Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked
state in the
Western United States. It borders
Oregon
Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
to the northwest,
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...
to the northeast,
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
to the west,
Arizona
Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
to the southeast, and
Utah
Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
to the east. Nevada is the
seventh-most extensive, the
32nd-most populous, and the
ninth-least densely populated U.S. state. Nearly three-quarters of Nevada's population live in
Clark County, which contains the
Las Vegas–Paradise metropolitan area, including three of the state's four largest incorporated cities. Nevada's capital is
Carson City.
Las Vegas is the largest city in the state.
Nevada is officially known as the "Silver State" because of the importance of silver to its history and economy. It is also known as the "Battle Born State" because it achieved statehood during the
Civil War
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
(the words "Battle Born" also appear on
its state flag); due to the
presidency
A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified b ...
of
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
, the Union benefited immensely from the support of newly awarded statehood by the infusion of the monetary support of nearly $400 million in silver ore generated at the time by the
Comstock Lode. It is also known as the "
Sagebrush State", for the native plant of the same name; and as the "
Sage-hen State". The state's name means "snowy" in Spanish, referring to Nevada's small overlap with the
Sierra Nevada mountain range; however, the rest of Nevada is largely
desert
A desert is a landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions create unique biomes and ecosystems. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About one-third of the la ...
and
semi-arid, much of it within the
Great Basin. Areas south of the Great Basin are within the
Mojave Desert, while
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe (; Washo language, Washo: ''dáʔaw'') is a Fresh water, freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the Western United States, straddling the border between California and Nevada. Lying at above sea level, Lake Tahoe is the largest a ...
and the Sierra Nevada lie on the western edge. In 2020, 80.1% of the state's land was managed by various jurisdictions of the
U.S. federal government, both civilian and military.
Native Americans of the
Paiute,
Shoshone, and
Washoe tribes inhabit what is now Nevada. The first Europeans to explore the region were Spanish. They called the region ''Nevada'' (snowy) because of the snow which covered the mountains in winter, similar to the
Sierra Nevada in Spain. The area formed from mostly
Alta California
Alta California (, ), also known as Nueva California () among other names, was a province of New Spain formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but was made a separat ...
and part of
Nuevo México's territory within the
Viceroyalty of New Spain, which gained independence as Mexico in 1821. The United States annexed the area in 1848 after its victory in the
Mexican–American War, and it was incorporated as part of the
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
and
Utah Territory in 1850. The discovery of silver at the
Comstock Lode in 1859 led to a population boom that became an impetus to the creation of
Nevada Territory out of western Utah Territory in 1861. Nevada became the 36th state on October 31, 1864, as the second of two states added to the Union during the Civil War (the first being
West Virginia
West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
).
Nevada is known for its
libertarian laws. In 1940, with a
population
Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...
of just over 110,000 people, Nevada was by far the least-populated state, with less than half the population of the next least-populous state,
Wyoming
Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...
.
However, legalized
gambling
Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of Value (economics), value ("the stakes") on a Event (probability theory), random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy (ga ...
and
lenient marriage and divorce laws transformed Nevada into a major tourist destination in the 20th century. Nevada is the only U.S. state where
prostitution is legal, though it is illegal in its most populated regionsClark County (Las Vegas),
Washoe County (
Reno) and
Carson City (which, as an independent city, is not within the boundaries of any county). The tourism industry remains Nevada's largest employer, with mining continuing as a substantial sector of the economy: Nevada is the fourth-largest producer of gold in the world. It is the driest state.
Drought
A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, ...
s in Nevada, which are influenced by
climate change
Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...
, have been increasing in frequency and severity, putting a further strain on Nevada's
water security.
Etymology
The name "Nevada" comes from the Spanish adjective (), meaning "snowy" or "snow-covered". The state takes its name from the
Nevada Territory, which in turn was named for the
Sierra Nevada.
Standard pronunciation
Nevadans pronounce the second syllable with the "a" of "apple" (). Despite this, some people from outside of the state pronounce it with the "a" of "palm" (). Although the
quality, but not the
length
Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with Dimension (physical quantity), dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a Base unit (measurement), base unit for length is chosen, ...
, of the latter pronunciation is closer to the Spanish pronunciation (Spanish is
open central , whereas American English varies from
back to central ), it is not the pronunciation used by Nevadans. State Assemblyman
Harry Mortenson proposed a bill to recognize the alternative pronunciation of Nevada, though the bill was not supported by most legislators and never received a vote. The Nevadan pronunciation is the one used by the state legislature. At one time, the state's official tourism organization, TravelNevada, stylized the name of the state as "Nevăda", with a
breve
A breve ( , less often , grammatical gender, neuter form of the Latin "short, brief") is the diacritic mark , shaped like the bottom half of a circle. As used in Ancient Greek, it is also called , . It resembles the caron (, the wedge or in ...
over the ''a'' indicating the locally preferred pronunciation, which was also available as a license plate design until 2007.
History
Indigenous history
Before the arrival of Europeans, the earliest inhabitants were Indigenous tribes including the
Goshute,
Southern Paiute,
Mohave, and Wašišiw (
Washoe people).
Before 1861
Francisco Garcés was the first European in the area. Nevada was annexed as a part of the
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire, sometimes referred to as the Hispanic Monarchy (political entity), Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it ushered ...
in the northwestern territory of
New Spain. Administratively, the area of Nevada was part of the
Commandancy General of the Provincias Internas in the Viceroyalty of New Spain. Nevada became a part of
Alta California
Alta California (, ), also known as Nueva California () among other names, was a province of New Spain formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but was made a separat ...
(Upper California) province in 1804 when
the Californias were split. With the
Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence (, 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821) was an armed conflict and political process resulting in Mexico's independence from the Spanish Empire. It was not a single, coherent event, but local and regional ...
won in 1821, the province of Alta California became a territory (state) of Mexico, with a small population.
Jedediah Smith entered the
Las Vegas Valley
The Las Vegas Valley is a major metropolitan area in the Southern Nevada, southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada, and the second largest in the Southwestern United States. The state's largest urban agglomeration, the Las Vegas Metropolitan St ...
in 1827,
Peter Skene Ogden traveled the
Humboldt River in 1828, and in 1829 a merchant from
Nuevo México named
Antonio Armijo streamlined travel along the
Old Spanish Trail. Chronicling
Armijo's route his scout
Raphael Rivera was the first to name Las Vegas, in an 1830 report to governor
José Antonio Chaves. Following the suggestions by Rivera of a spring, on the published expedition's map, located in the Las Vegas area
John C. Frémont set up camp in
Las Vegas Springs in 1844. In 1847, Mormons established the
State of Deseret
The State of Deseret (modern pronunciation , contemporaneously , as recorded in the Deseret alphabet spelling 𐐔𐐯𐑅𐐨𐑉𐐯𐐻) was a proposed U.S. state, state of the United States promoted by leaders of the Church of Jesus Chri ...
, claiming all of Nevada within the Great Basin and the Colorado watershed. They built the first permanent settlement in what is now Nevada, called
Mormon Station (now Genoa), in 1851. Additionally, in June 1855, William Bringhurst and 29 other Mormon missionaries built the first permanent structure, a 150-foot square
adobe fort, northeast of downtown Las Vegas, converging on the Spanish and
Mormon Roads. The fort remained under
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...
