Churchill County, Nevada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Churchill County
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Churchill County Courthouse in Fallon
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Location within the U.S. state of Nevada
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 Nevada's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Nevada |
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| Founded | 1861 (created) 1864 (organized) |
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| Named for | Sylvester Churchill | ||
| Seat | Fallon | ||
| Largest city | Fallon | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 5,024 sq mi (13,010 km2) | ||
| • Land | 4,930 sq mi (12,800 km2) | ||
| • Water | 94 sq mi (240 km2) 1.9% | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 25,516 | ||
| • Density | 5.0788/sq mi (1.96094/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) | ||
| Congressional district | 2nd | ||
Churchill County is a county in the western U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,516. Its county seat is Fallon. Named for Mexican–American War hero brevet Brigadier General Sylvester Churchill, the county was formed in 1861. Churchill County comprises the Fallon, NV Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is in northwestern Nevada. Churchill County is noteworthy in that it owns and operates the local telephone carrier, Churchill County Communications.
Contents
History
Churchill County was established in 1861, and was named for Fort Churchill (which is now in Lyon County), which was named for General Sylvester Churchill, a Mexican–American War hero who was Inspector General of the U.S. Army in 1861. Churchill County was not organized until 1864, and its first county seat was Bucklands (which is now in Lyon County). In 1864 the county seat was moved to La Plata; in 1868 it was moved to Stillwater; and in 1904 it was settled in its present position, Fallon. In the 19th century there were several attempts to eliminate Churchill County because of its small population, but Assemblyman Lemuel Allen stopped it on all occasions including convincing the Governor to veto an 1875 bill after it had been passed by both houses.
Railroads
The Eagle Salt Works Railroad ran for 13.5 miles (21.7 km), primarily on the original Central Pacific grade from Luva (2 miles (3.2 km) east of Fernley) to Eagle Salt Works.
The Central Pacific portion of the nation's first transcontinental railroad ran through Churchill County, although a portion of the original route has been shifted for a new route south of Wadsworth in favor of Fernley. The Central Pacific later became the Southern Pacific Railroad which was merged into Union Pacific in 1996.
Geography
The terrain of Churchill County consists of rugged mountainous ridges, dotted with lakes and ponds. The county's east and west sides are higher than the intermediate valley; its highest point around the county periphery is a ridge on the lower east boundary line, at 9,380 ft (2,860 m) ASL. The county has an area of 5,024 square miles (13,010 km2), of which 4,930 square miles (12,800 km2) is land and 94 square miles (240 km2) (1.9%) is water. The county's highest point is Desatoya Peak at 9,977 ft (3,041 m), while the most topographically prominent peak is Mount Augusta, at 9,970 ft (3,040 m) ASL.
Major highways
Interstate 11 (Future)
Interstate 80
U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50 Alternate
U.S. Route 95
U.S. Route 95 Alternate
State Route 115
State Route 116
State Route 117
State Route 118
State Route 119
State Route 120
State Route 121
State Route 361
State Route 715
State Route 718
State Route 720
State Route 722
State Route 723
State Route 726
State Route 839
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Adjacent counties
- Lyon County – west
- Washoe County – northwest
- Pershing County – north
- Lander County – east
- Nye County – southeast
- Mineral County – south
Protected areas
- Fallon National Wildlife Refuge
- Humboldt State Wildlife Management Area
- Lahontan State Game Refuge
- Lahontan State Recreation Area (partial)
- Sand Mountain Recreation Area
- Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge
Lakes and reservoirs
- Big Water
- Carson Lake
- Cattail Lake
- Division Lake
- Dog Head Pond
- Dry Lake
- Dutch Bill Lake
- East Alkali Lake Number One
- East Alkali Lake Number Two
- Foxtail Lake
- Goose Lake
- Humboldt Lake (partial)
- Lahontan Reservoir
- Little Soda Lake
- North Nutgrass Lake
- Pintail Bay
- Scheckler Reservoir
- Soda Lake
- Stillwater Point Reservoir
- Swan Check
- Swan Lake
- Tule Lake
- West Nutgrass
- Willow Lake
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 196 | — | |
| 1880 | 479 | 144.4% | |
| 1890 | 703 | 46.8% | |
| 1900 | 830 | 18.1% | |
| 1910 | 2,811 | 238.7% | |
| 1920 | 4,649 | 65.4% | |
| 1930 | 5,075 | 9.2% | |
| 1940 | 5,317 | 4.8% | |
| 1950 | 6,161 | 15.9% | |
| 1960 | 8,452 | 37.2% | |
| 1970 | 10,513 | 24.4% | |
| 1980 | 13,917 | 32.4% | |
| 1990 | 17,938 | 28.9% | |
| 2000 | 23,982 | 33.7% | |
| 2010 | 24,877 | 3.7% | |
| 2020 | 25,516 | 2.6% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 25,803 | 3.7% | |
| US Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2018 |
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2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, the county had 24,877 people, 9,671 households, and 6,631 families. The population density was 5.0 inhabitants per square mile (1.9/km2). There were 10,826 housing units at an average density of 2.2 per square mile (0.85/km2).
The county's racial makeup was 82.0% white, 4.5% American Indian, 2.7% Asian, 1.6% black or African American, 0.2% Pacific islander, 4.8% from other races, and 4.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 12.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 19.2% were English, 18.8% were German, 13.6% were Irish, 6.5% were Italian, and 5.9% were American.
Of the 9,671 households, 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.4% were non-families, and 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.01. The median age was 39.0 years.
The county's median household income was $51,597 and the median family income was $63,599. Males had a median income of $45,057 versus $32,550 for females. The county's per capita income was $22,997. About 6.8% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
City
Census-designated place
- Fallon Station
Unincorporated communities
- Cold Springs
- Dixie Valley
- Eastgate
- Hazen
- Middlegate
- Stillwater
Education
The school district is the Churchill County School District. Its public high school is Churchill County High School.
There is a charter school in Fallon, Oasis Academy.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Churchill para niños
