Strange as it seems, Lake Havasu is home to the historic London Bridge. It stood for over 140 years as a major crossing of the River Thames. When nature began sinking the bridge it was purchased in 1968 by Robert P. McCulloch and became the focal landmark of Lake Havasu City Arizona. Each piece was numbered, disassembled and shipped to Arizona where it now crosses the Colorado River to a small island in Lake Havasu. Medieval England style shops were developed around the bridge to continue the nostalgic flavor of the historic landmark.

Lake Havasu Arizona is a water-lovers dream and favorite vacation getaway for Arizonans and its visitors. The 45-mile Lake Havasu has over 400 miles of desert scenic coastline between Arizona and California on the Colorado River. It is a favorite spot during spring break for college students from all over America and offers spectacular boating, water-skiing, houseboat vacations, fishing, kayaking and a world of water recreation. Many love to explore the lake from beautiful beaches, campsites and hiking trails. Lake Havasu Az is truly a fun-in-the-sun experience.

Those that travel to Lake Havasu Arizona will experience diverse landscape of Saguaro cactus, rugged mountain canyons, sand dunes and of course, crystal clear water. Lots of water. And the area is home to the rare Bighorn sheep and over 200 species of birds and wildlife. If gaming is your style, the bright lights of casino gambling in Las Vegas style resorts, Laughlin Nevada is up the river within driving distance of Lake Havasu Az.

Lake Havasu City offers an abundance of fine golf courses, resorts, hotels and motels to make your travel enjoyable. Visit our Best Choice connections to accommodations, vacation rentals and real estate professionals. And several airlines offer direct flights from both Arizona and California airports.

Lake Havasu Az is an astounding place.


That's in Lake Havasu City? The Colorado River, the London Bridge, the Mohave Desert, the Sonoran Desert, and weather to enjoy them all year round!

It's a beautiful day here in Lake Havasu. The sky is blue, the air is clean, the sparkling blue water with its beautiful mountain backdrop is truly an awesome sight. Just about every night it seems you can reach up and pluck the stars from the tranquil desert sky.

Lake Havasu City, the famed home of the London Bridge, was named for it's 45 mile long lake on the Colorado River, named by the Chemehuevi meaning "Land of the Blue Green Water". The Lake is actually a Colorado River reservoir that was created when the Parker Dam was built between 1934-1938.

The London Bridge, which crosses the Bridgewater Channel from the mainland to a small island on the Colorado River, is world-famous and draws visitors from all over the world. When the bridge was sinking into the River Thames in London, Robert P. McCulloch saw an opportunity. Having the winning bid, the bridge was dismantled and sent by barge to the California coast where it was loaded, trucked to Lake Havasu and rebuilt "brick" by "brick". The bridge is a focal point for the city.

The lure of merry old England draws our year-round guests. Nestled beneath the bridge is our "English Village" which offers a British flavor for your shopping and dining pleasure. With its Tudor style architecture, the shops and restaurants do create the atmosphere of seeing a piece of "merry olde England". Stroll the tree-lined walkways, shop and stop at one of our local breweries for a hand-crafted beer (root beer too!). The various restaurants offer a variety to please any palate. Here you can also rent a paddle boat, take a boat tour or take the ferry to the California side of the Lake.

Our 26 square mile city has a population of about 45,000. Because of our affordable housing, many winter and summer visitors alike own second homes here and truly can call Lake Havasu City "home". Some of our winter guests and residents stay as long as 6 months in Lake Havasu! However you like your recreation or lifestyle, chances are you'll find it in Lake Havasu City.
 

Lake Havasu City is a year-round vacation paradise. There's truly something for everyone in Lake Havasu. With the sun shining just about all the time, it IS a beautiful day in Lake Havasu---every day!

Lake Havasu City has a full entertainment calendar year-round. Fishing derbies, boat regattas, art shows, car shows, plays and more! There's always something going on in Lake Havasu. The small town charm, the climate, and the beauty of the area lures our visitors back...sometimes for good!

If you'd like to stay, play and explore there are places to stay to fit any taste or budget. From 5 star resorts, private homes, or RV parks and campgrounds, vacationers certainly have their choice of places to stay! (remember you will find places to stay under shop, since that is a "good or service")

With so much to see and do, whatever your pleasure, spring, summer, fall, or winter... any season is a great time to visit Lake Havasu!


While you can't plan a trip around the spring bloom, you might be able to catch it if you're here for the Havasu Happening classic car show which is held the last weekend in March. The Halva-Salsa Challenge is always held in April. And of course, there's spring break in both March and April!

Now, we won't kid you... Summer temperatures can reach highs of 115 degrees sometimes even to 120 degrees in the hottest part of the summer. It gets hot here in the summer... but...

Ah... the cool, clear water of the lake and the Colorado River offer a perfect respite for boaters and water lovers who don’t mind the triple digit temperatures. Boating, para-sailing jet-skiing, water-skiing, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and sailing are all big sports here on Lake Havasu.

Water sports in Lake Havasu are about as good as it gets! And you don't even have to B.Y.O.B. (bring your own boat). You can rent one here, whether your pleasure is a house boat, pontoon, jet boat or jet ski.

Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day are big weekends here in Lake Havasu City. Every year the city puts on a great fireworks show for the 4th of July. Summer is also time for boat regattas and other gatherings.
 

The Fall brings together the best of Summer and Winter, maybe that's why there are so many events in the fall.

There's powerboat racing in September during the Havasu National Speed Week. October is an especially busy month with the Relics and Rods Run to the Sun classic car show, and the IJSBA-International Jet Sport Boating Association's world racing championships. And the last weekend in October are the London Bridge Days & Renaissance Festival.

