The Reno Arch is an iconic landmark in Reno, Nevada

Reno, Nevada

Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...

 spanning Virginia Street

Nevada State Route 430

State Route 430 is a major north–south state highway in Washoe County, Nevada which currently exists as two separate sections. South of Reno, the route follows the Carson-Reno Highway, and currently overlaps U.S. Route 395. In Reno, the highway follows Virginia Street, the primary...

 at the intersection with Commercial Row. The arch as visible today is the 3rd installed at this location. The original arch was built in 1926 to commemorate the completion of the Lincoln

Lincoln Highway

The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,...

 and Victory Highway

Victory Highway

The Victory Highway was an auto trail across the United States between New York City and San Francisco, roughly equivalent to the present U.S. Route 40.-History:...

s. The current arch was installed in 1987 and retrofitted with new lights in 2009. The arch is a prominent feature of downtown Reno, and for most of its history has featured the city's motto, The Biggest Little City in the World.

History

The first Arch was built in 1926 to promote the Nevada Transcontinental Highway Exposition that ran from July 25 to August 1, 1927, which celebrated the completion of the Lincoln

Lincoln Highway

The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,...

 and Victory Highway

Victory Highway

The Victory Highway was an auto trail across the United States between New York City and San Francisco, roughly equivalent to the present U.S. Route 40.-History:...

s. Through Nevada, these routes were built along the corridors of modern U.S. Route 50 and Interstate 80, respectively.
After the exposition the city council decided to keep the arch as a permanent downtown gateway, and announced a contest find a slogan for the new arch. G. A. Burns of Sacramento won $100 for his slogan, "Reno, The Biggest Little City in the World." The slogan first appeared on the arch on June 25, 1929. In 1934, some residents complained about the new slogan and it was replaced with a green neon "RENO"; however, after the ensuing backlash over its removal, the slogan returned with new lettering as well as the removal of the torches. In 1963, the original steel arch was replaced by a "mod" style arch with 1960s-style plastic panels and a rotating star. The third version (which stands today) was installed by YESCO in 1987.

The original arch (as it stood before the 1963 redesign) has been moved around downtown Reno over the years. Since 1995 it has been located on Lake Street, just south of the Truckee River

Truckee River

The Truckee River is a stream in the U.S. states of California and Nevada. The river is about long. Its endorheic drainage basin is about , of which about are in Nevada. The Truckee is the sole outlet of Lake Tahoe and drains part of the high Sierra Nevada, emptying into Pyramid Lake in the Great...

 (39.525718°N 119.809785°W). The second generation arch was donated to the city of Willits, California

Willits, California

Willits is a city in Mendocino County, California, United States. Willits is located north-northwest of Ukiah, at an elevation of 1391 feet . The population was 4,888 at the 2010 census, down from 5,073 at the 2000 census. Willits is at the center of Mendocino County and its redwood forests...

, where it now stands with different lettering.

On Tuesday, November 17, 2009, the City of Reno celebrated replacing the 2,076 incandescent 11-watt bulbs in the Reno Arch with highly energy efficient 2.5 watt LED bulbs. The old incandescent bulbs were given away to spectators to commemorate the event.

Legacy

Movies set in Reno, such as Waking up in Reno

Waking Up in Reno

Waking Up in Reno is a 2002 American comedy drama film directed by Jordan Brady. The screenplay by Brent Briscoe and Mark Fauser focuses on two redneck couples taking a road trip from Little Rock to Reno to see a monster truck rally.-Plot:...

, feature the arch prominently, as it is an icon for Reno newcomers. Many shows and activities, such as Hot August Nights, are held under the arch.