Douglas County, Nevada
Encyclopedia
Douglas County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state
of Nevada
. As of 2000, the population was 41,259. As of 2010, the population was estimated to be 46,997.
was originally settled in 1851 by Mormon
traders selling goods to settlers on their way to California. Named for Stephen A. Douglas
, famous for his 1860 Presidential campaign and debates
with Abraham Lincoln
, Douglas County was one of the first nine counties formed in 1861 by the Nevada territorial legislature
.
, after having been moved from Genoa
in 1915.
Various services run by the county include parks, law enforcement, road maintenance, building inspection, and the Minden-Tahoe Airport
.
Fire protection and emergency medical services are provided by the Tahoe-Douglas Fire Protection District at the lake and the East Fork Fire and Paramedic Districts for the rest of the county.
in the western United States. Stretching from Carson Valley and running up into the Sierra Nevada, the county is bordered on the west by California
, and contains about 13.2% of Lake Tahoe
, which is split across the two states. Carson City
, the state capital, lies to the north, and Lyon County
to the east. The county also lies within the Greater Sacramento area.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau
, the county has a total area of 738 square miles (1,911.4 km²), of which 710 square miles (1,838.9 km²) is land and 28 square miles (72.5 km²) (3.77%) is water.
of 2000, there were 41,259 people, 16,401 households, and 11,890 families residing in the county. The population density
was 58 people per square mile (22/km²). There were 19,006 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 91.88% White
, 0.31% Black
or African American
, 1.68% Native American
, 1.25% Asian
, 0.15% Pacific Islander
, 2.54% from other races
, and 2.19% from two or more races. 7.41% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 16,401 households out of which 30.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.50% were married couples living together, 8.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.50% were non-families. 20.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.00% under the age of 18, 5.50% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 28.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 102.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $51,849, and the median income for a family was $57,092. Males had a median income of $40,436 versus $28,762 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $27,288. About 5.80% of families and 7.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.70% of those under age 18 and 5.30% of those age 65 or over.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. As of 2000, the population was 41,259. As of 2010, the population was estimated to be 46,997.
History
Douglas County holds the first permanent settlement in Nevada. The town of GenoaGenoa, Nevada
Genoa is an unincorporated town in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. Founded in 1850, it was the first settlement in what became the Nevada Territory. It is situated within Carson River Valley and is about south of Reno....
was originally settled in 1851 by Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
traders selling goods to settlers on their way to California. Named for Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen Arnold Douglas was an American politician from the western state of Illinois, and was the Northern Democratic Party nominee for President in 1860. He lost to the Republican Party's candidate, Abraham Lincoln, whom he had defeated two years earlier in a Senate contest following a famed...
, famous for his 1860 Presidential campaign and debates
Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858
The Lincoln–Douglas Debates of 1858 were a series of seven debates between Abraham Lincoln, the Republican candidate for Senate in Illinois, and the incumbent Senator Stephen Douglas, the Democratic Party candidate. At the time, U.S. senators were elected by state legislatures; thus Lincoln and...
with Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
, Douglas County was one of the first nine counties formed in 1861 by the Nevada territorial legislature
Nevada Territorial Legislature
The Nevada Territorial Legislature was established in 1861 after the establishment of the Territory of Nevada.- History :The first Legislature passed a bill entitled An Act to Prohibit Gambling....
.
Law and government
The county seat is MindenMinden, Nevada
Minden is a census-designated place in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. The population was 2,836 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Douglas County and is adjacent to the city of Gardnerville. It is named after the town of Minden, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It...
, after having been moved from Genoa
Genoa, Nevada
Genoa is an unincorporated town in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. Founded in 1850, it was the first settlement in what became the Nevada Territory. It is situated within Carson River Valley and is about south of Reno....
in 1915.
Various services run by the county include parks, law enforcement, road maintenance, building inspection, and the Minden-Tahoe Airport
Minden-Tahoe Airport
Minden-Tahoe Airport is a general aviation airport serving the Carson Valley in Douglas County, including the towns of Minden, Gardnerville and Genoa, Nevada. The airport is situated four nautical miles north of Minden...
.
Fire protection and emergency medical services are provided by the Tahoe-Douglas Fire Protection District at the lake and the East Fork Fire and Paramedic Districts for the rest of the county.
