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Reno
—  City  —
Reno Arch
Flag
Nickname(s): The Biggest Little City in the World
Location of Reno, Nevada in Washoe County
Reno Location in Nevada
Coordinates: 39°31′38″N 119°49′19″W / 39.52722°N 119.82194°W / 39.52722; -119.82194
Country	United States
State	Nevada
County	Washoe
Government
- Mayor	Bob Cashell (R)
Area
- City	69.3 sq mi (179.6 km2)
- Land	69.1 sq mi (179.0 km2)
- Water	0.2 sq mi (0.6 km2)
Elevation	4,505 ft (1,373 m)
Population (2008)[1]
- City	217,016 (303.698)
- Density	2,611.4/sq mi (1,008.3/km2)
- Metro	977,386
Time zone	Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
- Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP codes	89500-89599
Area code(s)	775
FIPS code	32-60600
GNIS feature ID	0861100
Website	http://cityofreno.com/

Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States.

The city has a population of 217,999 (approx) and is the fourth most populous city in Nevada.^{[citation needed]} Reno sits in a high desert valley at the foot of the Sierra Nevada. Reno borders Sparks, a city with approximately 90,000. Most call the metro area the "Truckee Meadows" and it has a population of about 310,000.^[2]

Reno, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World", is famous for its casinos, and is the birthplace of the gaming corporation Harrah's Entertainment. City residents are called "Reno-ites".

Contents 1 History 2 Geology 3 Climate 4 Population 5 Government 6 Education 6.1 Universities and colleges 6.2 Public schools 6.3 Public charter schools 6.4 Private schools 6.5 Libraries 7 Economy 8 Downtown revitalization 9 Nightlife 10 Demographics 11 Transportation 12 Utilities 13 Sports 14 Recreation 15 2022 Winter Olympic Games 16 Environmental factors 17 Culture 18 Notable residents 19 In pop culture 19.1 Movies 19.2 In music 20 Sister cities 21 Footnotes 22 External links

History

Archaeological finds place the eastern border for the prehistoric Martis people in the Reno area.^[3]

As early as the 1850s a few pioneers settled in the Truckee Meadows, a relatively fertile valley through which the Truckee River made its way from Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake. In addition to subsistence farming, these early residents could pick up a bit of business from travelers along the California Trail, which followed the Truckee westward, before branching off towards Donner Lake, where the formidable obstacle of the Sierras began.

Gold had been discovered in the vicinity of Virginia City in 1850 and a modest mining community developed, but the discovery of silver in 1859 led to one of the greatest mining bonanzas of all time as the Comstock Lode spewed forth treasure. The Comstock's closest connection to the outside world lay in the Truckee Meadows.

To provide the necessary connection between Virginia City and the California Trail, Charles W. Fuller built a log toll bridge across the Truckee River in 1859. A small community to service travelers soon grew up near the bridge. After two years, Fuller sold the bridge to Myron C. Lake, who continued to develop the community with the addition of a grist mill, kiln, and livery stable to the hotel and eating house. He renamed it Lake's Crossing. In 1864, Washoe County was consolidated with Roop County; Lake's Crossing became the largest town in the county. Lake had earned himself the title, "founder of Reno."^[4]

By January 1863, the Central Pacific Railroad (CPRR) had begun laying tracks east from Sacramento, California, eventually connecting with the Union Pacific Railroad at Promontory, Utah to form the first transcontinental railroad. Lake, realizing what a rail connection would mean for business, deeded land to the CPRR in exchange for its promise to build a depot at Lake's Crossing. Once the railroad station was established, the town of Reno officially came into being on May 9, 1868. CPRR construction superintendent Charles Crocker named the community after Major General Jesse Lee Reno, a Union officer killed in the American Civil War at the Battle of South Mountain.

In 1871 Reno became the county seat of the newly expanded Washoe County, replacing the previous county seat, located in Washoe City. However, political power in Nevada remained with the mining communities, first Virginia City and later Tonopah and Goldfield.

The extension of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad to Reno in 1872 provided another big boost to the new city's economy. At first citizens viewed the changes as an omen, however in the following decades, Reno continued to grow and prosper as a business and agricultural center and became the principal settlement on the transcontinental railroad between Sacramento and Salt Lake City.

As the mining boom waned early in the twentieth century, Nevada's centers of political and business activity shifted to the non-mining communities, especially Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada, and today the former mining metropolises stand as little more than ghost towns. Despite this, Nevada is still the third-largest gold producer in the world, after South Africa and Australia; the state yielded 6.9 percent of the world's supply in 2005 world gold production.^[5]

The famous "Reno Arch" was erected on Virginia Street in 1926 to promote the upcoming Transcontinental Highways Exposition of 1927, the arch included the words "Nevada's Transcontinental Highways Exposition" and the dates of the exposition. After the exposition, the Reno City Council decided to keep the arch as a permanent downtown gateway, and Mayor E.E. Roberts asked the citizens of Reno to suggest a slogan for the arch. No acceptable slogan was received until a $100 prize was offered, and G.A. Burns of Sacramento was declared the winner on March 14, 1929 with "Reno, The Biggest Little City in the World".

Nevada's legalization of casino gambling in 1931 and the passage of liberal divorce laws created another boom for Reno. Ernie Pyle once wrote in one of his columns "All the people you saw on the streets in Reno were obviously there to get divorces." In Ayn Rand's novel The Fountainhead, published in 1943, the New-York-based woman protagonist tells a friend "I am going to Reno," which is taken as a different way of saying "I am going to divorce my husband." Among others, the Belgian-French writer Georges Simenon, at the time living in the US, came to Reno in 1949 in order to divorce his first wife.

The divorce business eventually died as the other states fell in line by passing their own laws easing the requirements for divorce, but gambling continued as a major Reno industry. Beginning in the 1950s, the need for economic diversification beyond gaming fueled a movement for more lenient business taxation.

The presence of a main east-west rail line, the emerging interstate highway system, favorable tax climate and relatively inexpensive land created the ideal conditions for warehousing and distribution of goods to the growing population in the surrounding eleven western states. Today, Reno has the largest concentration of distribution related property per capita in the United States.^{[citation needed]}

Reno has experienced a growing economy which has resulted in new home construction around the metro area. A direct result of this growth and the "housing bubble" has been a dramatic increase in housing prices in the area, Reno-Sparks being named the 44th most overvalued housing market in the nation in 2006.^[6] As of January 2007 Reno’s housing market has fallen by 7% bringing the median home price down to $315,000.^[7]

In more recent years, the city has gained some fame as it is the subject of the popular comedy series Reno 911! (which is not, however, filmed in the city).

Geology

Reno is situated just east of the Sierra Nevada on the western edge of the Great Basin at an elevation of about 4,400 feet (1,300 m) above sea level. Numerous faults exist throughout the region. Most of these are normal (vertical motion) faults associated with the uplift of the various mountain ranges, including the Sierras.

In February 2008, an unusual earthquake swarm began to occur with some quakes registering between 4 and 4.5 on the Richter magnitude scale. The earthquakes were centered in an unnamed fault zone in the western suburbs of Reno in the area of Mogul and Verdi. Many homes in these areas were damaged.^[8]

Climate

Reno sits in the rain shadow of the Sierras. Annual rainfall averages 7.25 inches. Despite this low amount of rainfall per year, Reno features a steppe climate due to its low evapotranspiration. The wettest year was 1983 with 13.23 inches and the driest year was 1947 with 1.55 inches. The most precipitation in one month was 5.25 inches in December 1955 and the most precipitation in 24 hours was 2.29 inches on January 21, 1943. Winter has snowfall but typically it is light, averaging 22.9 inches annually. The most snowfall in one year was 63.8 inches in 1971 and the most snowfall in one month was 29.0 inches in March 1952. Most rainfall occurs in winter and spring.

Summer highs are generally in the low to mid 90s (degrees Fahrenheit, 30s in degrees Celsius), but temperatures above 100 °F (38 °C) occur occasionally. The July high daytime temperature averages 92 °F (33 °C); the night low 51 °F (11 °C); while January high daytime temperatures average 45 °F (7 °C) and low night temperatures average 21 °F (−6 °C). The record high temperature was 108 °F (42 °C) on July 10 and 11, 2002. The record low temperature was −19 °F (−28.3 °C) on January 8, 1890.^[9] In addition, the region is frequently windy throughout the year; observers such as Mark Twain have commented about the "Washoe Zephyr," northwestern Nevada's distinctive wind.

