Lincoln County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the U.S. state of

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

. As of the 2010 census, the population was 5,345. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

is Pioche. Like many counties in Nevada, it is dry and sparsely populated, though notable for containing the

Area 51 Area 51 is the common name of a highly classified United States Air Force (USAF) facility within the Nevada Test and Training Range. A remote detachment administered by Edwards Air Force Base, the facility is officially called Homey Airpor ...

government Air Force base.

History

Lincoln County was established in 1866 after Congress enlarged Nevada by moving its state line eastward and southward at the expense of

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...

and

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fo ...

territories. It is named after

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

, the 16th

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United St ...

. Original legislation called for the creation of a "Stewart County", after Nevada Senator William M. Stewart, but this was later changed in a substitute bill. Crystal Springs was the county's first

seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair, a chair e ...

in 1866, followed by Hiko in 1867, and Pioche in 1871. Lincoln County initially included a ranch village and railroad siding named

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

. However, that siding, which led to the future city of Las Vegas, was separated from Lincoln County upon the founding of Clark County effective July 1, 1909, by act of the Nevada Legislature.

is in Lincoln County and the county sheriff acts in proxy for the perimeter security forces.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.04%) is water. While only the third largest county by area in the state of

, it is the seventh-largest county in area in the United States, not including boroughs and census areas in Alaska. The south cliff of Mount Rummel, the summit of which is just north of the county line in by this places side: White Pine County, contains the highest point in Lincoln County at . The highest independent mountain completely within Lincoln County is Shingle Peak, while the county's most topographically prominent peak is Mormon Peak.

Major highways

U.S. Route 93 * Nevada 317

State Route 317 * Nevada 318

State Route 318 * Nevada 319

State Route 319 * Nevada 320

State Route 320 * Nevada 321

State Route 321 * Nevada 322

State Route 322 * Nevada 375

State Route 375 * Nevada 816

State Route 816

Adjacent counties

* White Pine County - north *

Millard County Millard County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 12,503. Its county seat is Fillmore, and the largest city is Delta. History The Utah Territory legislature created the county on ...

- northeast/

Mountain Time The Mountain Time Zone of North America keeps time by subtracting seven hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) when standard time ( UTC−07:00) is in effect, and by subtracting six hours during daylight saving time ( UTC−06:00). The cloc ...

Border * Beaver County,

- east/Mountain Time Border * Iron County,

- east/Mountain Time Border * Washington County,

- east/Mountain Time Border * Mohave County,

- southeast/Mountain Time Border * Clark County,

- south * Nye County,

- west

National protected areas

* Desert National Wildlife Refuge (part) * Humboldt National Forest (part) * Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge There are 16 official

wilderness area Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...

s in Lincoln County that are part of the

National Wilderness Preservation System The National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS) of the United States protects federally managed wilderness areas designated for preservation in their natural condition. Activity on formally designated wilderness areas is coordinated by the N ...

. All are managed by the

Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands. Headquartered in Washington DC, and with oversight over , it governs one eighth of the country's l ...

. Several extend into neighboring counties (as indicated below). * Big Rocks Wilderness * Clover Mountains Wilderness * Delamar Mountains Wilderness * Far South Egans Wilderness (partly in Nye County, NV) * Fortification Range Wilderness * Meadow Valley Range Wilderness (partly in Clark County, NV) * Mormon Mountains Wilderness (partly in Clark County, NV) * Mount Grafton Wilderness (mostly in White Pine County, NV) * Mount Irish Wilderness * Parsnip Peak Wilderness * South Egan Range Wilderness (partly in White Pine County, NV; Nye County, NV) * South Pahroc Range Wilderness * Tunnel Spring Wilderness * Weepah Spring Wilderness (partly in Nye County, NV) * White Rock Range Wilderness * Worthington Mountains Wilderness

Demographics

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 4,165 people, 1,540 households, and 1,010 families living in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberP ...

was less than one person per square mile (and less than 1/km²). There were 2,178 housing units at an average density of 0 per square mile (0/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 91.50%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 1.78%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have of ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

, 1.75% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Oce ...

, 2.69% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.92% from two or more races. 5.31% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties form ...

or Latino of any race. According to the 2000 census the five largest ancestry groups in Lincoln County are

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

(21%), German (18%), Irish (11%), Mexican (4%) and Italian (4%). There were 1,540 households, out of which 29.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.20% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.40% were non-families. 31.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.15. In the county, the population was spread out, with 30.10% under the age of 18, 6.00% from 18 to 24, 21.90% from 25 to 44, 25.90% from 45 to 64, and 16.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 107.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.20 males. The median income for a household in the county was $31,979, and the median income for a family was $45,588. Males had a median income of $40,048 versus $23,571 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $17,326. About 11.50% of families and 16.50% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 19.60% of those under age 18 and 17.40% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...

, there were 5,345 people, 1,988 households, and 1,282 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 2,730 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 91.1% white, 2.3% black or African American, 1.1% American Indian, 0.7% Asian, 0.3% Pacific islander, 2.2% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 6.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 39.8% were

, 19.5% were German, 12.4% were Irish, 6.1% were Danish, 5.9% were

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People ...

, and 1.8% were American. Of the 1,988 households, 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.5% were non-families, and 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.16. The median age was 39.9 years. The median income for a household in the county was $44,695 and the median income for a family was $56,167. Males had a median income of $51,475 versus $26,366 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,148. About 7.5% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the

, including 12.5% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools in Lincoln County are under the Lincoln County School District. The schools are: *Pioche Elementary School *Caliente Elementary School *Pahranagat Valley Elementary School *Panaca Elementary School *Meadow Valley Middle School *Pahranagat Valley Middle School * Lincoln County High School *C. O. Bastian High School *Pahranagat Valley High School

Politics

Prior to 1968, Lincoln County frequently backed the Democratic Party in presidential elections, with only five elections from 1904 to 1964 not won by a Democratic presidential candidate. The 1968 election began the county's status as a Republican Party stronghold, with no Democrat managing to win thirty percent of the county's votes since

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from ...

in 1976.

Communities

City

* Caliente

Census-designated places

Alamo The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reclaimed the Alamo Mission near San Anto ...

* Beaverdam * Bennett Springs *

Dry Valley A dry valley may develop on many kinds of permeable rock, such as limestone and chalk, or sandy terrains that do not regularly sustain surface water flow. Such valleys do not hold surface water because it sinks into the permeable bedrock. There ...

* Hiko * Mount Wilson * Panaca * Pioche (county seat) *

Rachel Rachel () was a Biblical figure, the favorite of Jacob's two wives, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the tribes of Israel. Rachel's father was Laban. Her older sister was Leah, Jacob's first wife. Her ...

* Ursine

Unincorporated communities

* Ash Springs * Barclay *

Carp Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...

* Coyote Springs * Etna * Pony Springs

Ghost towns

* Crystal Springs * Elgin * Fay

Planned development

* Coyote Springs — a proposed community for 240,000 people.

Notable people

Helen J. Stewart Helen Jane Stewart (April 16, 1854 – March 6, 1926) was a Southern Nevada pioneer, and was considered the "first lady of Las Vegas". Stewart Avenue in Downtown Las Vegas is dedicated in her honor. Biography Helen Jane Wiser was born in Springf ...

, at one time the largest landowner in the county * Land artist Michael Heizer lives in Garden Valley near his last work, ''City''.

References

External links

* *
Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce

Lincoln County Regional Development Authority
{{authority control 1866 establishments in Nevada Populated places established in 1866