Geography
Douglas County is in western NevadaNevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
in the western United States. Stretching from Carson Valley and running up into the Sierra Nevada, the county is bordered on the west by California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and contains about 13.2% of Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
, which is split across the two states. Carson City
Carson City, Nevada
The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
, the state capital, lies to the north, and Lyon County
Lyon County, Nevada
Lyon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2010 census, the population was 51,980. Its county seat is Yerington.-History:...
to the east. The county also lies within the Greater Sacramento area.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the county has a total area of 738 square miles (1,911.4 km²), of which 710 square miles (1,838.9 km²) is land and 28 square miles (72.5 km²) (3.77%) is water.
Major highways
U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 395
State Route 28Nevada State Route 28State Route 28 is a road that runs along the northeastern shore of Lake Tahoe. The road has been designated as the north piece of the Lake Tahoe–Eastshore Drive Scenic Byway as part of the National Scenic Byway program...
State Route 88Nevada State Route 88State Route 88 is a state highway in Douglas County, Nevada. It runs from California State Route 88 at the California state line along Woodfords Road to U.S. Route 395 in Minden. Prior to 1957, the highway existed as State Route 37...
State Route 206Nevada State Route 206State Route 206 is a state highway in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. It runs northwest from State Route 88 near the California state line along Foothill Road to Genoa, and then turns east on Genoa Lane to end at U.S. Route 395.-History:...
State Route 207Nevada State Route 207State Route 207 is a state highway in Douglas County, Nevada. Commonly known as the Kingsbury Grade, it is one of three Nevada highways that connects the western edge of the state to the Lake Tahoe region. The route was part of State Route 19 prior to 1976.-Route description:State Route 207 begins...
State Route 208Nevada State Route 208State Route 208 is a state highway within the counties of Douglas and Lyon in Nevada, USA. It connects U.S. Route 395 north of Topaz Lake to Alternate U.S. Route 95 in Yerington. The road serves as the primary transportation corridor of Smith Valley and is Main street in Yerington...
State Route 756
Adjacent counties
- Carson City, NevadaCarson City, NevadaThe Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
- north - Lyon County, NevadaLyon County, NevadaLyon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2010 census, the population was 51,980. Its county seat is Yerington.-History:...
- east - Mono County, CaliforniaMono County, CaliforniaMono County is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of California, to the east of the Sierra Nevada between Yosemite National Park and Nevada. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,202, up from 12,853 at the 2000 census...
- southeast - Alpine County, CaliforniaAlpine County, CaliforniaAlpine County is the smallest county, by population, in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010, it had a population of 1,175, all rural. There are no incorporated cities in the county. The county seat is Markleeville...
- south - El Dorado County, CaliforniaEl Dorado County, CaliforniaEl Dorado County is a county located in the historic Gold Country in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and foothills of the U.S. state of California. The 2010 population was 181,058. The El Dorado county seat is in Placerville....
- west - Placer County, CaliforniaPlacer County, CaliforniaPlacer County is a county located in both the Sacramento Valley and Sierra Nevada regions of the U.S. state of California, in what is known as the Gold Country. It stretches from the suburbs of Sacramento to Lake Tahoe and the Nevada border. Because of the expansion of the Greater Sacramento,...
- northwest
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 41,259 people, 16,401 households, and 11,890 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 58 people per square mile (22/km²). There were 19,006 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 91.88% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.31% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.68% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.25% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.15% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 2.54% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.19% from two or more races. 7.41% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 16,401 households out of which 30.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.50% were married couples living together, 8.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.50% were non-families. 20.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.00% under the age of 18, 5.50% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 28.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 102.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $51,849, and the median income for a family was $57,092. Males had a median income of $40,436 versus $28,762 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $27,288. About 5.80% of families and 7.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.70% of those under age 18 and 5.30% of those age 65 or over.
Towns and population centers
- GardnervilleGardnerville, NevadaGardnerville is a census-designated place in Douglas County, Nevada, United States, adjacent to the county seat of Minden. The population was 3,357 at the 2000 census....
- Gardnerville RanchosGardnerville Ranchos, NevadaGardnerville Ranchos is a census-designated place in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. As of the 2000 census, the CDP population was 11,054...
