Here's a map showing the Southern Nevada region that includes Las Vegas and it's surrounding areas. Pahrump covers a lot of area but has a population of only about 40,000 (very opinionated) people. Trips to town usually involve seeing lots of people you know and catching up on all the gossip.
State Route (Hwy) 160 basically circles Mt Charleston which is between Las Vegas and Pahrump (though it doesn't really appear on this map), so one could drive North from Pahrump (the long way around) or, as most do, South from Pahrump to get to Las Vegas. The South route is about a 70 mile drive and takes just under an hour.
Pahrump residents are close enough to Las Vegas to have access to all the "big city" has to offer and yet far enough to be a true rural community. We do have casinos here but that part of Pahrump is a far cry from the casino life in Las Vegas.
Pahrump is only a few minutes drive from Southern California, though this part of SoCal is even more rural than Pahrump, offering little more than refreshing hot springs and access to the state's lottery. The nearest "big city" in California is Barstow, nearly a 3 hour drive.
Pahrump is also famous for brothels. The county, Nye County, is among the last in the country where legalize prostitution still exists. On the South end of Pahrump are the two most prominent brothels in the country: Sheri's Ranch and The Chicken Ranch.
Of course, neither of these brothels should be confused in the least with one of my other blog sites, The Nevada Hen House Project. =:^)
