U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid >> About Nevada

Areas of Interest

Nevada Counties
Interesting Facts
Famous Nevadans
Congressional Delegation
Resources

Nevada has so much to offer, whether you call it home or are just visiting, there is no other place in the world quite like it. If you click the links below, you will find a vast array of information on the state, including a list of Nevada’s elected officials, the state’s demographics, and links to official state resources.

I encourage you to take a moment, click on the links, and learn something new about Nevada.

Nevada Counties

Nevada’s diversity is symbolized by the land itself. Newcomers to the state who are awed by the crystal clear waters of Lake Tahoe can hardly believe that the starkly beautiful Valley of Fire is a few hundred miles to the south.

While Las Vegas and Reno capture the world’s imagination with their glamour, there is much more to Nevada. Every one of Nevada’s counties has something unique to offer.

Click on links below to visit any of Nevada’s counties:

Carson City	Churchill	Clark	Douglas
Elko	Esmeralda	Eureka	Humboldt
Lander	Lincoln	Lyon	Mineral
Nye	Pershing	Storey	Washoe
White Pine

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Interesting Facts

Eighty-seven percent of Nevada land is managed by the federal government.
Area 51, a top secret area of Nellis Air Force Range and Nuclear Test Site, is rumored to have housed the development of the first Stealth bomber and alien and UFO research facilities.
Nevada is the seventh largest state in size.
The nation’s largest silver deposit, the Comstock Lode, was found in Nevada in 1859.
Nevada is the driest state in the nation with an average annual rainfall of seven inches.
Nevada has the only complete skeleton of an Ichthyosaur, an extinct marine reptile measuring 55 feet.
Nevada is the largest gold-producing state in the U.S. and third in the world behind South Africa and Australia.
Gambling was reinstated in the State in 1931.
Hoover Dam is the largest public works project ever undertaken in the U.S. and has a greater structural volume than the largest Egyptian pyramid.
Virginia City, founded when the Comstock Lode was discovered, was home to 20,000 people at its peak in 1870. Now only about 800 people live in this modern ghost town.
Nevada is the gambling and entertainment capital of the U.S.
Las Vegas has more hotel rooms than any other place on earth.
Nevada means “snowcapped” in Spanish.
On average, 150 couples are married each day in Las Vegas.
In 1899, Charles Fey invented a slot machine called the Liberty Bell, which became the model for all slots.
Nevada has over 200,000 slot machines, one for every 10 residents.
In Death Valley, the kangaroo rat can live its entire life without drinking a drop of liquid.
Nevada has more mountain ranges than any other state.
Nevada’s Humboldt River has no outlet to the ocean; the river sinks into the ground, feeding a massive underground aquifer.

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Famous Nevadans

Andre Agassi, Wimbledon champion and winner of over 800 singles matches, started his game in Las Vegas.

Henry Paige Comstock left his legacy as a trapper and prospector when he discovered the nation’s largest silver deposit in Nevada, the Comstock Lode.

Patricia Nixon grew up in Ely before moving to the White House as the First Lady.

Sarah Winnemucca used her Paiute interpreting and peacemaking skills to help Western settlers at the turn of the century.

Lute Pease, cartoonist and Pulitzer Prize winner, drew his inspiration from his home state of Nevada.

Bing Crosby, legendary singer and actor, owned a ranch outside of Elko and was named as the town’s honorary mayor.

Greg LeMond, world champion bicyclist and winner of the Tour de France, cycled through Washoe Valley as a kid.

Edna Purviance, born in Paradise Valley, acted opposite Charlie Chaplin in The Kid.

Wyatt Earp protected Tonopah from the outlaws of the wild west.

Mark Twain began his writing career as a journalist for Nevada’s first newspaper, the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise.

Jack Dempsey was a bartender and bouncer for a Tonopah bar before beginning his boxing career.

Clara Bow, the silent film star known as the “It Girl” of 1920s Hollywood, lived on a ranch near Searchlight with her husband Rex Bell.

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Congressional Delegation

Senator Harry Reid (D)

Senator Harry Reid has represented the State of Nevada in Congress since 1983 and has served as Senate Democratic Leader since 2007. Click here to learn more about Nevada’s senior senator.

Senator Dean Heller (R)

In May 2011, Dean Heller was appointed by Governor Brian Sandoval as Nevada’s junior senator to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of John Ensign. He was then elected to a full term representing the state of Nevada in the United States Senate in November 2012. Senator Heller serves on the Senate Committees on Energy and Natural Resources; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Aging; Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; and Veterans’ Affairs.

Representative Joe Heck (R)

In November 2010, Joe Heck was elected to represent Nevada’s Third Congressional District and was reelected to a second term in November 2012. The Third District, which was reconfigured following the 2010 Census and the addition of a fourth Congressional seat for Nevada, is located entirely within Clark County and occupies the area south of Las Vegas, including Henderson and most of unincorporated Clark County. Congressman Heck serves on the House Committees on Armed Services, Education and the Workforce, and Intelligence.

Representative Dina Titus (D)

In November 2008, Dina Titus was elected as Nevada’s representative of the Third Congressional District. was After two years away from Congress, she was elected to represent Nevada’s updated First Congressional District. The First District is located entirely within Clark County and occupies most of Nevada’s largest city, Las Vegas, as well as parts of North Las Vegas and unincorporated Clark County. She serves on the House Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and Veterans’ Affairs.

Representative Mark Amodei (R)

In a special election held in September 2011, Mark Amodei was elected to represent Nevada’s Second Congressional District. He was elected to a full term in November 2012. The Second District includes ten of Nevada’s seventeen counties in their entirety, and a portion of Lyon County. Congressman Amodei serves on House Committees on Natural Resources, the Judiciary, and Veteran’s Affairs.

Representative Cresent Hardy (R)

In November 2014, Cresent Hardy was elected to represent Nevada’s Fourth Congressional District. The Fourth District is located in the central portion of Nevada and includes most of northern Clark County, parts of Douglas and Lyon counties, and all of Esmeralda, Lincoln, Mineral, Nye, and White Pine counties.