Climate data for Reno, NV

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	71 (22)	75 (24)	83 (28)	89 (32)	97 (36)	103 (39)	108 (42)	105 (41)	101 (38)	91 (33)	77 (25)	70 (21)	108 (42)
Average high °F (°C)	45 (7.2)	52 (11.1)	57 (13.9)	64 (17.8)	72 (22.2)	83 (28.3)	91 (32.8)	90 (32.2)	82 (27.8)	70 (21.1)	55 (12.8)	46 (7.8)	67 (19.4)
Average low °F (°C)	21 (-6.1)	24 (-4.4)	29 (-1.7)	33 (0.6)	40 (4.4)	46 (7.8)	51 (10.6)	50 (10)	41 (5)	33 (0.6)	26 (-3.3)	20 (-6.7)	35.2 (1.8)
Record low °F (°C)	-16 (-27)	-16 (-27)	-2 (-19)	13 (-11)	18 (-8)	21 (-6)	33 (1)	24 (-4)	20 (-7)	8 (-13)	1 (-17)	-16 (-27)	-16 (-27)
Precipitation inches (mm)	1.06 (26.9)	1.06 (26.9)	0.86 (21.8)	0.35 (8.9)	0.62 (15.7)	0.47 (11.9)	0.24 (6.1)	0.27 (6.9)	0.45 (11.4)	0.42 (10.7)	0.80 (20.3)	0.88 (22.4)	7.48 (190)
Source: http://www.climate-zone.com/climate/united-states/nevada/reno/ 2008-10-27

Population

^[10] The population was 180,480 at the 2000 census; in 2008, its population was estimated at 217,016, making it the fourth-largest city in the state after Las Vegas, Henderson and North Las Vegas, and the largest outside of Clark County^[1] Reno lies 26 mi (42 km) north of the Nevada state capital, Carson City, and 22 mi (35 km) northeast of Lake Tahoe in a shrub-steppe. The area of Western Nevada and the California Sierra Nevada anchored by Reno has a population of approximately 700,000 people.^{[citation needed]} Reno shares its eastern border with the city of Sparks and is the larger of the principal cities of the Reno-Sparks, Nevada Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), a metropolitan area that covers Storey and Washoe counties.^[11] The MSA had a combined population of 342,885 at the 2000 census.^[12] The MSA is combined with the Fernley Micropolitan Statistical Area to form the Reno-Sparks-Fernley Combined Statistical Area,^[13] which had a total population of 377,386 at the 2000 census.^[12]

Government

Reno has a basic democratic municipal government. The city council is the core of the government, with seven members. Five of these council people represent districts of Reno, and are vetted in the primary by the citizens of each district.

In general, the top two vote earners in each ward make the ballot for the city-wide election. This is an unusual but highly effective system.

The other two members are the at-large, who represent the entire city, and the mayor, who is elected by the people of the city. The council has several duties, including setting priorities for the city, promoting communication with the public, planning development, and redevelopment.

The government's other members include the city manager, who implements and enforces the policies and programs the council approves, and is chosen by the council. He or she is in charge of the budget and work force for these programs.

There is also the city attorney, who is responsible for civil and criminal cases. He or she is elected to represent the city government in court, and prosecutes misdemeanors as well.

Lastly, the council chooses a city clerk, who records the proceedings of the council, makes appointments for the council, and makes sure efficient copying and printing services are available.

Education

Universities and colleges

• The University of Nevada, Reno is the oldest university in the state of Nevada and Nevada System of Higher Education. In 1886, the state university, previously only a college preparatory school, moved from Elko in remote northeastern Nevada to a site north of downtown Reno, where it became a full-fledged state college. The university's first building, Morrill Hall, still stands on the historic quad at the campus' southern end. The university grew slowly over the decades, but has begun to expand rapidly along with the rest of the state and currently has an enrollment of approximately 16,000, with most students hailing from within Nevada. Among its specialties are mining engineering, agriculture, journalism, business, and one of only two Basque Studies programs in the nation. It also houses the only judicial college in the United States.
• Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) is a regionally accredited, two year institution which is part of the Nevada System of Higher Education. The college has an enrollment of approximately 13,000 students attending classes at a primary campus and four satellite centers. The college offers a wide range of academic and university transfer programs, occupational training, career enhancement workshops, and classes just for fun. Courses are conducted daytime and evening in the classroom, by cablecast, and on the Internet. TMCC offers associate of arts, associate of science, associate of applied science or associate of general studies degrees, one-year certificates, or certificates of completion in more than 50 career fields, including architecture, auto/diesel mechanics, criminal justice, dental hygiene, graphic design, nursing, and welding.
• The Nevada School of Law at Old College located in Reno was the first law school established in the state of Nevada. Its doors were open from 1981-1988.
• Career College of Northern Nevada (CCNN) is a nationally accredited trade school that trains students in technical fields that support fast growing industries. The college is locally owned and operated. Employer advisory boards direct the college in order to provide skill training that is relevant to the industry needs.
• Morrison University is located in the south side of Reno, Nevada.

Public schools

Public education is provided by the Washoe County School District.

• Reno has ten public high schools: Damonte Ranch, Galena, Hug, McQueen, North Valleys, Regional Technical Institute (RTI), Reno, Truckee Meadows Community College High School,^[14] Washoe, and Wooster.
• There are also three public high schools in neighboring Sparks, attended by many students who live in Reno: Reed, Spanish Springs, and Sparks High School.
• Reno-Sparks has 13 middle schools: Billinghurst, Clayton, Cold Springs, DePoali, Dilworth, Mendive, O'Brien, Pine, Shaw (Spanish Springs),Sparks, Swope, Trainer, Vaughn.
• Reno-Sparks has 64 elementary schools: Allen, Anderson, Beasley, Jesse Beck, Bennett, Booth, Brown, Cannan, Caughlin Ranch, Corbett, Desert Heights, Diedrichsen, Dodson, Donner Springs, Double Diamond, Drake, Duncan, Dunn, Elmcrest, Gomes, Grace Warner, Greenbrae, Hidden Valley, Huffaker, Hunsberger, Hunter Lake, Jessie Hall, Johnson, Juniper, Lemmon Valley, Elizabeth Lenz, Lincoln Park, Echo Loder, Mathews, Maxwell, Melton, Mitchell, Moss, Mount Rose, Natchez, Palmer, Peavine, Picollo Special Education School, Pleasant Valley, Risley, Roy Gomm, Sepulveda, Sierra Vista, Silver Lake, Alice Smith, Kate Smith, Smithridge, Spanish Springs, Stead, Sun Valley, Taylor, Towles, Van Gorder, Verdi [pronounced VUR-die], Veterans Memorial, Warner, Westergard, Whitehead and Sarah Winnemucca. (some schools included on this list are in Sparks)

Public charter schools

Reno has many charter schools, which include: Academy for Career Education, serving grades 10-12, opened 2002.^[15] Bailey Charter Elementary School, serving grades K-6, opened 2001.^[16] Coral Academy of Science, serving grades K-12, opened 2000.^[17] Davidson Academy, serving grades 9-12, opened 2006.^[18] High Desert Montessori School, serving grades PreK-7, opened 2002. I Can Do Anything Charter School, serving grades 9-12, opened 2000.^[19] Rainshadow Community Charter High School, serving grades 9-12, opened 2003.^[20] Sierra Nevada Academy Charter School, serving grades PreK-8, opened 1999. TEAM A (Together Everyone Achieves More Academy), serving grades 9-12, opened 2004.^[21]

Private schools

Reno has a few private elementary schools such as Legacy Christian School, Excel Christian School, and Lamplight Christian School^[22] as well as private high schools, the largest of which are Bishop Manogue High School^[23] and Sage Ridge School (SRS).^[24]

Libraries

Washoe County Library System has locations throughout Reno and its surrounding communities.

Economy

Before the late 1950s, Reno was the gambling capital of the United States, but in the last twenty years Las Vegas' rapid rise, American Airlines' 2000 buyout of Reno Air and the growth of Indian gaming in California have somewhat reduced its business. Older casinos were either torn down (Mapes Hotel, Fitzgerald's Nevada Club, Primadonna, Horseshoe Club, Harold's Club, Palace Club) and smaller casinos like the Comstock, Sundowner, Golden Phoenix, Kings Inn, Money Tree, Virginian, and Riverboat closed, and some converted to condos.

Because of geographical proximity, Reno has traditionally drawn the majority of its California tourists and gamblers from the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento, while Las Vegas has historically served more tourists from Los Angeles, San Diego, and other parts of Southern California, and the Phoenix area.

