Lake Havasu City was built as a planned community by Robert P. McCulloch of McCulloch Chainsaw fame. McCulloch bought some 3,500 acres around an old mining town near Pittsburgh Point on the east side of Lake Havasu. McCulloch bought the "London Bridge" in 1968 when the City of London decided to replace an aging bridge across the Thames in that city. $2.5 million bought the bridge but it took another $7 million to disassemble it, ship it to Arizona and then reassemble it. The bridge now spans an 8' deep man-made canal (the London Bridge Channel) that separates Pittsburgh Point from the main part of the city.

While Lake Havasu City has been a retirement destination from its beginning, over the years the city has also become a well-known "spring break party town." Prime boating months on Lake Havasu are from March to September. Winter months see a large influx of "snow birds" from the northern states and Canada.

According to an article in Forbes Magazine (11/24/2008), Lake Havasu City has been ranked as the least educated city in America. As Lake Havasu City is located in between the I-40 and the I-10, the only road access to the city is via Arizona State Route 95.

London Bridge in Lake Havasu City
London Bridge in Lake Havasu City
Lake Havasu and Lake Havasu City from the air
An aerial view of Lake Havasu and Lake Havasu City