Douglas County is a county in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of th
2020 Census
the population was 49,488. Its county seat is

Minden Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the greatest town between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district (''Kreis'') of Minden-Lübbecke, which is part of the region of Detm ...

. Douglas County comprises the Gardnerville Ranchos, NV Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Reno–

Carson City Carson City is an Independent city (United States), independent city and the capital of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 58,639, making it the List of cities in Nevada, sixth largest ...

– 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 Stephen Arnold Douglas (April 23, 1813 – June 3, 1861) was an American politician and lawyer from Illinois. A senator, he was one of two nominees of the badly split Democratic Party for president in the 1860 presidential election, which wa ...

, famous for his 1860 Presidential campaign and

debates Debate is a process that involves formal discourse on a particular topic, often including a moderator and audience. In a debate, arguments are put forward for often opposing viewpoints. Debates have historically occurred in public meetings, a ...

with Abraham Lincoln, Douglas County was one of the first nine counties formed in 1861 by the

Nevada territorial legislature Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, t ...

. The county seat is

, 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 Minden–Tahoe Airport is a general aviation airport serving the Carson Valley in Douglas County, Nevada, United States, including the towns of Minden, Gardnerville and Genoa, Nevada; and Lake Tahoe to the west. The airport is about five mi ...

. 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 United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, 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 9,593 ft (2,924 m), 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 Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...

, the county is bordered on the west by California, and contains about 13.2% of

Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe (; was, Dáʔaw, meaning "the lake") is a Fresh water, freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada of the United States. Lying at , it straddles the state line between California and Nevada, west of Carson City, Nevad ...

, which is split across the two states.

, the state capital, lies to the north, and Lyon County to the east.

Major highways

U.S. Route 50 U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlanti ...

U.S. Route 395 U.S. Route 395 (US 395) is a U.S. Route in the western United States. The southern terminus of the route is in the Mojave Desert at Interstate 15 near Hesperia. The northern terminus is at the Canada–US border near Laurier, where the road be ...

State Route 28 * Nevada 88

State Route 88 * Nevada 206

State Route 206 * Nevada 207

State Route 207 * Nevada 208

State Route 208 * Nevada 756

State Route 756 * Nevada 757

State Route 757 * Nevada 759

State Route 759 * Nevada 760

State Route 760

Adjacent counties and city

– north * Lyon County – east * Mono County, California – southeast * Alpine County, California – south *

El Dorado County, California El Dorado County (), officially the County of El Dorado, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 191,185. The county seat is Placerville. The County is part of the Sacramento- Roseville-A ...

– west * Placer County, California – northwest

National protected area

* Toiyabe National Forest

Demographics

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 41,259 people, 16,401 households, and 11,890 families living in the county. The population density was 58 people per square mile (22/km²). There were 19,006 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 91.9% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 1.7% Native American, 1.3%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 2.5% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. 7.4% of the population were Hispanic or

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. There were 16,401 households, out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.5% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.88. In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 102.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.7 males. The median income for a household in the county was $51,849, and the median income for a family was $57,092. Males had a median income of $40,436 versus $28,762 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,288. About 5.8% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.7% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

, there were 46,997 people, 19,638 households, and 13,519 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 23,671 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 89.6% white, 1.9% Native American, 1.5% Asian, 0.4% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 3.2% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 10.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 25.7% were

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, 17.5% were English, 14.9% were Irish, 8.0% were Italian, and 4.1% were

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

. Of the 19,638 households, 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.2% were non-families, and 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.80. The median age was 47.4 years. The median income for a household in the county was $60,721 and the median income for a family was $73,543. Males had a median income of $52,001 versus $39,825 for females. The per capita income for the county was $35,239. About 5.4% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Census-designated places

There are no incorporated towns or cities in Douglas County. The following communities are census-designated places, meaning population and demographic data is available from the U.S. Census Bureau for each one: * Carter Springs * Double Spring * East Valley * Fish Springs *

Gardnerville Gardnerville is an unincorporated town in Douglas County, Nevada, adjacent to the county seat of Minden. The population was 6,211 at the time of th2020 Census U.S. Route 395 runs through the center of Gardnerville. State Route 207, known as ...

* Gardnerville Ranchos * Genoa * Glenbrook * Indian Hills *

Johnson Lane Johnson Lane is a census-designated place (CDP) in the south side of the Carson City metropolitan area in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. Its population was 6,490 at the 2010 census. Geography Johnson Lane is located at (39.037535, -11 ...

