LAS VEGAS, Jan. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Board of Directors for Southwest Gas Corporation (NYSE: SWX) has declared the following first quarter cash dividend:

              Common Stock

              Payable            March 1, 2006
              Of Record          February 15, 2006
              Dividend           $.205 per share

The dividend equates to 82 cents per share on an annualized basis. The Company has paid quarterly dividends continuously since going public in 1956.

About Southwest Gas

Southwest Gas Corporation provides natural gas service to over 1.6 million customers in Arizona, Nevada, and California. Its service territories are centered in the fastest-growing region of the country. For more information about Southwest Gas, please visit www.swgas.com

This press release may contain statements which constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (Reform Act). All such forward-looking statements are intended to be subject to the safe harbor protection provided by the Reform Act. A number of important factors affecting the business and financial results of the Company could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the impact of weather variations on customer usage, customer growth rates, changes in natural gas prices, the ability to recover costs through the PGA mechanism, the effects of regulation/deregulation, the timing and amount of rate relief, changes in rate design, changes in gas procurement practices, changes in capital requirements and funding, resolution of pending litigation, the impact of conditions in the capital markets on financing costs, changes in construction expenditures and financing, changes in operations and maintenance expenses, future liability claims, changes in pipeline capacity for the transportation of gas and related costs, acquisitions and management's plans related thereto, competition, and the ability to raise capital external financings. In addition, the Company can provide no assurance that its discussions regarding certain trends relating to its financing, operations, and maintenance expenses will continue in future periods.

SOURCE Southwest Gas Corporation
01/18/2006
CONTACT: Media, Cynthia Messina, +1-702-876-7132, or Shareholders, Ken Kenny, +1-702-876-7237, both of Southwest Gas Corporation
Web site: http://www.swgas.com
(SWX)
01/18/2006 18:14 EST http://www.prnewswire.com