50 Fun Facts About Nevada

I have written several posts on various topics, including the military, Voting, the economy, and religion in America. A list of links has been provided at the bottom of this article for your convenience. This article will, however, address additional issues in these topics.

Nevada is the driest state in America. It receives only 10 inches of rainfall per year on average

2. Nevada has more ghost towns than anywhere else in the world. It has over 600 abandoned mining settlements scattered across the desert.

3. Nevada is the only state where gambling and adult entertainment are legal. This is statewide, not just in certain cities. Nevada is the only state that allows prostitution in approved brothels. Per state law, prostitution is legal in counties with populations greater than 400,00.

4. Lake Tahoe is on the Nevada-California border. It is the largest alpine lake in the US. It is so deep that it would take 700 years to empty if you drained Niagara Falls into it. Its deepest point is 1,650 feet. If it were drained completely, it would cover the entire state of California in one foot of water.

5. Nevada has more mountain ranges than any other state. It has 314 named ranges running north to south. With 35 peaks over 10,000 feet in elevation.

6. Nevada is home to Area 51. It is the most classified military base in America. It is where UFO conspiracy theories were born.

7. Nevada has no state income tax, making it a popular destination for people trying to avoid paying taxes to their home state

8. Las Vegas uses more electricity per capita than any other city in America due to all of the neon lightsand air conditions running continuously

9. There is a place in Nevada called the Extraterrestrial Highway. It has more reported UFO sightings per square mile than any other place in the world. Because of this, the state officially renamed it and put up alien-themed road signs to make the area more attractive to UFO tourists. To this day, the government still won’t explain why the military tests aircraft in this area. It is rumored to have housed the development of the first Stealth bomber and alien UFO research facilities. There are frequently bizarre lights in the sky that remain unexplained

10. Nevada is known as the Silver State despite the fact that it is the largest gold-producing state.

11. Comstock Lode: The largest silver deposit in America was discovered in Nevada in 1859. It produced an overall $96 billion in silver during its lifetime. President Abraham Lincoln granted Nevada state hood partly due to the rich Comstock silver. In fact, its argued that it was Nevada silver that helped fund the Union’s victory in the Civil War

12. Nevada was the first state to legalize gambling in 1931.

13. Reno and Las Vegas were once known as the “divorce capitals” of the nation.

14. The invention of blue jeans is attributed to Reno, by tailor Jacob Davis and German immigrant Levi Strauss. They came up with the idea for “pocket overalls” to suit the demand of California gold miners. The two men co-patented rivets in pants for strength, dying them blue for looks and officially forming “blue jeans.”

15. Las Vegas has more hotel rooms than any other city in the world.

16. Las Vegas has around 150 weddings every day, making it the top wedding destination. Las Vegas has 55 wedding chapels and over 250 ordained ministers, the most of any city in the world.

17. Las Vegas residents and visitors consume more shrimp daily than any other city in the U.S.

18. Fountains and man-made lakes in Las Vegas use greywater (recycled water from showers, baths, and sinks).

19. Nevada means “snowy” in Spanish, which is a nod to the Sierra Nevada mountain range

20. Nevada ranks 8th for the number of butterflies found in a single state.

21. From mule deer to elk to ground squirrels to desert bighorn sheep, Nevada is 9th among all states in mammal diversity.

22. Measuring up to 45 inches and weighing up to 50 lbs, the Lahontan cutthroat trout, aka Nevada’s state fish, is the largest inland cutthroat trout in the world.

23. Nevada ranks 6th out of all states for the number of endemic species (aka plants and wildlife that only live in a certain area) with…309 unique Nevada species (that we know of)!

24. With over 300 hot springs, Nevada is home to more hot springs than any other state in the nation. Nevad leads the nation in geothermal pwer. Some of Nevada’s most rare and vulnerable species, like the Devils Hole pupfish, railroad valley springfish and springsnails, depend on spring systems for survival.

25. Nevada was the first state to ratify the 15th amendment to the U.S. constitution which prohibits the states and federal governments from denying a citizen to vote based on that citizen’s “race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”

26. At a ratio of 1:5, Nevada has the lowest percentage of native born residents of any state. That means for every five people you meet in Nevada only one person will have been born here.

