State bird
Mountain bluebird
Sources: Designation & background
Local timeCarson City ·
U.S. States / West · Card 028
Nevada
The Silver State
Great Basin National Park rises from dry basin country into high mountains.
Nevada and its surroundings
● State capital · Gold highlights Nevada.
Map: Natural Earth. Neighboring states use postal abbreviations.
Map: Natural Earth. Neighboring states use postal abbreviations.
At a glance
- Capital
- Carson City
- Postal abbreviation
- NV
- Population
- 3,282,188July 1, 2025 · Census estimate
- Total area
- 286,380 km²110,572 square miles · land and water
- Statehood
- October 31, 1864State number 36
- Region
- West
Sources: Census · population · Census · area
State symbols & traditions
State song
Home Means Nevada
Sources: Designation & background
Geography & flag
01
Location
Neighboring states: Arizona, California, Idaho, Oregon, Utah.
02
Landscape & places
Great Basin National Park rises from dry basin country into high mountains. Bristlecone pines and limestone caves occur within the same park, showing that Nevada’s landscapes include more than low desert.
03
Land and water
The total area includes 284,332 km² of land and 2,048 km² of water, according to Census area measurements.
State flag
A blue field with a silver star, sagebrush and a Battle Born ribbon near the upper hoist.
Sources: Census · geographic reference · Census · area measurements · National Park Service · Great Basin
How the landscape works
Great Basin National Park includes dry low country and much higher terrain. Changes in elevation produce different growing conditions, allowing bristlecone pines and other mountain habitats to occur within a state often associated with desert. Limestone caves add another dimension below the surface. A statewide climate label should not be mistaken for a description of every local environment.
History
How Nevada completed the statehood process during the Civil War
Congress authorized Nevada Territory to write a state constitution in 1864. Voters approved it in September. To complete admission, officials needed to send the approved document to Washington and satisfy the conditions in the enabling act.
Nevada’s constitution was transmitted by telegraph, allowing the document to travel east much faster than a physical copy. President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed statehood on October 31, 1864, shortly before the presidential election. Nevada’s “Battle Born” identity refers to its admission during the Civil War. It does not mean that a major Civil War battle was fought to create the state.
Read more: Historical source ↗
Why this mattered
Nevada’s admission took place during the Civil War. The state constitution was transmitted by telegraph to Washington so it could be considered in time for the admission process. This connected a western political decision to national wartime priorities. A nickname such as “Battle Born” describes the period of admission, not a claim that every part of the state was a battlefield.
Key dates
-
Nevada Territory organized
-
Statehood · State number 36
-
Additional land transferred from neighboring territories
Sources: Congressional Research Service · statehood · U.S. Census Bureau · historical geography · National Park Service
People and place
Indigenous history and communities today
The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe connects Nevada with a living community whose history is closely tied to a particular landscape. Nevada’s desert label and Civil War statehood nickname cannot substitute for that community’s own account.
Continue with Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. This is one starting point, not a complete account of the peoples connected to this land.
Compare
Nevada and Arizona
| Measure | Nevada | Arizona |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2025) | 3,282,188 | 7,623,818 |
| Land area (km²) | 284,332 | 294,207 |
| People per km² of land | 11.5 | 25.9 |
Arizona has more people per square kilometer of land. Population density divides population by land area. It is an average across the whole jurisdiction, not a claim that residents are evenly spread out.
Calculated from the Census population series and land-area measurements used on these pages. Rounded figures; water area is excluded. Explore Arizona.
Economy
Main activities
In 2025, arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services was the largest of the broad industry groups compared here by current-dollar output. Other major groups included real estate and rental and leasing, professional and business services, and government and government enterprises.
Total economic output was $281.5 billion in current dollars in 2025.
Largest industry groups · 2025
- Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services: 15.7%
- Real estate and rental and leasing: 14.9%
- Professional and business services: 11.3%
- Government and government enterprises: 9.7%
Share of total current-dollar GDP. These figures measure output, not employment.
Sources: BEA · annual GDP by state, SAGDP2
Production, jobs and wages answer different questions
The industry chart measures the value of production. It does not count workers. An industry with a large share of GDP need not employ the most people or pay the highest wages. Employment and wage data would be needed to answer those questions.
Population & economic trends
Population, 2020–2025
Millions of people3.282025 · millions of people
July 1 resident population estimates, using the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 series.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau
View data table
| Year | People |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 3,116,851 |
| 2021 | 3,148,472 |
| 2022 | 3,177,672 |
| 2023 | 3,211,077 |
| 2024 | 3,253,543 |
| 2025 | 3,282,188 |
Real GDP, 2010–2025
Billions of chained 2017 dollars210.912025 · billions of chained 2017 dollars
Real GDP measures economic output adjusted for inflation. The chart uses BEA’s chained 2017 dollars.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
View data table
| Year | Millions of chained 2017 dollars |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 142,614.2 |
| 2011 | 144,341.2 |
| 2012 | 142,986.1 |
| 2013 | 144,549.3 |
| 2014 | 145,303.6 |
| 2015 | 151,055.9 |
| 2016 | 156,007.4 |
| 2017 | 163,199.1 |
| 2018 | 168,638.5 |
| 2019 | 176,029.7 |
| 2020 | 165,924.8 |
| 2021 | 182,618.3 |
| 2022 | 194,463.9 |
| 2023 | 201,158.6 |
| 2024 | 207,351.9 |
| 2025 | 210,914.3 |
Read the trend, then ask what explains it
Nevada’s population increased by about 5.3% between 2020 and 2025 in this series. That shows the size of the change. The chart alone cannot tell us how much came from births, deaths or migration.
Real GDP adjusts for changes in prices, so it helps compare production over time. Current-dollar GDP includes price changes. Neither measure tells us how income is distributed among residents.
Representation
- Electoral votes
- 62024 & 2028 elections
- Voting U.S. House seats
- 42020 Census allocation
- U.S. Senate seats
- 2
Electoral votes equal the state’s U.S. House seats plus its two U.S. Senate seats. These allocations apply to the 2024 and 2028 presidential elections.
Practice
Test your knowledge
Use the explanations and data on this page to answer ten questions. Hints and links to the relevant sections are available throughout.
10 questions about Nevada
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Sources & notes
Narrative and quiz updated 5 October 2026. Statistical data prepared 27 September 2026. Population: Census Bureau Vintage 2025, July 1 estimates for 2020–2025. Real GDP: BEA annual state accounts, SAGDP9, millions of chained 2017 dollars; industry shares: SAGDP2, current dollars. Data downloaded 27 September 2026. Area measurements include land and water.
Sources: Census · population estimates · BEA · state GDP · Census · area measurements · Natural Earth · map data
The capital clock shows current local time. Statistical figures are dated estimates and may be revised.
Updated 29 October 2026. Statistics retain the dated series shown in the charts; these are not live figures. Sources are linked beside each topic.