Reno

Reno, Nevada 

Reno, also referred to as "The Biggest Little City in the World," is a city in the northwest region of the U.S. state of Nevada, close to the Nevada-California border, about 22 miles (35 km) north of Lake Tahoe. The county capital and main city of Washoe County, Reno is well-known for its casino and tourism sectors. It is located in the Truckee River valley, on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada, in the foothills of the High Eastern Sierra. The Truckee Meadows valley, which the Reno metro area and the nearby city of Sparks share, has gained notoriety as a result of significant investments made by Greater Seattle and San Francisco Bay Area businesses including Amazon, Tesla, Panasonic, Microsoft, Apple, and Google. 

The Civil War Union Major General Jesse L. Reno, who died in combat in the Battle of South Mountain on Fox's Gap during the American Civil War, is honored by having the city bear his name.

The Reno-Sparks metropolitan area, which includes Reno, is Nevada's second-most populous metropolitan area after the Las Vegas Valley. Greater Reno is made up of Washoe, Storey, and Lyon Counties, the autonomous city of Carson City, the state capital, and a portion of California's Placer and Nevada Counties. In the city proper, there were 264,165 people as of the 2020 census. 

Geography 

The Reno/Tahoe region includes significant wetland areas. The solids that exit the water treatment facility are filtered naturally by them. Water is naturally filtered by plant roots, which also take nutrients from it. More than 75% of the species in the Great Basin are found in wetlands. However, because of the city's surrounding development, the region's wetlands are in danger of being destroyed. Developers fill wetlands with soil when they build on top of them, eliminating the habitat they provide for plants and animals. Mitigation is a strategy that Washoe County has developed to assist safeguard these habitats. Developers will be in charge of establishing a new wetland next to Washoe Lake if they attempt to build over a wetland in the future.

The Truckee River serves as Reno's main water supply. In the summer, it provides Reno with 80 million US gallons (300 Ml) of water every day, and in the winter, 40 million US gallons (150 Ml). Both Chalk Bluff and Glendale Water Treatment Plants must be visited before the water can reach the homes in the Reno region. Golf courses in Reno have started utilizing treated effluent water instead of treated water from one of the city's water plants to help conserve water.

The Truckee River receives effluent that has undergone tertiary treatment from the Reno-Sparks wastewater treatment facility. This capacity was raised from 70 to 110 million liters (or 20 to 30 million U.S. gallons) per day in the 1990s. Although it has been cleaned, the effluent still contains suspended particles, nitrogen, and phosphorus, which exacerbates problems with the river's and Pyramid Lake's receiving waters' water quality. Several watershed management plans have been created by local organizations in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency to handle this increased discharge. The most cost-effective management plan set was analyzed using the DSSAM model, which was created and calibrated for the Truckee River in order to achieve this successful outcome. The management plans that came out of these included actions like restrictions on land use in the Lake Tahoe basin, restrictions on urban runoff in Reno and Sparks, and best management practices for wastewater discharge.

Wildfires frequently strike the Reno area, resulting in both property loss and occasionally fatalities. The 

 city was without electricity for four days in August 1960 as a result of the Donner Ridge fire. In Caughlin, southwest of Reno, a fire started by arcing from powerlines in November 2011 resulted in the destruction of 26 residences and the death of one individual. Only two months later, 29 homes were destroyed and one woman was killed in a fire in Washoe Drive that was started by fireplace ashes. A state of emergency was proclaimed after almost 10,000 residents were evacuated. The fires broke out near the end of Reno's most dry spell on record. 

Climate 

Reno is located in the Sierra Nevada Mountain range's rain shadow. The typical annual rainfall is 7.35 inches (187 mm). Due to its low evapotranspiration, which is caused by its moderate annual average temperature and the concentration of precipitation in the cooler, less-sunny months, Reno has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSk). The city has scorching summers and chilly to freezing winters. 13.73 inches (348.7 mm) of precipitation fell annually in 2017 compared to 1.55 inches (39.4 mm) in 1947. The month of January 1916 saw the greatest precipitation with 6.76 inches (171.7 mm), while the day of January 28, 1903, saw the most precipitation with 2.71 inches (68.8 mm). At Reno-Tahoe International Airport, where records date back to 1937, the wettest month was January 2017 with 5.57 inches (141.5 mm), while the wettest day was January 21, 1943 with 2.29 inches (58.2 mm). The average annual snowfall in the winter is 20.9 inches (53 cm), which is low to moderate in most cases but can be heavy on occasion. Snowfall varies, with the lowest amounts (roughly 19–23 inches annually) occurring in the valley's lowest point at and east of the airport at 4,404 feet (1,342 m), while the foothills of the Carson Range to the west, which are located a few miles west of downtown and range in elevation from 4,700 to 5,600 feet (1,400 to 1,700 m), can experience two to three times as much snowfall annually.