Reno casinos experience some slow days during the week, especially during winter, when mountain passes can be closed to some traffic from Northern California. The train service from California and the airline service is almost never interrupted. During weekends, holidays and special events Reno does see an increase in business. Large special events such as Hot August Nights and The Great Reno Balloon Race pack the area hotels to 100% occupancy.^{[citation needed]}

Several local large hotel casinos have shown significant growth and have moved gaming further away from the Virginia Street core. These larger hotel casinos are the Atlantis, the Peppermill and the Grand Sierra Resort. The Peppermill was chosen as the most outstanding Reno gaming/hotel property by Casino Player and Nevada magazines. In 2005, the Peppermill Hotel Casino began a $300 million dollar Tuscan-themed expansion.

In an effort to bring more tourism to the area, Reno holds several events throughout the year, most of which have been extremely successful. They include Hot August Nights^[25] (a classic car convention), Street Vibrations (a motorcycle fan gathering and rally), The Great Reno Balloon Race, the Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-off (held in Sparks), a Cinco de Mayo celebration, bowling tournaments (held in the National Bowling Stadium), and the Reno Air Races.

Several large commercial developments have been constructed during the mid-2000s boom such as The Summit in 2007 and Legends at Sparks Marina in 2008.

Reno is the location of the corporate headquarters for numerous companies, including Braeburn Capital, Hamilton, Port of Subs, PC-Doctor, and International Game Technology, which manufactures slot machines. Bally Technologies and GameTech also have development and manufacturing presence in Reno.

Downtown revitalization

The closure of many downtown casinos has sparked a movement to turn them into condominiums. Out-of-state developers have purchased the Comstock and the Sundowner, amongst others, in hopes of turning them into upscale condos. In addition to converting old properties, these developers are building new structures on formerly-vacant lots. The Comstock was redeveloped and is now home to The Residences at Riverwalk Towers.

The Reno Transportation Rail Access Corridor (ReTRAC) was undertaken to solve noise pollution and traffic congestion on Virginia Street by lowering the train tracks below street level.^[26] This has also added to the city's efforts to make the downtown area friendlier to tourists. The trench was listed as completed on November 22, 2005. In 2008, the city council approved spending on creating a trench cover between Virginia Street and West Street essentially creating a two-block tunnel. This cover is slated to become a plaza with proposed retail and art fixtures.

Nightlife

Reno has recently seen the opening of many businesses that cater to socializing and after-work activities, as new and old Reno locals have slowly reclaimed parts of downtown from the waning glut of casino-bound tourists of yore. Many bars and nightclubs have moved into the area on West 1st and 2nd Streets between Arlington and Sierra in downtown Reno. In addition, various downtown casinos host lounges and nightclubs.

Downtown Reno is Reno's most popular area for bars and clubs. However, there are a few other hotspots including East Fourth Street, Wells Avenue, the UNR area, Kietzke Lane, and all along South Virginia St. Most neighborhoods also have their local bars, sports bars, or breweries, primarily in strip malls.^{[citation needed]}

The casinos, Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, Brüka Theatre, La Bussola, Sierra Arts, and the Reno Events Center also provide numerous concerts, art events, plays, and shows as well.^{[citation needed]}

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1870	1,035		—
1880	1,362		31.6%
1890	3,563		161.6%
1900	4,500		26.3%
1910	10,867		141.5%
1920	12,016		10.6%
1930	18,529		54.2%
1940	21,317		15.0%
1950	32,497		52.4%
1960	51,470		58.4%
1970	72,863		41.6%
1980	100,756		38.3%
1990	133,850		32.8%
2000	180,480		34.8%
Est. 2008	217,016		20.2%
source:[1][27]

As of the census^[12] of 2000, there were 180,480 people, 73,904 households, and 41,681 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,008.3/sq mi (2,611.4/km²). There were 79,453 housing units at an average density of 1,149.6/sq mi (443.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 77.46% White, 2.58% African American, 1.26% Native American, 1.29% Asian, 0.56% Pacific Islander, 9.26% from other races, and 3.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.18% of the population.

There were 73,904 households out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.6% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 104.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $40,530, and the median income for a family was $49,582. Males had a median income of $33,204 versus $26,763 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,520. About 8.3% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.3% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

The course of the Truckee River runs through Reno, as does the Union Pacific Railroad, Interstate 80 (east-west) and US 395 (north-south).

Reno has an extensive bus system called RTC RIDE^[28] (formerly known as Citifare), which is provided by the Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County. The bus system has its main terminal in downtown Reno and secondary terminals in Sparks and at Meadowood Mall in south Reno. The RTC also has a service called RTC ACCESS^[29] (formerly known as CitiLift) that provides transport for disabled people. RTC INTERCITY^[30] (formerly known as PRIDE) buses link Reno and Carson City.

The RTC also provides a free bus service up and down Virginia Street in Reno called RTC SIERRA SPIRIT, which many locals refer to as "the Pinwheel bus" due to the pinwheel design on the bright yellow buses and at bus stops. This regular service is free of charge.

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Reno. The city's passenger rail station is located at 280 North Center Street, East Commercial Row in downtown Reno. Amtrak train 5, the westbound California Zephyr, is scheduled to depart Reno at 12:03 pm daily and provides service to the cities of Truckee, Colfax, Roseville, Sacramento, Davis, Martinez, and Emeryville, across the bay from San Francisco. Amtrak train 6, the eastbound California Zephyr, is scheduled to depart Reno at 2:11 pm daily and provides service to Sparks, Winnemucca, Elko, Salt Lake City, Provo, Helper, Green River, Grand Junction, Glenwood Springs, Denver, Omaha, Galesburg, and Chicago. Amtrak California Thruway Motorcoaches also arrive and depart Reno four times daily in each direction connecting to and from the Coast Starlight, Capitol Corridor, and San Joaquin trains at Sacramento, California.

The city is served by Reno/Tahoe International Airport, with general aviation traffic also handled by Reno Stead Airport. Reno/Tahoe International Airport is the second busiest commercial airport in the state of Nevada after McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas.

Utilities

Potable water for the City of Reno is provided by the Truckee Meadows Water Authority. The Truckee River is the primary water source, with the purification being done at two plants, Chalk Bluff and Glendale. The Chalk Bluff plant main intakes are west of Reno in Verdi, with the water flowing through a series of flumes and ditches to the plant itself. Alternative intakes are located below the plant along the banks of the Truckee River itself. The Glendale plant is sited alongside the river, and is fed by a rock and concrete rubble diversion dam a short distance upstream.^[31]

Sewage treatment for the majority of the Truckee Meadows takes place at the Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility at the eastern edge of the valley. Treated effluent returns to the Truckee River by way of Steamboat Creek.^[32]

Electrical power and natural gas are provided by NV Energy, formerly Sierra Pacific. Power comes from multiple sources, including Tracy-Clark Station to the east, and the Steamboat Springs binary cycle power plants at the southern end of town.

Sports

Reno is home to the Reno Aces, a minor league baseball Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and plays in Aces Ballpark, a downtown ballpark opened in 2009. Reno has hosted multiple professional baseball teams in the past, most under the Reno Silver Sox name. The Reno Astros, a semi-pro unaffiliated baseball team plays at Moana Stadium.

In professional basketball, the Reno Bighorns, a 2008 expansion of the NBA Development League, plays at the Reno Events Center.^[33]

Reno is expected to be the future home of an ECHL ice hockey team, currently named the Reno Raiders, but construction on a suitable arena has yet to begin as of the 2008-2009 season. The franchise has been dormant since 1998, when it was named the Reno Rage, and earlier the Reno Renegades, and played in the now defunct West Coast Hockey League (WCHL).

The Legends Reno-Tahoe Open is northern Nevada’s only PGA TOUR event, held at Montrêux Golf & Country Club in Reno, Nev. As part of the FedEX Cup, the tournament follows 132 PGA TOUR professionals competing for a share of the event’s $3 million purse. The Reno-Tahoe Open Foundation has donated more than $1.8 Million to local charities.

Reno also enjoys a thriving college sports scene, with the Nevada Wolf Pack achieving appearances in football bowl games and an Associated Press Top Ten ranking in basketball in 2007.

In 2004, the city completed a $1.5 million whitewater park on the Truckee River in downtown Reno which attracts paddlers from all over the region and hosts whitewater events throughout the year. The course runs Class 2 and 3 rapids with safe and free, year-round public access. The 1,400-foot (430 m) north channel features more aggressive rapids, drop pools and "holes" for rodeo kayak-type maneuvers. The milder 1,200 ft (370 m) south channel is set up as a kayak slalom course and a beginner area.

