Nevada#Politics

The name "Nevada" comes from the Spanish adjective {{Lang|es|nevada}} ({{IPA|es|neˈβaða|}}), meaning "snow-covered" or "snowy".{{cite web |title=Nevada |url=http://www.wordreference.com/es/en/translation.asp?spen=nevada |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071225103913/http://www.wordreference.com/es/en/translation.asp?spen=nevada |archive-date=December 25, 2007 |access-date=February 24, 2007 |publisher=WordReference.com}} The state takes its name from the Nevada Territory, which in turn was named for the Sierra Nevada.{{Cite web |title=Nevada |url=https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=Nevada |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901115959/https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=Nevada |archive-date=September 1, 2021 |access-date=September 1, 2021 |website=Online Etymology Dictionary}}

Nevadans pronounce the second syllable with the "a" of "apple" ({{IPAc-en|n|ə|ˈ|v|æ|d|ə}}) while some people from outside of the state pronounce it with the "a" of "palm" ({{IPAc-en|n|ə|ˈ|v|ɑː|d|ə}}).{{cite web |author=McCabe |first=Francis |date=October 18, 2018 |title=You Say Nevada, I Say Nevada… |url=https://www.unlv.edu/news/article/you-say-nevada-i-say-nevada |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801193302/https://www.unlv.edu/news/article/you-say-nevada-i-say-nevada |archive-date=August 1, 2019 |access-date=November 26, 2019 |website=University of Nevada, Las Vegas}} Although the quality, but not the length, of the latter pronunciation is closer to the Spanish pronunciation (Spanish {{IPA|/a/}} is open central {{IPA|[ä]}},{{Citation|last1=Ladefoged|first1=Peter|last2=Johnson|first2=Keith|author-link=Peter Ladefoged|year=2010|title=A Course in Phonetics|edition=6th|publisher=Wadsworth Publishing|place=Boston, Massachusetts|page=227|isbn=978-1-4282-3126-9}} whereas American English {{IPA|/ɑː/}} varies from back {{IPA|[ɑː]}} to central {{IPA|[äː]}}),{{Accents of English|hide1=y|hide2=y}}. Page 476. it is not the pronunciation used by Nevadans. State Assemblyman Harry Mortenson proposed a bill to recognize the alternative pronunciation of Nevada,{{cite news|first=Guy |last=Clifton |url=http://www.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20108220380|title=You heard it right: Bill would let them say Ne-VAH-da|date=August 22, 2010|newspaper=Reno Gazette-Journal}} 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 over the a indicating the locally preferred pronunciation,{{cite web |title=Nevada: A World Within. A State Apart. | Nevada Travel & Tourism |url=http://travelnevada.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131229064306/http://travelnevada.com/ |archive-date=December 29, 2013 |access-date=October 7, 2016 |publisher=Travel Nevada}} which was also available as a license plate design until 2007.{{Cite web |title=Nevada Tourism License Plate |url=https://dmvnv.com/images/tourism.jpg |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190703071346/https://dmvnv.com/images/tourism.jpg |archive-date=July 3, 2019 |access-date=July 3, 2019 |website=Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles}}

{{Main|History of Nevada}}{{Further|History of Las Vegas}}

Before the arrival of Europeans, the earliest inhabitants were Indigenous tribes including the Goshute, Southern Paiute, Mohave, and Wašišiw (Washoe people).{{Cite web |url=https://jic.nv.gov/About/History_of_Nevada/ |title=History of Nevada |access-date=March 14, 2022 |archive-date=November 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106194807/https://jic.nv.gov/About/History_of_Nevada/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=6UTVDwAAQBAJ&dq=Before+the+arrival+of+Europeans%2C+the+earliest+inhabitants+were+Native+American+tribes+including+the+Shoshone%2C+the+Paiute%2C+the+Mohave%2C+and+the+Washoe.&pg=PA185|title = Native Americans State by State|isbn = 9780785835875|last1 = Sapp|first1 = Rick|date = October 16, 2018| publisher=Book Sales |access-date = March 25, 2022|archive-date = April 17, 2022|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220417035929/https://books.google.com/books?id=6UTVDwAAQBAJ&dq=Before+the+arrival+of+Europeans,+the+earliest+inhabitants+were+Native+American+tribes+including+the+Shoshone,+the+Paiute,+the+Mohave,+and+the+Washoe.&pg=PA185|url-status = live}}

{{Main|1 = The Californias#History|2 = Alta California}}

{{further|1 = Treaty of Córdoba|2 = Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire|3 = First Mexican Empire|4 = Provisional Government of Mexico|5 = First Mexican Republic|6 = Centralist Republic of Mexico|7 = Siete Leyes|8 = Definitive treaty of peace and friendship between Mexico and Spain}}

File:Mexico 1824 (equirectangular projection).png included today's Nevada.|left]]

Francisco Garcés was the first European in the area.{{cite web |title=Explorers and Settlers in Nevada |url=http://scottforesman.com/state/nv/washoe/pdfs/g4_less03.pdf |publisher=Washoe County School District |page=2 |access-date=May 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716020035/http://scottforesman.com/state/nv/washoe/pdfs/g4_less03.pdf |archive-date=July 16, 2011 |url-status=live }} Nevada was annexed as a part of the Spanish Empire 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 (Upper California) province in 1804 when the Californias were split. With the Mexican War of Independence 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 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, 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'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 and Utah 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).{{cite web |title=Online Etymology Dictionary |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=Nevada&searchmode=none |access-date=May 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606102953/http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=Nevada&searchmode=none |archive-date=June 6, 2011 |url-status=live }}

File:Early 19th Century locomotive in Ely, Nevada.JPG

The first discovery of a major U.S. deposit of silver ore occurred in Comstock Lode under Virginia City, Nevada, in 1859.

{{Main|Utah Territory|Organic act#List of organic acts|Nevada Territory|Nevada in the American Civil War}}

File:Nevada Territory in 1861.svg

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 Lincoln and Nye counties.

{{Main|Admission to the Union|List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union|Nevada in the American Civil War|Constitution of Nevada}}

File:Map of the States of California and Nevada by SB Linton 1876.jpg

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.{{Cite encyclopedia

|title=Nevada

|author1-first = Roman J. | author1-last = Zorn

|author2-first = Gregory Lewis | author2-last = McNamee

|display-authors = etal

|year=2023

|encyclopedia= Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Nevada-state/History|access-date=2023-03-17|language=en}} At the time, Nevada's population was little more than 40,000.{{cite web |title=The U.S. Congress admits Nevada as the 36th state |url=https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-u-s-congress-admits-nevada-as-the-36th-state |publisher=The History Channel |access-date=September 30, 2023 |date=October 29, 2020 }} Governor 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{{cite web |title=National Archives Celebrates the 145th Anniversary of Nevada Statehood |url=https://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2009/nr09-127.html |publisher=National Archives of the United States |access-date=November 4, 2011 |date=September 23, 2009 |archive-date=October 20, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111020221208/http://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2009/nr09-127.html |url-status=live }}{{Efn|The National Archives press release states that the cost was $4,313.27, but the amount $4,303.27 is actually written on the document.}}{{snd}}the most costly telegraph on file at the time for a single dispatch, {{Inflation|US|4303.27|1864|r=2|fmt=eq}}. 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's reelection on November{{spaces}}8 and post-Civil War Republican dominance in Congress,Rocha Guy, [http://dmla.clan.lib.nv.us/docs/nsla/archives/myth/myth12.htm Historical Myth a Month: Why Did Nevada Become A State?] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080113222250/http://dmla.clan.lib.nv.us/docs/nsla/archives/myth/myth12.htm |date=January 13, 2008 }} 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, 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.{{cite web |last1=Tannenbaum |first1=Austin |title=Did Nevada's original southern boundary exclude Las Vegas? |url=https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/fact-brief-did-nevadas-original-southern-boundary-exclude-las-vegas |website=The Nevada Independent |access-date=1 December 2024 |date=March 10, 2023}}

File:A654, Tom Kelly's bottle house, Rhyolite, Nevada, United States, 2011.jpg; built in 1906 with about 50,000 bottlesCoffin, Laura A. (9 March 2012). [https://www.nbmog.org/bottlehouse The Bottle Houses of the Old West] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20221001153501/https://www.nbmog.org/bottlehouse archive]). New Bedford Museum of Glass. Retrieved 13 February 2024. "In 1906, at the age of 76...[Tom Kelly] laid all the bottles on their sides, with the bottoms facing out, and mortared them together with adobe mud."]]