's control until the winter of 1858–1859, and the route remained largely under the control of Salt Lake City and
Santa Fe tradespersons.
As such, these pioneers laid the foundation for the emergence of the initial settlements between the
Sierra Nevadas and
Mojave Desert and within the Las Vegas Valley. The enduring influence of
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
and
Utah
Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
culture has since profoundly impacted Nevada's identity, manifesting through
New Mexican cuisine and
Mormon foodways or
New Mexican and
Mormon folk musics, into the fabric of Nevada's own cultural landscape.
As a result of the
Mexican–American War and the
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexico permanently lost Alta California in 1848. The new areas acquired by the United States continued to be administered as territories. As part of the
Mexican Cession (1848) and the subsequent
California Gold Rush that used
Emigrant Trails through the area, the
state's area evolved first as part of the
Utah Territory and
New Mexico Territory, then the
Nevada Territory (March 2, 1861; named for the
Sierra Nevada).
The first discovery of a major U.S. deposit of
silver ore occurred in
Comstock Lode under
Virginia City, Nevada, in 1859.
Separation from Utah Territory
On March 2, 1861, the Nevada Territory separated from the Utah Territory and adopted its current name, shortened from ''The Sierra Nevada'' (Spanish for "snow-covered mountain range"). The 1861 southern boundary is commemorated by
Nevada Historical Markers 57 and 58 in the
Lincoln and
Nye counties.
Statehood (1864)

Eight days before the
presidential election of 1864, Nevada became the 36th state in the Union, despite lacking the minimum 60,000 residents that
Congress typically required a potential state to have in order to become a state. At the time, Nevada's population was little more than 40,000.
Governor
James W. Nye was frustrated that previous attempts to send the constitution via overland mail and by sea had failed by October 24, so on October 26 the full text was sent by telegraph at a cost of $4,303.27
the most costly telegraph on file at the time for a single dispatch, . Finally, the response from Washington came on October 31, 1864: "the pain is over, the child is born, Nevada this day was admitted into the Union". Statehood was rushed to the date of October 31 to help ensure
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
's reelection on November8 and post-Civil War
Republican dominance in Congress, as Nevada's mining-based economy tied it to the more industrialized
Union. As it turned out, however, Lincoln and the Republicans won the election handily and did not need Nevada's help.
Nevada is one of only two states to significantly expand its borders after admission to the Union, with the other being
Missouri
Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
, which acquired additional territory in 1837 due to the
Platte Purchase. In 1866, another part of the western Utah Territory was added to Nevada in the eastern part of the state, setting the current eastern boundary. Nevada achieved its current southern boundaries on January 18, 1867, when it absorbed the portion of
Pah-Ute County in the
Arizona Territory west of the Colorado River, essentially all of present-day Nevada south of the
37th parallel. The transfer was prompted by the discovery of gold in the area, and officials thought Nevada would be better able to oversee the expected population boom. This area includes all of what is now
Clark County and the southern-most portions of
Esmeralda, Lincoln, and Nye counties.
Mining shaped Nevada's economy for many years (see ''
Silver mining in Nevada''). When
Mark Twain lived in Nevada during the period described in ''
Roughing It'', mining had led to an industry of speculation and immense wealth. Both mining and population temporarily declined in the late 19th century. However, the rich silver strike at
Tonopah in 1900, followed by strikes in
Goldfield and
Rhyolite, created a second mining boom in Nevada and Nevada's population.
Gambling and labor
Unregulated
gambling
Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of Value (economics), value ("the stakes") on a Event (probability theory), random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy (ga ...
was commonplace in the early Nevada mining towns but was outlawed in 1909 as part of a nationwide anti-gambling crusade. Because of subsequent declines in mining output and the decline of the agricultural sector during the
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
, Nevada again legalized gambling on March 19, 1931, with approval from the legislature. Governor
Fred B. Balzar's signature enacted the most liberal divorce laws in the country and open gambling. The reforms came just eight days after the federal government presented the $49million construction contract for Boulder Dam (now
Hoover Dam).
Nuclear testing
The
Nevada Test Site, northwest of the city of Las Vegas, was founded on January 11, 1951, for the testing of
nuclear weapons
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either nuclear fission, fission (fission or atomic bomb) or a combination of fission and nuclear fusion, fusion reactions (thermonuclear weap ...
. The site consists of about of the desert and mountainous terrain.
Nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site began with a nuclear bomb dropped on
Frenchman Flat on January 27, 1951. The last atmospheric test was conducted on July 17, 1962, and the underground testing of weapons continued until September 23, 1992. The location is known for having the highest concentration of nuclear-detonated weapons in the U.S.
Over 80% of the state's area is owned by the federal government. This is mainly because
homesteads were not permitted in large enough sizes to be viable in the arid conditions that prevail throughout desert Nevada. Instead, early settlers would homestead land surrounding a water source, and then graze livestock on the adjacent public land, which is useless for agriculture without access to water (this pattern of
ranching still prevails).
2020s
The
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
was confirmed in Nevada on March 5, 2020. Because of concerns about
coronavirus disease 2019
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include f ...
(COVID-19), Nevada governor
Steve Sisolak declared a
state of emergency on March 12, 2020. Four days later, Nevada reported its first death. On March 17, 2020, Sisolak ordered the closure of non-essential businesses in the state to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Various protests were held against Sisolak's shutdown order beginning in April 2020. Nevada launched the first phase of its reopening on May 9, 2020. Restaurants, retailers, outdoor malls, and hair salons were among the businesses allowed to reopen, but with precautions in place, such as limiting occupancy to 50 percent. A second phase went into effect on May 29, 2020. It allowed for the reopening of
state parks and businesses such as bars, gyms, and movie theaters. Casinos began reopening on June 4, 2020.
Geography

Nevada is almost entirely within the
Basin and Range Province and is broken up by many north–south mountain ranges. Most of these ranges have
endorheic
An endorheic basin ( ; also endoreic basin and endorreic basin) is a drainage basin that normally retains water and allows no outflow to other external bodies of water (e.g. rivers and oceans); instead, the water drainage flows into permanent ...
valleys between them.
Much of the northern part of the state is within the
Great Basin, a mild desert that experiences hot temperatures in the summer and cold temperatures in the winter. Occasionally, moisture from the
Arizona Monsoon will cause summer thunderstorms; Pacific storms may blanket the area with snow. The state's highest recorded temperature was in
Laughlin (elevation of ) on June 29, 1994.
[National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, N.C., and Storm Phillips, Stormfax, Inc.] The coldest recorded temperature was set in San Jacinto in 1972, in the northeastern portion of the state.
The
Humboldt River crosses the state from east to west across the northern part of the state, draining into the
Humboldt Sink near
Lovelock. Several rivers drain from the Sierra Nevada eastward, including the
Walker,
Truckee, and
Carson rivers. All of these rivers are
endorheic basins, ending in
Walker Lake,
Pyramid Lake, and the
Carson Sink, respectively. However, not all of Nevada is within the Great Basin. Tributaries of the
Snake River drain the far north, while the
Colorado River
The Colorado River () is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The river, the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), 5th longest in the United St ...
