Western Nevada
Encyclopedia
Western Nevada is a region that includes Reno
, Carson City
and the Carson Valley
. Lyon County
and Churchill County
are sometimes also referred to as part of Western Nevada.
The region is the second most populous in the state, with between 530,000 and 615,000 residents, depending on whether Lyon and Churchill counties are included. It is also the historic population center of Nevada, with the state capital in Carson City, the University of Nevada
in Reno and several state historic parks, notably Mormon Station State Historic Park
in Genoa
, the state's first permanent European settlement.
desert floor. Basin and Range Province topography extends east from the Sierras, with mountain ranges such as the Virginia Range
, Pah Rah Range
and Pine Nut Mountains
separating the more densely-populated Sierra front with the desert plains to the east. The mountains act as a second rain shadow
for Pacific storms rolling east.
Three rivers flow off the Sierras to the Great Basin — the Truckee River
, Carson River
and Walker River. The Truckee Canyon through the Virginia and Pah Rah mountains serves as the route for Interstate 80
between Fernley
and Reno. Pyramid Lake and Washoe Lake
collect water in their respective endorheic basins, and Lake Lahontan
impounds the Carson River to distribute water for irrigation in Churchill County.
and U.S. Highway 50. U.S. 395 runs from the Los Angeles
area to the Pacific Northwest
along the eastern Sierras, and is a freeway for about 40 of its 84 miles (135.2 km) through Nevada, with another 15 miles (24.1 km) of freeway under construction. Part of U.S. 395 is also Interstate 580
. About 35,000 cars daily use U.S. 395 between Reno and Carson City.
I-80 is the main east-west route through the region, connecting with Sacramento
and the San Francisco Bay Area
to the west and the Great Basin
and Salt Lake City to the east. It also connects the rapidly-growing community of Fernley with Reno and serves as a route to access the resort communities at Lake Tahoe
.
U.S. 50 also connects to Sacramento to the west, running along Lake Tahoe before descending to Carson City. To the east, it connects Dayton, Silver Springs and Fallon to the state capital.
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
, 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...
and the Carson Valley
Carson River
The Carson River is a northwestern Nevada river that empties into the Carson Sink, an endorheic basin. The main stem of the river is long....
. 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:...
and Churchill County
Churchill County, Nevada
Churchill County is a county located in the western U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 23,982. As of July 1, 2007, the population of Churchill County was estimated at 27,190. The county, named after Mexican-American War hero brevet Brigadier General Sylvester Churchill,...
are sometimes also referred to as part of Western Nevada.
The region is the second most populous in the state, with between 530,000 and 615,000 residents, depending on whether Lyon and Churchill counties are included. It is also the historic population center of Nevada, with the state capital in Carson City, the University of Nevada
University of Nevada, Reno
The University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA...
in Reno and several state historic parks, notably Mormon Station State Historic Park
Mormon Station State Historic Park
Mormon Station Historic State Park is a state park interpreting the site of first permanent nonnative settlement in Nevada, USA. The park is located in downtown Genoa....
in 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....
, the state's first permanent European settlement.
Geography
Western Nevada encompasses the western edge of the state, with the term generally applied to areas within 100 miles (160.9 km) of the California border, from Mineral County northward. On the west along the California border, the Sierra Nevada mountains rise sharply from the Great BasinGreat Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
desert floor. Basin and Range Province topography extends east from the Sierras, with mountain ranges such as the Virginia Range
Virginia Range
The Virginia Range is a mountain range nearly entirely in Storey County, Nevada, that is a portion of the drainage divide between the Truckee River and the Carson River . Truckee Meadows and the Washoe Valley are to the west and the Lahontan Valley is east...
, Pah Rah Range
Pah Rah Range
The Pah Rah Range is a mountain range located in western Nevada in the United States. It is a north-south running ridge, approximately long, and is wholly in Washoe County. It is bounded to the south and east by the Truckee River, to which its surface runoff from south and east slopes flow, and...
and Pine Nut Mountains
Pine Nut Mountains
The Pine Nut Mountains are a north-south mountain range in the Great Basin, in Storey County of northwestern Nevada, United States.-Geography:...
separating the more densely-populated Sierra front with the desert plains to the east. The mountains act as a second rain shadow
Rain shadow
A rain shadow is a dry area on the lee side of a mountainous area. The mountains block the passage of rain-producing weather systems, casting a "shadow" of dryness behind them. As shown by the diagram to the right, the warm moist air is "pulled" by the prevailing winds over a mountain...
for Pacific storms rolling east.
Three rivers flow off the Sierras to the Great Basin — the Truckee River
Truckee River
The Truckee River is a stream in the U.S. states of California and Nevada. The river is about long. Its endorheic drainage basin is about , of which about are in Nevada. The Truckee is the sole outlet of Lake Tahoe and drains part of the high Sierra Nevada, emptying into Pyramid Lake in the Great...