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.

Unregulated gambling 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, 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 $49{{spaces}}million construction contract for Boulder Dam (now Hoover Dam).Moe, Al W. Nevada's Golden Age of Gambling, [https://www.amazon.com/Nevadas-Golden-Gambling-Revised-Expanded/dp/0971501904/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322275959&sr=1-1 Puget Sound Books] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200313065525/https://www.amazon.com/Nevadas-Golden-Gambling-Revised-Expanded/dp/0971501904/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322275959&sr=1-1 |date=March 13, 2020 }}, 2002, p. 18

The Nevada Test Site, {{convert|65|mi}} northwest of the city of Las Vegas, was founded on January 11, 1951, for the testing of nuclear weapons. The site consists of about {{convert|1350|sqmi}} of the desert and mountainous terrain. Nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site began with a {{convert|1|ktonTNT|sp=us}} 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).

The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed in Nevada on March 5, 2020. Because of concerns about coronavirus disease 2019 (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.

{{See also|Geography of Nevada}}

{{more citations needed|date=December 2021}}

File:CCF12262007 00003.jpg]]

File:Valley in Nevada.jpg]]

File:Digital-elevation-map-nevada.gif

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 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 {{convert|125|°F|°C|0}} in Laughlin (elevation of {{convert|605|ft|disp=or|sp=us}}) on June 29, 1994.National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, N.C., and Storm Phillips, Stormfax, Inc. The coldest recorded temperature was {{convert|-52|°F|°C|0|lk=on}} 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, which also forms much of the boundary with Arizona, drains much of southern Nevada.

The mountain ranges, some of which have peaks above {{convert|13000|ft}}, harbor lush forests high above desert plains, creating sky islands for endemic species. The valleys are often no lower in elevation than {{convert|3000|ft}}, while some in central Nevada are above {{convert|6000|ft}}.

File:Charge! Little Finland, NV.jpg rock formation in Nevada]]

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 {{convert|4000|ft}}, 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 {{convert|400|mi}}. This line begins in Lake Tahoe nearly {{convert|4|mi}} offshore (in the direction of the boundary), and continues to the Colorado River where the Nevada, California, and Arizona boundaries merge {{convert|12|mi}} 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 {{convert|2000|ft}} of prominence. Nevada ranks second, after Alaska, for the greatest number of mountains in the United States, followed by California, Montana, and Washington.{{Cite web|title=Nevada Mountains|url=https://peakvisor.com/adm/nevada.html|access-date=2023-03-17|website=PeakVisor|language=en}}

{{further|Climate change in Nevada}}

File:Köppen Climate Types Nevada.png of Nevada, using 1991–2020 climate normals.]]

Nevada is the driest state in the United States.{{cite web |last=Osborn |first=Liz |url=http://www.currentresults.com/Weather-Extremes/US/driest-states.php |title=Driest states |publisher=Currentresults.com |access-date=January 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117095100/http://www.currentresults.com/Weather-Extremes/US/driest-states.php |archive-date=January 17, 2013 |url-status=live }} It is made up of mostly desert and semi-arid climate regions, and, with the exception of the Las Vegas Valley, the average summer diurnal temperature range approaches {{convert|40|F-change|C-change}} 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 {{convert|7|in|mm}}; the wettest parts get around {{convert|40|in|mm}}. Nevada's highest recorded temperature is {{convert|125|F|C}} at Laughlin on June 29, 1994, and the lowest recorded temperature is {{convert|-50|F|C}} at San Jacinto on January 8, 1937. Nevada's {{convert|125|F|C}} reading is the third highest statewide record high temperature of a U.S. state, just behind Arizona's {{convert|128|F|C}} reading and California's {{convert|134|F|C}} reading.

{{Main|Fauna of Nevada}}

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.{{cite book | title=Nevada: a guide to the Silver state | author=Federal Writers' Project | author-link=Federal Writers' Project | publisher=US History Publishers | year=1940 | isbn=978-1-60354-027-8 | page=11 }}

{{Further|List of counties in Nevada}}

File:The Strip from Eiffel Tower (9176999807).jpg looking South]]

File:Nevada State Museum.jpg in Carson City. Carson City is an independent city and the capital of Nevada.]]

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 {{convert|146|to|18159|sqmi}}.

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.{{cite web|url=http://dmla.clan.lib.nv.us/docs/nsla/archives/political/historical/hist19.htm |title=Political History of Nevada |access-date=August 17, 2007 |website=Nevada State Library and Archives. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927213541/http://dmla.clan.lib.nv.us/docs/nsla/archives/political/historical/hist19.htm |archive-date=September 27, 2007 }}

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 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 44{{spaces}}million people visited Clark County in 2014.{{cite web |url=http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/visitors/Pages/default.aspx |title=Visitors |publisher=Clarkcountynv.gov |access-date=July 27, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140717004427/http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/visitors/Pages/default.aspx |archive-date=July 17, 2014 |url-status=live }}

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. Its current county seat is Yerington. Its first county seat was established at Dayton on November 29, 1861.{{cite book |author= |title=Laws of the Territory of Nevada passed at the first regular session of the Legislative Assembly |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oq0wAQAAMAAJ |location=San Francisco, CA |publisher=Valentine & Co. |pages=289–291 |date=1862 |access-date=May 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140707140535/http://books.google.com/books?id=oq0wAQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover |archive-date=July 7, 2014 |url-status=live }}

{{See also|List of cities in Nevada}}{{Largest cities| country = Nevada

| stat_ref = Source:{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/NV/PST045221|title=2020 Nevada QuickFacts|date=August 18, 2021|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=April 12, 2022|archive-date=April 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220422021034/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/NV/PST045221|url-status=live}}

