Formed November 25, 1861 (8th county)
Washoe County (486,489), Reno (264,147)
The masonry Classical Revival and Beaux Arts building was erected in 1911 and later enlarged. It is on Court Street between Sierra and Virginia streets. Virginia Street is United States Highway 395 Business. The designer was Francis J. DeLongchamps. It was enlarged in 1946, 1949, and 1964. There was an 1873 version in Reno. A Justice Center was added in 2006. Washoe County was established on November 25, 1861 as an original county (8th county.) The county is named for the Native American tribe. The county seat is named for Civil War General Jesse Lee Reno. The original county seat was in Washoe City and moved to Reno in 1871. Washoe County was the birthplace for 2 Nevada Governors, Paul D. Laxalt and James A. Gibbons.
Washoe County government consists of a manager, a sheriff, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive). It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.) Fifteen District Court Judges and Four Justice Court Judges serve Washoe County (judicial.) Washoe County is in the northwest on the border with both California and Oregon. Las Vegas, Nevada is southeast and Sacramento, California is southwest of the county. The county center is 123 miles North-Northeast of Reno nearer Empire. The county is surrounded clockwise by Oregon and Humboldt, Pershing, Churchill, Lyon, and Storey counties, Carson City and California.
The area of the city is 6342 square miles. It is 7 out of 17 in the state. It ranks 2 out of 17 in population in the state. It has a density of 76.7 persons per square mile making it 3 out of 17 in the state. Washoe County has 76.6% of its population in its incorporated areas. Interstate Highway 80 crosses east to west through the county from Churchill County to California. United States Highway 395 travels northwest to south from California to Carson City. The county is a ball point pen facing south. Reno is near the south tip of the county. Reno is the county seat and the largest city. It is 54.3% of the county population. The county is pronounced WA-SHOE. The county seat is pronounced REE-NOE. This county is in the Reno-Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Reno
Sparks
