Lake Havasu City, AZ

A popular tourist destination based around a man-made lake on the Colorado River, Lake Havasu City, Arizona, is a haven for water sports lovers in the middle of the arid Mojave Desert. The city of approximately 56,000 residents is roughly halfway between Los Angeles and Phoenix, and is located in Arizona's Mohave County on the east bank of the Colorado River, which forms the border between Arizona and California.

The populations of both Lake Havasu City and Mohave County doubled from 1990 to 2005, making this region one of the fastest growing in the country.

FOR VISITORS

• Havasu Island and London Bridge: Lake Havasu itself, formed by the damming of the Colorado River by the Parker Dam in 1938, is the city's raison d'être. A former peninsula in the middle of the lake is now Havasu Island, the centerpiece of waterfront activity in Lake Havasu State Park. Visitors reach the island by crossing an eight-foot-deep canal via the London Bridge-the actual stone bridge that stood over England's Thames River for more than a century. After being disassembled and reconstructed here piece-by-piece, it now stands as a historical curiosity.
• Lakefront District: This area is anchored by beaches, Bridgewater Links golf course, and Rotary Community Park to the south.
• English Village: The area adjacent to the bridge is a replica of a medieval English village, with buildings constructed in the Tudor style, and many shops, restaurants, and inns. At the London Bridge resort, there is a replica of the Gold State Coach, the carriage that transports monarchs to Westminster Abbey for official ceremonies.
• Main Street: Also called McCulloch Boulevard, this street is named after the entrepreneur Robert P. McCullouch, who founded the city. It is situated in the uptown district, west of South Acoma Boulevard. Plans are afoot to develop a mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly commercial and social center here. Winding roads built into the hillside that rises from the riverbed form the residential areas around the civic center.

Water sports are a big draw for Lake Havasu City visitors and the many seasonal residents who maintain winter homes and houseboats in the city. With no restrictions on motorboats or speed, Lake Havasu residents and visitors enjoy water skiing, jet skiing, kayaking, speed-boating and inner tubing.

Thanks to mild temperatures in the fall and spring, boating season lasts longer in the city than it does in other locales; summer highs frequently exceed 100 degrees. Opportunities for water recreation include:

• Charter boats, which are available for rental and are especially tough to reserve during Spring Break.
• Boat tours, which explore the inlets and coves around the lake.
• Bass and trout fishing at the lake.
• The Aquatic Center, a municipally owned water park, which includes an indoor wave pool, a water slide, other wet family activities, as well as competitive swimming.

The International Jet Ski World Finals are held on Lake Havasu, and bass fishing tournaments are frequently held from fall through spring.

Those looking to stay dry in Lake Havasu City can participate in a number of land-based activities, including:

• Hiking in the Bill Williams National Wildlife Refuge at the southern edge of the city
• Off-road vehicle adventuring
• Exploring the local geology
• Golfing at four courses in the area
• Ice skating and bowling
• Running or walking in the Havasu Half Marathon, which takes place each spring.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Tourism is the major focus of economic activity in Lake Havasu City. One million visitors flock to the city every year, spending as much as $100 million. The city is known as a prime destination for college spring break revelry. Recreation, accommodation, and dining employ a significant slice of the city's labor force, especially around the London Bridge.

Manufacturing, especially boat building, is another big industry in Lake Havasu City. Construction, maintenance, and health care are among the most common occupations in town. UniSource Energy Services, a natural gas and electric supplier, maintains a regional office in Lake Havasu City.

SPORTS TEAMS

Lake Havasu City is home to the Havasu Heat, a semiprofessional baseball team that plays at Lake Havasu City High School Field.

EVENTS

Notable annual events and festivities include:

• London Bridge Days, a two-week festival in fall featuring a parade, restaurant tasting events, and concerts.
• Winterfest, an annual promotion for Main Street's merchants.
• Western Winter Blast, an annual pyrotechnics event each Presidents Day weekend that brings members of the Western Pyrotechnic Association together to light up the sky with professional and consumer-grade fireworks. The group's meetings, trades and other actitivities are open only to members. The nightly fireworks displays, however, are for everyone to enjoy.

EDUCATION

There are two major options for higher learning in Lake Havasu City:

• Northern Arizona University's distance-learning program lets residents complete undergraduate and master's degrees.
• Mohave Community College, a comprehensive, two-year community college has a campus in Lake Havasu City.

LOCAL MEDIA

Lake Havasu City has one daily newspaper, Today's News-Herald, which provides local, regional and national news coverage for the city.