, which also forms much of the boundary with
Arizona
Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
, drains much of southern Nevada.
The mountain ranges, some of which have peaks above , harbor lush forests high above desert plains, creating
sky islands for endemic species. The valleys are often no lower in elevation than , while some in central Nevada are above .
The southern third of the state, where the Las Vegas area is situated, is within the
Mojave Desert. The area receives less rain in the winter but is closer to the Arizona Monsoon in the summer. The terrain is also lower, mostly below , creating conditions for hot summer days and cool to chilly winter nights.
Nevada and California have by far the longest diagonal
line (in respect to the cardinal directions) as a state
boundary at just over . This line begins in
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe (; Washo language, Washo: ''dáʔaw'') is a Fresh water, freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the Western United States, straddling the border between California and Nevada. Lying at above sea level, Lake Tahoe is the largest a ...
nearly offshore (in the direction of the boundary), and continues to the
Colorado River
The Colorado River () is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The river, the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), 5th longest in the United St ...
where the Nevada, California, and Arizona boundaries merge southwest of the Laughlin Bridge.
The largest mountain range in the southern portion of the state is the
Spring Mountain Range, just west of Las Vegas. The state's lowest point is along the Colorado River, south of Laughlin.
Nevada has 172 mountain summits with of prominence. Nevada ranks second, after Alaska, for the greatest number of mountains in the United States, followed by California, Montana, and Washington.
Climate
Nevada is the driest state in the United States. It is made up of mostly desert and semi-arid climate regions, and, with the exception of the
Las Vegas Valley
The Las Vegas Valley is a major metropolitan area in the Southern Nevada, southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada, and the second largest in the Southwestern United States. The state's largest urban agglomeration, the Las Vegas Metropolitan St ...
, the average summer
diurnal temperature range approaches in much of the state. While winters in northern Nevada are long and fairly cold, the winter season in the southern part of the state tends to be of short duration and mild. Most parts of Nevada receive scarce precipitation during the year. The most rain that falls in the state falls on the east and northeast slopes of the
Sierra Nevada.
The average annual rainfall per year is about ; the wettest parts get around . Nevada's highest recorded temperature is at
Laughlin on June 29, 1994, and the lowest recorded temperature is at
San Jacinto on January 8, 1937. Nevada's reading is the third highest statewide record high temperature of a U.S. state, just behind Arizona's reading and California's reading.
Flora and fauna
The vegetation of Nevada is diverse and differs by state area. Nevada contains six
biotic zones:
alpine,
sub-alpine,
ponderosa pine,
pinion-juniper,
sagebrush and
creosotebush.
Counties
Nevada is divided into political jurisdictions designated as ''
counties''. Carson City is officially a consolidated municipality, meaning it legally functions as both a city and a county. As of 1919, there were 17 counties in the state, ranging from .
Lake County, one of the original nine counties formed in 1861, was renamed
Roop County in 1862. Part of the county became
Lassen County, California, in 1864, resolving border uncertainty. In 1883, Washoe County annexed the portion that remained in Nevada.
In 1969, Ormsby County was dissolved and the
Consolidated Municipality of Carson City was created by the Legislature in its place coterminous with the old boundaries of Ormsby County.
Bullfrog County was formed in 1987 from part of Nye County. After the creation was declared unconstitutional, the county was abolished in 1989.
Humboldt County was designated as a county in 1856 by
Utah Territorial Legislature and again in 1861 by the new Nevada Legislature.
Clark County is the most populous county in Nevada, accounting for nearly three-quarters of its residents. Las Vegas, Nevada's most populous city, has been the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
since the county was created in 1909 from a portion of
Lincoln County, Nevada. Before that, it was a part of Arizona Territory. Clark County attracts numerous tourists: An estimated 44million people visited Clark County in 2014.
Washoe County is the second-most populous county of Nevada. Its county seat is
Reno. Washoe County includes the
Reno–Sparks metropolitan area.
Lyon County is the third most populous county. It was one of the nine original counties created in 1861. It was named after
Nathaniel Lyon, the first Union General to be killed in the
Civil War
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
. Its current county seat is
Yerington. Its first county seat was established at
Dayton
Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...
on November 29, 1861.
Settlements
Parks and recreation areas
Recreation areas maintained by the federal government
Northern Nevada
*
Basin and Range National Monument
*
Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area
*
California National Historic Trail
*
Great Basin National Park
*
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
*
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
*
Pony Express National Historic Trail
*
Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge
Southern Nevada
*
Ash Meadows National Wildlife Preserve
*
Avi Kwa Ame National Monument
*
Basin and Range National Monument
*
Bootleg Canyon Mountain Bike Park
*
Death Valley National Park
*
Desert National Wildlife Refuge
*
Gold Butte National Monument
*
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
*
Inyo National Forest
*
Lake Mead National Recreation Area
*
Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge
*
Mount Charleston and the
Mount Charleston Wilderness
*
Old Spanish National Historic Trail
*
Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge
*
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
*
Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area
*
Spring Mountains and the
Spring Mountains National Recreation Area
*
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument
Wilderness
There are 68 designated
wilderness areas in Nevada, protecting some under the jurisdiction of the
National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...
,
U.S. Forest Service, and
Bureau of Land Management.
State parks
The Nevada state parks comprise
protected areas managed by the state of Nevada, including
state park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "Federated state, state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on accou ...
s, state
historic sites, and state
recreation areas. There are 24 state park units, including
Van Sickle Bi-State Park which opened in July 2011 and is operated in partnership with the adjacent state of
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
.
Demographics
Population

The
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
determined Nevada had a population of 3,104,614 at the
2020 U.S. census. In 2022, the estimated population of Nevada was 3,177,772, an increase of 73,158 residents (2.36%) since the 2020
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
.
Nevada had the highest percentage growth in population from 2017 to 2018. At the 2020 census, 6.0% of the state's population were reported as under 5, 22.5% were under 18, and 16.1% were 65 or older. Females made up about 49.8% of the population. 19.1% of the population was reported as foreign-born.
Since the 2020 census, the population of Nevada had a natural increase of 2,374 (the net difference between 42,076 births and 39,702 deaths); and an increase due to net migration of 36,605 (of which 34,280 was due to domestic and 2,325 was due to international migration).
The
center of population of Nevada is in southern
Nye County. In this county, the unincorporated town of
Pahrump, west of Las Vegas on the California state line, has grown very rapidly from 1980 to 2020. At the 2020 census, the town had 44,738 residents. Las Vegas grew from a gulch of 100 people in 1900 to 10,000 by 1950 to 100,000 by 1970, and was America's fastest-growing city and metropolitan area from 1960 to 2000.
From about the 1940s until 2003, Nevada was the fastest-growing state in the U.S. percentage-wise. Between 1990 and 2000, Nevada's population increased by 66%, while the nation's population increased by 13%. More than two-thirds of the population live in Clark County, which is coextensive with the
Las Vegas metropolitan area. Thus, in terms of population, Nevada is one of the most centralized states in the nation.
Henderson and
North Las Vegas are among the top 20 fastest-growing U.S. cities with populations over 100,000. The rural community of
Mesquite northeast of Las Vegas was an example of micropolitan growth in the 1990s and 2000s. Other desert towns like
Indian Springs and
Searchlight on the outskirts of Las Vegas have seen some growth as well.
