Lyon

Formed November 25, 1861 (6^th county)

Lyon County (59,240), Yerington (3,104), Fernley (22,898)

The columns on the 1912 red brick courthouse stand out.  Frederick J. DeLongchamps is the designer of the Neo-Classical and Beaux Arts building.  The building was enlarged in 1935, an Administrative Building was added in 2000, and a Justice Complex was built in 2013.  The facility is on Main Street at Grove Street.  United States Highway 95 Alternate passes six blocks north of the site.  There was an 1864 courthouse in Dayton.  The county was founded on November 25, 1861 as an original county (6^th county.)  It is named for Civil War General Nathaniel Lyon.  Yerington is named for railroad officer Henry M. Yerington.  Dayton was the original county seat until 1911 when Yerington became the county seat. 

Lyon County government consists of a manager, a sheriff, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Two District Court Judges and Three Justice Court Judge serve Lyon County (judicial.)  The county is in the west part of the state touching the border with California.  Reno, Nevada is west and Las Vegas, Nevada is southeast of the county.  The county center is 3.5 miles Southeast of Yerington.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Churchill and Mineral counties and California and Douglas County, Carson City, and Storey and Washoe counties. 

The area of the city is 1994 square miles.  It is 14 out of 17 in the state.  It ranks 3 out of 17 in population in the state.  It has a density of 29.7 persons per square mile making it 5 out of 17 in the state.  Lyon County has 43.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 50 travels east to west in the county from Churchill County to Carson City.  United States Highway 50 Alternate enters from Fallon County, east, and exits to Washoe County, west.  United States Highway 95 Alternate comes from Washoe County and travels south into Mineral County.  The county looks like a seahorse.  Yerington is located near the center of the county.  Fernley is in the northeast tip of the county.  Yerington is the county seat and Fernley is the largest city.  Yerington is 5.2% of the county population while Fernley is 38.7% of the county population.  This county is in the Fernley Micropolitan Statistical Area.