The Virginia Range mountains to the east are susceptible to heavier summer thunderstorms and precipitation, as well as around twice as much snowfall each year above 5,500 feet (1,700 m). Although the Virginia Range is deep inside the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada and Carson Range, the Virginia Range has less dramatic increases in snowfall as elevation rises than the Carson Range to the west. 72.3 inches (184 cm) of snow fell in Reno in one winter (1915–1916), including an astounding 65.7 inches (167 cm) in January—the most snow to fall in a single month—and 22.5 inches (57 cm) on January 17—the most snow to fall in a single day. The most snow to fall in a single year (82.3 inches (209 cm)—fell in 1916. The greatest amount of snowfall ever recorded at Reno-Tahoe International Airport was 59.3 inches (151 cm) in 1951–1952, followed by 63.8 inches (162 cm) in 1971, 29.0 inches (74 cm) in March 1952, and 18.0 inches (46 cm) on February 16, 1990.

Winter and early spring are when it rains the most. There are 300 sunny days in the city per year. Between April and October, thunderstorms in the summer are possible. An afternoon downslope west wind, known as a "Washoe Zephyr," can form in the Sierra Nevada and cause air to be pulled down in the Sierra Nevada and Reno, destroying or preventing thunderstorms. However, the same wind can push air upward against the Virginia Range and other mountain ranges east of Reno, creating powerful thunderstorms. This is why the eastern side of town and the mountains east of Reno tend to be more susceptible to thunderstorms.

Although the diurnal temperature variation occasionally reaches 40 °F (22 °C) in summer, it is still lower than much of the high desert to the east. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 36.2 °F (2.3 °C) in December to 77.2 °F (25.1 °C) in July. Each year, there are 6.0 days with highs above 100 °F (38 °C), 65 days with highs above 90 °F (32 °C), 1.6 days with lows above 70 °F (21 °C), and 1.9 days with lows below 10 °F (12 °C); the temperature falls to or below freezing on 122 days and does not rise above freezing on only 4.1 of those days. The highest temperature ever recorded was 108 °F (42 °C), which was reached on July 10 and 11, 2002, as well as again on July 5, 2007. The lowest temperature ever recorded at the airport was 16 °F (27 °C), which happened four times, most recently on February 7, 1989. The all-time record low temperature is 17 °F (27 °C), which happened on January 21, 1916. Additionally, the area has windy weather all year long; observers like Mark Twain have made comments about the region's characteristic "Washoe Zephyr" wind. 

Economy 

Reno was the center of American gambling until the 1960s, but Las Vegas' explosive growth, American Airlines' acquisition of Reno Air in 2000, and the expansion of Native American gaming in California all hurt Reno's gambling industry. Older casinos, including the Mapes Hotel, Fitzgerald's Nevada Club, Primadonna, Horseshoe Club, Harold's Club, and Palace Club, were demolished, while smaller casinos, including the Comstock, Sundowner, Golden Phoenix, Kings Inn, Money Tree, Virginian, and Riverboat, were either shut down or turned into homes.

Due to its geographic location, Reno has historically catered to more visitors from Northern California and Sacramento, whereas Las Vegas has typically catered to more visitors from Southern California and the Phoenix area. 

A number of nearby, sizable hotel casinos have expanded significantly, displacing gaming from the city center. The Atlantis, the Peppermill, and the Grand Sierra Resort are these bigger hotel casinos. Casino Player and Nevada magazines named The Peppermill as the best gaming/hotel facility in Reno. The Peppermill Reno started a $300 million expansion with a Tuscan flair in 2005.

Reno hosts a number of activities all year long to entice visitors. Hot August Nights, a meeting of classic automobile enthusiasts, Street Vibrations, a rally of motorcycle enthusiasts, The Great Reno Balloon Race, a Cinco de Mayo event, bowling competitions at the National Bowling Stadium, and the Reno Air Races are a few of them. 

The Summit and Legends at Sparks Marina, two significant commercial projects, were built during the boom of the mid-2000s.

Many businesses, including Braeburn Capital, Hamilton, Server Technology, EE Technologies, Caesars Entertainment, and Port of Subs, have their corporate headquarters in Reno. Sierra Nevada Corporation and U.S. Ordnance are two businesses with headquarters in the Reno metropolitan area. GameTech, Bally Technologies, and International Game Technology all have production and development facilities.

Following significant initiatives and investments by investors from Seattle and the Bay Area, greater Reno has seen an infusion of technology startups into the region. The first was Fernley's Amazon.com, which opened in 1999. Following the Great Recession, the state gave economic development more attention. There were thousands of new employment generated.