| list_by_pop =

| div_name =

| div_link = Counties of Nevada{{!}}County

| city_1 = Las Vegas, Nevada{{!}}Las Vegas

| div_1 = Clark County, Nevada{{!}}Clark

| pop_1 = 641,903

| img_1 = DowntownLasVegas.jpg

| city_2 = Henderson, Nevada{{!}}Henderson

| div_2 = Clark County, Nevada{{!}}Clark

| pop_2 = 317,610

| img_2 = Lake_Las_Vegas_aerial_view.jpg

| city_3 = Reno, Nevada{{!}}Reno

| div_3 = Washoe County, Nevada{{!}}Washoe

| pop_3 = 264,165

| img_3 = Reno,_Nevada_photo_D_Ramey_Logan.jpg

| city_4 = North Las Vegas, Nevada{{!}}North Las Vegas

| div_4 = Clark County, Nevada{{!}}Clark

| pop_4 = 262,527

| img_4 = Northlasv.jpg

| city_5 = Enterprise, Nevada{{!}}Enterprise

| div_5 = Clark County, Nevada{{!}}Clark

| pop_5 = 221,831

| img_5 =

| city_6 = Spring Valley, Nevada{{!}}Spring Valley

| div_6 = Clark County, Nevada{{!}}Clark

| pop_6 = 215,597

| img_6 =

| city_7 = Sunrise Manor, Nevada{{!}}Sunrise Manor

| div_7 = Clark County, Nevada{{!}}Clark

| pop_7 = 205,618

| img_7 =

| city_8 = Paradise, Nevada{{!}}Paradise

| div_8 = Clark County, Nevada{{!}}Clark

| pop_8 = 191,238

| img_8 =

| city_9 = Sparks, Nevada{{!}}Sparks

| div_9 = Washoe County, Nevada{{!}}Washoe

| pop_9 = 108,445

| img_9 =

| city_10 = Carson City, Nevada{{!}}Carson City

| div_10 = Carson City

| pop_10 = 58,639

| img_10 =

}}

File:Calico basin red rock cumulus mediocris.jpg, Calico basin]]

File:Stella Lake Great Basin.jpg]]

File:View of Doso Doyabi from Wheeler Peak.jpg in Great Basin National Park]]

File:Valley of Fire State Park (6882627246).jpg]]

File:Charleston peak.JPG]]

• 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

• 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

{{Further|List of wilderness areas in Nevada}}

There are 68 designated wilderness areas in Nevada, protecting some {{convert|6579014|acre}} under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management.{{cite web |url=http://www.wilderness.net |title=Wilderness.net |publisher=Wilderness.net |access-date=July 31, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100722032946/http://www.wilderness.net/ |archive-date=July 22, 2010 |url-status=live }}

{{Further|List of Nevada state parks}}

The Nevada state parks comprise protected areas managed by the state of Nevada, including state parks, 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.{{cite web |last=O'Daly |first=Lisa |url=http://www.sierranevadageotourism.org/content/van-sickle-bi-state-park/sie5698279F0D880465D |title=Van Sickle Bi-State Park – Sierra Nevada Geotourism MapGuide |publisher=Sierranevadageotourism.org |access-date=September 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180926014223/https://www.sierranevadageotourism.org/content/van-sickle-bi-state-park/sie5698279F0D880465D |archive-date=September 26, 2018 |url-status=live }}

{{See also|Hispanics and Latinos in Nevada|Basque Americans in Nevada}}

File:Nevada population density 2020.png

{{US Census population

|1860= 6857

|1870= 42941

|1880= 62266

|1890= 47355

|1900= 42335

|1910= 81875

|1920= 77407

|1930= 91058

|1940= 110247

|1950= 160083

|1960= 285278

|1970= 488738

|1980= 800493

|1990= 1201833

|2000= 1998257

|2010= 2700551

|2020= 3104614

|estyear= 2024

|estimate= 3267467

|align-fn=center

|footnote=Source: 1910–2020{{cite web |title=Historical Population Change Data (1910–2020) |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html |website=Census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=May 1, 2021 |archive-date=April 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429012609/https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html |url-status=dead }}

}}

File:Ethnic Origins in Nevada.png

The United States Census Bureau 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/NV|title=QuickFacts Nevada; United States|website=2022 Population Estimates|publisher=United States Census Bureau, Population Division|date=July 1, 2022|access-date=January 2, 2023|archive-date=April 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220406001634/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/NV|url-status=live}} 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).{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2020-2021/state/totals/NST-EST2021-COMP.xlsx|format=xlsx|title=Cumulative Estimates of the Components of Resident Population Change for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021|date=December 21, 2021|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=April 12, 2022|archive-date=March 24, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220324170051/https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2020-2021/state/totals/NST-EST2021-COMP.xlsx|url-status=live}}

The center of population of Nevada is in southern Nye County.{{cite web |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/cenpop2020/CenPop2020_Mean_ST.txt |format=txt |title=Download the Centers of Population by State: 2020 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=April 12, 2022 |archive-date=April 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220401024320/https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/cenpop2020/CenPop2020_Mean_ST.txt |url-status=live }} In this county, the unincorporated town of Pahrump, {{convert|60|mi}} 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/pahrumpcdpnevada/PST045221 |title=Pahrump CDP QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau |publisher=Quickfacts.census.gov |access-date=April 12, 2022 |archive-date=May 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220509200242/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/pahrumpcdpnevada/PST045221 |url-status=live }} 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 {{convert|65|mi|km}} 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.{{Cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/08/13/upshot/where-people-in-each-state-were-born.html|title = Where We Came from and Where We Went, State by State|newspaper = The New York Times|date = August 14, 2014|last1 = Aisch|first1 = Gregor|last2 = Gebeloff|first2 = Robert|last3 = Quealy|first3 = Kevin|access-date = March 16, 2019|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190331153147/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/08/13/upshot/where-people-in-each-state-were-born.html|archive-date = March 31, 2019|url-status = live}}

According to HUD's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 7,618 homeless people in Nevada.{{Cite web |title=2007-2022 PIT Counts by State |url=https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huduser.gov%2Fportal%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fxls%2F2007-2022-PIT-Counts-by-State.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK}}{{Cite web |title=The 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress |url=https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf}}

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%).{{Cite web |title=Grid View: Table B03001 - Census Reporter |url=https://censusreporter.org/data/table/?table=B03001&geo_ids=04000US32&primary_geo_id=04000US32 |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=censusreporter.org}} The largest European ancestry groups were: German (8.9%), English (8.1%), Irish (7.2%), and Italian (4.8%).{{Cite web |title=Grid View: Table B04006 - Census Reporter |url=https://censusreporter.org/data/table/?table=B04006&geo_ids=04000US32&primary_geo_id=04000US32 |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=censusreporter.org}} The largest Asian ancestry groups in the state were Filipino (6.4%) and Chinese (1.9%).{{Cite web |title=Grid View: Table B02018 - Census Reporter |url=https://censusreporter.org/data/table/?table=B02018&geo_ids=04000US32&primary_geo_id=04000US32#valueType%7Cestimate |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=censusreporter.org}}

[[File:Nevada counties by race.svg|thumb|297x297px|Map of counties in Nevada by racial plurality, per the 2020 census{{Collapsible list

| title = Legend|{{col-begin}}{{col-2}}

Non-Hispanic White

{{legend|#e6b8af|30–40%}}

{{legend|#cc4125|50–60%}}

{{legend|#a61c00|60–70%}}

{{legend|#85200c|70–80%}}

{{legend|#5b0f00|80–90%}}

{{col-end}}

}}]]

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 age{{spaces}}1 were minorities.{{Cite web|last=Exner|first=Rich

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160715004500/http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2012/06/americas_under_age_1_populatio.html

|date=3 June 2012|title=Americans under {{nowrap|age 1}} now mostly minorities, but not in Ohio: Statistical Snapshot|url=https://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/2012/06/americas_under_age_1_populatio.html|access-date=2023-03-17|website=cleveland.com

|publisher=Advance Digital

|archive-date=15 July 2016

|language=en}} 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.{{cite web |title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Nevada |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/nv/PST045217 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=November 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130071736/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/nv/PST045217 |archive-date=November 30, 2018 |url-status=live }}

In Douglas, Mineral, 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, Bangladesh, India, and Vietnam 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.{{Cite web |title=Grid View: Table B02018 - Census Reporter |url=https://censusreporter.org/data/table/?table=B02018&geo_ids=04000US32&primary_geo_id=04000US32 |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=censusreporter.org}}

