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Lander County, Nevada facts for kids

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Lander County
Lander County
Lander County Courthouse in Battle Mountain
Lander County Courthouse in Battle Mountain
Map of Nevada highlighting Lander County
Location within the U.S. state of Nevada
Map of the United States highlighting Nevada
Nevada's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Nevada
Founded 1862; 162 years ago (1862)
Named for Frederick W. Lander
Seat Battle Mountain
Largest community Battle Mountain
Area
 • Total 5,519 sq mi (14,290 km2)
 • Land 5,490 sq mi (14,200 km2)
 • Water 29 sq mi (80 km2)  0.5%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 5,775
 • Estimate 
(2019)
5,532
 • Density 1.04639/sq mi (0.40401/km2)
Time zone UTC−8 (Pacific)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−7 (PDT)
Congressional district 2nd

Lander County is a county in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2010 census, the population was 5,775. Its county seat is Battle Mountain.

History

Lander County was one of the original nine counties created in 1861. It was named for Frederick W. Lander, chief engineer of a federal wagon route through the area in 1857. He later served as Special Indian Agent in the area, and died during the Civil War in Virginia in 1862 at the rank of brigadier general. Created in 1861, Lander County sprang forth as the result of a mining boom on the Reese River, along the old pony express line; taking a considerable portion of Churchill and Humboldt counties with it. Eventually, Lander County would be known as the "mother of counties" since three other counties in Nevada were formed from it: Elko, White Pine, and Eureka. Its first county seat was Jacobsville in 1862 which was soon after moved to Austin in 1863 and finally Battle Mountain in 1979.

Geography

A352, Reese River Valley, Nevada, USA, abandoned shack, 2011
Derelict building off State Route 305 in the Reese River Valley with the Shoshone Range in the distance

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 5,519 square miles (14,290 km2), of which 5,490 square miles (14,200 km2) is land and 29 square miles (75 km2) (0.5%) is water.

The 11,477 ft (3498 m) summit of Bunker Hill, located in the Toiyabe Range near the Nye County border, is the highest point in the county while the county's most topographically prominent peak is Mount Lewis.

Major highways

  • I-80 (NV).svg Interstate 80
  • Business Loop 80.svg Interstate 80 Business (Battle Mountain)
  • US 50.svg U.S. Route 50
  • Nevada 304.svg State Route 304
  • Nevada 305.svg State Route 305
  • Nevada 306.svg State Route 306
  • Nevada 376.svg State Route 376
  • Nevada 722.svg State Route 722
  • Nevada 806.svg State Route 806

Adjacent counties

National protected area

  • Toiyabe National Forest (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1870 2,815
1880 3,624 28.7%
1890 2,266 −37.5%
1900 1,534 −32.3%
1910 1,786 16.4%
1920 1,484 −16.9%
1930 1,714 15.5%
1940 1,745 1.8%
1950 1,850 6.0%
1960 1,566 −15.4%
1970 2,666 70.2%
1980 4,076 52.9%
1990 6,266 53.7%
2000 5,794 −7.5%
2010 5,775 −0.3%
2020 5,734 −0.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2018

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 5,775 people, 2,213 households, and 1,545 families living in the county. The population density was 1.1 inhabitants per square mile (0.42/km2). There were 2,575 housing units at an average density of 0.5 per square mile (0.19/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 84.0% white, 4.2% American Indian, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% black or African American, 8.6% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 21.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 19.4% were German, 13.6% were English, 12.2% were Irish, and 12.0% were American.

Of the 2,213 households, 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.2% were non-families, and 25.6% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.14. The median age was 37.1 years.

The median household income was $66,525 and the median family income was $67,157. Males had a median income of $62,932 versus $33,056 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,287. About 11.7% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.0% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Lander County has no incorporated communities. The following places are located in Lander County:

Census-designated places

Other places

Ghost town

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Lander para niños

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