Park Level of Service Standard

A level of service (LOS) goal of 2.5 park acres per 1,000 residents for urban parks and 6 park acres per 1,000 residents for rural parks is set by the Parks & Recreation Department. As of 2023, the LOS for urban parks was 2.1 acres per 1,000 residents and for rural parks it was 5.7 acres per 1,000 residents.

The Comprehensive Planning Parks Planning Program is assisting with meeting the LOS goals for County parks to provide the community with a variety of active and passive recreational opportunities.

An LOS park standard was first established in the 1974 Local Park Code and further defined by the revised 1984 Local Park Code. In 1992 the Local Park Code was repealed and replaced with an ordinance which was silent to the past spatial park standard. In 1999 the Southern Nevada Strategic Planning Authority recommended a park standard of 2.5 acres per 1000 population. Following this the 1999 Parks & Recreation Master Plan recommended the adoption of the 2.5 acre per 1000 population standard.

The Strategic Planning Authority and Park Master Plan recommendations were given more credence in 2001 when the Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition recognized the need for the County and municipalities to adopt spatial park standards. With this support, in 2009 the Board of County Commissioners adopted an urban LOS of 2.5 acre per 1000 population within the Clark County Parks, Trails, and Open Space Element of the Clark County Comprehensive Plan.

Increasing the County’s urban LOS to the adopted standard of 2.5 acres/1000 population will be phased in over many years. The County’s policy is to close this gap by 2035. 

Park LOS and the park composition goal are used to help monitor development progress and identify gaps in service. Clearly identifying the need for park development helps to focus limited financial resources on the County’s very specific park development role (see Park Development Funding).