Weird Day Trips
Lake Havasu as a Longer Southern Trip from Las Vegas
Lake Havasu is about 2.5 hours and about 150 miles from Las Vegas, all paved. That is a planning number for a dry day, not live traffic. From Laughlin it is about 1 to 1.5 hours and about 70 miles further south. What you actually see is the London Bridge and the lake. It is not a ghost town.
Lake Havasu is the far end of the southern option: about 2.5 hours and about 150 miles from central Las Vegas, all paved. A same-day turnaround is a long day. It works better as an overnight, or as the next day after Laughlin. From Laughlin it is about 1 to 1.5 hours further south and about 70 miles, also paved. This is the bridge, the lake, and the water. It is not a ghost town.
- From Las Vegas
- About 2.5 hours
- Distance
- About 150 miles
- Road
- Paved the whole way
- Time to allow
- Full day or overnight
Short history
The London Bridge here is the relocated granite bridge, set across the Bridgewater Channel. Lake Havasu State Park, lake access, beaches, and boat ramps are the rest of the public waterfront. This page does not list park fees or which ramps are open.
Practical visitor info
Hours and fees change. Check the site, the park, or the business before you go. This page does not quote a current price or a current opening time.
The numbers match the drive times and distances page. Read desert day-trip tips before a hot day, and see sample itineraries if you want to combine stops. The town list is Ghost Towns Near Las Vegas. Tonopah and the Extraterrestrial Highway are indexed under Weird Day Trips.
How long is the drive to Lake Havasu?
From central Las Vegas, plan on about 2.5 hours and about 150 miles, all paved. That is a rounded planning number for a dry day, not live traffic. It sits in the same band as the other long drives.
From Laughlin, plan on about 1 to 1.5 hours further south and about 70 miles, paved. That extension is the reason to stay overnight in the south and drive it the next day, or to reverse the order.
Is the drive to Lake Havasu paved?
The highway from Las Vegas is paved the whole way, and so is the stretch south from Laughlin. A normal rental car is the usual vehicle. This page does not report construction.
What you can see
You are looking at the bridge, the channel, and the lake. Beaches and boat ramps are part of that waterfront. It is not a ruin and it is not a paranormal stop.
Jet skis and boat rentals are common, on the lake and in town. Check current local rentals. This page does not name operators or quote prices.
If you are already staying in Laughlin, chain this with the river and with Oatman. Oatman is the Route 66 side trip from Laughlin, about 45–60 minutes, and it needs fuel before Sitgreaves Pass.
Heat and safety
The comfortable window is the same as Laughlin: fall through spring, roughly October through April. Summer afternoons routinely exceed 100°F (38°C). The lake does not cancel that heat.
On the ground
What you can see
You can see the London Bridge across the Bridgewater Channel, the lake, beaches, and boat ramps.
Private or off limits
This is not a ghost town. Check current local boat and jet-ski rentals. This page does not name operators or quote prices.
Summer and the season
October through April is the comfortable window, the same as Laughlin. Summer afternoons routinely exceed 100°F (38°C).
The bridge and the channel, so the frame is the lake and not a ruin.
Get directions
Get directions from Las Vegas. The link opens a map. It is not a live traffic report.
Get directions from Laughlin for this side trip.
Combine this
Times below are planning figures. Conditions change. A north stop and a south stop do not belong in the same day. The return drive eats it.
The far south. From Laughlin it is about 1 to 1.5 hours and about 70 miles. Oatman can share the Laughlin day, about 45–60 minutes from the river. From Las Vegas this is about 2.5 hours, not a pairing with Rhyolite or Tonopah.