Planning a trip to Lake Havasu? What to know about the city
Located on the east side of Lake Havasu, a reservoir on the Colorado River, Lake Havasu City was originally established in 1963 as little more than an empty expanse of desert.
It was soon purchased by wealthy businessman Robert McCulloch who, along with Disneyland designer C.V. Wood, developed the foundation for a city that is now home to just under 60,000 residents.
Today, Lake Havasu City is perhaps best known for the London Bridge, which was purchased for $2.4 million by McCulloch in 1968 and transported from London, England when they replaced the bridge that year. It then took three years to complete the reconstruction of the bridge across the narrow Bridgewater Channel between Lake Havasu and Thompson Bay.
The bridge connects pedestrians, motorists and cyclists on "mainland" Lake Havasu City to an island with shops, restaurants, hotels and more.
In addition to the exterior masonry of the original bridge, the purchase also included ornate lampposts made from the melted-down cannons captured from Napoleon's army after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. These lampposts still line the London Bridge today.
Lake Havasu holds hottest temperature record
Like much of Mohave County, Lake Havasu City experiences a hot desert climate, noted for its extremely warm summers, mild winters and very little rainfall.
While Phoenix experienced a summer of broken temperature records in 2023, Lake Havasu City has maintained the record for the hottest temperature ever recorded in Arizona for almost 30 years. That record stands at 128 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
Kids have plenty of education options
The Lake Havasu Unified School District serves about 5,500 students across six elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school in addition to several alternative options for students.
After graduation, students who wish to stay local for their secondary education can enroll in classes at Mohave Community College and Arizona State University's satellite campuses in the city.
What should you do on your next visit to Lake Havasu City?
Due to its location and climate, Lake Havasu City has become a premiere destination for spring and summer tourists, including many boaters who travel to the area to spend time on Lake Havasu. The city further capitalizes on its proximity to the water by hosting multiple professional fishing tournaments, custom boat regattas, jet ski races and more.
Lake Havasu City is also home to more lighthouses than any other city in America, with 28 scaled-down lighthouse replicas scattered along 400 miles of shoreline.
During the colder months, the city hosts the Winterfest Street Festival where more than 30,000 visitors come to eat, drink, shop and enjoy the more than 200 vendors that take part in the annual event downtown.
Reach the reporter at LLatch@gannett.com.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What to know about Lake Havasu City, home of the London Bridge