Since 1950, the rate of population born in Nevada has never peaked above 27 percent, the lowest rate of all states. In 2012, only 25% of Nevadans were born in Nevada.
According to
HUD's 2022
Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 7,618
homeless people in Nevada.
Race and ethnicity
According to the 2022
American Community Survey, 30.3% of Nevada's population were of
Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race):
Mexican (22%),
Cuban (1.5%),
Salvadoran (1.5%),
Puerto Rican (1%), and other Hispanic or Latino origin (4.3%). The largest European ancestry groups were:
German (8.9%),
English (8.1%),
Irish (7.2%), and
Italian (4.8%). The largest Asian ancestry groups in the state were
Filipino (6.4%) and
Chinese (1.9%).

In 1980, non-Hispanic whites made up 83.2% of the state's population.
As of 2011, 63.6% of Nevada's population younger than age1 were minorities. Las Vegas is a
majority-minority city. According to the United States Census Bureau estimates, as of July 1, 2018, non-Hispanic Whites made up 48.7% of Nevada's population.
In
Douglas,
Mineral
In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid substance with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. (2011): Mi ...
, and
Pershing counties, a plurality of residents are of Mexican ancestry. In
Nye County and
Humboldt County, residents are mostly of German ancestry;
Washoe County has many Irish Americans. Americans of English descent form pluralities in
Lincoln County,
Churchill County,
Lyon County,
White Pine County, and
Eureka County.
Asian Americans have lived in the state since at least the 1850s, when the
California gold rush brought thousands of Chinese miners to Washoe County. They were followed by a few hundred
Japanese farmworkers in the late 19th century. By the late 20th century, many immigrants from China, Japan, Korea, the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
,
Bangladesh
Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...
, India, and
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
came to the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The city now has a significant Asian American community, with a mostly Chinese and
Taiwanese area known as "
Chinatown" west of I-15 on Spring Mountain Road.
Filipino Americans form the largest Asian American group in the state, with a population of more than 202,000. They comprise 59.8% of the Asian American population in Nevada and constitute about 6.4% of the entire state's population.
Mining booms drew many Greek and Eastern European immigrants to Nevada. In the early twentieth century,
Greeks
Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, southern Albania, Greeks in Turkey#History, Anatolia, parts of Greeks in Italy, Italy and Egyptian Greeks, Egypt, and to a l ...
,
Slavs
The Slavs or Slavic people are groups of people who speak Slavic languages. Slavs are geographically distributed throughout the northern parts of Eurasia; they predominantly inhabit Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, and ...
,
Danes,
Japanese,
Italians
Italians (, ) are a European peoples, European ethnic group native to the Italian geographical region. Italians share a common Italian culture, culture, History of Italy, history, Cultural heritage, ancestry and Italian language, language. ...
, and
Basques
The Basques ( or ; ; ; ) are a Southwestern European ethnic group, characterised by the Basque language, a Basque culture, common culture and shared genetic ancestry to the ancient Vascones and Aquitanians. Basques are indigenous peoples, ...
poured into Nevada.
Chileans were found in the state as early as 1870. During the mid-1800s, a significant number of European immigrants, mainly from
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
,
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
and
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, arrived in the state with the intention of capitalizing on the thriving mining sector in the region.
Native American tribes in Nevada are the
Northern and
Southern Paiute,
Western Shoshone,
Goshute,
Hualapai,
Washoe, and
Ute tribes.
Whites remain the largest racial or ethnic group in Nevada. Hispanics are the fastest growing ethnic group in Nevada. There is a growing Mexican and Central American population in Nevada. Many of Nevada's Latino immigrants are from Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador. Nevada also has a growing multiracial population.
The top countries of origin for immigrants in Nevada were
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
(39.5 percent of immigrants), the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
(14.3 percent),
El Salvador
El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...
(5.2 percent),
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
(3.1 percent), and
Cuba
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
(3 percent).
The majority of people in Nevada are of white (European) ancestry. A small portion trace their ancestry to Basque people recruited as sheepherders. Hispanics in Nevada are mainly of Mexican and Cuban heritage. Latinos comprise about one-fourth of Nevada's residents and are concentrated in the southeast in Nevada. African Americans live mainly in the Las Vegas and Reno area and constitute less than one-tenth of the population. Native Americans of the Paiute, Shoshone, and Washoe tribes live on several reservations in the state and make up a small fraction of Nevada's population.
The most common ancestries in Nevada include Mexican, German, Irish, English, Italian and Asian.
Nevada is the third most diverse state in the country, behind only Hawaii and California.
;Birth data
''Note: Births within the table do not add up, due to Hispanics being counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number.''
* Since 2016, data for births of
White Hispanic origin are not collected, but included in one ''Hispanic'' group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
A small percentage of Nevada's population lives in rural areas. The culture of these places differs significantly from major metropolitan areas. People in these rural counties tend to be native Nevada residents, unlike in the Las Vegas and Reno areas, where the vast majority of the population was born in another state. The rural population is also less diverse in terms of race and ethnicity. Mining plays an important role in the economies of the rural counties, with tourism being less prominent. Ranching also has a long tradition in rural Nevada.
Locations by per capita income
Religion
Church attendance in Nevada is among the lowest of all U.S. states. In a 2009
Gallup poll only 30% of Nevadans said they attended church weekly or almost weekly, compared to 42% of all Americans (only four states were found to have a lower attendance rate than Nevada's). In 2020, the Public Religion Research Institute determined 67% of the population were Christian, reflecting a 1% increase in religiosity from 2014's separate Pew study.
Major religious affiliations of the people of Nevada were, according to the Pew Research Center in 2014:
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
35%,
Irreligious 28%,
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
25%,
Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...
4%,
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
2%,
Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
less than 1%,
Buddhist
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
0.5% and
Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
around 0.2%. Parts of Nevada (in the eastern parts of the state) are situated in the
Mormon Corridor.
The largest denominations by number of adherents in 2010 were the
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
with 451,070;
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...
with 175,149; and the
Southern Baptist Convention with 45,535;
Buddhist congregations 14,727;
Baháʼí Faith
The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...
1,723; and
Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
1,700.
Languages
The most common non-English languages spoken in Nevada are
Spanish,
Tagalog and
Chinese.
Indigenous languages of Nevada include Northern Paiute, the Southern Paiute, Shoshone, and Washo.
The top seven languages spoken in Nevada according to the U.S. Census data are
Spanish,
Tagalog,
Chinese,
Vietnamese,
Korean,
Amharic,
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
, and
Thai.
Native American tribes
Historically what is now Nevada has been inhabited mainly by the Paiute, Shoshone, and Washoe.
The largest Native American tribes in Nevada according to the 2010 census are listed in the table below:
Economy

The economy of Nevada is tied to tourism (especially entertainment and gambling related), mining, and cattle ranching. Nevada's industrial outputs are tourism, entertainment, mining, machinery, printing and publishing, food processing, and electric equipment. The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates Nevada's total state product in 2018 was $170billion. The state's
per capita personal income in 2020 was $53,635, ranking 31st in the nation. Nevada's state debt in 2012 was calculated to be $7.5billion, or $3,100 per taxpayer. As of May 2021, the state's unemployment rate was 7.8%.
