Fallon, Nevada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fallon
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City
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Maine Street in Fallon
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| Nickname(s):
The Oasis of Nevada
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Location of Fallon and Churchill County, Nevada
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 Fallon, Nevada
Location in Nevada
Fallon, Nevada
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State |  Nevada |
| County | Churchill |
| Founded | July 24, 1896 |
| Incorporated | 1908 |
| Named for | Michael Fallon |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.71 sq mi (9.61 km2) |
| • Land | 3.71 sq mi (9.61 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,967 ft (1,209 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 9,327 |
| • Density | 2,513.34/sq mi (970.33/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| ZIP codes |
89406, 89407, 89496
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| Area code(s) | 775 |
| FIPS code | 32-24100 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2410481 |
Fallon is a city in Churchill County, Nevada. It's often called "The Oasis of Nevada" because it's a green spot in the dry desert. In 2020, about 9,327 people lived here. Fallon is the main city of Churchill County and is found in the Lahontan Valley. It's also famous for being home to Naval Air Station Fallon, a big U.S. Navy base.
Contents
History of Fallon
Early Settlement and Founding
The area where Fallon is now located was first settled during the California Gold Rush. Many people, called "Forty-niners," were heading to California to find gold. They often stopped here after crossing the Carson River.
The town and its post office officially started on July 24, 1896. They were set up in a small building owned by Michael and Eliza Fallon, who had a ranch there. Soon after, a store was opened nearby by Jim Richards. Fallon officially became a city in 1908.
Historic Roads and Development
The Lincoln Highway, America's first road that went all the way across the country, passes through Fallon. It follows the path of the original Pony Express trail. Today, this road is known as U.S. Highway 50. East of Fallon, it's famously called "The Loneliest Road in America." This is because it goes through very few towns for over 400 miles until it reaches Utah.
In the 1930s, U.S. Highway 95 was built. To avoid sending traffic directly through the town center, Highway 50 has a special "dogleg" turn. This turn separates the northern and southern parts of Highway 95.
Even though Fallon has grown a lot, the "old town" area is still found on Maine Street. Many buildings there are from the early 1900s. This includes the historic Fallon Theater, which is still open today.
Naval Air Station Fallon was built in 1942. It is located southeast of the city. Since 1996, this base has been home to the U.S. Navy's Navy Fighter Weapons School. This school is famously known as TOPGUN. Pilots train here using flight areas and practice ranges nearby.
National Recognition
On June 16, 2019, downtown Fallon's Maine Street was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as an important historical area.
Geography of Fallon
Fallon is located in the western part of Churchill County. Its exact location is 39°28′22″N 118°46′44″W / 39.47278°N 118.77889°W. It sits in the Lahontan Valley, which used to be a large lakebed. The Carson River flows north of the city.
The United States Census Bureau says that Fallon covers a total area of about 9.45 square kilometers (3.65 square miles). Most of this area, about 9.41 square kilometers (3.63 square miles), is land. Only a small part, about 0.05 square kilometers (0.02 square miles), is water.
Population and People
Population Statistics
According to the 2000 census, 7,536 people lived in Fallon. There were 3,004 households and 1,877 families. The city had about 2,474 people per square mile (955 people per square kilometer). There were 3,336 homes, with about 1,095 homes per square mile (423 homes per square kilometer).
Diversity in Fallon
The people living in Fallon come from many different backgrounds. In 2000, about 76.5% of the population was White. Other groups included African American (2.0%), Native American (3.0%), Asian (4.7%), and Pacific Islander (0.3%). About 3.3% of people were from two or more races. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up 9.9% of the population.
Age Distribution
The population in Fallon is spread out across different age groups. In 2000, about 28.4% of the people were under 18 years old. About 10.3% were between 18 and 24, and 29.7% were between 25 and 44. People aged 45 to 64 made up 19.4%, and 12.2% were 65 years or older. The average age in Fallon was 32 years.
Education in Fallon
The Churchill County School District serves the city of Fallon. Churchill County High School is the main high school. It also serves students from rural areas outside the city. Western Nevada College has a campus in Fallon, offering higher education.
There is also a charter school called Oasis Academy. Fallon has a public library, which is called the Churchill County Library.
Climate and Weather
Fallon has a cold desert climate. This means it has hot summers and cold winters. Because Fallon is high up and very dry, the temperature can change a lot between day and night, especially in the summer.