Mining booms drew many Greek and Eastern European immigrants to Nevada.{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=snJuRDQTnesC&q=nevada+ethnic+groups+mexican&pg=PA63|title = Nevada|isbn = 9780761447283|last1 = Stefoff|first1 = Rebecca|year = 2010| publisher=Marshall Cavendish |access-date = October 19, 2020|archive-date = February 20, 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210220154024/https://books.google.com/books?id=snJuRDQTnesC&q=nevada+ethnic+groups+mexican&pg=PA63|url-status = live}} In the early twentieth century, Greeks, Slavs, Danes, Japanese, Italians, and Basques poured into Nevada.{{cite journal |url=http://epubs.nsla.nv.gov/statepubs/epubs/210777-1970-3Fall.pdf |title=The Immigrant in Nevada's Short Stories and Biographical Essays |last=Shepperson |first=Wilbur |journal=Nevada Historical Society Quarterly |volume=13 |number=3 |date=1970 |page=3 |access-date=July 26, 2021 |archive-date=July 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726052406/http://epubs.nsla.nv.gov/statepubs/epubs/210777-1970-3Fall.pdf |url-status=live }} Chileans were found in the state as early as 1870.{{cite web|url=https://cdclv.unlv.edu/healthnv/immigration.html|title=Immigration and Ethnic Diversity in Nevada* Introduction}} During the mid-1800s, a significant number of European immigrants, mainly from Ireland, England and Germany, arrived in the state with the intention of capitalizing on the thriving mining sector in the region.{{cite web|url=https://www.bestimmigrationlawyer.com/immigration-blog/amp/historical-overview-of-immigration-in-nevada/|title=A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF IMMIGRATION IN NEVADA}}

Native American tribes in Nevada are the Northern and Southern Paiute, Western Shoshone, Goshute, Hualapai, Washoe, and Ute tribes.{{Cite web|url=https://m.warpaths2peacepipes.com/history-of-native-americans/history-of-nevada-indians.htm|title=History of Nevada Indians **|access-date=February 17, 2020|archive-date=February 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200217023948/https://m.warpaths2peacepipes.com/history-of-native-americans/history-of-nevada-indians.htm|url-status=live}}

Whites remain the largest racial or ethnic group in Nevada.{{cite web|url=https://www.nevadacurrent.com/2021/08/16/census-data-shows-communities-of-color-are-the-new-nevada/|title=Census data shows communities of color are the new Nevada|date=August 16, 2021 }} Hispanics are the fastest growing ethnic group in Nevada.{{Cite web|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/census-nevada-ranks-high-in-diversity-hispanics-fuel-growth-2418885/|title=Census: Nevada ranks high in diversity, Hispanics fuel growth|date=August 12, 2021|author-first1=Michael Scott|author-last1=Davidson|website=Las Vegas Review-Journal}} There is a growing Mexican and Central American population in Nevada. Many of Nevada's Latino immigrants are from Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador.{{Cite journal|url=https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/brookings_pubs/22|title=Immigration and the Contours of Nevada's Latino Population|first1=John|last1=Tuman|first2=David|last2=Damore|first3=Maria|last3=Agreda|date=June 1, 2013|journal=Brookings Mountain West Publications|pages=1–18}} Nevada also has a growing multiracial population.{{Cite web|url=https://guinncenter.org/first-cut-on-census-data-nevada-is-diversifying-but-its-complicated/|title=First cut on census data: Nevada is diversifying, but it's complicated|date=August 25, 2021|website=Guinn Center For Policy Priorities}}

The top countries of origin for immigrants in Nevada were Mexico (39.5 percent of immigrants), the Philippines (14.3 percent), El Salvador (5.2 percent), China (3.1 percent), and Cuba (3 percent).{{Cite web|url=https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/immigrants-in-nevada|title=Immigrants in Nevada|date=June 2015|access-date=March 15, 2020|archive-date=February 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200224094155/https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/immigrants-in-nevada|url-status=live}}

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.{{cite encyclopedia| title=Desert, Wildlife, Flora |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica | date=26 July 1999 | url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Nevada-state/Plant-and-animal-life#ref79122}}

The most common ancestries in Nevada include Mexican, German, Irish, English, Italian and Asian.{{Cite web|url=https://www.info-america-usa.com/nevada/|title=Nevada|website=info-america-usa.com}}

Nevada is the third most diverse state in the country, behind only Hawaii and California.{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/567625-hawaii-california-and-nevada-are-most-diverse-states-in-the-us-census/amp/|title=Hawaii is most diverse state in the US, census shows|website=The Hill|date=August 12, 2021|author-last1=Schnell|author-first1=Mychael}}{{cite web|url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2021/aug/12/census-nevada-population-grew-15-over-last-decade/|title=Census: Nevada becomes more populous and diverse, but growth slows|date=August 12, 2021 }}

;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.

File:2012-10-14 14 Winnemucca Sand Dunes, north of Winnemucca in Nevada.jpg, north of Winnemucca]]

File:Downtown Reno, Nevada (17573535294).jpg

File:Las Vegas From Stratosphere 5 2013-06-25.jpg

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.nevadabusiness.com/2012/10/1-3-billion-for-288-jobs-the-failure-of-government-subsidized-renewable-energy-another-reason-why-government-shouldnt-pick-winners-and-losers-in-the-economy/2419/ |title=$1.3 billion for 288 jobs: The failure of government-subsidized renewable energy |publisher=Nevadabusiness.com |date=October 1, 2012 |access-date=January 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117095113/http://www.nevadabusiness.com/2012/10/1-3-billion-for-288-jobs-the-failure-of-government-subsidized-renewable-energy-another-reason-why-government-shouldnt-pick-winners-and-losers-in-the-economy/2419/ |archive-date=January 17, 2013 |url-status=live }} Ranching also has a long tradition in rural Nevada.{{cite journal|url=http://www.reviewjournal.com/nevada-150/mining-and-gambling-ranching-shaped-nevada-s-culture|title=Before mining and gambling, ranching shaped Nevada's culture|first=Jennifer|last=Robison|journal=Las Vegas Review-Journal|date=May 3, 2014|access-date=November 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141107052112/http://www.reviewjournal.com/nevada-150/mining-and-gambling-ranching-shaped-nevada-s-culture|archive-date=November 7, 2014|url-status=live}}

{{Pie chart

| thumb = right

| caption = Religious self-identification, per Public Religion Research Institute's 2022 American Values Survey{{Cite web |date=February 24, 2023 |title=2022 American Values Atlas: Religious Tradition |url=https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2022/States/religion/m/US-NV |access-date=March 30, 2023 |website=Public Religion Research Institute}}

| label1 = Unaffiliated

| value1 = 40

| color1 = White

| label2 = Protestantism

| value2 = 25

| color2 = Blue

| label3 = Catholicism

| value3 = 21

| color3 = Purple

| label4 = Mormonism

| value4 = 5

| color4 = Pink

| label5 = New Age

| value5 = 4

| color5 = Red

| label6 = Jehovah's Witnesses

| value6 = 2

| color6 = Green

| label7 = Judaism

| value7 = 2

| color7 = Black

| label8 = Hinduism

| value8 = 1

| color8 = Orange

}}

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).{{cite web |url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/125999/mississippians-go-church-most-vermonters-least.aspx |title=Mississippians Go to Church the Most; Vermonters, Least |publisher=Gallup.com |date=February 17, 2010 |access-date=July 27, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927040257/http://www.gallup.com/poll/125999/mississippians-go-church-most-vermonters-least.aspx |archive-date=September 27, 2013 |url-status=live }} In 2020, the Public Religion Research Institute determined 67% of the population were Christian,{{Cite web |title=PRRI – American Values Atlas |url=https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2020/States/religion/m/US-NV |access-date=2022-09-17 |website=ava.prri.org}} reflecting a 1% increase in religiosity from 2014's separate Pew study.{{Cite web |title=Religious Landscape Study |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/religious-landscape-study/ |access-date=2022-09-17 |website=Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project |language=en-US}}

