Reno is a city in the state of Nevada, which is commonly known for its casinos. Located in the northwestern part of Nevada, it is the county seat of Washoe County and the most populous city in Nevada outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Reno is located in the high desert valley at the foot of the Sierra Nevada about 26 miles north of the capital, Carson City, and 22 miles northeast of Lake Tahoe and it is known as "the Biggest Little City in the World."
The Reno-Sparks metropolitan area, or Truckee Meadows, has a population of more than 500,000 people. The city proper has a population density of 2,186 people per square mile or 844 people per square kilometer.
Reno Population Growth
Between 2011 and 2012, Reno's population grew more than 1% as many people moved to the county from other parts of the United States. There may not be enough jobs to sustain the population growth, however, according to The Nevada State Demographer, Washoe County had more significant growth in the last decade, with year-to-year growth of over 10,000 three different times.
As the population of Washoe County and Nevada grow, the demographics are shifting. The non-Hispanic white population has dropped in every county between 2010 and 2014 except for three counties. In Washoe County, the non-Hispanic white population grew very slightly, with the Latino population growing 5%.
Reno Facts
- Nevada produces 7% of the world's gold supply and is the third-largest gold producer after South Africa and Australia.
- The famous Reno Arch was constructed in 1926 to promote the upcoming Transcontinental Highways Exposition the next year.
- The city's slogan came from G.A. Burns of Sacramento, who won a $100 prize.
- Before writing his books, Mark Twain worked as a reporter in nearby Virginia City.
- There are thousands of tiny earthquakes in Reno every year that are too minor to notice.
- Reno was the divorce capital of the world through the 1940s due to its loose divorce requirements.