Mining
In portions of the state outside of the Las Vegas and Reno metropolitan areas mining plays a major economic role. By value, gold is by far the most important mineral mined. In 2022, of gold worth $7.3billion were mined in Nevada, and the state accounted for 4% of world gold production. Other minerals mined in Nevada include construction aggregates, copper, gypsum, diatomite and lithium.
Despite its rich deposits, the cost of mining in Nevada is generally high, and output is very sensitive to world commodity prices.
Cattle ranching
Cattle ranching is a major economic activity in rural Nevada. Nevada's agricultural outputs are cattle, hay, alfalfa, dairy products, onions, and potatoes. In 2020, there were an estimated 438,511 head of cattle and 71,699 head of sheep in Nevada.
Most of these animals forage on
rangeland in the summer, with supplemental feed in the winter. Calves are generally shipped to out-of-state
feedlots in the fall to be fattened for the market. Over 90% of Nevada's of cropland is used to grow
hay, mostly alfalfa, for livestock feed.
Largest employers
The largest employers in the state, as of the first fiscal quarter of 2011, are the following, according to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation:
Infrastructure
Transportation
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
's ''
California Zephyr'' train uses the Union Pacific's original
transcontinental railroad
A transcontinental railroad or transcontinental railway is contiguous rail transport, railroad trackage that crosses a continent, continental land mass and has terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks may be via the Ra ...
line in daily service from Chicago to
Emeryville, California, serving
Elko,
Winnemucca, and Reno. Las Vegas has had no passenger train service since Amtrak's
Desert Wind was discontinued in 1997.
Amtrak Thruway buses provide connecting service from Las Vegas to trains at
Needles, California, Los Angeles, and
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city in and the county seat of Kern County, California, United States. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, which is located in the Central Valley region.
Bakersfield's population as of th ...
; and from
Stateline, Nevada
Stateline is a census-designated place (CDP) on the southeastern shore of Lake Tahoe in Douglas County, Nevada, Douglas County, Nevada, United States. It lies next to the border with California and is conurbated with South Lake Tahoe, California ...
, to
Sacramento, California
Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat, seat of Sacramento County, California, Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento Rive ...
. There have been a number of proposals to re-introduce service to either
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
or
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...
with the privately run
Brightline West having begun construction in 2024.
The
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad is a Railroad classes, Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United Stat ...
has some railroads in the north and south of Nevada.
Greyhound Lines provide some bus service to the state.
Interstate 15 (I-15) passes through the southern tip of the state, serving Las Vegas and other communities.
I-215 and
I-515 also serve the Las Vegas metropolitan area.
I-80 crosses through the northern part of Nevada, roughly following the path of the Humboldt River from Utah in the east and the Truckee River westward through Reno into California. It has a spur route,
I-580. Nevada also is served by several U.S. highways:
US6,
US50,
US93,
US95 and
US395. There are also 189
Nevada state routes. Many of Nevada's counties have a system of county routes as well, though many are not signed or paved in rural areas. Nevada is one of a few states in the U.S. that do not have a continuous
interstate highway linking its two major population centersthe road connection between the Las Vegas and Reno areas is a combination of several different Interstate and U.S. highways. The
Interstate 11 proposed routing may eventually remedy this.
The state is one of just a few in the country to allow
semi-trailer trucks with three trailerswhat might be called a "
road train" in Australia. But American versions are usually smaller, in part because they must ascend and descend some fairly steep mountain passes.
RTC Transit is the public transit system in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The agency is the largest transit agency in the state and operates a network of bus service across the
Las Vegas Valley
The Las Vegas Valley is a major metropolitan area in the Southern Nevada, southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada, and the second largest in the Southwestern United States. The state's largest urban agglomeration, the Las Vegas Metropolitan St ...
, including the use of
The Deuce,
double-decker buses, on the
Las Vegas Strip and several outlying routes. RTC RIDE operates a system of local transit bus service throughout the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area. Other transit systems in the state include Carson City's JAC. Most other counties in the state do not have public transportation at all.
Additionally, a
monorail system provides public transportation in the Las Vegas area. The
Las Vegas Monorail line services several casino properties and the
Las Vegas Convention Center on the east side of the Las Vegas Strip, running near Paradise Road, with a possible future extension to
Harry Reid International Airport. Several hotels also run their own monorail lines between each other, which are typically several blocks in length.
Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas is the busiest airport serving Nevada. The
Reno-Tahoe International Airport (formerly known as the Reno Cannon International Airport) is the other major airport in the state.
Energy
Nevada has had a thriving
solar energy sector. An independent study in 2013 concluded that solar users created a $36million net benefit. However, in December 2015, the Public Utility Commission let the state's only power company,
NV Energy, charge higher rates and fees to solar panel users, leading to an immediate collapse of rooftop solar panel use.
In December 1987, Congress amended the Nuclear Waste Policy Act to designate
Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository as the only site to be characterized as a permanent repository for all of the nation's
highly radioactive waste.
Affordable housing
In 2018, the
National Low Income Housing Coalition calculated the discrepancy between available affordable housing units and renters who earn below the poverty line. In Nevada, only 15 affordable rental homes are available per 100 extremely low income (ELI) households. The shortage extended to a deficit in supply of 71,358 affordable rental homes. This was the largest discrepancy of any state. The most notable catalyst for this shortage was the
Great Recession and housing crisis of 2007 and 2008. Since then, housing prices have increased while demand has increased, and supply has struggled to match the increase in demand. In addition, low-income service workers were slowly being pushed out by an influx of tech professionals. In Nevada there is essentially a standard of six-figure income to affordably rent a
single-family home. Considering the
average salary in Nevada, $54,842 per year, this standard is on average, unaffordable. The disproportionate cost of housing compared to average salary has led to 112,872 renters to be paying more than half of their yearly income towards housing.
The definition of an affordable home is "one that a household can obtain for
30 percent or less of its annual income". So, there is clearly a long way to go in order to close the gap between housing prices and relative income in the state. Renters are looking for solutions to still be able to live in the state in a way that their income can support. As a result, single adults are being forced to split rent with other renters or move residences to farther outside metro areas. One solution being offered is to increase the supply of higher income positions within the state to make things more affordable. However, this would require Nevadans to retrain in new jobs or careers.
Education
Education in Nevada is achieved through public and private
elementary,
middle, and
high schools, as well as colleges and universities.
A May 2015 educational reform law expanded school choice options to 450,000 Nevada students who are at up to 185% of the
federal poverty level. Education savings accounts (ESAs) are enabled by the new law to help pay the tuition for private schools. Alternatively, families "can use funds in these accounts to also pay for textbooks and tutoring".
Approximately 86.9% of Nevada residents have attained at least a high school degree or equivalent, which is below the national average of 88.6%.
Public school districts
Public school districts in Nevada include:
*
Carson City School District
*
Churchill County School District
*
Clark County School District, the
fifth largest school district in the United States
* Douglas County School District
* Elko County School District
*
Esmeralda County School District
* Eureka County School District
*
Humboldt County School District
* Lander County School District
* Lincoln County School District
*
Lyon County School District
* Mineral County School District
*
Nye County School District
*
Pershing County School District
* Storey County School District
*
Washoe County School District
*
White Pine County School District
Colleges and universities
*
Nevada System of Higher Education
**
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The campus is about east of the Las Vegas Strip. It was formerly part of the ...
