Humboldt County, Nevada
Encyclopedia
Humboldt County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Nevada
. As of 2007, the population was estimated to be 18,052. Its county seat
is Winnemucca
.
The county was the site of an arrest in 2000 that led to the U.S. Supreme Court
decision Hiibel v. Sixth Judicial District Court of Nevada
in 2004.
which John C. Fremont
named after Baron Friedrich Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt, a German naturalist, traveler and statesman. Humboldt never saw the places that bear his name. Unionville
was the first county seat in 1861 until the mining boom died there and it was moved to Winnemucca on the transcontinental railroad line in 1873.
, the county has a total area of 9658 square miles (25,014.1 km²), of which 9648 square miles (24,988.2 km²) is land and 10 square miles (25.9 km²) is water. The total area is 0.10% water.
The Santa Rosa Range
runs through eastern Humboldt County.
of 2000, there were 16,106 people in the county, organized into 5733 households, and 4133 families. The population density
is 2 people per square mile (1/km²). There are 6,954 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile (0/km²). The racial makeup of the county is 83.21% White, 4.02% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.51% Black or African American, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 8.54% from other races, and 3.09% from two or more races. 18.87% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 5,733 households out of which 40.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% are married couples
living together, 7.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 27.9% are non-families. 22.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.77 and the average family size is 3.28.
In the county the population is spread out with 31.40% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 31.20% from 25 to 44, 22.30% from 45 to 64, and 7.50% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 110.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 110.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county is $47,147, and the median income for a family is $52,156. Males have a median income of $44,694 versus $25,917 for females. The per capita income
for the county is $19,539. 9.70% of the population and 7.70% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 10.40% of those under the age of 18 and 10.80% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
is the sole incorporated city in the county. McDermitt is the sole census-designated place
in the county.
Other unincorporated areas include:
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. As of 2007, the population was estimated to be 18,052. Its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Winnemucca
Winnemucca, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,174 people, 2,736 households, and 1,824 families residing in the city. The population density was 867.5 people per square mile . There were 3,280 housing units at an average density of 396.6 per square mile...
.
The county was the site of an arrest in 2000 that led to the U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
decision Hiibel v. Sixth Judicial District Court of Nevada
Hiibel v. Sixth Judicial District Court of Nevada
Hiibel v. Sixth Judicial District Court of Nevada, , held that statutes requiring suspects to identify themselves during police investigations did not violate the Fourth Amendment. Under the rubric of Terry v...
in 2004.
History
Humboldt County is Nevada's oldest county, created by the Utah Territorial Legislature in 1856. It was also one of Nevada's original nine counties created in 1861. Named for the Humboldt RiverHumboldt River
The Humboldt River runs through northern Nevada in the western United States. At approximately long it is the second longest river in the Great Basin, after the Bear River. It has no outlet to the ocean, but instead empties into the Humboldt Sink...
which John C. Fremont
John C. Frémont
John Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. During the 1840s, that era's penny press accorded Frémont the sobriquet The Pathfinder...
named after Baron Friedrich Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt, a German naturalist, traveler and statesman. Humboldt never saw the places that bear his name. Unionville
Unionville, Nevada
Unionville is a small hamlet in Pershing County, Nevada, with the most recent population estimate being approximately 20 people. The town's best years were during the 1870s, when it was an active mining and prospecting town serving the surrounding hilly region. For a brief time, Samuel Langhorne...
was the first county seat in 1861 until the mining boom died there and it was moved to Winnemucca on the transcontinental railroad line in 1873.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the county has a total area of 9658 square miles (25,014.1 km²), of which 9648 square miles (24,988.2 km²) is land and 10 square miles (25.9 km²) is water. The total area is 0.10% water.
The Santa Rosa Range
Santa Rosa Range
The Santa Rosa Range is a line of mountains in northern Nevada in the western United States. The range extends for approximately 75 miles north from the Humboldt River west of Winnemucca through eastern Humboldt County to the border with Oregon. The highest peaks in the range are Granite Peak ...
runs through eastern Humboldt County.
Adjacent counties
- Elko County, NevadaElko County, Nevada-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 45,291 people, 15,638 households, and 11,493 families residing in the county. The population density was 3/sq mi . There were 18,456 housing units at an average density of 1/sq mi...