Fallon's climate is dry because it is in the Rain Shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains. This means the mountains block most of the rain from reaching Fallon. Summer days can be hot, but not as hot as in deserts like the Mojave or Sonoran. This is because Fallon is higher up and further north. In winter, daytime temperatures are usually above freezing. However, nights can be very cold. Fallon can also experience heavy fog in winter, which is known as pogonip.
| Climate data for Fallon, Nevada, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1903–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 71 (22) |
78 (26) |
84 (29) |
90 (32) |
102 (39) |
106 (41) |
108 (42) |
105 (41) |
106 (41) |
92 (33) |
81 (27) |
72 (22) |
108 (42) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 60.1 (15.6) |
65.8 (18.8) |
75.2 (24.0) |
81.8 (27.7) |
90.2 (32.3) |
97.3 (36.3) |
101.9 (38.8) |
99.4 (37.4) |
95.1 (35.1) |
84.8 (29.3) |
71.2 (21.8) |
61.8 (16.6) |
102.7 (39.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 46.0 (7.8) |
52.4 (11.3) |
60.7 (15.9) |
66.1 (18.9) |
74.8 (23.8) |
85.1 (29.5) |
94.2 (34.6) |
91.8 (33.2) |
83.3 (28.5) |
69.8 (21.0) |
55.9 (13.3) |
45.2 (7.3) |
68.8 (20.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 33.0 (0.6) |
37.8 (3.2) |
44.6 (7.0) |
49.8 (9.9) |
58.4 (14.7) |
66.9 (19.4) |
74.7 (23.7) |
72.0 (22.2) |
63.6 (17.6) |
51.9 (11.1) |
40.2 (4.6) |
32.1 (0.1) |
52.1 (11.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 20.0 (−6.7) |
23.3 (−4.8) |
28.5 (−1.9) |
33.5 (0.8) |
41.9 (5.5) |
48.7 (9.3) |
55.3 (12.9) |
52.3 (11.3) |
43.9 (6.6) |
34.0 (1.1) |
24.5 (−4.2) |
19.0 (−7.2) |
35.4 (1.9) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 6.9 (−13.9) |
11.7 (−11.3) |
15.6 (−9.1) |
21.8 (−5.7) |
30.0 (−1.1) |
36.1 (2.3) |
46.0 (7.8) |
43.5 (6.4) |
33.8 (1.0) |
20.9 (−6.2) |
12.7 (−10.7) |
6.1 (−14.4) |
1.9 (−16.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −25 (−32) |
−27 (−33) |
1 (−17) |
13 (−11) |
20 (−7) |
27 (−3) |
35 (2) |
33 (1) |
21 (−6) |
6 (−14) |
−1 (−18) |
−21 (−29) |
−27 (−33) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.63 (16) |
0.47 (12) |
0.50 (13) |
0.45 (11) |
0.68 (17) |
0.36 (9.1) |
0.12 (3.0) |
0.15 (3.8) |
0.19 (4.8) |
0.40 (10) |
0.43 (11) |
0.39 (9.9) |
4.77 (120.6) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.8 (4.6) |
0.7 (1.8) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.3 (0.76) |
1.4 (3.6) |
4.5 (11.52) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 5.0 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 4.1 | 37.5 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 2.8 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: WRCC | |||||||||||||
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 741 | — | |
| 1910 | 1,753 | 136.6% | |
| 1920 | 1,758 | 0.3% | |
| 1930 | 1,911 | 8.7% | |
| 1940 | 2,400 | 25.6% | |
| 1950 | 2,734 | 13.9% | |
| 1960 | 2,959 | 8.2% | |
| 1970 | 4,262 | 44.0% | |
| 1980 | 6,438 | 51.1% | |
| 1990 | 7,536 | 17.1% | |
| 2000 | 8,606 | 14.2% | |
| 2010 | 8,606 | 0.0% | |
| 2020 | 9,327 | 8.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Notable People from Fallon
Many interesting people have connections to Fallon:
- John C. Carpenter: A rancher, businessman, and politician who was born in Fallon.
- Harvey Dahl: A former offensive lineman for the St. Louis Rams, born in Fallon.
- Luella Kirkbride Drumm: A former member of the Nevada Assembly.
- Wuzzie George: A Northern Paiute craftswoman who recorded traditional ways of life.
- Martin Heinrich: A U.S. Senator from New Mexico since 2013. He was born in Fallon but grew up in Columbia, Missouri.
- Meaghan Martin: An actress.
- Joshua Mauga: A Fallon native who played for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Twin Towns
Fallon has a special friendship with another town far away. This is called being "twinned."
- Vani, Georgia
See also
In Spanish: Fallon (Nevada) para niños
