Douglas County is a county in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 49,488. Its county seat is Minden. Douglas County comprises the Gardnerville Ranchos, NV Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Reno–Carson City–Fernley, NV Combined Statistical Area.
History
The town of Genoa in Douglas County was the first permanent settlement in Nevada. Genoa was settled in 1851 by Mormon traders selling goods to settlers on their way to California. Named for Stephen A. Douglas, famous for his 1860 Presidential campaign and debates with Abraham Lincoln, Douglas County was one of the first nine counties formed in 1861 by the Nevada territorial legislature.
The county seat is Minden, after having been moved from Genoa in 1915.
Various services run by the county include parks, law enforcement, road maintenance, building inspection, and the Minden–Tahoe Airport.
Fire protection and emergency medical services are provided by the Tahoe-Douglas Fire Protection District at the lake and the East Fork Fire Protection District for the rest of the county.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of , of which is land and (3.8%) is water. It is the second-smallest county in Nevada by area. The highest point is East Peak at , while the most topographically prominent mountain is Mount Siegel.
Douglas County is in western Nevada in the western United States. Stretching from Carson Valley and running up into the Sierra Nevada, the county is bordered on the west by California, and contains about 13.2% of Lake Tahoe, which is split across the two states. Carson City, the state capital, lies to the north, and Lyon County to the east.
Adjacent counties and city
- Carson City – north
- Lyon County – east
- Mono County, California – southeast
- Alpine County, California – south
- El Dorado County, California – west
- Placer County, California – northwest
National protected area
- Toiyabe National Forest
Transportation
Public Transportation With Douglas County is offered by Douglas Area Rural Transit, Tahoe Transportation District and Eastern Sierra Transit
Major highways
- 20px U.S. Route 50
- 25px U.S. Route 395
- 20px State Route 28
- 20px State Route 88
- 20px State Route 206
- 20px State Route 207
- 20px State Route 208
- 20px State Route 756
- 20px State Route 757
- 20px State Route 759
- 20px State Route 760