, Carson River
Carson River
The Carson River is a northwestern Nevada river that empties into the Carson Sink, an endorheic basin. The main stem of the river is long....
and Walker River. The Truckee Canyon through the Virginia and Pah Rah mountains serves as the route for Interstate 80
Interstate 80
Interstate 80 is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, following Interstate 90. It is a transcontinental artery running from downtown San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey in the New York City Metropolitan Area...
between Fernley
Fernley, Nevada
Fernley is a city in Lyon County, Nevada, United States, within Reno-Sparks-Lake Tahoe metropolitan. The city incorporated in 2001, including land in Washoe County; prior to that it was a census-designated place . The population of the CDP was 8,543 at the 2000 census; the city itself had an...
and Reno. Pyramid Lake and Washoe Lake
Washoe Lake
Washoe Lake is a lake located in the Washoe Valley of Washoe County, Nevada. It is between Reno and Carson City . It is a very shallow lake, and the surface area can vary greatly from year to year.-Watershed:...
collect water in their respective endorheic basins, and Lake Lahontan
Lake Lahontan (reservoir)
Modern Lake Lahontan is a reservoir on the Carson River in northwest Nevada in the United States. It is formed by the Lahontan Dam and is located between Fallon, Nevada and Carson City, Nevada. The flows from the Carson River is augmented by diversions from the Truckee River...
impounds the Carson River to distribute water for irrigation in Churchill County.
Transportation
The main roads in the region are U.S. Highway 395, Interstate 80Interstate 80
Interstate 80 is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, following Interstate 90. It is a transcontinental artery running from downtown San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey in the New York City Metropolitan Area...
and U.S. Highway 50. U.S. 395 runs from the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
area to the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
along the eastern Sierras, and is a freeway for about 40 of its 84 miles (135.2 km) through Nevada, with another 15 miles (24.1 km) of freeway under construction. Part of U.S. 395 is also Interstate 580
Interstate 580
Interstate 580 is the designation for several Interstate Highways in the United States, all of which are related to Interstate 80:*Interstate 580 , a connector in the San Francisco Bay Area to Interstate 5...
. About 35,000 cars daily use U.S. 395 between Reno and Carson City.
I-80 is the main east-west route through the region, connecting with Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
and the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
to the west and the Great Basin
Great Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
and Salt Lake City to the east. It also connects the rapidly-growing community of Fernley with Reno and serves as a route to access the resort communities at 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...
.
U.S. 50 also connects to Sacramento to the west, running along Lake Tahoe before descending to Carson City. To the east, it connects Dayton, Silver Springs and Fallon to the state capital.
Counties
Western Nevada generally includes the following counties:- Carson CityCarson 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...
(an independent cityIndependent cityAn independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...
not included in any county) - Douglas CountyDouglas County, NevadaDouglas 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.- History :...
- Lyon CountyLyon 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:...
- Storey CountyStorey County, NevadaStorey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 3,399, which was estimated to have risen to 4,110 in 2006...
- Washoe CountyWashoe County, NevadaWashoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. The population was 421,407 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Reno. Washoe County includes the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area.-History:...
Cities and towns
- Reno, NevadaReno, NevadaReno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
- Sparks, NevadaSparks, NevadaSparks is a city in Washoe County, Nevada, United States, located east of Reno, Nevada. The 2010 U.S. Census Bureau population count was 90,264. Sparks is often referred to as half of a twin city .-Geography and Climate:...
- 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...
- Minden, NevadaMinden, 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...
- Gardnerville, NevadaGardnerville, 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....
- Incline Village, Nevada
- Virginia City, NevadaVirginia City, NevadaVirginia City is a census-designated place that is the county seat of Storey County, Nevada. It is part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 855 at the 2010 Census.- History :...
- Johnson Lane, NevadaJohnson 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...
- Fernley, NevadaFernley, NevadaFernley is a city in Lyon County, Nevada, United States, within Reno-Sparks-Lake Tahoe metropolitan. The city incorporated in 2001, including land in Washoe County; prior to that it was a census-designated place . The population of the CDP was 8,543 at the 2000 census; the city itself had an...
- Fallon, NevadaFallon, Nevada-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,536 people, 3,004 households, and 1,877 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,474.1 people per square mile . There were 3,336 housing units at an average density of 1,095.2 per square mile...
- Dayton, NevadaDayton, NevadaDayton is a census-designated place in Lyon County, Nevada, United States. The population was 5,907 at the 2000 census.-History:Dayton is at the western end of the Twenty-Six Mile Desert at a bend in the Carson River. Immigrants stopping there for water would consider whether to follow the river...
- Silver Springs, NevadaSilver Springs, NevadaSilver Springs is a census-designated place in Lyon County, Nevada, United States at the intersection of U.S. 50 and U.S. 95A. The population was 4,708 at the 2000 census. Lahontan Reservoir, Lahontan State Recreation Area and historic Fort Churchill State Historic Park are all located nearby...
- Yerington, NevadaYerington, NevadaYerington is a city in Lyon County, located in western Nevada, USA. The population was 2,883 at the 2000 census. It is named after Henry M. Yerington, Superintendent of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad from 1868 to 1910. It is the county seat of Lyon County....
- Genoa, NevadaGenoa, 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....