The Reno area boasts 14 ski areas within two hours of the city.

Reno is also home to a roller derby team, the Battle Born Derby Demons.^[34] The Battle Born Derby Demons compete on flat tracks locally and nationality. They are the only Derby team locally to compete in a national Derby league.

Reno is the home of the National Bowling Stadium, which hosts the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Open Championships every three years.

Recreation

Reno is home to a variety of recreation activities including both seasonal and year-round. In the summer, Reno locals can be found near three major bodies of water: Lake Tahoe, the Truckee River, and Pyramid Lake. Lake Tahoe, which splits the border between California and Nevada, provides visitors and locals with opportunities to fish, water-ski and wakeboard, parasail, jet-ski, and of course swim. The Truckee River runs from Lake Tahoe through the center of downtown Reno and up to Pyramid Lake. After receiving city funding, the Truckee River now draws kayakers from all over the United States. The river is also a major part Artown, held in the summer at Wingfield Park, where locals and visitors come to swim, inner-tube, raft and enjoy local Reno culture. Washoe Lake is also a popular kite and windsurf location because of its high wind speeds during the summer.

Skiing and snowboarding are among the most popular winter sports and draw in many tourists. There are approximately eight major ski resorts, including Northstar-at-Tahoe, Sierra-at-Tahoe, Alpine Meadows, Squaw Valley Ski Resort, Sugar Bowl, Diamond Peak, Heavenly, and Mount Rose Ski Resort located as close as eleven miles (18 km) and as far as ninety-eight miles from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. Other popular winter activities include cross country skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating, and snowmobiling.

2022 Winter Olympic Games

The resort region around Lake Tahoe on the California-Nevada borders have formed the Reno-Tahoe Winter Games Coalition to make a bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics. They cited the airport, close mountains, and compact geographic area in which the games could be held. Squaw Valley Ski Resort, which hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics, is considered a major advantage to the bid.^[35]

Environmental factors

The Reno-Sparks wastewater treatment plant discharges tertiary treated effluent to the Truckee River. In the 1990s this capacity was increased from 20 to 30 million gallons (70 to 110 million liters) per day. While treated, the effluent nevertheless contains suspended solids, nitrogen, and phosphorus, aggravating water quality concerns of the river and its receiving waters of Pyramid Lake. Local agencies working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have developed a number of watershed management strategies to accommodate this expanded effluent discharge; to accomplish this successful outcome, the DSSAM Model was developed and calibrated for the Truckee River in order to analyze the most cost effective available management strategy set.^[36] The resulting management strategies included a package of measures such as land use controls in the Lake Tahoe basin, urban runoff controls in Reno and Sparks and best management practices for wastewater discharge.

Wetlands are an important part of the Reno/Tahoe area. They act as a natural filter for the solids that come out of the water treatment plant. Plant roots absorb nutrients from the water and naturally filter it. Wetlands are also a home for over 75% of the species in the Great Basin. However, the area's wetlands are at risk of being destroyed due to development around the city. While developers build on top of the wetlands they fill them with dirt destroying the habitat they create for the plants and animals. Washoe county has devised a plan that will help protect these important ecosystems: Mitigation. In the future, when developers try to build over a wetland, they will be responsible for creating another wetland near Washoe Lake.This area is much smaller than the wetlands destroyed.

The Truckee River serves as Reno's primary source of drinking water. It supplies Reno with 80,000,000 gallons of water a day during the summer, and 40,000,000 gallons of water per day in the winter. Before the water goes to the homes around the Reno area, it must go to one of two water treatment plants, Chalk Bluff or Glendale Water Treatment Plant. As an attempt to save water, golf courses in Reno, like Arrow Creek Golf Course, have been using treated effluent water instead of treated water from one of Reno's water plants.

Culture

• Artown
• La Bussola & Center Gallery
• National Automobile Museum
• Nevada Museum of Art
• Nevada Shakespeare Company
• Pioneer Center For Performing Arts
• Reno Philharmonic Orchestra
• Reno Pops Orchestra
• Sierra Arts
• University of Nevada, Reno Arboretum
• Wilbur D. May Arboretum and Botanical Garden
• Reno Big Band
• Reno Beer Crawl

Notable residents

• Mädchen Amick - Actress.
• Chris Ault - Hall of Fame NCAA Football coach. Attended St Albert's Catholic School in Reno, and currently coaches the Wolf Pack football team.
• Shannon Bahrke - silver medalist in moguls at the 2002 Winter Olympics, bronze medalist at the 2010 Winter Olympics and 2003 was the World Cup Champion.
• Brent Boyd - Offensive lineman for the Minnesota Vikings.
• Chris Carr - McQueen H.S. alumnus, he is a kick returner and nickleback for the Baltimore Ravens.
• Chino XL - Rapper. Owns a residence in Reno
• Walter Van Tilburg Clark - Author of The Ox-Bow Incident.
• Doug Clifford - Creedence Clearwater Revival drummer. Lives in the Reno suburb of Montreux.
• Thomas K. Dye - Creator of the webcomic, Newshounds.
• Joe Flanigan - Actor.
• Rudy Galindo - Figure skater lives in Reno.
• Bud Gaugh^{[citation needed]} - Drummer of the Band Sublime
• Jim Gibbons - Governor and member of the United States House of Representatives from Nevada.
• Curtis Hanson - Producer / Director of 8 Mile, L.A. Confidential, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, and others.
• Jennifer Harman - American professional poker player.
• Terri Ivens - Soap opera actress on All My Children.
• Mark Kotsay - Professional Baseball Player. Resides in Reno.
• Mills Lane - Former boxing referee and District Judge. Also starred as a television personality on Judge Mills Lane.
• Paul Laxalt - Governor and U.S. Senator from Nevada.
• Dana MacDuff - film producer, Oakdale Pictures
• April Meservy - Singer/songwriter.
• Rich Marotta - Boxing Commentator, Los Angeles Radio Personality.
• Randy Messenger - Professional Baseball Player.
• Chuck Ruff - Edgar Winter Group drummer lives in Reno and works at Bizarre Guitar.
• Jason-Shane Scott - Soap actor who created the role of One Life to Live's Will Rappaport (July 1998) is a Reno, Nevada native.
• Shannyn Sossamon - Actress of A Knight's Tale and 40 Days and 40 Nights.
• Sharon Stone - Actress owns a residence in Reno.
• J. Buzz Von Ornsteiner - Forensic Psychologist/Television Personality
• Dawn Wells - Miss Nevada 1959 - Actress of TV series Gilligan's Island.
• Kristi Yamaguchi - Figure skater and Olympic Gold Medalist Albertville 1992. Owns a residence in Reno.
• Michael S. Bathla - The only certified Tax Accountant of Reno

In pop culture

Reno is a setting in various books, movies, songs and other works. In the first chapters of Anthony Horowitz's 2007 book Nightrise, two of the main characters, Jamie Tyler and Scott Tyler, perform at a theatre in Reno. Walter Van Tilburg Clark's autobiographical novel The City of Trembling Leaves has detailed descriptions of Reno, as well as nearby Lake Tahoe and the Mount Rose Wilderness in the 1920s. Author and musician Willy Vlautin, who was born and raised in Reno^[37], has recorded numerous songs with his band Richmond Fontaine and written two books (2006's The Motel Life and 2008's Northline) that take place in Reno.

On television, Reno is the setting of the Comedy Central show Reno 911!, although the show is not filmed there. (This is proven by numerous palm trees on the set, which are not present in real-life Reno.) In the game Fallout 2, the city of New Reno is built upon the remains of Reno.

Movies

Reno appears as the setting of a number of movies. The movie Kingpin takes place in Reno at the National Bowling Stadium. In the film Balls of Fury, Randy Daytona works at the Peppermill Casino in Reno as a dinner show entertainer and wears a Peppermill jacket throughout the movie. Several scenes from the movie Mafia! take place at the Peppermill Hotel and Casino, one of which is filmed in their penthouse suite.