(UNLV)
**
University of Nevada, Reno (UNR)
**
Nevada State University (NSU)
**
Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC)
**
Great Basin College
**
College of Southern Nevada (CSN)
**
Western Nevada College (WNC)
*
Sierra Nevada College
*
Touro University Nevada
*
Roseman University of Health Sciences
Research institutes
*
Desert Research Institute
The Nevada Aerospace Hall of Fame provides educational resources and promotes the aerospace and aviation history of the state.
Law and government
Government

Under the
Constitution of the State of Nevada, the powers of the
Nevada government are divided among three
separate departments: the
executive consisting of the
governor of Nevada and their cabinet along with the other elected constitutional officers; the
legislative consisting of the
Nevada Legislature, which includes the
Assembly and the
Senate; and the
judicial consisting of the
Supreme Court of Nevada and lower courts.
The governor is the
chief magistrate
A chief magistrate is a public official, executive or judicial, whose office is the highest in its class. Historically, the two different meanings of magistrate have often overlapped and refer to, as the case may be, to a major political and admi ...
of Nevada,
[NV Const. art. V, § 1.] the head of the executive department of the state's government,
and the commander-in-chief of the
state's
military forces. The current governor is
Joe Lombardo, a Republican. The executive branch also consists of an independently elected
lieutenant governor,
secretary of state,
state treasurer,
state controller, and
attorney general who function as a check and balance on the power of the governor.
The Nevada Legislature is a
bicameral body divided into an Assembly and Senate. Members of the Assembly serve two years, and members of the Senate serve four years. Both houses of the Nevada Legislature enacted term limits starting in 2010, with senators and assemblymen/women who are limited to a maximum of twelve years in each body (by appointment or election which is a lifetime limit)a provision of the constitution which was upheld by the Supreme Court of Nevada in a unanimous decision. Each session of the legislature meets for a constitutionally mandated 120 days in every odd-numbered year, or longer if the governor calls a special session.
On December 18, 2018, Nevada became the first in the United States with a female majority in its legislature. Women hold nine of the 21 seats in the Nevada Senate, and 23 of the 42 seats in the Nevada Assembly.
The Supreme Court of Nevada is the
state supreme court and the head of the
Nevada Judiciary. Original jurisdiction is divided between the
district courts (with general jurisdiction), and justice courts and municipal courts (both of limited jurisdiction). Appeals from District Courts are made directly to the Nevada Supreme Court, which under a deflective model of jurisdiction, has the discretion to send cases to the
Court of Appeals for final resolution.
Incorporated towns in Nevada, known as cities, are given the authority to legislate anything not prohibited by law. A recent movement has begun to permit
home rule
Home rule is the government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governan ...
to incorporate Nevada cities to give them more flexibility and fewer restrictions from the Legislature. Town Boards for
unincorporated towns are limited local governments created by either the local county commission, or by referendum, and form a purely advisory role and in no way diminish the responsibilities of the county commission that creates them.
State agencies
*
Attorney General
* Department of Business & Industry
*
Department of Conservation & Natural Resources
* Consumer Health Assistance
* Controller's Office
*
Department of Corrections
*
Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs
* Nevada Commission on Economic Development
*
Department of Education
* Nevada Secretary of State, Election Division
* Department of Employment, Training & Rehabilitation
*
Gaming Control Board
A gaming control board (GCB), also called by various names including gambling control board, casino control board, gambling board, and gaming commission, is a government agency charged with Regulation, regulating casino and other types of gaming i ...
* Governor's Office
* Nevada Film Office
* Department of Health and Human Services
* Department of Information Technology
* Department of Justice
*
Lieutenant Governor
*
Nevada Military Department
* Division of Minerals, Commission on Mineral Resources
*
Department of Motor Vehicles
* Department of Personnel
* Advisory Council for Prosecuting Attorneys
* Public Employees Benefit Program
* Public Employees Retirement System
*
Department of Public Safety
*
Nevada Public Utilities Commission
* Department of Secretary of State
* Department of Taxation
* Commission on Tourism
*
Department of Transportation
*
Nevada State Treasurer
* Universities and Community Colleges of Nevada
* Nevada Office of Veterans' Services
*
Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
*
Nevada Department of Wildlife
* Board of Museums and History
Law

In 1900, Nevada's population was the smallest of all states and was shrinking, as the difficulties of living in a "barren desert" began to outweigh the lure of silver for many early settlers. Historian
Lawrence Friedman has explained what happened next:
With the advent of
air conditioning
Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C (US) or air con (UK), is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior temperature, and in some cases, also controlling the humidity of internal air. Air c ...
for summertime use and Southern Nevada's mild winters, the fortunes of the state began to turn around, as it did for
Arizona
Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
, making these two states the fastest growing in the Union.
Prostitution
Nevada is the only state where
prostitution is legalin a licensed
brothel in a county which has specifically voted to permit it. It is illegal in larger jurisdictions such as Clark County (which contains Las Vegas),
Washoe County (which contains Reno), and the independent city of
Carson City.
Divorce
Nevada's early reputation as a "divorce haven" arose from the fact that before the
no-fault divorce revolution in the 1970s, divorces were difficult to obtain in the United States. Already having legalized gambling and prostitution, Nevada continued the trend of boosting its profile by adopting one of the most liberal divorce statutes in the nation. This resulted in ''
Williams v. North Carolina (1942)'', , in which the
U.S. Supreme Court ruled
North Carolina
North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
had to give "
full faith and credit" to a Nevada divorce. The Court modified its decision in ''Williams v. North Carolina'' (1945), , by holding a state need not recognize a Nevada divorce unless one of the parties was domiciled there at the time the divorce was granted and the forum state was entitled to make its own determination.
As of 2009, Nevada's divorce rate was above the national average.
Taxes
Nevada's tax laws are intended to draw new residents and businesses to the state. Nevada has no
personal income tax or
corporate income tax
A corporate tax, also called corporation tax or company tax or corporate income tax, is a type of direct tax levied on the income or capital of corporations and other similar legal entities. The tax is usually imposed at the national level, but i ...
. Since Nevada does not collect income data it cannot share such information with the federal government, the
IRS
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting Taxation in the United States, U.S. federal taxes and administerin ...
.
The state
sales tax
A sales tax is a tax paid to a governing body for the sales of certain goods and services. Usually laws allow the seller to collect funds for the tax from the consumer at the point of purchase. When a tax on goods or services is paid to a govern ...
(similar to VAT or GST) in Nevada is variable depending upon the county. The statewide tax rate is 6.85%, with five counties (Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, and Mineral) charging this amount. Counties may impose additional rates via voter approval or through approval of the state legislature; therefore, the applicable sales tax varies by county from 6.85% to 8.375% (Clark County). Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, imposes four separate county
option taxes in addition to the statewide rate: 0.25% for flood control, 0.50% for mass transit, 0.25% for infrastructure, and 0.25% for more law enforcement. In Washoe County, which includes Reno, the sales tax rate is 7.725%, due to county option rates for flood control, the ReTRAC train trench project, and mass transit, and an additional county rate approved under the Local Government Tax Act of 1991. The minimum Nevada sales tax rate changed on July 1, 2009.
