Plaque at CasinoCal-Nev-Ari Nevada Entrance2011Cal-Nev-Ari Nevada EntranceCal-Nev-Ari Casino Airplane Parking2011Cal-Nev-Ari Casino Airplane ParkingCal-Nev-Ari Casino2011Cal-Nev-Ari CasinoGotta go2008Gotta goCal-Nev-Ari Nevada from Spirit Mountain 12006Cal-Nev-Ari Nevada from Spirit Mountain 1Cal-Nev-Ari Nevada 12006Cal-Nev-Ari Nevada 1
On the map

Cal-Nev-Ari on the map, 1959 to 1989

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Cal-Nev-Ari. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Cal-Nev-Ari on the 1959 USGS mapCal-Nev-Ari on the 1989 USGS map1959Searchlight sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Cal-Nev-Ari.

People over time

Cal-Nev-Ari, census by census

010020030020002020Peak: 278

Between 144 and 278 people in every census since 2000.

3 censuses, 2000–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Cal-Nev-Ari’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

Famous people close to Cal-Nev-Ari

Nobody well known was born in Cal-Nev-Ari itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

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H
Harry ReidAmerican politician · b. 1939
Josh BriggsAmerican professional wrestler · b. 1993

Questions about Cal-Nev-Ari’s history

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

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Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (7), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.