27. Nevada has more than 4,000 acres of man-made reservoirs, 2,760 miles of streams, 23 designated wilderness areas, and 8.6 million acres of national forest. It has 671 year-round streams. 13% of the state is below water

28. Nevada is home to 75% of the nation’s wild horse and burro population. Our wild horses are thought to be descended from horses owned by 19th-century settlers.

29. About 45 million vehicles enter Nevada by way of its interstates, US Routes and state highways every year.

30. More than 78% of the population lives in Reno, Carson City, and Las Vegas. By dismissing these cities, Nevada’s total population would only be around 200,000.

31. Nevada has one of the lowest population densities in America, with only 21 people per square mile.

32. Nevada is the only state whose shape is discernible from space, thanks to its iridescent outline of border casinos. In fact, night pilots often navigate by the light of them on our state’s outline.

33. Although the 7th largest state, Nevada has a total of only 128 cities and towns, with only 39 with populations greater than a 1,000.

34. Nevada is home to fifteen breweries. Though the driest state its cold water streams make it the perfect place for brewing beer.

35 It would take 288 years for one person to spend one night in every hotel room in Las Vegas.

36. The ratio of bars/saloons to churches in Nevada is roughly 7 to 1.

37. Before Reno was named Reno, it was known as “The Cure” after Nevada became the only state that granted legal divorces.

38. In 2014, Nevada had a total of 205,726 slot machines.

39. Prior to 1910, Nevada was the only state that allowed boxing. All other states at the time banned boxing from being participated in their borders and thus presented the sport with a profitable venue.

40. Nevada was one of the two states that submitted for statehood in 1864, but was the only one admitted during the Civil War: hence the nickname, “Battle Born.”

41. The strange shape of Nevada was the result of “punishing” Utah and Arizona’s disloyalty to the Union. The Utah territory held strict loyalty to Mormonism and was asked to reform its nature in 1861. Utah refused, and Congress retaliated by cutting off 50% of Utah’s land to form the majority of Nevada. A few years later, Arizona expressed serious support for the Confederacy. As punishment, Congress shaved off Arizona’s northwestern point and gave it to Nevada. This created Nevada’s southern tip and provided it with an outlet to the ocean. Just think: it could have been Carson City, Utah, or Las Vegas, Arizona.

42. The Stratosphere in Las Vegas is the tallest, free-standing observation tower in the US, and the tallest structure west of the Mississippi River.

43. The longest Morse code telegram ever sent in US history was the Nevada Constitution, sent in 1864 from Carson City to Washington, D.C. In a hurry for its statehood, the state’s entire constitution was sent in a record 92 minutes.

43. The race for Governor has solved the tie breakers the same way in Nevada for over 160 years….If two candidates win by a tie, it’s still settled by a game of high card. Oh, and the winner must buy the loser a round or two.

44. At 18,159 square miles, Nye County is the third largest county in America.

45. Bus tours of the restricted Nevada Test Site are offered three times a year. A thorough background check is required, and there is a minimum two-year waiting list. Even if you are granted permission, you’re required to take an 86-mile bus ride from Las Vegas and endure an 8-hour bus tour on dirt roads past Sedan Crater and an actual “nuke town” used for testing. To top it off, there is no photography allowed.

46. Hoover Dam contains 3.25 million cubic yards of concrete: enough to pave a two-lane highway from San Francisco to New York. Nevada has the the world’s highest arch bridge. The bridge was completed in 2010 at a length of 1,900 feet and 900 feet above the Colorado River.

47. Las Vegas was founded as a Mormon fort and farming community in 1855.

48. At 100 miles long, the Black Rock Desert is the largest lakebed in America. Aside from its setting for the annual Burning Man Festival, the playa also set the stage for the world’s fastest land-speed record of 602 mph set in 1999.

49. Nevada is home to the oldest living things on Earth: the Bristlecone Pine. These remarkable trees live only at elevations above 11,000 feet and have average lifespans of 2,500 years. In 1964, the oldest living thing of all time was felled on accident in the Snake Range of Eastern Nevada. Tree rings from the Bristlecone indicated an age of 5,700 years.

50. Nevada has the unique distinction of being admitted into the Union on October 31, 1864…The only state born on Halloween. Not only do residents honor Nevada’s birthday, but they are proud to do so in their Halloween costumes. Nevada was on the verge of being relinquished as a state in 1890 due to significant downward trends in mining.

Common Sense and Ramblings In America

50 Fun Facts About Nevada

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