Virginia City, Nevada

"Virginia City" redirects here. For a list of cities in the state of Virginia, see List of cities and counties in Virginia. For other uses, see Virginia City (disambiguation).
Virginia City, Nevada
Census-designated place
View of Virginia City, July 2016
View of Virginia City, July 2016
Nickname: 
The Richest Place on Earth[1]
Motto: 
"Step Back in Time"[2]
Virginia City is located in Nevada
Virginia City
Virginia City
Location within the State of Nevada
Coordinates: 39°18′27″N 119°38′54″W / 39.30750°N 119.64833°W / 39.30750; -119.64833
CountryUnited States
StateNevada
CountyStorey
Area
[3]
 • Total0.87 sq mi (2.24 km2)
 • Land0.87 sq mi (2.24 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
[4]
6,106 ft (1,861 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total787
 • Density907.73/sq mi (350.60/km2)
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Code
89440
FIPS code32-80000
GNIS feature ID2629981[4]

Virginia City is a census-designated place (CDP) that is the county seat of Storey County, Nevada, and the largest community in the county.[5] The city is a part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area.[6]

Virginia City developed as a boomtown with the 1859 discovery of the Comstock Lode, the first major silver deposit discovery in the United States, with numerous mines opening. The population peaked in the mid-1870s, with an estimated 25,000 residents. The mines' output declined after 1878, and the population declined as a result. As of the 2020 Census, the population of Virginia City was 787.[7]

  1. ^ O'Halloran, Brian (2018-10-29). "The Richest Place on Earth: Moycullen People in the Virginia City Silver Rush, the Comstock Lode". Moycullen Heritage. Retrieved 2022-08-27.
  2. ^ "Virginia City Nevada". Virginia City Nevada. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
  3. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  4. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Virginia City, Nevada
  5. ^ "Storey County, Nevada – County Facts". storeycounty.org. Storey County Government. Archived from the original on August 28, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  6. ^ "Profile for Virginia City, Nevada, NV". ePodunk. Archived from the original on October 24, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
  7. ^ "Virginia City/Population (2020)". google.com. Retrieved 2023-04-02.