Reno, Nevada

Overview

Reno is a city in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Nevada, close to the border with California. It is the most populous city in Washoe County and is known as "The Biggest Little City in the World." At the time of the 2020 census, Reno had a population of 264,165, making it the 78th most populous city in the United States and the third most populous city in Nevada.

The city is named after Major General Jesse L. Reno, who served in the American Civil War. Today, Reno is a popular tourist spot, famous for its casino gambling. It is also close to beautiful places like Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Reno is home to the University of Nevada at Reno. For much of the last century, Reno was well-known because of Nevada's easy divorce laws. Now, the city continues to grow and attract visitors from all over.

History

For a timeline of important events, see Timeline of Reno, Nevada.

Early history

People lived in the Reno area a long time ago. In the mid-1850s, some pioneers settled in the Truckee Meadows, a valley where the Truckee River flows from Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake. They farmed and helped travelers on the California Trail.

Gold was found near Virginia City in 1850, which led to some mining. But the big rush happened in 1859 when silver was found at the Comstock Lode. Thousands of people moved west hoping to get rich.

Charles W. Fuller built a bridge over the Truckee River in 1859 to help connect Virginia City to the California Trail. A small community grew there. Two years later, Myron C. Lake bought the bridge and renamed the place "Lake's Crossing." When the railroad came through in 1868, the town was named Reno after a Civil War officer.

The divorce capital of the world

In the early 1900s, Nevada made it easier to get a divorce than most places. By 1931, the rules changed so that people only needed to live in Nevada for six weeks before they could divorce. Reno advertised itself as the best place for quick divorces. For many years, thousands of people came to Reno just to divorce. This helped the local economy as visitors stayed in hotels and spent money.

Many famous people also came to Reno to divorce, including Mary Pickford, Jack Dempsey, and General Douglas MacArthur.

Gambling and modern Reno

Nevada legalized gambling in 1931, and Reno became known for its casinos. The Bank Club Casino was one of the first and biggest. As time went on, gambling became a big part of Reno's economy.

Reno kept growing, especially when new rules allowed casinos on Native American lands. Today, Reno is also known for outdoor activities near the Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe.

In recent years, Reno has become a technology center with companies like Amazon, Tesla, and Microsoft building big centers there.

Geography

Reno is located east of the Sierra Nevada, near the Great Basin. It is about 4,400 feet above sea level. The area has faults linked to the movement of the earth's surface.

Sometimes wildfires can happen near Reno and may damage property.

Reno has a dry climate with cold winters and hot summers. Rain mostly falls in fall, winter, and spring. Summers are long and dry. Winters can be cold, and summers can be very hot. The area can be windy, especially with the local wind called the 'Washoe Zephyr.'

Demographics

2020 census

In 2010, Reno had 225,221 people. The city had many different groups of people: most were White, with smaller numbers of African American, Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander, and others. Some people were of Hispanic or Latino background.

In 2010, many families lived in Reno. About one-third of households had children under 18, and many were led by married couples. Some households were made up of single people. The average family size was a little over three people.

Most people in Reno were young adults, with many between the ages of 25 and 44. The median age was about 35 years.

In 2000, Reno's population was 180,480, but by 2010, it had grown to 225,221, making it the third-largest city in Nevada after Las Vegas and Henderson. Reno is located 26 miles north of the state capital, Carson City, and 22 miles northeast of Lake Tahoe.

Reno has a notable Italian-American community.

Economy

Reno used to be famous for gambling, but now it has many other important jobs and things to do. Big companies like Tesla have built large factories nearby, which created many jobs. Reno also gets visitors for events like car shows and balloon races.

The city has many companies, such as technology firms and entertainment businesses. With new buildings and data centers being built, Reno’s economy keeps growing in many ways.

Healthcare

Reno has many places where people can get medical help. Some of these are linked to the University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine. Important healthcare centers in Reno include:

• Northern Nevada Medical Center
• Northern Nevada Sierra Medical Center
• Renown Regional Medical Center
• Reno-Sparks Tribal Health Center
• Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center
• University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine
• Veterans Administration Sierra Nevada Healthcare System Reno, Nevada

Arts and culture

Reno has many interesting museums. The Nevada Museum of Art is the only art museum in Nevada that has special recognition from a group of museums across the United States. It has a large collection of special art called Land art. The National Automobile Museum has 200 cars, including some famous ones, like Elvis Presley's 1973 Cadillac Eldorado.

Reno also has places for music, such as the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Reno Pops Orchestra. Every July, Reno holds a big celebration called Artown with many art activities and shows all month long. In August, Hot August Nights is a fun car festival. In September, Reno has events like The Great Reno Balloon Race.

Reno has a public library, which is part of the Washoe County Library System.

Sports

See also: Nevada § Sports

Reno is where the Reno Aces, a minor league baseball team, play. They are part of the Arizona Diamondbacks and play in a downtown ballpark that opened in 2009. Reno has had other baseball teams in the past, like the Reno Silver Sox.

The city has also had basketball teams, such as the Reno Bighorns. Reno holds events for sports like mixed martial arts and boxing.

Reno has a golf tournament called the Reno–Tahoe Open, which is the only PGA Tour event in northern Nevada. The city's college team, the Nevada Wolf Pack, has done well in sports like football and basketball.

