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Tonopah, Nevada | |
|---|---|
 Central Tonopah from the south | |
| Nickname: Queen of the Silver Camps[1] | |
| Motto: Visit Today & Mine Away | |
 Tonopah, Nevada, is located in theTonopah Basin near theEsmeralda County border. | |
  Tonopah Location of Tonopah in Nevada and the US Show map of Nevada Tonopah Tonopah (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:38°4′2″N117°13′48″W / 38.06722°N 117.23000°W /38.06722; -117.23000[2] | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Nevada |
| County | Nye |
| Founded | 1900; 125 years ago (1900) |
| Named after | Shoshoni language |
| Government | |
| • Senate | Scott Hammond (R) |
| • Assembly | Gregory Hafen II (R) |
| • U.S. Congress | Steven Horsford (D) |
| Area | |
• Total | 9.26 sq mi (23.98 km2) |
| • Land | 9.26 sq mi (23.98 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 6,047 ft (1,843 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 2,179 |
| • Density | 235.4/sq mi (90.87/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| ZIP Code | 89049 |
| Area code | 775 |
| FIPS code | 32-73600 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0845985 |
| Website | http://www.tonopahnevada.com/ |
| Reference no. | 15 |
Tonopah (/ˈtoʊnəˌpɑː/TOHN-ə-pah,Shoshoni language:Tonampaa)[4] is anunincorporated town in theU.S. state ofNevada and thecounty seat ofNye County.[5][6] Nicknamed theQueen of the Silver Camps for itsmining-rich history,[1] it is now primarily atourism-basedresort city, notable for attractions like theMizpah Hotel and theClown Motel.
Tonopah is located at the junction of U.S. Routes6 and95, approximately midway betweenLas Vegas andReno. In the2020 census, the population was 2,179. Thecensus-designated place (CDP) of Tonopah has a total area of 16.2 square miles (42 km2), all land.
The American community began circa 1900 with the discovery of silver-rich ore by prospector Jim Butler. The legendary tale of discovery says that he went looking for aburro that had wandered off during the night and sought shelter near a rock outcropping. When Butler discovered the animal the next morning, he picked up a rock to throw at it in frustration, noticing that the rock was unusually heavy. He had stumbled upon the second-richest silver strike in Nevada history.[citation needed] However, this commonly-told story is likely apocryphal. Butler was married to a localPaiute woman named Belle—her family guided Butler to the area long known by indigenous peoples for its surface minerals.
From February 1905, Tonopah experienced a disease outbreak known as "the Tonopah plague". The disease reportedly affected primarily adult men and caused acutepneumonia.[7]
Men of wealth and power entered the region to consolidate the mines and reinvest their profits into the infrastructure of the town of Tonopah.George Wingfield, a 24-year-old poker player when he arrived in Tonopah, played poker and dealtfaro in the town saloons. Once he had a small bankroll, he talked Jack Carey, owner of the Tonopah Club, into taking him in as a partner and filing for a gaming license. In 1903, labor unionists rioted againstChinese workers in Tonopah, killing a Chinese man, wounding several others, and destroyingChinatown.[8] This resulted in China enforcing a boycott in China of U.S. imported goods.
By 1904, after investing his winnings in the Boston-Tonopah Mining Company, Wingfield was worth $2 million. When old friendGeorge S. Nixon, a banker, arrived in town, Wingfield invested in his Nye County Bank. They grub-staked (provided with food, supplies and tools in an exchange for a percentage of mine yield) miners with friend Nick Abelman, and bought existing mines. By the time the partners moved toGoldfield, Nevada and made their Goldfield Consolidated Mining Company a public corporation in 1906, Nixon and Wingfield were worth more than $30 million.[9]
Wingfield believed that the end of the gold and silver mining production was coming and took his bankroll to Reno, where he invested heavily in real estate and casinos. Real estate and gaming became big business throughout Central Nevada. By 1910, gold production was falling, and by 1920, the town of Tonopah had less than half the population it had fifteen years earlier.
Small mining ventures continued to provide income for local miners and the small town struggled on. Located about halfway between Reno and Las Vegas, it has supported travelers as a stopover and rest spot on a lonely highway. Today the Tonopah Station has slots and the Banc Club also offers some gaming.
