List of counties in Nevada facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Independent city and Counties of Nevada
Car Churchill Clark Doug Elko Esmeralda Eureka Humboldt Lander Lincoln Lyon Mineral Nye Pershing Sto Wash White Pine
Location	State of Nevada
Number	16 Counties 1 Independent city
Populations	(Counties only): 736 (Esmeralda) – 2,336,573 (Clark)
Areas	(Counties only): 264 square miles (680 km2) (Storey) – 18,147 square miles (47,000 km2) (Nye)
Government	County government
Subdivisions	City, Community

Nevada has 16 counties and one special independent city. Counties are like smaller areas within a state, each with its own local government. When Nevada was still a territory, back in 1861, its first government created nine counties. Nevada became a state on October 31, 1864, and by then, it had 11 counties. Later, in 1969, Ormsby County and Carson City joined together to form one special city government, which is now known as Carson City.

Counties of Nevada

County	FIPS code	County seat	Est.	How it Started	What the Name Means	Population	Area	Map
Carson City	510	(Independent city)	1969	Founded in 1858. It joined with Ormsby County in 1969.	Named after the Carson River, which was named for Kit Carson, a famous scout.	&&&&&&&&&&058036.&&&&&058,036	&&&&&&&&&&&&0144.&&&&&0144 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&&0373.&&&&&0373 km2)
Churchill County	001	Fallon	1861	One of the first counties created.	Named for Sylvester Churchill, a general from the Mexican-American War.	&&&&&&&&&&025803.&&&&&025,803	&&&&&&&&&&&04929.&&&&&04,929 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&012766.&&&&&012,766 km2)
Clark County	003	Las Vegas	1909	Formed from part of Lincoln County.	Named for William A. Clark, a former U.S. Senator who built a railroad through the area.	&&&&&&&&02336573.&&&&&02,336,573	&&&&&&&&&&&07911.&&&&&07,911 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&020489.&&&&&020,489 km2)
Douglas County	005	Minden	1861	One of the first counties created.	Named for Stephen A. Douglas, a former U.S. Senator from Illinois.	&&&&&&&&&&049545.&&&&&049,545	&&&&&&&&&&&&0710.&&&&&0710 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&01839.&&&&&01,839 km2)
Elko County	007	Elko	1869	Formed from part of Lander County.	A Shoshoni word meaning 'white woman'. It's said this is where they first saw a white woman.	&&&&&&&&&&054293.&&&&&054,293	&&&&&&&&&&017182.&&&&&017,182 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&044501.&&&&&044,501 km2)
Esmeralda County	009	Goldfield	1861	One of the first counties created.	Named after the Esmeralda Mining District. Esmeralda means 'emerald' in Spanish and Portuguese.	&&&&&&&&&&&&0736.&&&&&0736	&&&&&&&&&&&03589.&&&&&03,589 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&09295.&&&&&09,295 km2)
Eureka County	011	Eureka	1873	Formed from part of Lander County.	From the Greek word Eureka, meaning 'I have found it!', because of silver found nearby.	&&&&&&&&&&&01917.&&&&&01,917	&&&&&&&&&&&04176.&&&&&04,176 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&010816.&&&&&010,816 km2)
Humboldt County	013	Winnemucca	1861	One of the first counties created.	Named after the Humboldt River, which was named for Alexander von Humboldt, a German explorer.	&&&&&&&&&&017136.&&&&&017,136	&&&&&&&&&&&09658.&&&&&09,658 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&025014.&&&&&025,014 km2)
Lander County	015	Battle Mountain	1862	Formed from parts of Churchill and Humboldt Counties.	Named for Frederick W. Lander, a general and developer of the area.	&&&&&&&&&&&05769.&&&&&05,769	&&&&&&&&&&&05798.&&&&&05,798 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&015017.&&&&&015,017 km2)
Lincoln County	017	Pioche	1866	Formed from part of Nye County and land from Arizona.	Named for Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States.	&&&&&&&&&&&04452.&&&&&04,452	&&&&&&&&&&010635.&&&&&010,635 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&027545.&&&&&027,545 km2)
Lyon County	019	Yerington	1861	One of the first counties created.	Named for General Nathaniel Lyon, who died in battle.	&&&&&&&&&&062583.&&&&&062,583	&&&&&&&&&&&01994.&&&&&01,994 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&05164.&&&&&05,164 km2)
Mineral County	021	Hawthorne	1911	Formed from part of Esmeralda County.	Named for the many mineral deposits found in the area.	&&&&&&&&&&&04528.&&&&&04,528	&&&&&&&&&&&03757.&&&&&03,757 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&09731.&&&&&09,731 km2)
Nye County	023	Tonopah	1864	Formed from part of Esmeralda County.	Named for James W. Nye, a governor of the Nevada Territory and U.S. senator.	&&&&&&&&&&055720.&&&&&055,720	&&&&&&&&&&018147.&&&&&018,147 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&047001.&&&&&047,001 km2)
Pershing County	027	Lovelock	1919	Formed from part of Humboldt County.	Named for John J. Pershing, a famous general from World War I.	&&&&&&&&&&&06364.&&&&&06,364	&&&&&&&&&&&06009.&&&&&06,009 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&015563.&&&&&015,563 km2)
Storey County	029	Virginia City	1861	One of the first counties created.	Named for Edward Farris Storey, a captain who died in the 1860 Paiute War.	&&&&&&&&&&&04177.&&&&&04,177	&&&&&&&&&&&&0264.&&&&&0264 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&&0684.&&&&&0684 km2)
Washoe County	031	Reno	1861	One of the first counties created.	Named for the Washoe people, a Native American tribe living in the area.	&&&&&&&&&0498022.&&&&&0498,022	&&&&&&&&&&&06342.&&&&&06,342 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&016426.&&&&&016,426 km2)
White Pine County	033	Ely	1869	Formed from part of Lander County.	Named for the many pine trees in the area, which were thought to be white pines.	&&&&&&&&&&&08522.&&&&&08,522	&&&&&&&&&&&08877.&&&&&08,877 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&022991.&&&&&022,991 km2)

Counties That No Longer Exist

• Bullfrog County: This county was created in 1987 from part of Nye County. However, its creation was found to be against the law, so it was removed in 1989.
• Lake County: This was one of the first nine counties made in 1861. It was renamed Roop County in 1862. Part of it became Lassen County in California in 1864. The rest of it in Nevada was added to Washoe County in 1883.
• Ormsby County: This was also one of the first nine counties made in 1861. In 1969, it joined with its main city, Carson City, to form the independent city we know today as Carson City.

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Condados de Nevada para niños