- GenoaGenoa, NevadaGenoa is an unincorporated town in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. Founded in 1850, it was the first settlement in what became the Nevada Territory. It is situated within Carson River Valley and is about south of Reno....
- GlenbrookGlenbrook, NevadaGlenbrook is an unincorporated community in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. The community is named after the Glenbrook House hotel and is at an elevation of...
- Indian HillsIndian Hills, NevadaIndian Hills is a census-designated place in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. It lies in the south side of the Carson City metropolitan area...
- Johnson LaneJohnson Lane, NevadaJohnson Lane is a census-designated place in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. It lies in the south side of the Carson City metropolitan area...
- KingsburyKingsbury, NevadaKingsbury is a census-designated place in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. The population was 2,624 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Kingsbury is located at ....
- MindenMinden, NevadaMinden is a census-designated place in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. The population was 2,836 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Douglas County and is adjacent to the city of Gardnerville. It is named after the town of Minden, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It...
- StatelineStateline, Nevada-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,215 people, 510 households, and 245 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,803.3 people per square mile . There were 562 housing units at an average density of 834.1 per square mile...
- Topaz Lake
- Zephyr Cove-Round Hill VillageZephyr Cove-Round Hill Village, NevadaZephyr Cove-Round Hill Village is a census-designated place in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. The population was 1,649 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Zephyr Cove-Round Hill Village is located at ....
Neighborhoods
- Buckeye
- Centerville
- Dresslerville
- East Valley
- Fish Springs
- Holbrook Junction
- Jack's Valley
- Johnson LaneJohnson Lane, NevadaJohnson Lane is a census-designated place in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. It lies in the south side of the Carson City metropolitan area...
- Lake Village
- Lakeridge
- Lincoln Park
- MottsvilleMottsville, NevadaMottsville is an unincorporated community in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. Mottsville is located at the junction of Nevada State Route 206 and Nevada State Route 207 west-southwest of Minden....
- Mountain House
- Ruhenstroth
- SheridanSheridan, NevadaSheridan is an unincorporated community in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. Sheridan is located on Nevada State Route 206 southwest of Minden....
- Skyland
- Summit Village
- Tahoe Village
- Topaz Ranch Estates
Education
Douglas County's education is managed by the Douglas County School District. It serves for all of Douglas County, having two main areas: Lake Tahoe & the Carson Valley. Douglas High School also serves most of the high school age students from Alpine County, CaliforniaAlpine County, California
Alpine County is the smallest county, by population, in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010, it had a population of 1,175, all rural. There are no incorporated cities in the county. The county seat is Markleeville...
Carson Valley
- Douglas High School
- Carson Valley Middle School
- Pau-Wa-Lu Middle School
- Gardnerville Elementary School
- Minden Elementary School
- Jacks Valley Elementary School
- Piñion Hills Elementary School
- Gene L. Scarselli Elementary School
- C.C. Meneley Elementary School
Movies filmed in Douglas County
- Smokin Aces
- Charley VarrickCharley VarrickCharley Varrick is a 1973 crime film directed by Don Siegel and starring Walter Matthau, Andrew Robinson, Joe Don Baker and John Vernon. The film was based on the novel The Looters by John H. Reese.-Plot:...
- The ShootistThe ShootistThe Shootist is a 1976 Western starring John Wayne in his final film role. It was based on the 1975 novel of the same name by Glendon Swarthout. Scott Hale and Miles Hood Swarthout wrote the screenplay...
- MiseryMisery (film)Misery is a 1990 American Psychological Horror Film based on Stephen King's 1987 novel of the same name. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film received critical acclaim for Kathy Bates' performance as the psychopathic Annie Wilkes...
- The Motel Life
Major industry in Douglas County
- Starbucks Roasting Plant
- GEGêGê are the people who spoke Ge languages of the northern South American Caribbean coast and Brazil. In Brazil the Gê were found in Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Bahia, Piaui, Mato Grosso, Goias, Tocantins, Maranhão, and as far south as Paraguay....
- Patmont Motor Werks
- The Bently Family of CompaniesDonald E. BentlyDonald E. Bently is an American entrepreneur and engineer, best known as the founder and former owner of Bently Nevada Corporation where he performed pioneering work in the field of instrumentation for measuring the mechanical condition of rotating machinery. He founded Bently Nevada in October,...