Also in Nye County is the Yomba Band of theYomba Shoshone Tribe of the Yomba Reservation, a federally recognized band of Western Shoshone people. The Western Shoshone dominated most of Nevada at the time of American settlement in the 1860s.
Since the late 20th century, Tonopah has relied on the nearby militaryTonopah Test Range as its main source of employment. The military has used the range and surrounding areas as anuclear bomb test site, a bombing range, and a base of operations for the development of theF-117 Nighthawk.
In 2014, California-basedsolar energy company SolarReserve completed construction on a $980 million advanced solar energy project near Tonopah. TheCrescent Dunes Solar Energy Project uses liquid sodium as a heat transfer medium for its solar energy storage technology. The plant began producing power in November 2015.[10][11]
On May 15, 2020, amagnitude 6.5 earthquake struck 35 miles (56 km)[12] west of Tonopah, followed by a series ofaftershocks, the largest of which was a magnitude 5.1. However, no injuries were reported. It was the largest earthquake in Nevada since 1954.[13]
The founder, Jim Butler, named the settlement from what is thought to be aShoshoni language word, pronounced "TOE-nuh-pah."[14] Although the town previously had a variety of names, including Butler City, Jim Butler's name has survived. According to local history, the name is said to mean "hidden spring."[1]
Linguistically, the name derives from either Shoshoneto-nuv (greasewood), or Northern Paiuteto-nav (greasewood), andpa, meaning water in both dialects.[15]
Tonopah has an arid,cold desert climate (KöppenBWk) with cool winters and hot summers. Due to Tonopah’s aridity and high altitude,daily temperature ranges are quite large and lows in winter are similar to manycontinental climates. Nights are cool, even in summer.
There are an average of 50.3 afternoons with highs at or above 90 °F or 32.2 °C, 157.8 mornings with lows of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower, 7.6 afternoons where the high does not top freezing and 1.7 mornings with lows below 0 °F or −17.8 °C. The record high temperature in Tonopah was 104 °F (40 °C) on July 18, 1960, and the record low −15 °F (−26.1 °C) on January 24, 1937 and January 23, 1962.
There are an average of 38 days with measurable precipitation and about 5.14 inches (130.6 mm) of precipitation that falls each year. The amount of minimal precipitation that does fall is roughly the same for each month at about 0.3 inches (7.6 mm) to 0.5 inches (12.7 mm) per month. The wettest calendar year was 1978 with 10.64 in (270 mm) and the driest 2020 with 1.95 in (50 mm). The most precipitation in one month was 3.46 inches (87.9 mm) in August 2023. The most precipitation in 24 hours was 2.55 inches (64.8 mm) on August 20, 2023. Average annual snowfall is 16.8 inches or 0.43 metres, though even in winter the median snow depth is zero and the maximum recorded only 13 inches (0.33 m) on February 11, 1968. The most snowfall in one year was 79.3 inches (2.01 m) from July 1946 to June 1947, including 37.0 inches (0.94 m) in November 1946.[16][17]
| Climate data forTonopah Airport, Nevada, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1954–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 67 (19) | 75 (24) | 79 (26) | 88 (31) | 96 (36) | 103 (39) | 105 (41) | 103 (39) | 101 (38) | 90 (32) | 77 (25) | 70 (21) | 105 (41) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 58.3 (14.6) | 62.4 (16.9) | 71.2 (21.8) | 79.6 (26.4) | 88.1 (31.2) | 96.7 (35.9) | 100.1 (37.8) | 97.7 (36.5) | 91.8 (33.2) | 81.5 (27.5) | 69.1 (20.6) | 58.2 (14.6) | 100.8 (38.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 45.8 (7.7) | 49.3 (9.6) | 57.6 (14.2) | 64.3 (17.9) | 74.0 (23.3) | 85.3 (29.6) | 92.4 (33.6) | 90.4 (32.4) | 81.7 (27.6) | 68.4 (20.2) | 54.6 (12.6) | 44.6 (7.0) | 67.4 (19.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 33.9 (1.1) | 37.2 (2.9) | 43.8 (6.6) | 49.9 (9.9) | 59.0 (15.0) | 69.1 (20.6) | 75.7 (24.3) | 73.7 (23.2) | 65.7 (18.7) | 53.5 (11.9) | 41.0 (5.0) | 32.5 (0.3) | 52.9 (11.