The lodging tax rate in unincorporated Clark County, which includes the Las Vegas Strip, is 12%. Within the boundaries of the cities of Las Vegas and Henderson, the lodging tax rate is 13%.
Corporations such as
Apple Inc. allegedly have set up investment companies and funds in Nevada to avoid paying taxes.
LGBT rights
In 2009, the
Nevada Legislature passed a bill creating a domestic partnership registry which enables same-sex couples to enjoy the same rights as married couples. Due to the landmark decision in the case of ''
Obergefell v. Hodges'', 576 U.S. 644 (2015), same-sex marriage was outright legalized in the state.
Incorporation
Nevada provides a friendly environment for the formation of corporations, and many (especially California) businesses have incorporated in Nevada to take advantage of the benefits of the Nevada statute.
Nevada corporations offer great flexibility to the board of directors and simplify or avoid many of the rules that are cumbersome to business managers in some other states. In addition, Nevada has no
franchise tax, although it does require businesses to have a license for which the business has to pay the state.
Financial institutions
Similarly, many U.S. states have
usury laws limiting the amount of
interest
In finance and economics, interest is payment from a debtor or deposit-taking financial institution to a lender or depositor of an amount above repayment of the principal sum (that is, the amount borrowed), at a particular rate. It is distinct f ...
a lender can charge, but federal law allows corporations to "import" these laws from their home state. Nevada has no cap on interest rates that may be agreed to in contracts.
Alcohol and other drugs
Nevada has very liberal
alcohol laws. Bars are permitted to remain open 24hours, with no "
last call".
Liquor stores,
convenience stores and supermarkets may also sell alcohol 24hours per day and may sell beer, wine and spirits.
In 2016, Nevada voters approved
Question2, which legalized the possession, transportation and cultivation of personal use amounts of
marijuana for adults age 21 years and older, and authorized the creation of a regulated market for the sale of marijuana to adults age 21 years and older through state-licensed retail outlets. Nevada voters had previously approved
medical marijuana in 2000, but rejected marijuana legalization in a similar referendum in 2006. Marijuana in all forms remains illegal under federal law.
Aside from cannabis legalization, non-alcohol drug laws are a notable exception to Nevada's otherwise libertarian principles. It is notable for having the harshest penalties for drug offenders in the country. Nevada remains the only state to still use
mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines for possession of drugs.
The
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reported, in their Behavioral Health Barometer for Nevada, published in 2014, changes to substance abuse patterns and addiction across the southwestern state. Between 2012 and 2013, adolescents in Nevada abused illicit substances at a slightly higher percentage than nationally. 10.2 percent of Nevada's adolescents abused illicit drugs compared to 9.2 percent across the United States. Between 2009 and 2013, 11.7 percent of all adolescents in the state reported abusing illicit, intoxicating substances in the month prior to the survey; this represents 25,000 adolescents.
Smoking
Nevada voters enacted a smoking ban ("The Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act") in November 2006 which became effective on December 8, 2006. It outlaws smoking in most workplaces and public places. Smoking is permitted in bars, but only if the bar serves no food, or the bar is inside a larger casino. Smoking is also permitted in casinos, certain hotel rooms, tobacco shops, and brothels. However, some businesses do not obey this law and the government tends not to enforce it. In 2011, smoking restrictions in Nevada were relaxed for certain places which allow only people 21 or older inside.
Crime
In 2006, the
crime rate
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Can ...
in Nevada was about 24% higher than the national average rate, though crime has since decreased.
Property crimes accounted for about 85% of the total crime rate in Nevada, which was 21% higher than the national rate. The remaining 20.3% were
violent crimes.
A complete listing of crime data in the state for 2013 can be found here:
Politics
State politics
Due to heavy growth in the southern portion of the state, there is a noticeable divide between the politics of northern and southern Nevada. Historically, northern Nevada has been very
Republican. The more rural counties of the north are among the most conservative regions of the state. Carson City, the state's capital, is a Republican-leaning swing city/county. Washoe County, home to Reno, has historically been strongly Republican, but now has become a fairly balanced swing county, like the state as a whole. Clark County, home to Las Vegas, has been a stronghold for the Democratic Party since it was founded in 1909, having voted Republican only six times and once for a third-party candidate, although in recent times becoming more competitive, most notably in the 2024 Presidential Election where the Democratic Party's margin of victory was only 2.63 percentage points to Republicans. Clark and Washoe counties have long dominated the state's politics. Between them, they cast 87% of Nevada's vote, and elect a substantial majority of the state legislature. The last Republican to carry Clark County was
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...
in 1988, and the last Republican to carry Washoe County was
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
in 2004. The great majority of the state's elected officials are from either Las Vegas or Reno. Donald Trump was able to carry Nevada with a statewide majority in 2024, despite losing both Clark and Washoe.
In 2014, Republican
Adam Laxalt, despite losing both Clark and Washoe counties, was elected
Attorney General. However, he had lost Clark County only by 5.6% and Washoe County by 1.4%, attributable to lower turnout in these counties.
National politics

Nevada has been won by the winner of nearly every presidential election since its first in 1864, only being carried by the defeated candidate eight times since statehood, most of which were before 1900. Since 1912 Nevada has been carried by the presidential victor the most out of any state (27 of 29 elections), the only exceptions being
1976
Events January
* January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
when it voted for
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. (born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was the 38th president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Ford assumed the p ...
over
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
and
2016 when the state was carried by
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...
over
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
. This gives the state status as a political
bellwether. It was one of only three states won by
John F. Kennedy in
the American West in the election of
1960, albeit narrowly.
The state's U.S. Senators are Democrats
Catherine Cortez Masto and
Jacky Rosen. The Governorship is held by
Joe Lombardo, a Republican.
Elections
Nevada is the only U.S. state to have a
none of the above
"None of the above" (NOTA), or none for short, also known as "against all" or a "scratch" vote, is a ballot option in some jurisdictions or organizations, designed to allow the voter to indicate disapproval of the candidates in a voting system ...
option available on its ballots. Officially called
None of These Candidates, the option was first added to the ballot in 1975 and is used in all statewide elections, including president, US Senate and all state constitutional positions. In the event "None of These Candidates" receives a
plurality of votes in the election, the candidate with the next-highest total is elected.
In a 2020 study, Nevada was ranked as the 23rd on the "Cost of Voting Index", which is a measure of "the ease of voting across the United States."
Culture
Entertainment and tourism
Resort areas like Las Vegas, Reno, Lake Tahoe, and
Laughlin attract visitors from around the nation and world. In fiscal year 2022 Nevada casinos (not counting those with annual revenue under a million dollars) brought in billion in gaming revenue and another billion in non-gaming revenue.
Nevada has by far the most hotel rooms per capita in the United States. According to the American Hotel and Lodging Association, there were 187,301 rooms in 584 hotels (of 15 or more rooms). The state is ranked just below California, Texas, Florida, and New York in the total number of rooms, but those states have much larger populations. Nevada has one hotel room for every 14 residents, far above the national average of one hotel room per 67 residents.
