Howard Hughes bought 30,000 acres of western Las Vegas land for $3 an acre in 1952. The acquisition aimed to relocate some of his California‑based businesses, but the plan never materialized and the parcel sat idle for over three decades.
In 1988, Summa Corporation unveiled a master‑planned community on the former Hughes tract, naming it Summerlin after Howard’s grandmother, Jean Amelia Summerlin. That same year, Summa exchanged more than 5,000 acres with the Bureau of Land Management, creating a buffer to protect Red Rock Canyon while allowing development elsewhere.
Construction began in 1990 with the first residential village, The Hills, covering 394 acres and centered around a park, schools and homes. The first family moved in March 1991, and the new Summerlin Parkway connected the area to US 95, earning locals the nickname “road to nowhere.”
By 1997, the community had added a high school, a library, a performing‑arts center, a hospital and a golf course that hosted Tiger Woods’ 1996 PGA win. The 2001 milestone marked the 20,000th home built, with 114 new‑home sales in a single week.
Infrastructure grew with an eight‑mile section of the 215 Beltway in 1992, and later Downtown Summerlin opened in 2014, followed by City National Arena in 2017 and Las Vegas Ballpark in 2019. A 2002 land exchange gave 1,000 acres to the BLM and secured more than 300 parks and 200 miles of trails, preserving open space while the community continues to expand.