- east - Lander County, NevadaLander County, NevadaLander County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 5,794. Its county seat is Battle Mountain.-History:...
- southeast - Pershing County, NevadaPershing County, NevadaPershing County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 6,693. Its county seat is Lovelock. The county was named after army general John J. Pershing . It was formed from Humboldt County in 1919, and the last county to be established in...
- south - Washoe County, NevadaWashoe County, NevadaWashoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. The population was 421,407 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Reno. Washoe County includes the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area.-History:...
- west - Harney County, OregonHarney County, Oregon-National protected areas:*Malheur National Forest *Malheur National Wildlife Refuge*Ochoco National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,609 people, 3,036 households, and 2,094 families residing in the county. The population density was 1 people per square mile...
- north - Malheur County, OregonMalheur County, OregonMalheur County is a county located in the southeast corner of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the eight-county definition of Eastern Oregon. Most of the county observes the Mountain Time Zone, although the southern quarter of the county observes the Pacific Time Zone along with the...
- north - Owyhee County, IdahoOwyhee County, IdahoOwyhee County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Idaho. In area it is the second largest county in Idaho, behind Idaho County. As of the 2000 Census, Owyhee County had a population of 10,644...
- northeast
National protected areas
- Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation AreaBlack Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation AreaThe Black Rock Desert – High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area is the federal land in northwestern Nevada, under the Bureau of Land Management-BLM management and protection, and the ten Wilderness Areas within it....
(part) - Humboldt National Forest (part)
- Sheldon National Wildlife RefugeSheldon National Wildlife RefugeThe Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge located on the northern border of the U.S. state of Nevada. A very small part extends northward into Oregon. It is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as the Nevada component of the Sheldon-Hart Mountain...
(part)
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 16,106 people in the county, organized into 5733 households, and 4133 families. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
is 2 people per square mile (1/km²). There are 6,954 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile (0/km²). The racial makeup of the county is 83.21% White, 4.02% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.51% Black or African American, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 8.54% from other races, and 3.09% from two or more races. 18.87% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 5,733 households out of which 40.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% are married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 27.9% are non-families. 22.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.77 and the average family size is 3.28.
In the county the population is spread out with 31.40% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 31.20% from 25 to 44, 22.30% from 45 to 64, and 7.50% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 110.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 110.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county is $47,147, and the median income for a family is $52,156. Males have a median income of $44,694 versus $25,917 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county is $19,539. 9.70% of the population and 7.70% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 10.40% of those under the age of 18 and 10.80% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Communities
WinnemuccaWinnemucca, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,174 people, 2,736 households, and 1,824 families residing in the city. The population density was 867.5 people per square mile . There were 3,280 housing units at an average density of 396.6 per square mile...
is the sole incorporated city in the county. McDermitt is the sole census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
in the county.
Other unincorporated areas include:
- DenioDenio, NevadaDenio, Nevada is an unincorporated community that lies on the Nevada-Oregon state line in Humboldt County, Nevada and Harney County, Oregon, in the United States. The community is also known as Denio, Oregon. There was formerly a Denio, Oregon post office north of the state line. Most of the town...
- GolcondaGolconda, NevadaGolconda is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, Nevada, United States. Located along Interstate 80 in the northwestern part of the state, it is named for the ancient diamond mining center of Golkonda in India. The community lies east of the city of Winnemucca and the Golconda Summit,...
- OrovadaOrovada, NevadaOrovada is an unincorporated area in Humboldt County, Nevada.Rodeo announcer Bob Tallman lived on a ranch near Orovada during his early childhood.-Education:...
- Paradise ValleyParadise Valley, NevadaParadise Valley is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, Nevada, near the southeastern boundary of Humboldt National Forest. It is about fifteen miles east of Orovada and U.S...
- Stone HouseStone House, NevadaStone House is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, Nevada, United States. A post office was located in Stone House from 26 November 1890 to 24 March 1915, when it was moved to Valmy, Nevada....
- ValmyValmy, NevadaValmy is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, Nevada, United States, named after the Battle of Valmy in France. It is home to three major mining complexes, many workers of which live in the town's residential area and for which the town acts as a services base.-History:Established in...
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Humboldt County, Nevada