Prostitution is legal in parts of Nevada in licensed brothels, but only counties with populations under 400,000 have the option to legalize it. Although prostitution is not a major part of the Nevada economy, employing roughly 300 women as independent contractors, it is a very visible endeavor. Of the 14 counties permitted to legalize prostitution under state law, eight have chosen to legalize brothels. State law prohibits prostitution in Clark County (which contains Las Vegas), and Washoe County (which contains Reno). However, prostitution is legal in Storey County, which is part of the
Reno–Sparks metropolitan area.
Sports
The Las Vegas Valley is home to the
Vegas Golden Knights of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
who began to play in the
2017–18 NHL season at
T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in
Paradise
In religion and folklore, paradise is a place of everlasting happiness, delight, and bliss. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical, eschatological, or both, often contrasted with the miseries of human ...
, the
Las Vegas Raiders of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
who began play at
Allegiant Stadium in Paradise in 2020 after
moving from Oakland, California, and the
Las Vegas Aces of the
WNBA who began playing in 2018 at
Mandalay Bay Events Center after relocating from
San Antonio. The
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
plan to move to Las Vegas by 2027.
Nevada takes pride in college sports, most notably its college football. College teams in the state include the
Nevada Wolf Pack (representing the University of Nevada, Reno) and the
UNLV Rebels (representing the University of Nevada, Las Vegas), both in the
Mountain West Conference (MW).
UNLV is most remembered for
its men's basketball program, which experienced its height of supremacy in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Coached by
Jerry Tarkanian, the Runnin' Rebels became one of the most elite programs in the country. In 1990,
UNLV won the Men's DivisionI Championship by defeating
Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
103–73, which set tournament records for most points scored by a team and largest margin of victory in the national title game.
In
1991, UNLV finished the regular season undefeated, a feat that would not be matched in DivisionI men's basketball for
more than 20 years. Forward
Larry Johnson won several awards, including the
Naismith Award. UNLV reached the Final Four yet again, but lost their national semifinal against
Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
79–77. The Runnin' Rebels were the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City.
Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
pre-season No.1 back to back (1989–90, 1990–91).
North Carolina
North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
is the only other team to accomplish that (2007–08, 2008–09).
The state's involvement in major-college sports is not limited to its local schools. In the 21st century, the Las Vegas area has become a significant regional center for college basketball conference tournaments. The MW,
West Coast Conference, and
Western Athletic Conference all hold their men's and women's tournaments in the area, and the Pac-12 holds its men's tournament there as well. The
Big Sky Conference, after decades of holding its men's and women's conference tournaments at campus sites, began holding both tournaments in Reno in 2016.
Las Vegas has hosted several
professional boxing matches, most recently at the
MGM Grand Garden Arena
The MGM Grand Garden Arena is a 17,000-seat multi-purpose arena within the MGM Grand Las Vegas, MGM Grand resort, located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The venue opened on December 31, 1993, with a concert by Barbra Streisand, and s ...
with bouts such as
Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield,
Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson II,
Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. and
Oscar De La Hoya vs. Manny Pacquiao and at the newer
T-Mobile Arena with
Canelo Álvarez vs. Amir Khan.
Along with significant rises in popularity in
mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world.
In the early 20th century, various inter-s ...
(MMA), a number of fight leagues such as the
UFC have taken interest in Las Vegas as a primary event location due to the number of suitable host venues. The
Mandalay Bay Events Center and
MGM Grand Garden Arena
The MGM Grand Garden Arena is a 17,000-seat multi-purpose arena within the MGM Grand Las Vegas, MGM Grand resort, located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The venue opened on December 31, 1993, with a concert by Barbra Streisand, and s ...
are among some of the more popular venues for fighting events such as MMA and have hosted several UFC and other MMA title fights. The city has held the most UFC events with 86 events.
The state is also home to the
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas Motor Speedway (track complex formerly known as Las Vegas Speedway Park from 1993 to 1996, Las Vegas Speedway in 1992, Las Vegas International Speedway from 1990 to 1992, as the Las Vegas International Speedrome from 1972 to 1990) is a ...
, which hosts
NASCAR's
Pennzoil 400 and
South Point 400. Two venues in the immediate Las Vegas area host major annual events in
rodeo
Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaqu ...
. The
Thomas & Mack Center, built for UNLV men's basketball, hosts the
National Finals Rodeo. The PBR World Finals, operated by the bull riding-only
Professional Bull Riders, was also held at the Thomas & Mack Center before moving to T-Mobile Arena in 2016.
The state is also home to famous tennis player,
Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi ( ; born April 29, 1970) is an American former professional tennis player. He was ranked as the List of ATP number 1 ranked singles players, world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 101 ...
, and current baseball superstar
Bryce Harper.
List of teams
=Major professional teams
=
=Minor professional teams
=
=Amateur teams
=
=College teams
=
Military

Several
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
ships have been named
USS ''Nevada'' in honor of the state. They include:
*
''Nevada'' (1865 screw frigate)
*
USS ''Nevada'' (BM-8)
*
USS ''Nevada'' (BB-36)
*
USS ''Nevada'' (SSBN-733)
Area 51 is near
Groom Lake, a dry salt lake bed. The much smaller
Creech Air Force Base is in
Indian Springs, Nevada;
Hawthorne Army Depot in
Hawthorne; the
Tonopah Test Range near
Tonopah; and
Nellis AFB in the northeast part of the
Las Vegas Valley
The Las Vegas Valley is a major metropolitan area in the Southern Nevada, southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada, and the second largest in the Southwestern United States. The state's largest urban agglomeration, the Las Vegas Metropolitan St ...
.
Naval Air Station Fallon in
Fallon; NSAWC, (pronounced "EN-SOCK") in western Nevada. NSAWC consolidated three Command Centers into a single Command Structure under a flag officer on July 11, 1996. The Naval Strike Warfare Center based at NAS Fallon since 1984, was joined with the Navy Fighter Weapons School (
TOPGUN) and the
Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons School, which both moved from NAS Miramar as a result of a Base Realignment and Closure decision in 1993 which transferred that installation back to the Marine Corps as MCAS Miramar. The Seahawk Weapon School was added in 1998 to provide tactical training for Navy helicopters.
These bases host a number of activities including the
Joint Unmanned Aerial Systems Center of Excellence, the
Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center,
Nevada Test and Training Range,
Red Flag, the
U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, the
United States Air Force Warfare Center, the
United States Air Force Weapons School, and the
United States Navy Fighter Weapons School.
See also
*
Index of Nevada-related articles
*
Outline of Nevadaorganized list of topics about Nevada
*
List of people from Nevada
Notes
References
External links
*
*
* Annotated list of searchable databases produced by Nevada state agencies and compiled by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association.
State Tourism websiteNevada State Library and ArchivesEnergy Profile for NevadaUSGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Nevada1875 County Map at Texas Tech Southwest CollectionCounty Maps of NevadaFull color maps. List of cities, towns and county seats
Nevada State Facts from USDANevada's Historical MarkersNevada State Seal*
Online Nevada Encyclopedia, Nevada HumanitiesNevada Corporation Headquarters
{{coord, 39, -117, dim:300000_region:US-NV_type:adm1st, name=State of Nevada, display=title
1864 establishments in Nevada
States and territories established in 1864
States of the United States
Western United States
Contiguous United States
Former Spanish colonies