* Kingsbury * Lakeridge * Logan Creek *

(county seat) * Round Hill Village * Ruhenstroth *

Skyland ''Skyland'' (full French title: "Skyland, Le Nouveau Monde", or "Skyland, The New World"), is a CGI animated series developed in France in partnership with Canada and Luxembourg for television channels France 2 in France, Teletoon in Canada, Nic ...

* Stateline * Topaz Lake * Topaz Ranch Estates * Zephyr Cove

Unincorporated communities

* Centerville *

Dresslerville Dresslerville, also known as Dresslerville Colony, is an unincorporated area in Nevada that is home to a Washoe tribe community. It was named for Nevada state senator William F. Dressler who donated a 40-acre tract to the Washoe tribe. US Route ...

Holbrook Junction Holbrook may refer to: Places England *Holbrook, Derbyshire, a village *Holbrook, Somerset, a hamlet in Charlton Musgrove *Holbrook, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, a former mining village in Mosborough ward, now known as Halfway *Holbrook, Suffolk, a ...

* Mottsville *

Sheridan Sheridan may refer to: People Surname *Sheridan (surname) *Philip Sheridan (1831–1888), U.S. Army general after whom the Sheridan tank is named *Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816), Irish playwright (''The Rivals''), poet and politician ...

Politics

Historically Douglas was the most Republican county in Nevada, a state that tended to lean Democratic between the 1890s and 1950s. The last Democrat to carry the county was Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936 during his 48-state landslide over Alf Landon, and even then, he carried Douglas by 15 percent less than his statewide margin. It was the only Nevada county won by Charles Evans Hughes in 1916, and one of only two to vote for Progressive “Bull Moose” ex-President Theodore Roosevelt in 1912. It was also one of only two Nevada counties that voted for incumbent President Benjamin Harrison over insurgent Populist

James B. Weaver James Baird Weaver (June 12, 1833 – February 6, 1912) was a member of the United States House of Representatives and two-time candidate for President of the United States. Born in Ohio, he moved to Iowa as a boy when his family claimed a ...

in 1892 when the latter carried the state by over 40 percentage points. Even when the county did vote Democratic in 1896 and 1900, it was by much smaller margins than the rest of silver-mining Nevada.Robinson, Edgar Eugene; ''The Presidential Vote; 1896–1932'' (second edition); pp. 268–270 Published 1947 by Stanford University Press The county remains a Republican stronghold, although it now is not quite as heavily Republican as some other rural counties in the state. Apart from FDR's two victories, only two Democrats since 1920 —

Lyndon Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

in 1964 and Barack Obama in 2008 — have won even 40 percent of the county’s vote. Despite the county's strong Republican bent, residents tend to be somewhat moderate on social issues, with a small majority of county residents voting to legalize gay marriage in 2020.

Economy

Major employers

* Starbucks roasting plant * Patmont Motor Werks *

Bently Nevada Bently Nevada is an asset protection and condition monitoring hardware, software and service company for industrial plant-wide operations. Its products are used to monitor the mechanical condition of rotating equipment in a wide variety of indust ...

, part of

Baker Hughes Baker Hughes Company, organized in Delaware and headquartered in Houston, is one of the world's largest oil field services companies. The company provides products and services for oil well drilling, formation evaluation, completion, productio ...

* North Sails * TeslaWatt

Education

Douglas County's education is managed by the Douglas County School District. It serves for all of Douglas County, having two main areas: Lake Tahoe & the Carson Valley. Douglas High School also serves most of the high school age students from Alpine County, California

Lake Tahoe

George Whittell High School George Whittell High School is located in Zephyr Cove, Nevada, near the South Shore of Lake Tahoe. As of 2021, the school housed grades 6 through 12. The school is named after late millionaire George Whittell, Jr. who purchased the Nevada side of ...

* Zephyr Cove Elementary School

Carson Valley

* Douglas High School * Aspire Academy High School * Carson Valley Middle School * Pau-Wa-Lu Middle School * Gardnerville Elementary School * Minden Elementary School * Jacks Valley Elementary School * Piñion Hills Elementary School * Gene L. Scarselli Elementary School * C.C. Meneley Elementary School

Private schools

* Sierra Lutheran High School * Faith Christian Academy * Grace Christian Academy

Media

* ''

Carson Valley Times The ''Carson Valley Times'' (''CVT'') was an American daily online newspaper and group of journalistic publications, published in Gardnerville, Nevada from July 2013 through September 2017. It was one of three newspapers published in the Carson Va ...

'' * '' The Record-Courier''

In popular culture