In addition to movies that feature Reno as a setting, many movies have been filmed in Reno. For example, The Cooler with William H. Macy was filmed in Reno at the now defunct Golden Phoenix Casino on Sierra Street, but within the movie the story takes place in Las Vegas. Movies filmed in Reno include:

The Cooler Magnolia Hard Eight El Cortez Charley Varrick Desert Hearts The Wizard Jinxed! The Misfits Kingpin

...All the Marbles Blind Fury Pink Cadillac Diamonds Sister Act Father's Day Waking Up in Reno Austin Powers in Goldmember Jane Austen's Mafia! 40 Pounds of Trouble

California Split Up Close & Personal The Pledge Kill Me Again The Last Don Matilda the Dancing Kangaroo Double Down Ocean's Eleven (Original) Edie & Pen 5 Against the House

Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble Blind Fury Melvin and Howard Mr. Belvedere Goes to College Scarecrow Wild Is the Wind

In music

• Woody Guthrie wrote a song in 1937 originally titled "Reno Blues" but later known as "Philadelphia Lawyer" about a lawyer who has an affair in Reno with the "maiden" of a "gun-totin cowboy" only to later be killed by said cowboy.
• Johnny Cash recorded a song in 1956 called "Folsom Prison Blues" in which he sings, "When I was just a baby, my mother told me, 'Son, always be a good boy, don't ever play with guns.' But I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die." Reno was also the first city listed in his 1996 remake of Hank Snow's 1962 North American version of "I've Been Everywhere".
• Alternative rock band R.E.M. had a single in 2001 called "All the Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star)".
• The song "Loser" (1994), by alternative artist Beck, contains the line, "Baby's in Reno with the vitamin D, got a couple of couches, sleep on the loveseat..."
• Rapper Kanye West's video for the song "Drive Slow" (2006) was filmed in Reno and Las Vegas.
• Rocky Votolato's 2007 album The Brag and Cuss has a song, "The Wrong Side of Reno" in which Voltolato sings, "I hear a train whistle blowing and it's in key with my song, all the way on the wrong side of Reno where all my toughest friends are from."
• Tom Waits refers to Reno in several songs: "Virginia Avenue" from the Closing Time album is set in Reno refers both to Virginia Avenue, Reno's main street, and Harold's Club, once the largest casino in Reno; "Hang on St Christopher" from Franks Wild Years; "Wrong Side of the Road" ends with the line 'We'll drive all the way to Reno on the wrong side of the road'; and "Better Off Without a Wife" from Nighthawks at the Diner.
• The Grateful Dead's "Friend of the Devil" starts out with the line: I set out from Reno; I was trailed by twenty hounds.
• Folk singers Richard Fariña and Mimi Fariña wrote a song called "Reno, Nevada." It was recorded by Iain Matthews on his "If You Saw Thro’ My Eyes” album in 1971.
• Country rock band Southern Pacific had a hit song entitled Reno Bound.
• Doug Supernaw's "Reno" appeared on the album Red and Rio Grande in 1993.
• Bruce Springsteen's "Reno" appeared on the 2005 release Devils & Dust.
• Reno is a major center for Straight Edge [Hardcore]
• Goran Bregović's "Man from Reno" appeared in album P.S. in 1996. P.S. is a choice of Goran's favourite compositions that appeared in several films (Goran Bregović is widely popular for making music for films).
• Chevelle In the song, "Send the Pain Below", the music video was filmed at Northstar Ski Resort and parts of the Reno Arch were showed in the music video.
• Mac Dre Reno is mentioned in the song "She Neva Seen".

Sister cities

Reno has five sister cities:^[38]

• Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
• Hatzor, Israel
• Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
• Udonthani, Thailand
• Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China

Wanganui, New Zealand was a sister city from 1974 to 2009.^[39]

Footnotes

External links

• Reno Sparks Chamber of Commerce
• Reno Tahoe Visitors website
• Reno, Nevada travel guide from Wikitravel
• Reno, Nevada at the Open Directory Project

Coordinates: 39°31′38″N 119°49′19″W / 39.52711°N 119.821812°W / 39.52711; -119.821812

Mayors of cities with populations of 100,000 in Nevada     Oscar Goodman (Las Vegas) Bob Cashell (Reno) Andy A. Hafen (Henderson) Shari L. Buck (North Las Vegas) State capital: Bob Crowell (Carson City)

Municipalities and communities of Washoe County, Nevada County seat: Reno Cities Reno | Sparks CDPs Cold Springs | Gerlach-Empire | Incline Village-Crystal Bay | Lemmon Valley-Golden Valley | Nixon | Spanish Springs | Sun Valley | Sutcliffe | Verdi-Mogul | Wadsworth Unincorporated communities New Washoe City | Pleasant Valley | Poeville | Vya

State of Nevada Carson City (capital) Topics Economy · Geography · Government · History · People · Transportation · Visitor Attractions Regions Black Rock Desert · Great Basin · Lake Tahoe · Las Vegas Valley · Mojave Desert · Lake Mead · Pahranagat Valley · Sierra Nevada Metro areas Las Vegas-Paradise · Reno-Sparks · Carson City Counties Churchill · Clark · Douglas · Elko · Esmeralda · Eureka · Humboldt · Lander · Lincoln · Lyon · Mineral · Nye · Pershing · Storey · Washoe · White Pine Cities and communities Alamo · Amargosa Valley · Austin · Baker · Battle Mountain · Beatty · Boulder City · Caliente · Carlin · Carson City · Elko · Ely · Enterprise · Eureka · Fallon · Fernley · Gardnerville Ranchos · Gerlach · Goldfield · Hawthorne · Henderson · Incline Village · Las Vegas · Laughlin · Lovelock · Mesquite · Minden · North Las Vegas · Pahrump · Paradise · Pioche · Primm · Rachel · Reno · Spanish Springs · Sparks · Spring Creek · Spring Valley · Stateline · Summerlin South · Sun Valley · Sunrise Manor · Tonopah · Virginia City · West Wendover · Winnemucca · Whitney · Winchester · Yerington Former counties Bullfrog · Ormsby · Roop

(Redirected to Reno article)

From Wikitravel

Reno is a city in the state of Nevada, located along the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada mountains. A destination in its own right and a gateway for many outdoor activities, Reno is also the second largest gaming destination in Nevada, featuring quite an array of resort hotel-casinos, although the number doesn't begin to approach the scale of Las Vegas.

Reno began with a toll bridge on the Truckee River, which served traveling goldrush migrants. Apparently, the city did not emerge from diligent community planning but rather was more the offspring of men driven to make a buck. When the railroad arrived in 1868, a proper town was platted and named Reno, after a Civil War general.

Since its beginning, Reno has spread across much of the Truckee Meadows. Reno and Sparks (a smaller adjacent city) now spread across this small valley separating the Sierra Nevada mountains to the West and Nevada's expansive desert areas to the East.

The profiteering characteristic of the founders may have occasionally plagued the course of Reno's subsequent generations. Some Renoites claim Nevadans are simply of a freer nature. Others think the city has repeated the steps of the goldrush era founders. Certainly, the choices made today are what will determine the true nature of the community. Regardless, Reno enjoys a pretty decent quality of life with 4 seasons, winter and summer fun, a major university, and plenty of other entertainment.

Understand

Reno is at the western edge of the Great Basin, a zone stretching to Salt Lake City that does not drain to the sea - water is carried away by evaporation only. Average rainfall is approximately 6 inches a year, with much of that occurring in the winter in the form of snow. July is the warmest month, with an average high of 91°F, and January is the coldest month, with an average low of 19°F.

Reno is in Northwestern Nevada, at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains, and serves as the urban center for a region including nearby Carson City and the Carson Valley, Lake Tahoe, Pyramid Lake, and historic mining town Virginia City, home of the Comstock Lode. Along with the city of Sparks, Reno is located in the Truckee Meadows, and together they form the Reno-Sparks Metropolitan Area.

Competition in the last years of the 20th century slowed down the gambling business in Reno considerably. Given that its downtown centered around these activities for a good 50 years, the same downtown suffered. Downtown today has weathered the storm, and is improving with projects like a baseball and entertainment district and several condo projects that were completed despite economic slowdown. Growth in the area has continued due to its livability. Reno is working hard to build a different kind of city for a greater variety of tastes, and keeping that in mind will help the visitor see the town through the right kind of eyes.

Get in

By car

From Northern California

As both Reno and the Sierra Nevada are popular weekend destinations for Northern Californians, traffic can be bad coming to Reno on Friday evening, and leaving Reno on Sunday evening, especially in the ski season.

The most direct route to Reno from Sacramento is via Interstate 80 over Donner Summit (7239 feet or 2206 m). This route sees a great deal of snowfall during the winter, and will shut down for periods of up to a day several times during a typical winter. Northern California residents also use U.S. 395 in Susanville, this highway stays at a lower elevation and has less problems of traffic and weather. Residents living in the Redding and Chico areas of California find this route safer and quicker. If you plan on crossing this or any other pass in the Sierra Nevada in the winter, keep an eye on the weather forecast, and always carry tire chains if you do not have four-wheel drive.

