UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 4
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
( ) Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16.
Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instructions 1(b).
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
Kropid, James J
5241 Spring Mountain Road
Las Vegas, NV 89103
USA
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Southwest Gas Corporation
SWX
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
###-##-####
4. Statement for Month/Year
July 1997
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
(X) Director ( ) 10% Owner ( ) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
(specify below)
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
(X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1. Title of Security |2. |3. |4.Securities Acquired (A) |5.Amount of |6.Dir |7.Nature of Indirect |
| Transaction | or Disposed of (D) | Securities |ect | Beneficial Ownership |
| | | | Beneficially |(D)or | |
| | | | | A/| | Owned at |Indir | |
| Date |Code|V| Amount | D | Price | End of Month |ect(I)| |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
Common Stock |7/23/9|P | |1,000 |A |$18.50 |1,549 |I |James J. and |
|7 | | | | | | | | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Preferred Stock (2) | | | | | | |1,500 |I |Judith A. Kropid |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| | | | | | | | |Family Trust |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Table II -- Derivative Securitites Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1.Title of Derivative |2.Con- |3. |4. |5.Number of De |6.Date Exer|7.Title and Amount |8.Price|9.Number |10.|11.Nature of|
Security |version |Transaction | rivative Secu |cisable and| of Underlying |of Deri|of Deriva |Dir|Indirect |
|or Exer | | | rities Acqui |Expiration | Securities |vative |tive |ect|Beneficial |
|cise | | | red(A) or Dis |Date(Month/| |Secu |Securities |(D)|Ownership |
|Price of| | | posed of(D) |Day/Year) | |rity |Benefi |or | |
|Deriva- | | | |Date |Expir| | |ficially |Ind| |
|tive | | | | A/|Exer-|ation| Title and Number | |Owned at |ire| |
|Secu- | | | | | D |cisa-|Date | of Shares | |End of |ct | |
|rity |Date |Code|V| Amount | |ble | | | |Month |(I)| |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
Stock Option (right to|$19.125 |7/15/|A |V|1,660 |A |(1) |7/14/|Common Stock|1,660 | |1660 |D | |
buy) | |97 | | | | | |07 | | | | | | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
Explanation of Responses:
(1) The option vests in three annual installments of 664 shares in 1998, 498
shares in 1999 and 498 shares in 1000,
beginning July 15,
1998.
(2) Southwest Gas Capital I - Trust Originated Preferred
Securities
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
James J. Kropid by Faye J. Ringler, Attorney in Fact
DATE
8/7/97