Major religious affiliations of the people of Nevada were, according to the Pew Research Center in 2014: Protestant 35%, Irreligious 28%, Roman Catholic 25%, Latter-day Saints 4%, Jewish 2%, Hindu less than 1%, Buddhist 0.5% and Muslim 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 with 451,070; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 175,149; and the Southern Baptist Convention with 45,535; Buddhist congregations 14,727; Baháʼí Faith 1,723; and Muslim 1,700.{{cite web |url=http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/32/rcms2010_32_state_family_2010.asp |title=The Association of Religion Data Archives | State Membership Report |publisher=www.thearda.com |access-date=November 22, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202225528/http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/32/rcms2010_32_state_family_2010.asp |archive-date=December 2, 2013 |url-status=live }}

{{See also|Native American languages of Nevada}}

The most common non-English languages spoken in Nevada are Spanish, Tagalog and Chinese.{{cite web | url=https://datausa.io/profile/geo/nevada | title=Nevada | Data USA }} Indigenous languages of Nevada include Northern Paiute, the Southern Paiute, Shoshone, and Washo.{{cite web |last=Summers |first=Keyonna |date=October 15, 2021 |title=Preserve Nevada: Indigenous Languages, Cultural Landmarks Among State's 'Most Endangered' |url=https://www.unlv.edu/news/release/preserve-nevada-indigenous-languages-cultural-landmarks-among-states-most-endangered |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220424090411/https://www.unlv.edu/news/release/preserve-nevada-indigenous-languages-cultural-landmarks-among-states-most-endangered |archive-date=April 24, 2022 |website=UNLV News Center |publisher=University of Nevada, Las Vegas}}

The top seven languages spoken in Nevada according to the U.S. Census data are Spanish, Tagalog, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Amharic, Arabic, and Thai.[https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/82nd2023/ExhibitDocument/OpenExhibitDocument?exhibitId=65477&fileDownloadName=0328_AB246_Torres.S_Pres.pdf AB 246 Ballots for All: Improving Language Access for Nevada Voters] (March 28, 2023). Presented by Selena Torres, Assemblywoman (D, NV-3) as an [https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/82nd2023/Bill/10004/Exhibits exhibit during debate on Assembly Bill 248]. Presentation [https://web.archive.org/web/20230330154418/https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/82nd2023/ExhibitDocument/OpenExhibitDocument?exhibitId=65477&fileDownloadName=0328_AB246_Torres.S_Pres.pdf archived] from the original March 30, 2023. (Note: AB 246 passed was passed by the legislature but vetoed by Governor Joe Lombardo.)

Historically what is now Nevada has been inhabited mainly by the Paiute, Shoshone, and Washoe.{{Cite web |title=Nevada Indian Tribes and Languages |url=https://www.native-languages.org/nevada.htm |access-date=2024-09-02 |website=www.native-languages.org}}

The largest Native American tribes in Nevada according to the 2010 census are listed in the table below:{{Cite web |title=American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes in the United States and Puerto Rico: 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/cph-series/cph-t/cph-t-6.html}}

{{See also|Nevada locations by per capita income}}

File:Nevada quarter, reverse side, 2006.jpg

File:20080404-Vegas-MGMGrand-Day.jpg, with sign promoting it as The City of Entertainment]]

File:Tahoe.JPG

File:Goldstrike pit.jpg, the largest Carlin-type deposit in the world, containing more than {{convert|35000000|ozt|t}} gold{{cite web|url=http://minerals.usgs.gov/west/projects/nngd.htm|title=Western Region Gold Deposits (completed project)|first=Dave|last=Frank|access-date=August 17, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607112301/http://minerals.usgs.gov/west/projects/nngd.htm|archive-date=June 7, 2013|url-status=live}}]]

File:2013-06-28 15 48 26 Cattle along Deeth-Charleston Road (Elko County Route 747) at the Bruneau River, about 38.6 miles north of Deeth in Elko County, Nevada.jpg near the Bruneau River in Elko County]]

File:Washoe County.jpg]]

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{{cite web |url=https://www.bea.gov/ |title=Bureau of Economic Analysis |publisher=Bea.gov |access-date=January 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116151306/http://www.bea.gov/ |archive-date=January 16, 2013 |url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=GDP by State|url=http://greyhill.com/gross-state-product|publisher=Greyhill Advisors |access-date=September 23, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130113090433/http://greyhill.com/gross-state-product/|archive-date=January 13, 2013|url-status=live}} estimates Nevada's total state product in 2018 was $170{{spaces}}billion.{{Cite web |title=GDP and Personal Income |website=Regional Data |publisher=Bureau of Economic Analysis |url=https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/iTable.cfm?0=1200&isuri=1&reqid=70&step=10&1=1&2=200&3=sic&4=1&5=xx&6=-1&7=-1&8=-1&9=70&10=levels#reqid=70&step=10&isuri=1&7003=200&7035=-1&7004=naics&7005=1&7006=xx&7036=-1&7001=1200&7002=1&7090=70&7007=-1&7093=levels |access-date=April 25, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-date=March 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190329234329/https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/iTable.cfm?0=1200&isuri=1&reqid=70&step=10&1=1&2=200&3=sic&4=1&5=xx&6=-1&7=-1&8=-1&9=70&10=levels#reqid=70&step=10&isuri=1&7003=200&7035=-1&7004=naics&7005=1&7006=xx&7036=-1&7001=1200&7002=1&7090=70&7007=-1&7093=levels}} The state's per capita personal income in 2020 was $53,635, ranking 31st in the nation.{{cite web |title=Per Capita Personal Income by State, Annual |url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/release/tables?rid=110&eid=257197 |website=FRED |publisher=Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis |access-date=July 13, 2021 |location=St. Louis, MO |archive-date=July 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713163153/https://fred.stlouisfed.org/release/tables?rid=110&eid=257197 |url-status=live }} Nevada's state debt in 2012 was calculated to be $7.5{{spaces}}billion, or $3,100 per taxpayer.{{cite web |url=http://www.statedatalab.org/library/doclib/NV-2012-1.pdf |website=statedatalab.org |title="The 34th worst state" Truth in Accounting |access-date=July 27, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-date=August 10, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140810170050/http://www.statedatalab.org/library/doclib/NV-2012-1.pdf}} As of May 2021, the state's unemployment rate was 7.8%.{{cite web |title=Nevada Economy at a Glance |url=https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.nv.htm |website=U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |publisher=United States Department of Labor |access-date=July 13, 2021 |archive-date=July 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713163202/https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.nv.htm |url-status=live }}

{{Further|Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance}}

{{Main|Gold mining in Nevada|Silver mining in Nevada}}

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, {{convert|4040000|ozt|MT}} of gold worth $7.3{{spaces}}billion 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.{{cite news |last1=Harding |first1=Adella |date=17 August 2023 |title=Gold Production in Nevada slips in 2022 |url=https://elkodaily.com/news/local/business/mining/gold-production-in-nevada-slips-in-2022/article_f355ac2c-3d3d-11ee-a6ed-3b77f41a100e.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231126063035/http://elkodaily.com/news/local/business/mining/gold-production-in-nevada-slips-in-2022/article_f355ac2c-3d3d-11ee-a6ed-3b77f41a100e.html |archive-date=26 November 2023 |access-date=26 November 2023 |work=Elko Daily Free Press}}{{cite book |first=Kristin N. |last=Sheaffer |title=Mineral Commodity Summaries 2023 |date=31 January 2023 |publisher=U.S. Geological Survey |location=Reston, Virginia |isbn=978-1-4113-4504-1 |pages=80–81 |url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2023/mcs2023.pdf |access-date=26 November 2023}} Despite its rich deposits, the cost of mining in Nevada is generally high, and output is very sensitive to world commodity prices.

