The community first started during World War II as Site Six, an Army Air Corps rest camp on the shores of Lake Havasu.

In 1958, American businessman Robert P. McCulloch purchased 3,353 acres (13.57 km2) of property on the east side of the lake along Pittsburgh Point, a peninsula that would eventually be transformed into an island.

After four years of planning, McCulloch Properties acquired another 13,000 acres (53 km2) of federal land in the surrounding area.

McCulloch Properties flew in prospective residents from around the United States for free in what became a substantial air operation.

[8][9] Hoping to attract tourists and prospective buyers of residential lots, McCulloch bought it for US$2.5 million from the City of London, England, when the bridge was replaced in 1968.

When Lake Havasu City wanted to use this land for a visitors' center, London leased it back for a quit rent of a Hopi Kachina figure.

[citation needed] Lake Havasu City is an active event destination for a wide range of people.

[11] Attendance during Spring Break has taken a downturn in recent years, as the city has declined to issue permits to the large party organizers.

Typically during the second weekend of February, McCulloch Boulevard is home to Winterfest, an annual event which draws thousands of visitors and residents for two days of food, activities, entertainment, and products from over 200 vendors from across the United States.

C. V. Wood, who designed Disneyland, was hired by Robert McCulloch to lay out Lake Havasu's unique road system.

[19] Temperatures may exceed 100 °F (38 °C) as early as April or as late as October, and in the summer months, it routinely reaches 110 °F (43 °C), and can even get up to 120 °F (49 °C) or higher during the worst heat waves.

Mean annual rainfall is only 4.16 inches (106 millimeters); winter is the wettest season, but even then, rain occurs on an average of only 2–3 days per month.

[33] Lake Havasu City hosted the final appreciation dinner for retiring United States Senator Barry Goldwater, the 1964 Republican Party presidential nominee, at the Nautical Inn Convention Center on October 21, 1986.

In the film, a series of murders in Lake Havasu is attributed to the spirit of Jack the Ripper, whose soul is transported to America in one of the bricks of the London Bridge.

[35] The director Andy Sidaris has directed three soft-core adult films in Lake Havasu: 1989's Savage Beach,[36] 1990's Guns,[37] and 1992's Hard Hunted.

Actor Curtis Armstrong and Lisa Arturo were the leads, with a cameo by porn star Ron Jeremy.

It was directed by Alexandre Aja and starred Adam Scott, Elisabeth Shue, Kelly Brook, Richard Dreyfuss, Jerry O'Connell, Ving Rhames and Christopher Lloyd.

"[42] Indie rock band Pedro the Lion's sixth studio album Havasu was written about the one year of childhood the singer spent living in the city.