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About Elko and Elko CountyMore than 1,700 hotel/motel rooms accommodate every occasion and budget. Elko is the perfect place for your complete vacation, a great weekend getaway, your next convention, or maybe even your future home! Algerio Realtors would like to give you the most information to satisfy your needs and give you more information about the area, the homes, the culture, and all that goes on here in our quaint little town! About Elko and Elko County Elko County is located in the northeastern corner of Nevada and covers 17,135 square miles, making it the second-largest county in the state of Nevada. It is bordered by Utal to the east and Idaho to the north. Elko, the county seat, was named the "Best Small Town in America" in 1993 by author Norman Crampton. Since then the town has grown too big to be included in Crampton’s list but the qualities that made it number one remain the same. In 1868, Elko was established as a town site along the Humboldt River during construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. It became an incorporated town in 1917. Catle and sheep were its major industries in the early days but now the economy is dominated by gold mining and casino tourism. Elko is approximately 290 miles northeast of Reno, 235 miles west of Salt Lake City, 240 miles south of Boise and 470 miles north of Las Vegas. Other towns in Elko County are Carlin, Wells and West Wendover. Jackpot on the Idaho border is an unincorporated town. The population of Elko County has been estimated at 47,710 residents. About 34,550 live in the Elko township. 19,670 of those live within the Elko city limits. Average family income is approximately $38,000, the highest in the state. Population growth in the past year was estimated at about 6 percent. The high-desrt landscape of Elko County ranges from 5,000 foot elevation in the valleys to 11,000 foot mountain peaks. The highest point is Ruby Dome in the Ruby Mountains, elevation 11,300 feet. Northeastern Nevada lies on the northern edge of the Great Basin. The major vegetation is sagebrush, with some juniper and pinion pine. Wildlife includes mule deer and antelope. The moderate climate usually produces hot, dry summers with temperatures reaching into the 90s followed by cool nights. Winters may be dry or snowy, with highs in the 30s. The average high temperature in January is 36.6 degrees and the average low is 13.2. In July the average high is91 degrees and the low 50.3. During its illustrious history, many Basque people migrated here to herd sheep and they have made Elko their new home. The National Basque Festival is now held each Fourth of July weekend. A Cowboy Poetry Gathering is held each year at the end of January, and the Elko Mining Expo takes place each June. The History of Elko Fur trappers led by Peter Ogden were the first recorded white men in northeastern Nevada. Emigrant wagons passed through the area beginning in 1841. The 49ers and others, including the ill-fated Donner Party, followed during the next two decades. Metal-rimmed wheels cut tracks so deep over the routes that they can still be seen today. During the last week of December 1868, on its eastward push, the Central Pacific Railroad established Elko. On New Year’s Day, 1869, tents situated among the sagebrush marked the townsite. Two weeks later lots were selling for $300 to $500 each. From that beginning, the town grew as a freight terminal to supply mines and ranches to the north and south. How Elko’s name originated has been lost in time; however, several stories have been handed down through the years. The most likely story is that Charles Crocker, of the Central Pacific, preferred to name new towns founded on the railroad after animals. He added an "o" to "elk", and thus named the new town "Elko". In May 1869, the Golden Spike was driven at Promontory, Utah, linking the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads. Chinese rail workers were laid off and settled in the area. In Elko, they planted large gardens and sold their produce to area mines and local merchants. The Chinese built the first water system here. They dug a ditch to carry the water from Osino, east of town, about 8-10 miles to a reservoir in Elko. One of their biggest gardens was located at what is now City Park. On March 5, 1869, the Nevada State Legislature created Elko County. With 17,181 square miles, it is the 6th largest county in the United States. As the county seat, Elko continued to grow. A newspaper, The Elko Independent, was established. It is still in production today. A courthouse, school and Presbyterian church were built. In 1874, the University of Nevada was established in Elko. jEleven years later it was moved to Reno. In 1896, Elko High School became the first publich high school established under state law. While the mining booms have come and gone the cattle industry has always been a mainstay. For over 100 years, cattle and sheep drives from northern Nevada ranches were brought into the town to the stockyards, located just west of Elko, to be shipped to market. Silver, lead, copper and gold mining in the area began in the 1870s. Today, microscopic gold mining continues. The northeastern Nevada region produces about 10 percent of the world’s gold. Elko is a unique mixture of old and new West. With its majestic Ruby Mountain backdrop, it is the perfect location to enjoy the West as it really is.
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