Primm

History

In the 1920s, the area only had a gas station which was owned by Pete MacIntyre. The story goes that he was having trouble selling gas so he resorted to bootlegging. He died in 1933 and was originally buried in an unmarked grave close by, though unintended exhumation caused his body to be moved into a cave. The man is now often known locally as "Whisky Pete", with the town's first casino named eponymously after him.
Between the early 1950s to the early 1970s, Dale Hamilton owned the town known as State Line at the time with an ambition to place a few slot machines in his gas station to entice travelers; a tradition that continues to this day.
In 1977, businessman Ernest Jay Primm opened Whiskey Pete's as way of capturing gamblers on their way to or leaving Las Vegas. He passed this venture onto his son Gary Primm.
Several decades later and in 1990, State Line's second casino The Primadona Resort was opened to the public. Its current name is the Primm Valley Resort.
The most recent casino as of 2017 is Buffalo Bill's. It was opened in April 1994 with its iconic Desperado hypercoaster being opened 4 months later.
In 1996, State Line was renamed to Primm to remove confusion from the Nevadan town of Stateline and to acknowledge the success that the Primm family had brought the town.

Climate

Primm has a typical desert climate with hot days and cold nights. Also constantly arid with little rainfall as well as hot summers and warm winters.

By car

• If you're driving to Primm from the Los Angeles area or its surrounding counties, drivers can take I-15 North and stay on the freeway all the way to Exit 1 after crossing the California/Nevada State Line.
• From the Las Vegas area, take I-15 South and get off at Exit 1.

By taxi

Taxis are available 24 hours a day from Las Vegas to Primm. The fare however is around $100 each way due to the distance between the two destinations; alternatively cheaper rates can be found via Uber and Lyft.

By plane

There are no airports in Primm, though there is a proposal to build the Ivanpah Valley Airport close by.
The nearest airport to Primm is Jean Airport. It's north and is mostly used for recreational aviation and skydiving rather than commercial flights.
Other close airports are Henderson Executive Airport (HSH) and (LAS) near Henderson and Las Vegas respectively.

By monorail

A free monorail connects the three casinos.

By foot

Most of the town is walkable.

• Bonnie & Clyde 'Death Car'Whiskey Pete's displays the 1934 Ford Deluxe that infamous crime couple Bonnie & Clyde were gunned down in. The vehicle is riddled with bullet holes and is quite a spectacle. There is also other memorabilia on display such as Clyde's shirt.

• Welcome to Nevada signThe sign showing the state's border can be easily seen in Primm. A good photo opportunity for tourists.

• Ivanpah LakeA dry lake that occasionally fills with water. Popular spot for landsailing.

• Desperado rollercoaster

  phone: +1 702-679-7433
  Buffalo Bill's Desperado rollercoaster is the state's only hypercoaster with a drop at an 80 mph (130 km/h) speed. Riders must be a minimum of 4 feet (1.2 m) tall in height and have a waist that is no wider than 44 inches (112 cm).

• Star of the Desert Arena

  phone: +1 702 386-7867
  address: Buffalo Bill's
  Buffalo Bill's is home to a 6,500-seat arena which hosts many live events and performances.

• Buffalo Bill's Movie Theater

  phone: +1 702-386-7867
  address: Buffalo Bill's
  Buffalo Bill's has a small movie theater.

• Primm Valley Golf Club

  phone: +1 702 679-5509
  address: 1 Yates Wells Road, Nipton, California
  The Primm Valley Resort hotel has a golf course, which is a short drive into California. Designed by Tom Fazio, it has hosted several tournaments and is considered to be good among its patrons.

• Sandy Valley Ranch

  phone: +1 702-242-0955
  address: 1411 Kingston Rd, Sandy Valley
  Nearby Sandy Valley Ranch offers a "cowboy experience" complete with horseback riding and rodeo. Also hosts weddings and ranch parties.

Gambling

Primm has three casinos, all of which are owned by Primm Valley Casino Resorts. Amongst offering traditional casino games, there are also on-site bookmakers for horseracing and other sport events.

• Buffalo Bill's

  address: 31700 S Las Vegas Blvd
  Western-themed casino and home to the Desperado rollercoaster.

• Primm Valley Resort

  address: 31900 S Las Vegas Boulevard
  Primm Valley Resort was built after Whiskey Pete's. The casino offers over 1,500 slot machines, and other gambling amenities.

