unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
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 ...
, United States. Located at the bottom of the
Jarbidge River
The Jarbidge River is a , high elevation river in Elko County, Nevada, and Owyhee County, Idaho, in the United States. The Jarbidge originates as two main forks in the Jarbidge Mountains of northeastern Nevada and then flows through basalt and r ...
Jarbidge Wilderness
The Jarbidge Wilderness is a wilderness area located in the Jarbidge Mountains of northern Elko County in northeastern Nevada, United States. It is contained within the Jarbidge Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
"Jarb ...
, approximately south of the
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...
–
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 ...
border.
Jarbidge, along with the rest of Nevada except for the city of West Wendover, is legally in the
Pacific Time Zone
The Pacific Time Zone (PT) is a time zone encompassing parts of western Canada, the western United States, and western Mexico. Places in this zone observe standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time ( UTC−08:00 ...
, but, along with other Idaho border towns such as Jackpot, Mountain City and Owyhee, unofficially observes the
Mountain Time Zone
The Mountain Time Zone of North America keeps time by subtracting seven hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) when standard time ( UTC−07:00) is in effect, and by subtracting six hours during daylight saving time ( UTC−06:00). The ...
due to closer proximity to and greater connections with towns in southern Idaho. Jarbidge is popular locally with hunters and campers with many campsites available in the area and high populations of elk.
History
"Jarbidge" is a name derived from the Shoshone language meaning "devil". Natives believed the nearby hills were haunted.
Gold
Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
was discovered near Jarbidge in 1909, making it the site of one of the last gold rushes in the
Old West
The American frontier, also known as the Old West, and popularly known as the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that bega ...
and, incidentally, was the site of the last stagecoach robbery in 1916. Its population swelled to near 2,000 in 1911; however, it began a slow decline thereafter, when the mining facilities were largely cannibalized for the war effort during
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. Mining operations ceased completely in 1932. However, in 2013 permits for the removal of the gold were re-issued and the mine is reopening.
Jazz musician Ralph Peña was born in Jarbidge in 1927.
Geography
Noted locally for its extreme remoteness, no paved roads exist within almost of Jarbidge. The community is usually and most easily accessed using a motor vehicle by way of Three Creek Road, which originates along U.S. Route 93 in Rogerson, Twin Falls County,
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...
; the final of this route are unimproved but usually open all year. From Elko, the easiest access is by proceeding north along
Nevada State Route 225
State Route 225 (SR 225) is a state highway in Elko County, Nevada, Elko County, Nevada, United States. Known as the Mountain City Highway, it connects the city of Elko, Nevada, Elko to the town of Owyhee, Nevada, Owyhee near the Southwestern I ...
, then east along Elko County Road 746, the North Fork-Charleston Road (signed for Charleston and Jarbidge), and finally north along Elko County Road 748, the Charleston-Jarbidge Road. The latter two segments of this route are unimproved, at points, present serious road hazards, and receive no winter maintenance. They are often closed from as early as October or November to as late as June or July due to heavy snowfall.
Climate
According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Jarbidge has a warm-summer mediterranean
continental climate
Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm to hot summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in central and eastern parts of the three northern-tier continents (North America, Europe, and Asia), typi ...
, abbreviated "Dsb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Jarbidge was on July 14, 2002, while the coldest temperature recorded was on December 22, 1990.