Douglas County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

in the northwestern part of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 49,488. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Minden Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the largest town in population between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district () of Minden-Lübbecke, situated in the cultural region ...

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

Reno Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada–California border. It is the county seat and most populous city of Washoe County, Nevada, Washoe County. Sitting in the High Eastern Sierra foothills, ...

–

Carson City Carson City, officially the Carson City Consolidated Municipality, is an independent city and the capital of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,639, making it the 6th most populous city in the state. The m ...

– Fernley, NV Combined Statistical Area.

History

The town of

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

in Douglas County was the first permanent settlement in Nevada. Genoa was settled in 1851 by

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...

traders selling goods to settlers on their way to California. Named for

Stephen A. Douglas Stephen Arnold Douglas (né Douglass; April 23, 1813 – June 3, 1861) was an American politician and lawyer from Illinois. As a United States Senate, U.S. senator, he was one of two nominees of the badly split Democratic Party (United States) ...

, famous for his 1860 Presidential campaign and debates with

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

, Douglas County was one of the first nine counties formed in 1861 by the Nevada territorial legislature. The county seat is

, after having been moved from

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 United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, 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

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 primari ...

, the county is bordered on the west by

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, and contains about 13.2% of

Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe (; Washo language, Washo: ''dáʔaw'') is a Fresh water, freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the Western United States, straddling the border between California and Nevada. Lying at above sea level, Lake Tahoe is the largest a ...

, which is split across the two states.

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

Adjacent counties and city

– north * Lyon County – east *

Mono County, California Mono County ( ) is a county (United States), county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 13,195, making it the fourth-least populous county in California. T ...

– southeast *

Alpine County, California Alpine County is a county in the eastern part of the U.S. state of California located within the Sierra Nevada on the state border with Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,204, making it California's least populous county. T ...

– south *

El Dorado County, California El Dorado County (; ''El Dorado'', Spanish for "The Golden ne), 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. Th ...

– west *

Placer County, California Placer County ( ; ''Placer'', Spanish for "sand deposit"), officially the County of Placer, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 404,739. The county seat is Auburn. P ...

– 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

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 Atlantic ...

U.S. Route 395 * Nevada 28

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

Demographics

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 41,259 people, 16,401 households, and 11,890 families living in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 19,006 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 91.9%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.3%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 1.7% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.2%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

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

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino 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 Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $27,288. About 5.8% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, 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, 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, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, 17.5% were English, 14.9% were Irish, 8.0% were

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

, and 4.1% were American. 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

, 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 place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

s, 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 Ranchos *

* Glenbrook * Indian Hills * Johnson Lane *

Kingsbury Kingsbury may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Kingsbury, London, a district of northwest London in the borough of Brent ** Kingsbury tube station, London Underground station * Kingsbury, Warwickshire, a village and civil parish in Warwickshi ...

* Lakeridge * Logan Creek *

(county seat) * Round Hill Village * Ruhenstroth *

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

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

Unincorporated communities

* Centerville * Dresslerville * Holbrook Junction * Mottsville * Sheridan

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 Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

in 1936 during his 48-state landslide over

Alf Landon Alfred Mossman Landon (September 9, 1887October 12, 1987) was an American oilman and politician who served as the 26th governor of Kansas from 1933 to 1937. A member of the Republican Party, he was the party's nominee in the 1936 presidential ...

, 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 Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...

in 1912. It was also one of only two Nevada counties that voted for incumbent President

Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was the 23rd president of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia—a grandson of the ninth president, William Henry Harrison, and a ...

over insurgent Populist James B. Weaver 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. 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), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after assassination of John F. Kennedy, the assassination of John F. Ken ...

in 1964 and

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

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, part of

Baker Hughes Baker Hughes Company is an American global energy technology company co-headquartered in Houston, Texas and London, UK. As one of the world's largest oil field services, industrial and energy technology companies, it provides products and serv ...

North Sails North Sails is an international sailmaker and sailing wear company with operations in 29 countries. The company designs, engineers and manufactures sails for sailboat racing, racing and cruising sailboats from 8 feet (2.5m) to more-than 200 feet ( ...

* TeslaWatt

Education

Douglas County's public K-12 education is managed by the Douglas County School District. It serves all of Douglas County,
Text list
/ref> having two main areas: Lake Tahoe & the Carson Valley. Douglas High School also serves most of the high school age students from

Lake Tahoe

* George Whittell High School * 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 Record-Courier''

In popular culture

* ''

Smokin Aces ''Smokin' Aces'' is a 2006 action thriller film written and directed by Joe Carnahan. The film centers on the chase for Las Vegas magician turned mafia informant Buddy "Aces" Israel ( Jeremy Piven), on whom a one-million-dollar bounty is placed. ...

'' * '' Charley Varrick'' * ''

The Shootist ''The Shootist'' is a 1976 American Western film directed by Don Siegel and based on Glendon Swarthout's 1975 novel of the same name,Swarthout, Glendon (1975). ''The Shootist'', New York, New York: Doubleday. and written by Miles Hood Swart ...

'' * '' Misery'' * '' The Motel Life'' * '' The Wizard (1989 film)''

References

External links

*
''The Record Courier''
– Local newspaper
Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Authority

Douglas County School District

Carson Valley Area Weather
{{Coord, 38.92, -119.61, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-NV_source:UScensus1990 1861 establishments in Nevada Territory Populated places established in 1861