• Whiskey Pete's

  address: 100 W Primm Blvd
  The town's first casino, also has a western theme and exhibits the infamous Bonnie & Clyde 'Death Car'.

Motorsports

The Stateline Supermoto Challenge is an annual event at Buffalo Bill's.

Heading southbound, Primm is your last chance to buy gasoline at the usually-lower Nevada prices. Gas prices often jump 15 to 40 cents just by crossing the California state line.

• Chevron

  phone: +1 702-386-7867
  address: 31900 Las Vegas Blvd S

• Chevron

  phone: +1 702-679-6584
  address: 115 W Primm Blvd

• Texaco

  phone: +1 702-679-5419
  address: 31960 S Las Vegas Blvd

There is access to a small convenience store on the California side of the state line, where California State Lottery tickets can be purchased. Oddly, this store cannot be reached without travelling through Nevada.

• Primm Valley Lotto Store

  phone: +1 702-679-5402
  address: 31900 S Las Vegas Blvd
  Sells Powerball tickets and scratch-offs.

The town has its own shopping mall which is part of the Primm Valley Resort.

• Fashion Outlets of Las Vegas

  phone: +1 702-874-1400
  address: 32100 S Las Vegas Blvd
  A large outlet store mall.

Restaurants in Primm can be found in three places:

• All three hotel-casinos have restaurants inside them for different budgets and times of day.
• The Fashion Outlets of Las Vegas mall has a food court with a variety of restaurants.
• A few restaurants are dotted around the town.

• StarbucksThe Seattle-based coffee chain has two branches in Primm.

• Primm Valley Resort

  phone: +1 702-679-6660

• Primm Center

  phone: +1 702-679-5575
  address: 115 West Primm Blvd

The Back Nine

phone: +1 702-386-7867

address: Primm Valley Resorts

Circular bar with slot machines.

Out of town

• Pioneer Saloon

  phone: +1 702-874-9362
  address: 310 NV-161, Goodsprings, NV
  The nearby town of Goodsprings hosts a century old saloon with a rich history and atmosphere. Of historical note are the bullet holes in the wall resulting from a poker game gone awry and actor Clark Gable sat at the bar for three days awaiting news of his wife Carole Lombard who perished in an airplane accident nearby. The saloon also hosts events such as weddings and tours, along with a souvenir shop to ensure visitors remember their trip.

The community consists of three hotel-type casinos which attract travellers driving from California, typically on their way to Las Vegas and driving back. These hotels also serve as feeders to Las Vegas when a major event and/or convention is taking place.

• Buffalo Bill's

  phone: +1 888 774-6668
  address: 31700 S Las Vegas Blvd
  Buffalo Bill's offers 1,242 guest rooms and suites. It also has a swimming pool shaped like a buffalo.

• Primm Valley Resort

  phone: +1 888 774-6668
  address: 31900 S Las Vegas Boulevard
  Primm Valley Resort was built after Whiskey Pete's, and offers 624 rooms.

• Whiskey Pete's

  phone: +1 888 774-6668
  address: 100 W Primm Blvd
  This was the first hotel built in Primm. Amenities include a large swimming pool, a gift shop, four restaurants, and 777 rooms and suites.

Map of places with Wikivoyage articles nearby

• Jean – north of Primm on the I-15. The town has the aforementioned Jean Airport and its own hotel-casino Gold Strike Hotel & Gambling Hall. There is also the Seven Magic Mountains, a bright and colorful sculpture.
• Goodsprings – west of Jean and northwest of Primm on the I-15. The former mining town is quiet with few amenities for the traveller, but it's worth checking out the Pioneer Saloon, the exterior of the Goodsprings Schoolhouse and the town's cemetery. For travellers that want to see everything the town has to offer the historical society has listed other places of interest on their website.
• Searchlight – to the southeast of Primm on the I-15 then SR-164. Also a former mining town, Searchlight maintains its heritage with its own museum, which while small is also educational. The town also has two casinos both run by Terrible's and two motels. Searchlight Airport has no scheduled services, and is uncontrolled, unmanned, and unlighted.
• Baker – to the southwest of Primm on I-15, Baker is the only significant town on the interstate in the remote desert stretch between Barstow and the Nevada border. It offers food, fuel and lodging, is home to the world's tallest thermometer, and is the starting point for the journeying north to Death Valley.