Cattle ranching is a major economic activity in rural Nevada.{{Cite news |last=Robison |first=Jennifer |date=May 3, 2014 |title=Before mining and gambling, ranching shaped Nevada's culture |url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/before-mining-and-gambling-ranching-shaped-nevadas-culture/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241229090350/https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/before-mining-and-gambling-ranching-shaped-nevadas-culture/ |archive-date=December 29, 2024 |work=Las Vegas Review-Journal}} 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.{{Cite report |url=https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2022/Online_Resources/County_Profiles/Nevada/cp99032.pdf |title=Census of Agriculture State Profile: Nevada |last=National Agricultural Statistics Service |date=2022 |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |location=Washington, D.C. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240404225404/https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2022/Online_Resources/County_Profiles/Nevada/cp99032.pdf |archive-date=2024-04-04 |url-status=live}} 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 {{convert|653,891|acre}} of cropland is used to grow hay, mostly alfalfa, for livestock feed.

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:"[http://www.nevadaworkforce.com/admin/uploadedPublications/2545_State_of_Nevada.xls Nevada's Largest Employers{{snd}}Statewide] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425071124/http://www.nevadaworkforce.com/admin/uploadedPublications/2545_State_of_Nevada.xls |date=April 25, 2012 }}." Nevada Workforce Informer. Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

File:Nevada 28.svg

File:U.S. Route 50 - Loneliest Road.jpg, also known as "The Loneliest Road in America"]]

Amtrak's California Zephyr train uses the Union Pacific's original transcontinental railroad 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; and from Stateline, Nevada, to Sacramento, California. There have been a number of proposals to re-introduce service to either Los Angeles or Southern California with the privately run Brightline West having begun construction in 2024.

The Union Pacific Railroad 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: US{{spaces}}6, US{{spaces}}50, US{{spaces}}93, US{{spaces}}95 and US{{spaces}}395. 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 centers{{snd}}the 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.{{cite book|title=Pictures of Highway Shields: Nevada!| isbn=9781411663183 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dK4sFmxUJasC&q=Nevada+interstate+15 | last1=Rogers | first1=Carl | date=September 2005 | publisher=Lulu.com }}

The state is one of just a few in the country to allow semi-trailer trucks with three trailers{{snd}}what 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, 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 {{convert|4|mi|km|adj=on}} 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.

{{See also|List of power stations in Nevada}}

{{external media| image1 =[https://www.nvenergy.com/publish/content/dam/nvenergy/brochures_arch/about-nvenergy/our-company/power-supply/GeneratingStations.pdf Map of Nevada electricity grid] }}

Nevada has had a thriving solar energy sector. An independent study in 2013 concluded that solar users created a $36{{spaces}}million 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.{{Cite news|last=Hernandez|first=Dan|date=2016-01-13|title=Nevada solar industry collapses after state lets power company raise fees|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jan/13/solar-panel-energy-power-company-nevada|access-date=2023-03-17|issn=0261-3077}}

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.{{cite news |title=Congress works to revive long-delayed plan to store nuclear waste in Yucca Mountain |url=https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/06/03/yucca-mountain-congress-works-revive-dormant-nuclear-waste-dump/664153002/ |work=USA Today |date=June 3, 2018 |access-date=November 14, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190801201959/https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/06/03/yucca-mountain-congress-works-revive-dormant-nuclear-waste-dump/664153002/ |archive-date=August 1, 2019 |url-status=live }}

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.{{Cite web|first=Sarah|last=Holder|date=March 13, 2018|title=For Low-Income Renters, the Affordable Housing Gap Persists|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-13/low-income-renters-find-stubborn-affordable-housing-gap|access-date=2021-12-06|website=Bloomberg |archive-date=January 31, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220131061635/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-13/low-income-renters-find-stubborn-affordable-housing-gap|url-status=live}} 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.{{Cite web|title=Can Nevadans afford Nevada? A look at the state's housing, rental markets|url=https://www.fox5vegas.com/news/can-nevadans-afford-nevada-a-look-at-the-states-housing-rental-markets/article_d61dde1e-e5e6-11eb-862f-d7fbc7e268b7.html|access-date=2021-12-06|website=FOX5 Las Vegas|language=en|archive-date=December 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206040343/https://www.fox5vegas.com/news/can-nevadans-afford-nevada-a-look-at-the-states-housing-rental-markets/article_d61dde1e-e5e6-11eb-862f-d7fbc7e268b7.html|url-status=live}} Considering the average salary in Nevada, $54,842 per year, this standard is on average, unaffordable.{{Cite web|title=American Community Survey (ACS)|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs|access-date=2021-12-06|website=Census.gov|archive-date=December 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205011314/https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs|url-status=live}} 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.{{Cite web|title=Affordable Housing - Nevada HAND {{!}} Affordable Housing {{!}} Las Vegas|url=https://nevadahand.org/our-mission-affordable-housing/affordable-housing/|access-date=2021-12-06|website=Nevada HAND|language=en-US|archive-date=December 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206040348/https://nevadahand.org/our-mission-affordable-housing/affordable-housing/|url-status=live}}

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.

{{See also|List of high schools in Nevada|List of school districts in Nevada}}

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".{{cite news |title=School Choice: Full Education Competition Comes To Nevada |url=http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/060115-755174-nevada-leads-nation-in-educational-choice-students-benefit.htm |access-date=June 2, 2015 |work=Investors Business Daily |date=June 1, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150715002536/http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/060115-755174-nevada-leads-nation-in-educational-choice-students-benefit.htm |archive-date=July 15, 2015 |url-status=live }}{{cite news|title=Nevada – Education Savings Accounts|newspaper=Edchoice |url=http://www.edchoice.org/School-Choice/Programs/Nevada---Education-Savings-Accounts.aspx|access-date=June 5, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707125934/http://www.edchoice.org/School-Choice/Programs/Nevada---Education-Savings-Accounts.aspx|archive-date=July 7, 2015|url-status=live}}

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%.{{cite web |title=Nevada |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?q=Nevada&g=0400000US32 |website=U.S. Census Bureau – Nevada |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=July 28, 2021 |archive-date=June 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615123524/https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?q=Nevada&g=0400000US32 |url-status=live }}

Public school districts in Nevada include:

{{div col|colwidth=24em}}

• 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

{{div col end}}

{{div col|colwidth=24em}}

• Nevada System of Higher Education
• University of Nevada, Las Vegas (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

{{div col end}}

• Desert Research Institute

The Nevada Aerospace Hall of Fame provides educational resources and promotes the aerospace and aviation history of the state.{{cite web |url=http://nvahof.org/ |title=Nevada Aerospace Hall of Fame |publisher=Nvahof.org |access-date=January 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117094938/http://nvahof.org/ |archive-date=January 17, 2013 |url-status=live }}

