Quick Facts: Nevada

Nevada is a state located in the Western region of the United States. Nevada is bordered to the north by Oregon and Idaho, to the west and south by California, and to the east by Arizona and Utah.

ABBREVIATION: NV
NICKNAME: The Silver State
POPULATION: 3,267,467 (2024 est.)
CAPITAL: Carson City
STATE BIRD: Mountain Bluebird
STATE FLOWER: Sagebrush
AREA: 110,622 sq. mi.
TIME ZONE: Most of state: Pacific – West Wendover: Mountain
ENTERED UNION: Oct. 31, 1864
ALTITUDE: High, 13,147 ft. Boundary Peak
CLIMATE: Dry and sunny with low humidity. Hot summers, cool winters. Light rainfall, deep mountain snows.

The driest state in the U.S., Nevada is a sun scorched land of desert open space, sharply rising buttes, and playas-evaporated lake beds filled with salty or alkaline deposits. It is, one of the nations most sparsely populated states.

Had it not been for the discovery of the celebrated Comstock lode at Virginia City in 1859, which was to yield more than $400 million in silver and other ore, Nevada might have remained simply a highway to California-and the pleasure domes of Las Vegas and Reno might never have come into existence.

Established in 1905, Las Vegas was incorporated as a city in 1911. At the close of the 20th century, Las Vegas was the most populous American city founded in that century (a distinction held by Chicago in the 19th century). A desert metropolis built on gambling, vice and other forms of entertainment, Las Vegas became one of the fastest growing cities in the United States.

Today, Las Vegas draws vacationers and gamblers from around the world, producing billions of dollars in tourism revenue with nearly 40 million visitors a year.

U.S. Mint in Carson City, Nevada

Nevada’s handicaps-dryness and vast isolated spaces- made it indispensable in the Cold War era nuclear age. Yucca Flat, on the sprawling lands of the south, was a major testing area.

The secrecy behind the military’s Area 51 would have been much more difficult to achieve in a more populated state.

Fun Facts:

In the early days, mail was delivered to Carson Valley by a Norwegian mailman on homemade skis.
More than a thousand atomic bomb tests, both above and below ground, have been conducted in Nevada by the U.S. Army. During the 1950s, the mushroom clouds from the 100 atmospheric (above ground) tests could be seen for almost 100 miles.
Between 1975 and 2000 the population of Las Vegas County grew by almost 250 percent.
Charles Fey invented a slot machine named the Liberty Bell in 1899.
The top-secret U.S. Air Force base known as Area 51, whose existence was denied by the United States government for years, and where believers in UFOs claim alien spacecraft are hidden underground, is located some 75 miles northwest of Las Vegas on Groom Lake.
Samuel Clemens (better known as Mark Twain) started his career writing for the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise newspaper in the spring of 1862 for $25 per week. he later described his salary as “bloated luxury” in his book Roughing It.

History:

Nevada, known today for its glittering casinos and desert landscapes, has a deep and diverse history rooted in Native American traditions, western expansion, mining booms, and cultural transformation.

From ancient civilizations to becoming a modern center of tourism and entertainment, Nevada’s story is one of resilience and reinvention.

Long before European contact, Nevada was home to Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Tribes such as the Paiute, Shoshone, and Washoe lived throughout the region, adapting to the harsh desert and mountain environments. They relied on hunting, gathering, and seasonal migration to sustain their communities.

These Native cultures developed sophisticated knowledge of the land, including how to survive in arid climates and navigate vast landscapes.

The first Europeans to explore Nevada were Spanish missionaries and explorers in the late 18th century. Nevada was originally part of the Spanish Empire and later became part of Mexico after its independence in 1821. However, the region remained largely unsettled by Europeans due to its harsh geography.

In 1848, following the Mexican-American War, Nevada became part of the United States through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

Nevada was initially part of the Utah Territory, but the discovery of the Comstock Lode in 1859—a massive deposit of silver ore near what is now Virginia City—sparked a population and economic boom. The silver rush attracted miners, settlers, and entrepreneurs from across the country.

Towns sprang up almost overnight, and Nevada’s role as a key mining region was established. The wealth generated from silver helped finance the Union during the Civil War.

On October 31, 1864, Nevada became the 36th state in the Union, earning the nickname “The Battle Born State” due to its admission during the Civil War. Its vast mineral wealth and support for the Union made it politically significant despite its small population.

After the mining boom slowed in the late 19th century, Nevada’s population declined, and the state struggled economically. In the early 20th century, however, Nevada began to reinvent itself. In 1931, during the Great Depression, the state legalized gambling and streamlined divorce laws to attract tourism and revenue.

These decisions laid the foundation for Nevada’s transformation into a major entertainment destination.

World War II further boosted Nevada’s economy with the development of military bases and test sites, including the Nevada Test Site used for nuclear weapons testing. Postwar growth, particularly in Las Vegas and Reno, turned Nevada into a hub for gambling, entertainment, and conventions. Las Vegas became famous for its casinos, neon lights, and shows, drawing millions of visitors each year.

In recent decades, Nevada has diversified its economy, adding sectors such as renewable energy, technology, and logistics. Despite its modern growth, the state continues to honor its mining heritage and Native American roots.

Today, Nevada is a unique blend of rugged natural beauty, Indigenous history, frontier spirit, and global entertainment appeal. From ancient desert tribes to 21st-century innovation, the history of Nevada reflects its enduring identity as a place where people come to start over, strike it rich, or simply experience something new.