An alternative route is US 50 over Echo Summit (7330 feet). This route follows the American River up from the Sacramento valley, and then drops into the Lake Tahoe Basin. From there you can continue on US 50 into Carson City, and from there head north to Reno on US 395, or continue around the lake to Incline Village and drop into Reno on the Mount Rose Highway. This route is two lanes only for much of the way, and traffic can be heavy both in the winter and the summer, and winter maintenance is not as good as on Interstate 80.

Passes across the Sierra south of US 50, aside from CA 88, are not maintained in the winter (from approximately November until May.) And when they are open they are out of the way and potentially dangerous.

From Southern California

The most direct route to Reno is via US 395. This route takes you up the Owens Valley to Bishop, past Mammoth Lakes, into Carson City and thence to Reno. The portion between Bishop and Carson City crosses three passes as high as 8,143 ft (2,482 m) that may have moderately heavy snowfall during winter storms. In that event it would be better to take U.S. 6 from Bishop over Montgomery Pass to U.S. 95 (north) which stays in much lower valleys with less snow. At Schurz beyond Walker Lake take 95(Alt) north to Fernley, then I-80 west to Reno.

From Las Vegas

Don't be fooled by the fact that Las Vegas and Reno are in the same state - there's about 9 hours of driving time separating them. Take US 95 north to Fallon, US 50 west to Fernley, and Interstate 80 west to Reno. If you're not a fan of desert landscapes, boredom is a serious risk on this trip. Winter weather will generally not be a large problem on this trip, but don't count on being able to find food or fuel outside the major towns (Beatty, Tonopah, Hawthorne, Fallon and Fernley)

During the summer the heat along US 95 can be hard on you and on your vehicle. A much more comfortable alternative to cooking in your car is to drive during the night. Many of the dark stretches between the small towns along US 95 reveal numerous shooting stars and other astral phenomenon that you might miss during the baking sun. Be sure to have a lot of rest before undertaking this trip.

From the East

The most traveled route to Reno from the east is Interstate 80. Interstate 80 follows the old Emigrant trail along the Humboldt river for most of the way across Nevada, and thus the grades are generally easy. However, it does this at the expense of swinging well north of the direct route to Reno. US 50 ("The Loneliest Highway in America") is more direct, but it crosses several large mountain ranges and thus has some tight curves, steep grades and a few switchbacks. Don't count on finding food or fuel along US 50 outside of the major towns (Ely, Eureka, Austin, Fallon and Fernley).

By train

The California Zephyr [1], which runs between Emeryville and Chicago, stops once a day in both directions in Reno. The station is full service, including an indoor waiting room and checked bag service. The station is in the middle of downtown Reno, and is within walking distance of all the downtown casinos.

Amtrak California also operates a shuttle buses between Reno and Sacramento which connects to the Capitol Corridor, serving Northern California, and the San Joaquins, serving the Central Valley and points south, rail routes.

By bus

Long distance bus transit in the state is mostly only along the I 80 corridor. Greyhound maintains a depot in Reno and buses go daily to and from Northern California and Chicago and points east.

There are buses between Reno and Carson City that are operated by NDOT and the Washoe County Regional Transportation Commission [2].

By plane

The Reno-Tahoe International Airport [3] is served by most major domestic airlines, including Alaska, American, Delta, Southwest, United, and US Airways. For the lowest fares, try to avoid flying into Reno on Friday, and out of Reno on Sunday. Continental, Northwest, and Frontier have ceased operation in Reno. Southwest Airlines features Non-stop service to Chicago(Midway), Portland, Las Vegas, Oakland, San Jose, San Diego and Salt Lake City.

By car

Reno is served by two freeways: I-80 running east-west, and US 395, running north-south. Circling the valley of the Truckee Meadows is the McCarran Blvd ring road. The primary business artery is Virginia Street, which runs north-south through downtown Reno. Major east-west routes include Moana Lane, Plumb Lane, Mill Street, Second Street, Fourth Street, and Sixth Street. Major routes running north-south in Reno include Keystone Avenue, Lakeside Drive, Wells Avenue, and Kietzke Lane.

Car Rental

Nearly all national car rental agencies serve the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. A list is available at RNO's website [4].

Note that several agencies do not have fleets within the airport property. Most notably, Enterprise's fleet is located 1 mile away from the terminal. However, the terminal includes an Enterprise service counter, they offer free shuttle service during business hours, and taxi vouchers and a pickup hotline for drop-offs after hours.

By bus

Reno's transit system, called RTC RIDE [5], is operated by the Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County [6]. The busiest route, the #1 bus, was recently replaced with two new services, RTC RAPID, a priority express bus making limited stops, and RTC CONNECT, the local. RAPID runs 15 minutes or better headways most of the day through Downtown Reno (a good place to start is RTC Citicenter, which will be replaced with a new station at 4th and Lake in 2010) and down South Virginia Street (the major north-south street) to Meadowood Mall [7]. RTC RAPID should serve any tourist well for most shopping, dining, and gambling needs.

Other routes to know about are the #11, which runs between downtown Reno and downtown Sparks, and the free, yellow Sierra Spirit circulator bus (7AM – 7PM), which connects various downtown destinations along the Virginia Street corridor down to the Truckee River to the south and the University of Nevada, Reno, to the north. In downtown Reno, all buses stop at or near the RTC CitiCenter bus station, East Fourth and Center Street, where you can also find The Bus Book.

Fares may be paid on the bus by cash (exact change) or by pass. All RTC RIDE passes are available from the Pass Vending Machines, available at RTC CitiCenter and Meadowood Mall, and may be purchased with cash, coin, debit or credit cards.

By taxi

Reno’s taxis are plentiful, efficient, and comfortable. At the airport, downtown or near any major casino they should be very easy to come by, in other places expect to call to arrange pick-up. Don’t drink and drive.

• Reno-Sparks Cab Co, ☎ (775) 333-3333.  edit
• Wildside - Checkers Taxi, ☎ (775) 322-2222.  edit
• Yellow Cab, ☎ (775) 355-5555.  edit

See

Reno is an interesting city, with plenty to see and do day and night; many attractions which should be considered “must-see” are located 30 - 60 minutes outside of town by car. Therefore, renting a car is a good idea when visiting Reno.

• Nevada Museum of Art. The current Nevada Museum of Art building was designed by Will Bruder and opened in 2003. It plays host to national and international touring exhibits in addition to smaller exhibits of regional significance. Located in the financial district on Liberty Street, south downtown. It is a beautiful building, architecturally.

• Wingfield Park. Located along the Truckee River just a few blocks from the casino core, Wingfield Park features an amphitheater with regular performances during the summer months, a kayak park open year round, and many pleasant spots to sit and watch the world go by any day of the week, at pretty much any time of the day. Home of annual events the Reno River Festival, held in May, and the Artown Festival, July 1 – 31.

• Reno Central Library. Reno’s library was designed by an architect who wanted to set it in a park. There was not enough land available for both a park and a library, so he brought the park inside the building. This library is an excellent example of inspired architecture from the 60s that actually stands the test of time and is worth a visit just to see the innovative treatment of the periodicals section in the basement.

• California Avenue. This area of small shops and restaurants is located a short walk from the downtown casino core and provides a pleasant setting for a meal.

• University of Nevada, Reno [8]. An ideal location for a pleasant stroll, the layout of the University campus was inspired by Jefferson’s University of Virginia. Visitors will find a parklike setting with a variety of architectural styles, and the Fleischmann Planetarium. Guided walking tours are available by reservation at 775-784-4700.

• Rancho San Rafael Park. A few blocks west of the north end of the University, this 570-acre county park is home to the Arboretum, as well as the Wilbur D. May Museum and the Great Basin Adventure children’s attraction (seasonal). This is the home of the Reno Balloon Races, held in late summer/early fall annually.

• South Wells Avenue. A local neighborhood with a decidedly Latino flavor, this neighborhood features unique shopping and dining and generally winds down in early evening hours. Served hourly by the #19 bus from downtown.

• Victorian Square. This is the center of downtown Sparks and features casinos, restaurants, a movie theater, and several redevelopment projects currently under construction. Home to the “Best in the West” Rib Cookoff every summer.

• Idlewild Park. A nice stroll from downtown along Riverside Drive, Idlewild Park features Reno’s Municipal Rose Garden, as well as a seasonal kiddie park, a driving range (the exercise kind, not the golf kind), a skate park, and various walking trails. Located on the south bank of the Truckee River.