{{Main|Government of Nevada}}

File:Rotary-clock.jpg in Carson City]]

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 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.NV Const. art. V, § 5. 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Division/Research/LegInfo/Orientation/2010-11/Handouts/Jan19-24/1-19/02StructureOfGovt_ExecBranch.pdf|title=The Structure of Government: Executive Branch|publisher=Nevada Legislative Counsel Bureau|first=Michael J. |last=Stewart|access-date=September 12, 2023}}

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){{snd}}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.{{cite news |last=Price |first=Michelle L. |url=https://www.apnews.com/8bebc3041f564d449365feff713bf7a4 |title=Nevada becomes 1st US state with female-majority Legislature |work=Associated Press |date=December 18, 2018 |access-date=December 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181220145235/https://apnews.com/8bebc3041f564d449365feff713bf7a4 |archive-date=December 20, 2018 |url-status=live }}

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.{{cite web |url=http://nvcourts.gov/Supreme/Court_Information/Court_of_Appeals/ |title=Court of Appeals |website=Nevada Judiciary |access-date=August 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170812211936/http://nvcourts.gov/Supreme/Court_Information/Court_of_Appeals/ |archive-date=August 12, 2017 |url-status=live }}

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 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.

{{div col|colwidth=24em}}

• 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
• 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

{{div col end}}

File:Supreme Court of Nevada in Carson City.jpg]]

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:

{{blockquote|Nevada, in a burst of ingenuity, built an economy by exploiting its sovereignty. Its strategy was to legalize all sorts of things that were illegal in California{{spaces}}... after the easy divorce came easy marriage and casino gaming. Even prostitution is legal in Nevada, in any county that decides to allow it. Quite a few of them do.Lawrence M. Friedman, American Law in the Twentieth Century (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002), pp. 596–597.}}

With the advent of air conditioning for summertime use and Southern Nevada's mild winters, the fortunes of the state began to turn around, as it did for Arizona, making these two states the fastest growing in the Union.

{{See also|Prostitution in Nevada}}

Nevada is the only state where prostitution is legal{{snd}}in 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.

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), {{ussc|317|287|1942}}, in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled North Carolina had to give "full faith and credit" to a Nevada divorce. The Court modified its decision in Williams v. North Carolina (1945), {{ussc|325|226|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.{{cite web |url=http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/nevada-and-west/nevadas-divorce-rate-exceeds-national-average |title=Nevada's divorce rate exceeds national average – News – ReviewJournal.com |publisher=Lvrj.com |date=August 25, 2011 |access-date=January 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524184556/http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/nevada-and-west/nevadas-divorce-rate-exceeds-national-average |archive-date=May 24, 2013 |url-status=live }}

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.{{cite web|url=http://taxfoundation.org/state-tax-climate/nevada|title=The Tax Foundation – Tax Research Areas > Nevada|website=Tax Foundation|access-date=September 15, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622225631/http://taxfoundation.org/state-tax-climate/nevada|archive-date=June 22, 2012|url-status=live}} Since Nevada does not collect income data it cannot share such information with the federal government, the IRS.Nicholas Shaxson: Treasure Islands, Tax Havens and the Men Who Stole the World; The Bodley Head, London, 2011

The state sales tax (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.{{cite web |url=http://tax.state.nv.us/documents/Sales_Tax_Map.pdf |title=Sales Tax Map |access-date=May 4, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130129083550/http://www.tax.state.nv.us/documents/Sales_Tax_Map.pdf |archive-date=January 29, 2013 }} The minimum Nevada sales tax rate changed on July 1, 2009.{{cite web |url=http://tax.state.nv.us/pubs.htm#Sales |title=Taxation Publications |publisher=Tax.state.nv.us |access-date=July 31, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100813171855/http://tax.state.nv.us/pubs.htm#Sales |archive-date=August 13, 2010 }}

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.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.thenation.com/article/164499/agony-and-ecstasy-and-disgrace-steve-jobs |title=The Agony and Ecstasy – and 'Disgrace' – of Steve Jobs |magazine=The Nation |date=November 9, 2011 |access-date=January 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123114212/http://www.thenation.com/article/164499/agony-and-ecstasy-and-disgrace-steve-jobs |archive-date=January 23, 2013 |url-status=live }}

{{Main|Same-sex marriage in Nevada|LGBT rights in Nevada}}

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.

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.

Similarly, many U.S. states have usury laws limiting the amount of interest 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.findlaw.com/state/nevada-law/nevada-interest-rates-laws.html |access-date=2021-12-31 |title=Nevada Interest Rates Laws |archive-date=December 31, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211231205657/https://www.findlaw.com/state/nevada-law/nevada-interest-rates-laws.html |url-status=live }}

{{See also|Alcohol laws of Nevada|Cannabis in Nevada}}

Nevada has very liberal alcohol laws. Bars are permitted to remain open 24{{spaces}}hours, with no "last call". Liquor stores, convenience stores and supermarkets may also sell alcohol 24{{spaces}}hours per day and may sell beer, wine and spirits.

In 2016, Nevada voters approved Question{{spaces}}2, 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.{{cite web |title=Initiative to Regulate and Tax Marijuana |publisher=Nevada Secretary of State |date=April 23, 2014 |url=http://nvsos.gov/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=3294 |access-date=May 23, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817223403/http://nvsos.gov/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=3294 |archive-date=August 17, 2016 }} 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.shouselaw.com/nevada/drug-possession.html|title=Las Vegas, Nevada "Possession of a Controlled Substance (Drug)" Laws|website=www.shouselaw.com|access-date=November 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181127064613/https://www.shouselaw.com/nevada/drug-possession.html |archive-date=November 27, 2018 |url-status=live}}

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.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Addiction and Mental Health in Nevada|url=https://deserthopetreatment.com/las-vegas-program/insurance/using-bho/|access-date=January 28, 2021|website=Desert Hope|archive-date=January 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111133356/https://deserthopetreatment.com/las-vegas-program/insurance/using-bho/|url-status=live}} 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.

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20071006/NEWS/110060112 |title=State smoking ban sparks zone-change request for Gardnerville parcel Nevada Appeal serving Carson City, Nevada |publisher=Nevadaappeal.com |date=October 6, 2007 |access-date=July 31, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111211081512/http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20071006/NEWS/110060112 |archive-date=December 11, 2011 |url-status=live }} However, some businesses do not obey this law and the government tends not to enforce it.{{cite web |url=http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=6466938 |title=Have Nevada bars given up the smoking habit? |publisher=Kvbc.com |access-date=July 31, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929004116/http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=6466938 |archive-date=September 29, 2011 }} In 2011, smoking restrictions in Nevada were relaxed for certain places which allow only people 21 or older inside.{{cite web |url=http://www.blacklobellolaw.com/tag/smoking-ban-loosened/ |title=Black & LoBello smoking ban loosened Archives " Black & LoBello |publisher=Blacklobellolaw.com |date=June 17, 2011 |access-date=July 27, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129065835/http://blacklobellolaw.com/tag/smoking-ban-loosened/ |archive-date=November 29, 2014 |url-status=live }}

{{main|Crime in Nevada}}

In 2006, the crime rate 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.{{cite news|url=http://www.nicic.org/Features/StateStats/?State=NV |title=Overview of Nevada's CorrectionalSystem |date=January 4, 2009 |publisher=NICIC |access-date=January 4, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080216065149/http://www.nicic.org/Features/StateStats/?State=NV |archive-date=February 16, 2008 }} A complete listing of crime data in the state for 2013 can be found here:{{cite web |url=http://nvrepository.state.nv.us/UCR/2013CrimeInNVannualReport.pdf |title=2013 Crime In Nevada Annual Report |publisher=NV Repository |date=2013 |access-date=November 21, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129070517/http://nvrepository.state.nv.us/UCR/2013CrimeInNVannualReport.pdf |archive-date=November 29, 2014 }}