Off-roading is an excellent way to explore the backcountry around Lake Havasu City. There are literally hundreds of miles of roads and trails for you to travel. Be sure to check out those specific areas on this website. If you’d like to see the backcountry but don’t want to take your vehicle, there are also guided land tours you can take.

In the Winter, if you happen to live in a winter deep freeze, you'll love Havasu for it's hiking, fishing, golf, sightseeing, offroading, and exploring during the winter months. It can’t be beat.

This is the perfect time of year for hiking and exploring the "back country" since the weather is temperate from November through about April. It's perfect for golf on one of our many private and public courses. Although a wet suit may be necessary, scuba diving is enjoyed here, too, during the winter months. Then there's the fishing! Lake Havasu, with its deep water and many coves, offers a fisherman's paradise. Tennis anyone? Yes, we have that, too!

During the holiday season, the London Bridge Resort sponsors the annual Festival of Lights lighting up the English Village and London Bridge in a million Christmas lights. The festival goes on for a 6 week period. It's really something to see, folks. And on the first Saturday night in December, there's the annual boat parade.

Then come February, there's the Chili Society Cook-Off, and the Havasu Classic powerboat races. Then, on President's Day weekend, the Western Pyrotechnics Association holds their annual Winterblast-- a fireworks show like none other! These are the folks that come up with new fireworks, and here is where they all get together for their industry convention... so you imagine what a show the Winterblast is!
 

ake Havasu City may not be the easiest city to get to, but we guarantee you that it's worth the trip!

Here, we're going to cover directions from three airports: Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Laughlin/Bullhead City.

Flying into Phoenix:

If you are flying into Phoenix and driving from there, plan on a little over 3 1/2 hours driving time.

From Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport you will take I-10 West.You will continue on I-10 for about a 2 hour trip. Take exit 19 marked Parker/Yuma (US 95-AZ 95) and take AZ 95 North. You will continue on for about another 1 1/2 hours. Up through Parker the scenery is incredible! This route will bring you into the South end of town.

Flying into Las Vegas:

If you are flying into Las Vegas and driving from there, plan on about 2 3/4 hours driving time.

Upon leaving the McCarran International Airport Terminal, you will be looking for I-15/I-215 towards Henderson. Follow the signs for I-215 East. After about 9 miles, you will turn right on W. Lake Mead Dr. (NV-146). Watch for the ramp on the right reading " I-515S/US 93/US 95. Continue on US 93/US 95. At the ramp showing US 95, bear right for US 95 South (Searchlight/Laughlin/Needles). You will then continue South on US 95 and at I-40 you will make a left onto the on ramp (East). Continue along and you will see the signs for Lake Havasu. You will exit at AZ 95 to the right and continue on into Lake Havasu City. (Caution: Don't get confused on your exit to Lake Havasu. Note you will see US 95 first--this is NOT your exit. Continue along to exit AZ 95 where you will see the Lake Havasu City exit sign) Laughlin/Bullhead City now has flights to and from larger cities.

Flying into Laughlin/Bullhead City:

If you are flying into Laughlin/Bullhead City and driving from there, plan on about a 70 minute trip.

From the Laughlin/Bullhead Airport, take AZ 95 South. At Needles, go right on Broadway and left at J Street to the on-ramp of I-40 and head East. Continue on to exit AZ 95 (Not US 95) at the Lake Havasu City off-ramp. Take AZ 95 which will bring you into the North end of town.

Lake Havasu has a local city transportation service that charges $3 per ride.

This will take you anywhere in Lake Havasu City, including the airport! You can't make reservations in advance, since all calls are radio dispatched as they come in. Howerver, when you call for a ride, it is generally just a short wait for pick-up.

There is a tremendous array of things to see in and around Lake Havasu Arizona, with, besides the many fine Lake Havasu hotels and restaurants, the London Bridge being the most enchanting and perhaps intriguing attraction. This famed bridge which spanned the River Thames for almost 140 years, from the 1830's until 1968, now connects Lake Havasu City's mainland and island. The London Bridge survived a terrorist attack in 1884 and the bombing from the Germans in both World Wars. It is now one of the top tourist attractions in Arizona drawing millions each year!

Beyond the bridge is Lake Havasu, which continues to nchant water enthusiasts of every type with its secluded coves and mountain scenery rarely seen in the Southwest. Boats can glide onto palm studded beaches for picnicking, or they can cut along rocky shores to explore the mysteries of Topock Gorge and Havasu National Wildlife Refuge. Boat tours offer trips into areas where ancient man once tread and modern man seldom does. Bill Williams National Wildlife Refuge on the south end of the lake offers wildlife watching with over 200 species of birds plus bighorn sheep.




Lake Havasu Arizona is located in Majave County on Highway 95 in western Arizona. The Parker Dam formed the 45-mile long lake in 1938 and it empties into the beautiful Colorado River. The name “Havasu” means, “blue water,” and it is, indeed, a cool and sparkling contrast to the surrounding arid desert. Lake Havasu has become an outdoor playground for residents and tourists year round. In an area where the sun shines almost every day of the year, anytime is a great time to visit Lake Havasu. Visitors come to cool off in the lake and enjoy swimming, boating, water skiing and fishing. The landscape surrounding the lake encompasses rugged mountains and canyons and sand dunes. Six wilderness areas make up the backcountry around Lake Havasu, with interesting geological and historical sites, ghost towns and scenic wonders. Towering cactus stand like silent giants guarding the desert, and over 200 species of birds and wildlife can be seen in the area. Along the shores of the lake lies Lake Havasu City. This is a planned community with a current population of 38,000. The city is one of the fastest growing areas in the country and offers a multitude of activities and services for tourists, including golfing, tennis courts, an ice skating rink and a movie theater. Lake Havasu is a wonderful place to spend your vacation experiencing the truly unique flavor of the American Southwest.