Casinos

No entry on Reno would be complete without an overview of the various casinos in the city. In addition to gambling, these properties provide a variety of dining and entertainment opportunities and should not be overlooked.

• Silver Legacy. This is the newest hotel/casino to be constructed in Reno, and was completed in 1995. It includes a cheesy “mint press” “churning out” souvenir coins as well as numerous dining options including several lounges, an oyster bar, a steakhouse, coffeeshop, rum bar with dueling pianos, and more. Owned through a joint venture by Gary Carano of the Eldorado and Circus Circus corp. Buffet is about a 6/10 scale for quality. 4/10 scale for price ($20 pp).

• Eldorado. Connected to Silver Legacy via skywalks, the Eldorado is a pink neon masterpiece featuring a variety of dining options including the world cuisine Tivoli Gardens café, The Brew Brothers brewpub (with live music on Friday and Saturday nights), a steakhouse, seafood restaurant, La Strada Italian Restaurant, and more. Buffet is one of the better values in Reno, 8/10 scale for quality and hotness, 8/10 scale for price ($13 pp).

• Circus Circus. Also connected to Silver Legacy is the Circus Circus. While this casino does not come highly recommended for its dining options, its Circus acts and midway arcade are great attractions for families so if you’re traveling with children, they should not be missed.

• Reno Nugget. Not to be confused with John Ascuaga’s Nugget in Sparks, the Reno Nugget is a tiny casino on Virginia Street and features a great bar with strong drinks as well as a classic “greasy spoon” diner serving up the famous “Awful Awful” burger, which is a rather large burger served with a monstrous basket of seasoned fries.

• Harrah’s Reno. Reno is the birthplace of Harrah’s, and the Reno location features all the usual amenities to be found at Harrah’s properties, and also includes a martini bar and an Asian noodle restaurant. Harrah's Steakhouse is reportedly quite a highbrow affair. Good buffet at 8/10, price is about $15.

• Club Cal*Neva. The last downtown casino to be covered here, this property features affordable gambling of all types and a variety of cheap dining options. This is the classic “Reno-style” casino and should not be missed, especially for those who like to gamble.

• Atlantis. This tropical themed casino resort features a variety of dining options including a pizza café with a real Italian pizza oven, a good buffet, and steakhouse. Located across the street from the convention center, south of downtown. Well served by the #1 bus. Buffet is one of the best in Reno in price vs quality. ($ 13)

• Peppermill. If you’ve been to Vegas and seen the Peppermill on The Strip, you might just have to do a double-take when viewing Reno’s Peppermill. This is a large, well-appointed hotel/casino, with all the dining and entertainment options you would expect. South of downtown, well served by the #1 bus. Buffet is one of the worst in Reno. Food is usually less than lukewarm and price is way too high for the bland, limited selections. Bring a coat as it is always cold in the buffet.

• Grand Sierra Resort. This is Reno’s largest hotel/casino, located just up Terminal Way from the airport. It features a set of high-end luxury condos (starting at $245k and up to $1.1M), a pool and nightclub operated by Nikki Beach, and many decently appointed standard guest rooms. You will find a whole host of dining options including a Charlie Palmer Steak, Dolce Enoteca e Ristorante, and a shoppiing mall, movie theater, seasonal swimming pool, video arcade, bowling alley and more. Well served by the #14 bus, though driving or taking a cab is recommended.

• John Ascuaga’s Nugget. This is a big hotel-casino/resort located in Sparks’ Victorian Square only minutes from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. It features a great coffee shop, Rosie's Café, as well as the upscale Basque-themed Restaurante Orozko, Trader Dick's Polynesian restaurant, The Steakhouse Grill, John's Oyster Bar, the newly remodeled Rotisserie Buffet, Gabe's Pub & Deli, and Starbucks Coffee. Also regular live, weekly music performances from local and national touring acts. Buffet is good at 7/10 but price is average at $13.

Events

Tourism is the main focus of Reno, and a number of yearly tourism events are held in the Reno-Sparks area, mostly during the summer months.

Yearly events

• Reno National Championship Air Races, Reno-Stead Airport, ☎ 775-972-6663, [9]. September 16 - 20, 2009. Note: The Reno-Stead Airport is a small regional airport located about 10 miles north of Reno. This airport has nothing to do with the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, the main commercial airport for the Reno-Tahoe area.  edit
• The Great Reno Balloon Race, Rancho San Rafael Park, [10]. September 11-13, 2009.  edit
• Hot August Nights, Throughout Reno, [11]. July 31-August 9, 2009.  edit
• Street Vibrations, ☎ 800-FOR-RENO, [12]. September 23-27, 2009.  edit
• Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-off, Victorian Square, Sparks, [13]. September 2-7, 2009.  edit
• Reno Rodeo, ☎ 1-800-225-2277, [14]. June 18-27, 2009.  edit
• Reno is Artown, [15]. July 1-31, 2009.  edit
• Nevada State Fair, 1350 North Wells Ave., [16]. August 26-30, 2009.  edit
• Brews & Blues Festival, Eldorado Hotel & Casino, ☎ 1-800-879-8879, [17]. June 27, 2009.  edit
• Reno River Festival, ☎ 1-800-FOR-RENO, [18]. May 8-10, 2009.  edit

Gamble

Casinos are Reno's most common visitor attraction.

Mountain Biking

The open desert terrain that surrounds much of Reno, especially to the Northwest, offers some fantastic mountain biking. Peavine mountain has many networks of trails that are a biker's paradise, most of it singletrack, and most of it technical. Many cyclists start near Rancho San Rafael Park to access the Peavine trails. Be careful, however, as there are often gun-happy residents shooting away, not always sober, farther out in the government lands; also be sure to bring plenty of water, as the desert heat can be quite oppressive. Find more information in books such as Mountain Biking Reno & Carson City: Best Trails by R. W. Miskimins. Nearby areas, like Lake Tahoe offer even more for the mountain biker, such as Tahoe's famous Flume Trail.

Road Biking

There exists a rather good bike trail along the Truckee River which extends from the eastern fringes of Sparks to the western limits of Reno and beyond. The section inside city limits is fun and easy for bikers of any skill level, but is actually only a section of the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway [19] which--when completed--will run from Lake Tahoe all the way to Pyramid Lake: 116 miles in total.

Burning Man

Reno is the closest major city to Black Rock City and the corresponding Burning Man festival. Many burners pass through Reno on the way to Black Rock City, and many Reno businesses cater to burners by stocking extra water and camping supplies during the Burning Man week. Some hotels offer Burning Man discounts for travellers staying overnight in Reno.

Ski

Reno is within two hours of an incredible number of ski resorts. Here is a short list.

• Mt Rose [20] Mount Rose Highway. This resort is at elevation 8200 and has a great layout and an impressive array of terrain for its no more than 1500 of rise off the base. Good powder here.

• Heavenly [21] The Mountains above the Carson Valley, up Highway 207. Lake Views on one side (you’re literally skiing above the casinos at the south end of the lake) and the desert valleys and pow pow on the other side. Huge amount of terrain and claims to have the West's largest snowmaking system for those dry years.

• Sugar Bowl [22] I-80 to just above Donner Lake. Two base areas with a little village in between and an extensive network of terrain.

• Diamond Peak [23] Incline Village, North Lake Tahoe. Ski right above Lake Tahoe on a well laid-out network of runs. They have carpetloader lifts, so be prepared for a strange boarding experience. Small resort, family-friendly.

• Squaw Valley [24] I-80 West to Truckee, then Highway 89 South. This legendary resort is home of the legendary KT22 and hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics.

Kayak

Reno offers a kayak park at Wingfield Park. Equipment rentals and outdoor adventures can be booked nearby.

Buy

Exploring the Truckee River Arts District [25] will give you firsthand experience of Downtown Reno's recent urban renaissance. There are two main shopping and dining hubs in the district:

• The "Riverwalk" area. [26] The North end of Reno's Riverwalk District meanders along Reno 's beautiful Truckee River . Most of the retail activity on this end is situated along First Street between Lake St. (east) and Arlington St. (west). This end of the district has galleries, coffee shops, great dining including a brewery and a French restaurant and even a movie theater. Reno 's renowned Truckee River Whitewater Park runs directly through this area offering visitors even more adventurous outdoor activities - situated directly in the urban setting of downtown Reno . Kayak and raft rentals from Tahoe Whitewater Tours (800.442.7238) are conveniently available at Wingfield Park, located at the 1st and Arlington Street area.
• The "CalAve" area. CalAve is the section of the Truckee River Arts District that runs along California Avenue. This area forms the southernmost border of the district and is quickly becoming Reno 's pre-eminent neighborhood retail, restaurant, entertainment and business district. CALAVE is a must-see with highlights such as The Chocolate Bar - a trendy place to sip both alcoholic and nonalcoholic chocolate drinks while sampling addictive confections like their Chili-Infused Truffles. Enjoy a slice of Blue Moon's famous gourmet pizza or enjoy wine, cheeses and other lunch specialties at the Cheese Board. The retail options on CalAve will satisfy the serious shopper offering a variety of upscale clothing, shoe and home decor shops.

