Pioche, Nevada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pioche, Nevada
|
|
|---|---|
View of Pioche, looking northeastward
|
|
 Pioche, Nevada
Location in Nevada
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Nevada |
| County | Lincoln |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.15 sq mi (15.94 km2) |
| • Land | 6.15 sq mi (15.94 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 5,656 ft (1,724 m) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 933 |
| • Density | 151.61/sq mi (58.53/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
89043
|
| Area code(s) | 775 |
| FIPS code | 32-57400 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2583951 |
| Reference #: | 5 |
Pioche is a small community in Lincoln County, Nevada, United States. It's about 180 miles (290 km) northeast of Las Vegas. U.S. Route 93 is the main road that goes near Pioche. Smaller roads like Nevada State Route 321 and Nevada State Route 322 lead right into town.
Pioche is special because it's the county seat of Lincoln County. This means it's where the main government offices for the county are located. The town was named after François Louis Alfred Pioche. He was a San Francisco businessman and land investor from France. In 2010, about 1,000 people lived in Pioche.
Contents
A Look Back: Pioche's History
The first modern settlement in the Pioche area began in 1864. This happened when a silver mine was opened. However, the early settlers left because local Native American tribes attacked the area. People returned in 1868 after these attacks stopped. François Pioche then bought the town in 1869.
By the early 1870s, Pioche grew a lot. It became one of the most important silver-mining towns in Nevada. Because the town was so far away from other places, it became known as one of the wildest towns in the Old West. There were many conflicts, especially over mining claims. Local stories say that many people died in gunfights before someone died of natural causes. This led to the creation of Boot Hill, a famous cemetery in the town today.
Pioche's Climate
Pioche has a cool, dry climate. It's also affected by its high elevation. This means summers are much cooler than in places like Las Vegas. Temperatures rarely reach 100°F (38°C). On average, it only gets above 90°F (32°C) about 23 days a year. The hottest month ever recorded was July 2005.
Summers are usually dry with cool nights. But sometimes, rainstorms from the "Arizona rains" can reach Lincoln County in July and August. For example, in August 1945, over 5 inches (127 mm) of rain fell.
Fall brings warm days and cold nights. The time without frost usually lasts from May to October. Very cold temperatures below 0°F (−18°C) are rare in winter. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Pioche was −11°F (−24°C) in January 1963. Winters have cool to cold days and very cold nights. Snowfall can be very different each year. In early 1993, Pioche got 98 inches (2.5 meters) of snow. But in some warm, dry winters, there might be almost no snow at all.
| Climate data for Pioche, Nevada (1971–2000; extremes since 1939) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 67 (19) |
72 (22) |
77 (25) |
82 (28) |
91 (33) |
102 (39) |
105 (41) |
99 (37) |
96 (36) |
86 (30) |
74 (23) |
68 (20) |
105 (41) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 41.8 (5.4) |
45.9 (7.7) |
51.2 (10.7) |
59.3 (15.2) |
68.4 (20.2) |
79.7 (26.5) |
86.7 (30.4) |
84.6 (29.2) |
76.5 (24.7) |
65.0 (18.3) |
50.9 (10.5) |
43.3 (6.3) |
62.8 (17.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 20.9 (−6.2) |
24.0 (−4.4) |
28.3 (−2.1) |
34.3 (1.3) |
43.1 (6.2) |
52.0 (11.1) |
58.7 (14.8) |
56.8 (13.8) |
49.2 (9.6) |
38.3 (3.5) |
27.6 (−2.4) |
21.0 (−6.1) |
37.9 (3.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −11 (−24) |
−8 (−22) |
4 (−16) |
12 (−11) |
21 (−6) |
30 (−1) |
43 (6) |
38 (3) |
25 (−4) |
4 (−16) |
2 (−17) |
−8 (−22) |
−11 (−24) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.50 (38) |
1.59 (40) |
1.83 (46) |
0.95 (24) |
1.17 (30) |
0.52 (13) |
0.92 (23) |
1.27 (32) |
0.96 (24) |
1.14 (29) |
0.94 (24) |
0.97 (25) |
13.76 (348) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 14.8 (38) |
9.9 (25) |
1.9 (4.8) |
1.8 (4.6) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.0 (2.5) |
0.6 (1.5) |
1.9 (4.8) |
32.1 (81.71) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 5.1 | 5.3 | 6.3 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 5.2 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 52.5 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 inch) | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 7.7 |
| Source 1: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service, Las Vegas (records) | |||||||||||||
Fun Places to Visit in Pioche
Pioche is famous for its "Million Dollar Courthouse." This building was constructed in 1872. It cost $88,000 to build, which was much more than expected. The town had to borrow almost $1 million over time to pay for it! Today, the courthouse still holds county offices. Pioche also has one of the oldest schools in Nevada.
Right next to the courthouse are two historic theaters. Thompson's Opera House was built in 1873 and was fixed up in 2009. The Gem Theater was built in 1937, and work to restore it began in 2022.
The old Mountain View Hotel is also near the courthouse. It was built in 1895. It's said that President Herbert Hoover stayed there in 1930. The hotel used to provide lodging for important visitors. While it's no longer a hotel, it shows what buildings looked like a long time ago. Another hotel, the Overland, is still open today. It has 14 themed rooms above its main saloon.
An aerial tramway once carried buckets of ore from the mines to the Godbe Mill. This tramway was used in the 1920s and 1930s. It moved silver and nickel ore. You can still see the abandoned cables stretching over parts of the town. Some of the original ore buckets are even still there!
Pioche also hosts fun events. During Labor Day in September, the town gets very busy. There are fireworks, history plays, and "mucking events." Mucking events are contests where people race to fill mining cars. In December, the town has a public Christmas tree lighting.
Pioche is recognized as Nevada Historical Marker number 5.
Population Facts
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2010 | 1,007 | — | |
| 2020 | 933 | −7.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Famous People from Pioche
- Nellie Cashman – She ran a boarding house and helped the community.
- David Neagle – He was a deputy U.S. Marshal in the Old West.
See also
In Spanish: Pioche (Nevada) para niños