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 22.0 (−5.6) | 25.1 (−3.8) | 30.1 (−1.1) | 35.6 (2.0) | 44.1 (6.7) | 52.9 (11.6) | 59.1 (15.1) | 57.0 (13.9) | 49.6 (9.8) | 38.5 (3.6) | 27.4 (−2.6) | 20.4 (−6.4) | 38.5 (3.6) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 5.7 (−14.6) | 12.1 (−11.1) | 17.9 (−7.8) | 23.2 (−4.9) | 32.0 (0.0) | 39.3 (4.1) | 49.9 (9.9) | 47.8 (8.8) | 38.3 (3.5) | 25.3 (−3.7) | 13.9 (−10.1) | 7.0 (−13.9) | 2.0 (−16.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −15 (−26) | −9 (−23) | 4 (−16) | 9 (−13) | 19 (−7) | 27 (−3) | 40 (4) | 37 (3) | 24 (−4) | 10 (−12) | 3 (−16) | −13 (−25) | −15 (−26) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 0.45 (11) | 0.53 (13) | 0.52 (13) | 0.29 (7.4) | 0.51 (13) | 0.23 (5.8) | 0.50 (13) | 0.39 (9.9) | 0.45 (11) | 0.38 (9.7) | 0.28 (7.1) | 0.26 (6.6) | 4.79 (120.5) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 2.0 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 36.9 |
| Source 1: NOAA[18] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[19] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1,375 | — | |
| 1960 | 1,679 | 22.1% | |
| 1970 | 1,716 | 2.2% | |
| 1980 | 1,952 | 13.8% | |
| 1990 | 3,616 | 85.2% | |
| 2000 | 2,627 | −27.4% | |
| 2010 | 2,478 | −5.7% | |
| 2020 | 2,179 | −12.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[20] | |||
_(19357624552).jpg)
As of thecensus[21] of 2000, there were 2,627 people, 1,109 households, and 672 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 162.1 inhabitants per square mile (62.6/km2). There were 1,561 housing units at an average density of 96.3 per square mile (37.2/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 91.24%White, 1.41%Native American, 0.76%African American, 0.42%Asian, 0.30%Pacific Islander, 2.82% fromother races, and 3.05% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino people of any race were 6.17% of the population.
There were 1,109 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% weremarried couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 27.1% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.3 males. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 105.9 men.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $37,401, and the median income for a family was $47,917. Males had a median income of $40,018 versus $22,056 for females. Theper capita income for the CDP was $18,256. About 5.7% of families and 11.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 19.1% of those age 65 or over.
During the silver bonanza of the first decade of the 20th century, the need in the precious-metal fields for freight service led to construction of a network of local railroad lines across the Nevada desert to Tonopah. Examples include theLas Vegas and Tonopah Railroad, theTonopah and Goldfield Railroad, and theTonopah and Tidewater Railroad. Coal was hauled to the silver mines to power mine operations and also thestamp mills built in and around Tonopah to break apart the hard-rock ore for milling and refining.
As the railroad lines were reduced with the decline of mining and restructuring of railroads in the late 20th century,18-wheelers became the dominant method of moving freight. Tonopah took on a new identity as an extreme freight destination. The chorus of the song "Willin'" byLowell George ofLittle Feat on the albumsLittle Feat,Sailin' Shoes, andWaiting for Columbus refers to Tonopah, Nevada:
And I've been fromTucson toTucumcari,Tehachapi to Tonopah.
I've driven every kind of rig that's ever been made;
driven the backroads so I wouldn't get weighed.
In the early 21st century, Tonopah is served by twoU.S. Highways, Routes6 and95. There is no rail service. General aviation facilities are located at nearbyTonopah Airport. The nearest airport with scheduled passenger service isMammoth Yosemite Airport, about 100 miles (160 km) away. The nearest major airports areHarry Reid International Airport inLas Vegas, andReno–Tahoe International Airport inReno, each more than 200 miles (320 km) away.
Daily bus service between Las Vegas, Tonopah, and Reno is provided by Salt Lake Express.[22]
_in_Tonopah%2c_Nevada.jpg)
Tonopah istwinned with the following towns:
Municipalities and communities ofNye County, Nevada,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Unincorporated towns |  | |
| Other unincorporated communities | ||
| Indian reservations | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
