Douglas County, Nevada facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Douglas County
County
From top, left to right: View of Stateline from near Heavenly Mountain Resort. Nevada Beach Campground in Zephyr Cove. Douglas County Courthouse in Minden. Downtown Gardnerville.
Logo
Location within the U.S. state of Nevada
Nevada's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Nevada
Founded	1861; 163 years ago (1861)
Named for	Stephen A. Douglas
Seat	Minden
Largest city	Gardnerville Ranchos
Area
• Total	738 sq mi (1,910 km2)
• Land	710 sq mi (1,800 km2)
• Water	28 sq mi (70 km2)  3.8%
Population  (2020)
• Total	49,488
• Density	67.06/sq mi (25.891/km2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
Congressional district	2nd

Douglas County is a county in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 49,488. Its county seat is Minden. Douglas County comprises the Gardnerville Ranchos, NV Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Reno–Carson City–Fernley, NV Combined Statistical Area.

History

The town of Genoa in Douglas County was the first permanent settlement in Nevada. Genoa was settled in 1851 by Mormon traders selling goods to settlers on their way to California. Named for Stephen A. Douglas, famous for his 1860 Presidential campaign and debates with Abraham Lincoln, Douglas County was one of the first nine counties formed in 1861 by the Nevada territorial legislature.

The county seat is Minden, after having been moved from Genoa in 1915.

Various services run by the county include parks, law enforcement, road maintenance, building inspection, and the Minden–Tahoe Airport.

Fire protection and emergency medical services are provided by the Tahoe-Douglas Fire Protection District at the lake and the East Fork Fire Protection District for the rest of the county.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 738 square miles (1,910 km²), of which 710 square miles (1,800 km²) is land and 28 square miles (73 km²) (3.8%) is water. It is the second-smallest county in Nevada by area. The highest point is East Peak at 9,593 ft (2,924 m), while the most topographically prominent mountain is Mount Siegel.

Douglas County is in western Nevada in the western United States. Stretching from Carson Valley and running up into the Sierra Nevada, the county is bordered on the west by California, and contains about 13.2% of Lake Tahoe, which is split across the two states. Carson City, the state capital, lies to the north, and Lyon County to the east.

Adjacent counties and city

• Carson City – north
• Lyon County – east
• Mono County, California – southeast
• Alpine County, California – south
• El Dorado County, California – west
• Placer County, California – northwest

National protected area

• Toiyabe National Forest

Transportation

Public Transportation With Douglas County is offered by Douglas Area Rural Transit, Tahoe Transportation District and Eastern Sierra Transit

Major highways

Demographics

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 46,997 people, 19,638 households, and 13,519 families living in the county. The population density was 66.2 inhabitants per square mile (25.6/km²). There were 23,671 housing units at an average density of 33.4 per square mile (12.9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.6% white, 1.9% Native American, 1.5% Asian, 0.4% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 3.2% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 10.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 25.7% were German, 17.5% were English, 14.9% were Irish, 8.0% were Italian, and 4.1% were American.

Of the 19,638 households, 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.2% were non-families, and 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.80. The median age was 47.4 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $60,721 and the median income for a family was $73,543. Males had a median income of $52,001 versus $39,825 for females. The per capita income for the county was $35,239. About 5.4% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Census-designated places

There are no incorporated towns or cities in Douglas County. The following communities are census-designated places, meaning population and demographic data is available from the U.S. Census Bureau for each one:

Unincorporated communities

• Centerville
• Dresslerville
• Holbrook Junction
• Mottsville
• Sheridan

Economy

Major employers

• Starbucks roasting plant
• Patmont Motor Werks
• Bently Nevada, part of Baker Hughes
• North Sails
• TeslaWatt

Education

Douglas County's education is managed by the Douglas County School District. It serves for all of Douglas County, having two main areas: Lake Tahoe & the Carson Valley. Douglas High School also serves most of the high school age students from Alpine County, California

Lake Tahoe

• George Whittell High School
• Zephyr Cove Elementary School

Carson Valley

Private schools

• Sierra Lutheran High School
• Faith Christian Academy
• Grace Christian Academy

Media

• Carson Valley Times
• The Record-Courier

In popular culture

• Smokin Aces
• Charley Varrick
• The Shootist
• Misery
• The Motel Life
• The Wizard (1989 film)

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Douglas (Nevada) para niños