{{See also||Political party strength in Nevada}}

[[File:Party registration by county (February 2025).svg|thumb|Party Registration by County in Nevada (February 2025):

{{legend|#ffccd0|2=Republican ≥ 30%}}

{{legend|#f2b3be|2=Republican ≥ 40%}}

{{legend|#e27f90|2=Republican ≥ 50%}}

{{legend|#cc2f4a|2=Republican ≥ 60%}}

{{legend|#e9beff|2=Unaffiliated ≥ 30%}}]]

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.{{cite web|url=https://silverstateelection.nv.gov/county-results/clark.shtml|title=Clark County 2024 General Election Results}} 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 in 1988, and the last Republican to carry Washoe County was George W. Bush in 2004. The great majority of the state's elected officials are from either Las Vegas or Reno.{{cite web|url=https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Division/Research/Publications/PHoN/PHoN.pdf|title=Political History of Nevada}} 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.{{Cite web|title=2014 Attorney General General Election Results|url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=32&year=2014&f=0&off=9&elect=0|website=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|access-date=July 6, 2021|archive-date=July 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709184754/https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=32&year=2014&f=0&off=9&elect=0|url-status=live}}

{{See also|United States presidential elections in Nevada}}

File:Nevada Presidential Election Results 2024.svg by county in Nevada {{leftlegend|#4389E3|Democratic}}{{leftlegend|#AA0000|Republican}}]]

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 when it voted for Gerald Ford over Jimmy Carter and 2016 when the state was carried by Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump. 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/11/09/1159666/-2012-vs-1960 |title=2012 vs 1960 |publisher=Daily Kos |date=November 9, 2012 |access-date=January 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130309051908/http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/11/09/1159666/-2012-vs-1960 |archive-date=March 9, 2013 |url-status=live }}

The state's U.S. Senators are Democrats Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen. The Governorship is held by Joe Lombardo, a Republican.

{{Main|Elections in Nevada}}

Nevada is the only U.S. state to have a none of the above 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/not-fan-candidate-nevada-can-vote-none-candidates|title=Not a fan of any candidate? In Nevada, you can vote for 'None of These Candidates'|website=PBS NewsHour |access-date=September 12, 2018|date=October 18, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912204726/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/not-fan-candidate-nevada-can-vote-none-candidates|archive-date=September 12, 2018 |url-status=live}}

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."{{cite journal |last1=Pomante II |first1=Michael J. |last2=Li |first2=Quan |title=Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020 |journal=Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy |date=15 Dec 2020 |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=503–509 |doi=10.1089/elj.2020.0666 |s2cid=225139517 |doi-access=free | issn=1533-1296 }}

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 {{US$|10.7}}{{nbsp}}billion in gaming revenue and another {{US$|15.7}}{{nbsp}}billion in non-gaming revenue.{{Cite web |year=2022 |title=Nevada Gaming Abstract 2022 |url=https://gaming.nv.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=19377 |access-date=January 17, 2024 |website=Nevada Gaming Control Board}}

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.ahla.com/content.aspx?id=27642 |title=State-by-State Fact Sheets on Lodging Industry |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100502124829/http://www.ahla.com/content.aspx?id=27642 |archive-date=May 2, 2010 }}

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.

{{See also|Las Vegas#Sports|Sports in the Las Vegas metropolitan area|Reno, Nevada#Sports|Henderson, Nevada#Sports}}

The Las Vegas Valley is home to the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League who began to play in the 2017–18 NHL season at T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League 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 of Major League Baseball plan to move to Las Vegas by 2027.{{Cite news |date=2023-04-20 |title=Oakland A's close in on move to Las Vegas after signing land deal for stadium |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/apr/20/oakland-athletics-las-vegas-relocation-stadium |access-date=2023-04-20 |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite web |last=Dubow |first=Josh |date=2023-04-20 |title=Oakland A's purchase land for new stadium in Las Vegas |url=https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/oakland-a-s-purchase-land-for-new-stadium-in-las-17907772.php |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=SFGATE |language=en-US}}

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 Division{{spaces}}I Championship by defeating Duke 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 Division{{spaces}}I 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 79–77. The Runnin' Rebels were the Associated Press pre-season No.{{spaces}}1 back to back (1989–90, 1990–91). North Carolina 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 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 (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 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, which hosts NASCAR's Pennzoil 400 and South Point 400. Two venues in the immediate Las Vegas area host major annual events in rodeo. 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, and current baseball superstar Bryce Harper.

File:Wfm area51 map en.png in southern Nevada, showing Nellis Air Force Base Complex and Nevada Test Site]]

Several United States Navy 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. 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.

{{Portal|Nevada|United States}}

• Index of Nevada-related articles
• Outline of Nevada{{snd}}organized list of topics about Nevada
• List of people from Nevada

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Sister project links|voy=Nevada}}

• {{cite web | url = http://nv.gov/ | title = Nevada | type = official state website }}
• {{cite web | url = https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/states/nevada/ | title = Nevada State Guide | publisher = Library of Congress}}
• {{Cite web | url = http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php/Nevada | title = Nevada State Databases | publisher = ALA | access-date = May 11, 2008 | url-status = dead | archive-date = January 6, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140106124251/http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php/Nevada }} Annotated list of searchable databases produced by Nevada state agencies and compiled by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association.
• [http://travelnevada.com/ State Tourism website]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110313112352/http://nsla.nevadaculture.org/ Nevada State Library and Archives]
• [http://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=nv Energy Profile for Nevada]
• [http://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=NV USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Nevada]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20140731162029/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/32000.html US Census Bureau]
• [http://collections.swco.ttu.edu/handle/10605/11464 1875 County Map at Texas Tech Southwest Collection]
• [http://www.countymapsofnevada.com/ County Maps of Nevada] Full color maps. List of cities, towns and county seats
• [http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/state-fact-sheets/state-data.aspx?StateFIPS=32&StateName=Nevada Nevada State Facts from USDA]
• [http://www.forgottennevada.org/sites/index.html Forgotten Nevada{{snd}}Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of Nevada]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20130117095102/http://www.nevada-landmarks.com/ Nevada's Historical Markers]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20140814082750/http://nv.gov/uploadedImages/NVgov/Content/About/nevada_seal..png Nevada State Seal]
• {{osmrelation-inline|165473}}
• [http://www.onlinenevada.org/ Online Nevada Encyclopedia, Nevada Humanities]
• [https://nchinc.com/ Nevada Corporation Headquarters]

{{s-start}}

{{s-bef|before=West Virginia}}

{{s-ttl|title=List of U.S. states by date of statehood|years=Admitted on October 31, 1864 (36th)}}

{{s-aft|after=Nebraska}}

{{s-end}}

{{Navboxes

|title = Topics related to Nevada
The Silver State

|list =

{{Nevada}}

{{Protected areas of Nevada}}

{{Western United States}}

{{New Spain}}

{{United States political divisions}}

{{Nevada Sports}}

|state=expanded}}

{{Authority control}}

{{coord|39|-117|dim:300000_region:US-NV_type:adm1st|name=State of Nevada|display=title}}

Category:1864 establishments in Nevada

Category:States and territories established in 1864

Category:States of the United States

Category:Western United States

Category:Contiguous United States

Category:Former Spanish colonies