Eat

One thing Renoites know is food! Check out some of these great spots:

• Peg’s Glorified Ham ’n’ Eggs, 420 S. Sierra St., ☎ 329-2600.  edit

• Pneumatic Diner, 501 West 1st Street (in the upstairs of the Truckee River Lodge), ☎ 786-8888. M-Su ???-Midnight.  edit

• Jim Kelley's Nugget Diner, 233 North Virginia Street (in the back of the Nugget casino), ☎ 356-3300. Always open. Home of the Awful Awful, one of the best burgers in the state.  edit

• JJ's Pie Company, 555 West 5th Street, ☎ 786-5555.  edit

• Blue Moon Pizza, 6135 Lakeside Drive, ☎ 825-1120.  edit

• Pirate's Pizza, 180 West Peckham Lane #1100 (in the Reno Town Mall), ☎ 828-0900, [27]. 11:30 - 9:00.  edit

• Louis Basque Corner, 301 East 4th Street, ☎ 323-7203.  edit

• Santa Fe Hotel, 235 North Lake Street, ☎ 323-1891.  edit

• Foley's Irish Pub, 2780 South Virginia Street, ☎ 829-8500.  edit

• Silver Peak Brewery, 124 Wonder Street (corner of Wonder and Holcomb Avenue), ☎ 324-1864, [28].  edit

• Ristorante Placido, 121 Vesta Street (corner of Vesta and Holcomb Avenue), ☎ 329-1110.  edit

• Island Buffet, 2707 S Virginia St (at the Peppermill Casino), ☎ 826-2121, [29]. Comes up high on a google search for "Best breakfast in Reno", and is really fantastic.  edit
• Beto Mexican Food, 575 W 5th St Reno, NV 89503-4420, ☎ (775) 324-0632.  edit

• Reno Jazz Club, 302 East 4th Street, 322-5011.
• Zephyr Lounge, 1074 South Virginia Street, 324-9853.
• Flowing Tide Pub
  • 10580 North McCarran Boulevard, 747-7707 (High Tide)
  • 465 South Meadows Parkway, 284-7707 (Low Tide)
• Sierra Tap House Truckee Riverwalk
• Se7en First & Arlington.
• 1145 Seminary Ave Seminary & 11th, 220-8485 ("Life Lounge")

• Best Western Airport Plaza Hotel, 1981 Terminal Way, ☎ +1 775 348-6370 (toll free: +1 800 648-3525, fax: +1 775 348-9722), [30].  edit
• Courtyard Reno, 6855 South Virginia Street, ☎ +1 775 851-8300 (fax: +1 775 851-8311), [31].  edit
• Days Inn, 701 East 7th Street, +1 775-786-4070, [32].
• Holiday Inn Reno Downtown, 1000 East Sixth St, ☎ +1 775 786-5151, [33].  edit
• Motel 6 Reno - Livestock Events Center, 866 N Wells Avenue, ☎ +1 775 786-9852 (fax: +1 775 786-3162), [34].  edit
• Motel 6 Reno - Virginia Plumb, 1901 S Virginia Street, ☎ +1 775 827-0255 (fax: +1 775 827-4728), [35].  edit
• Motel 6 Reno West, 1400 Stardust Street, ☎ +1 775 747-7390 (fax: +1 775 747-4527), [36].  edit
• Residence Inn Reno, 9845 Gateway Drive, ☎ +1 775 853-8800 (fax: +1 775 853-8805), [37].  edit
• Comfort Inn & Suites Reno Airport, 1250 East Plumb Lane, Reno, NV, 89502, ☎ 775-682-4444 (fax: 775-682-4445), [38]. The Comfort Inn & Suites at the Reno - Tahoe International is conveniently located one quarter mile from the Reno Airport.  edit

In addition, most major Reno casinos are hotel/casino resorts. See above for a link to a list of casino resorts.

Get out

Regionally, Reno features a variety of attractions which are hard to beat. These attractions are best experienced during the spring, summer, and early fall, as wintertime in the area renders most of them closed. Reno gets cold in the winter, so if you’re visiting in the winter, look to ski resorts to entertain you during the day.

• There are several world-class ski areas within a one-hour drive of Reno, including Squaw Valley (home of the 1960 Winter Olympics), Heavenly and Alpine Meadows.
• The eastern entrances to Yosemite National Park are about an hour and a half south, and are generally much less crowded than the western entrances. Excellent dayhiking and backpacking are found around Tuolomne Meadows and Dana Pass before descending into more crowded Yosemite Valley.

• Washoe Valley: Bower’s Mansion & Davis Creek Park. Washoe Valley is a very picturesque valley located about 30 minutes south of Reno by car (US-395) and features two great regional parks which should not be missed: Bower’s Mansion and Davis Creek Park. Davis Creek park features the creek of the same name and a great pond for winter ice skating (conditions permitting) as well as fantastic access to the Sierra Nevada mountains (it sits at the base) Features campsites and showers. Bower’s Mansion is a park with a swimming pool open in the summertime and the mansion which is the park’s namesake. Tours of the mansion are available throughout the day in the summertime and well worth it – telling a story of the enrichment and eventual tragic downfall of a family which struck it rich on the Comstock Lode. Washoe Valley is also home to Washoe Lake State Park. In years when the lake is full, this park features a boat landing and some of the best windsurfing to be found, plus campsites, and some fantastic scenery.

• Virginia City. The home of the Comstock Lode, this was once the largest city between Denver and San Francisco. It is a historic landmark district and can be accessed from Reno via Geiger Grade (hwy 341, east from Mt Rose Junction south of town) or Mound House just east of Carson City (also via hwy 341) If you are not comfortable with mountain driving it may be worth your time to go through Carson City. Worth it to have a drink at one of its storied saloons (the author prefers Bucket of Blood, others abound), to wander its historic C Street, wander through its cemetery, and if you’re a train buff, to ride the V&T tourist train (and learn more about the ongoing efforts to recreate the original route of this historic short-line railroad).

• Carson City. From its founding this town was intended to be Nevada’s capital city. The historic Carson City mint is now home to the Nevada State Museum, with exhibits dealing with everything from prehistoric native life to the Old West mining boom to the current day. The State Capitol Complex is an ideal location for a stroll and a look inside the political history and workings of the state, especially in springtimes of odd-numbered years, when the Legislature is in session. A tour of historic homes and the personalities behind them can be taken by following the blue lines on the sidewalks, beginning from downtown. The Brewery Arts Center features theater, live music, and visual arts offerings throughout the week.

• Lake Tahoe. Shared with California, this alpine lake features crystal clear cold water, and a variety of attractions including the MS Dixie paddlewheel trawler, Vikingsholm Castle, and the South Lake Tahoe/Stateline casino and tourist center. Other notable things to see and do include the picturesque California town of King’s Beach, in addition to beaches and parks at Crystal Bay, Zephyr Cove, and more. 45 minutes from Reno via Hwy 431, the Mount Rose Highway; with a less treacherous drive through Carson City via Highway 50 West taking an hour and a half.

• Pyramid Lake. The second largest terminus lake in North America, this desert lake features a variety of interesting rock formations and is home to endangered but large Lahontan Cutthroat Trout. A high holy site to the native Paiute Indians, it is contained entirely within the Paiute Reservation. Fishing, boating and swimming are available, though caution is advised for the latter two (random windstorms and undercurrents belie the relatively placid appearance the lake usually assumes). Roughly an hour north of town, on Pyramid Highway, SR 428.

• U.S. Route 50 eastward across Nevada, nicknamed the Loneliest Highway crosses semi-desert mountains and valleys and passes through historic mining towns Austin, Eureka and Ely, then at the Utah line, the entrance to Great Basin National Park.

Routes through Reno

Sacramento ← Truckee ←

W  E

→ Sparks → Salt Lake City

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!