Reno has a whitewater park on the Truckee River for water sports and is home to roller derby teams like the Battle Born Derby Demons. The city also has the National Bowling Stadium, where big bowling events are held.

Parks and recreation

Reno has many fun things to do all year long. In summer, people like to visit Lake Tahoe, the Truckee River, and Pyramid Lake. The Truckee River starts at Lake Tahoe and flows through downtown Reno to Pyramid Lake. It is part of Artown, a summer event at Wingfield Park. Washoe Lake is a good place for kite flying and windsurfing because it is often windy.

In winter, skiing and snowboarding are popular at nearby resorts like Northstar California, Sierra-at-Tahoe, Alpine Meadows, Palisades Tahoe, Sugar Bowl, Diamond Peak, Heavenly Mountain, and Mount Rose. Other winter activities include snowshoeing, ice skating, and snowmobiling. There are also many bike paths to explore in summer, and Lake Tahoe holds international bike races each summer.

The Reno Air Races, also called the National Championship Air Races, were held every September at the Reno Stead Airport. They stopped in 2023 after 60 years. The Reno Tahoe Airport Authority decided to end the races to make way for airport development.

Government

See also: List of mayors of Reno, Nevada

Reno has a democratic city government led by a city council. The council has seven members: six represent different parts of the city, and one is the mayor who represents everyone. The council helps plan for the city's future, talks with people, and makes important decisions.

There is also an elected city attorney who helps with legal matters. The city uses a council-manager system, where the council chooses a city manager to carry out their plans and a city clerk to keep records and help with organization.

Fire department

The Reno Fire Department (RFD) has 15 stations and offers many important services. They help with emergencies, give medical care, fight fires, and can handle dangerous material situations. They work to keep everyone in Reno safe.

Education

Reno, Nevada, has many places for students to learn, from big universities to small private schools.

The University of Nevada, Reno is the oldest university in Nevada. It moved to Reno in 1886 and now has many students. The university is known for subjects like mining, agriculture, and journalism.

There is also Truckee Meadows Community College, which helps students start their college journey. It offers many different programs and classes.

Reno has twelve public high schools, such as Damonte Ranch, Galena, and McQueen. There are also many middle and elementary schools in the area.

In addition to public schools, Reno has several charter schools and private schools, including Bishop Manogue High School and Sage Ridge School, offering more choices for families.

Transportation

Roads

Reno used to have the Victory Highway and a branch of the Lincoln Highway. Later, U.S. Route 40 went through downtown Reno on 4th Street, but it was replaced by Interstate 80. The main highway running north to south through Reno is U.S. Route 395/Interstate 580.

Bus

The Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County (RTC) runs buses in the city, to nearby Carson City, and special shuttles for people who need help getting around. Their main stop is on 4th Street in downtown Reno, with other stops in Sparks and at Meadowood Mall in south Reno.

There are many shuttle services that take people from the Reno–Tahoe International Airport to different places:

• North Lake Tahoe Express goes to resorts in North Lake Tahoe
• South Tahoe Airporter goes to South Lake Tahoe resorts
• Eastern Sierra Transit Authority goes to places south along the US-395 road in California, like Mammoth Mountain and Lancaster
• Modoc Sage Stage goes to Alturas and Susanville, California
• Salt Lake Express goes to Las Vegas along the US-95 road.

Greyhound stops in downtown Reno. Megabus used to stop at the Silver Legacy Reno but no longer serves Reno.

Rail

Reno was an important stop on the First transcontinental railroad, and today the Overland Route still passes through Reno. Reno was also the end point for the Nevada–California–Oregon Railway and the start point for the Virginia and Truckee Railroad. The Western Pacific Railroad also served Reno using the same tracks. In the early 1900s, Reno had a small streetcar system. Downtown Reno has two old train stations, the closed Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad Depot and the active Amtrak station at Reno station, which was built by the Southern Pacific Railroad.

Amtrak runs daily trains to Reno on the California Zephyr and uses buses called Amtrak Thruway to connect with trains leaving from Sacramento.

Air

Reno’s main airport is the Reno–Tahoe International Airport, and smaller planes use Reno Stead Airport. Reno–Tahoe International Airport is the second busiest airport in Nevada after Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. Reno used to be the main base for the now-closed airline Reno Air.

Utilities

The Truckee Meadows Water Authority gives Reno clean water to drink. The water comes from the Truckee River.

NV Energy gives the city electricity and natural gas. The power comes from different places.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Reno, Nevada

See also: List of University of Nevada, Reno people

Reno, Nevada, has been home to many famous people. Some well-known individuals grew up there or lived there for important parts of their lives. You can learn more about these people in the lists provided.

In popular culture

Reno has been a popular place for movies. Some films made there include The Cooler, Magnolia, Hard Eight, and Into the Wild.

The city appears in the game Fallout 2 as a place called New Reno. It is mentioned in a song by Johnny Cash called Folsom Prison Blues. A TV show called Reno 911! is set in the city and tells funny stories about the local police department.

Twin towns – sister cities

Reno has friendly connections, called sister cities, with places in other countries. These include:

• San Sebastián in Spain
• Taichung in Taiwan
• Udon Thani in Thailand
• Wirral in England
• Nalchik in Russia

Reno was also once connected with Whanganui in New Zealand, but stopped this friendship in 2009 because it had been inactive for many years.