According to reports, the 5.8 million square foot Tesla Gigafactory at the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center is the biggest structure on earth.

A region that was previously best known for distribution and logistics outside of gaming and tourism is becoming more diverse as a result of the entrance of multiple data centers at the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center. The Tahoe Reno Industrial Center's new Switch SuperNAP complex is slated to be the world's biggest data center when it is finished. Apple has constructed a warehouse on land in downtown Reno and is currently building its data center at the nearby Reno Technology Park. Alongside Apple, Rackspace is constructing a $422 million data center. 

Additionally, distribution centers like Amazon, Walmart, PetSmart, and Zulily are located in the greater Reno area. 

Sports 

The Reno Aces play their home games at Greater Nevada Field, a ballpark in downtown Reno that opened in 2009. The Reno Aces are the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks in minor league baseball. Several professional baseball teams have played at Reno in the past, the majority going by the moniker Reno Silver Sox. Up until 2009, Moana Stadium was the home of the former independent, professional baseball team known as the Reno Astros. 

From 2008 through 2018, the Reno Bighorns of the NBA G League played basketball at the Reno Events Center. Throughout their existence, they were largely a Sacramento Kings affiliate. The Sacramento Kings acquired the group in 2016, then in 2018 they relocated the organization to become the Stockton Kings.

Events for combat sports like boxing and mixed martial arts are held in Reno for both amateur and professional audiences. In Reno in 1910, Jack Johnson and James J. Jeffries engaged in the "Fight of the Century." Boxer Ray Mancini fought Bobby Chacon, Livingstone Bramble, Héctor Camacho, and Greg Haugen in Reno in four of his previous five contests.

The Reno Raiders of the ECHL were supposed to play their home games in Reno, but no work was ever started on building a suitable facility. The business has been dormant since 1998, when it competed in the now-defunct West Coast Hockey League under the names Reno Rage and Reno Renegades (WCHL). Reno was taken off the ECHL's Future Markets website in 2016.

The Montrêux Golf & Country Club in Reno is the site of the Reno-Tahoe Open, the sole PGA Tour competition in northern Nevada. The competition, which is a part of the FedEx Cup, has 132 PGA Tour pros vying for a piece of the $3 million prize pool. More than $1.8 million has been given to regional charity by the Reno-Tahoe Open Foundation. 

There is a college sports culture in Reno, where the Nevada Wolf Pack compete in football bowl games and were ranked in the top ten of the Associated Press and Coaches Poll for basketball in 2018.

The city of Reno finished a $1.5 million whitewater park on the Truckee River in downtown Reno in 2004. The park hosts whitewater events all year round. The route offers year-round public access and Class 2 and 3 rapids. The north channel's 1,400-foot (430 m) length has more challenging rapids, plunge pools, and "holes" for maneuvers akin to rodeo kayaking. The south channel, which is softer at 1,200 feet (370 meters), is designed as a kayak slalom course and a beginning section.

The Battle Born Derby Demons and the Reno Roller Girls are two roller derby teams that call Reno home. On flat tracks, the Battle Born Derby Demons compete locally and nationally. They are the only local roller derby team that plays in the national Derby league. 

The National Bowling Stadium, which is located in Reno, is where the USBC Open Championships are held every three years. 

Population 

Nevada's Washoe County is home to the city of Reno. It serves as Washoe County's county seat as well. It is the 83rd largest city in the United States and the fourth largest city in Nevada with a projected population of 275,847 in 2023. Reno's population has grown by 4.42% from the most recent census, which indicated a population of 264,165 in 2020, and is now rising at a pace of 1.43% annually. Reno has a population density of 2,537 persons per square mile, spanning over 112 miles. 

Reno's poverty rate is 15.01%, with average household income of $81,700. The median monthly cost of rent in recent years has been, and the median value of a home is. Males in Reno are 35.6 years old on average, while females have a median age of 36.9 years. 

The state of Nevada has the city of Reno, which is well-known for its casinos. It is the county seat of Washoe County and the most populated city in Nevada outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area. It is situated in the northwest of the state. The "Biggest Little City in the World," Reno is situated in a high desert valley at the base of the Sierra Nevada, some 26 miles north of Carson City, the state's capitol, and 22 miles northeast of Lake Tahoe. 

More than 500,000 people live in the Truckee Meadows, also known as the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area. The population density of the city proper is 2,186 per square mile, or 844 per square kilometer. 

Top News Websites 

This Is Reno  

This is Reno is your go-to site for up-to-date information on events and news in Reno, Sparks, the Truckee Meadows, and elsewhere. We are a regional business that was established in 2009. 

Northern Nevada Business Weekly 

Serving Northern Nevada. In Northern Nevada, this organization is the sole business-to-business media outlet that offers executives digital solutions, special events, and business news.