Elko County is a county in Nevada, United States, spanning the state’s remote northeastern corner along the Idaho and Utah lines. It had a population of 53,702 at the 2020 census and covers 17,170 square miles (44,500 km2) of land, centred near 41°08′N 115°21′W — making it larger than nine individual U.S. states.
Elko is the county seat, and its postal code is 89801. The county contains four incorporated cities (Elko, Carlin, Wells and West Wendover), eight census-designated places, and a scattering of unincorporated mining camps and ranch communities. Most of the county runs on Pacific time, but West Wendover, on the Utah line, keeps Mountain time. There are no civil townships in Nevada.
Towns & Villages in Elko County
Elko County has roughly two dozen recognized places, from the four incorporated cities down to isolated ranch stops with only a handful of year-round residents. “CDP” below marks a Census-Designated Place (unincorporated but tracked separately by the Census Bureau); “Unincorp.” marks a smaller settlement with no formal boundary.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elko | City · seat | 20,437 | 89801 |
| Spring Creek | CDP | 14,391 | 89815 |
| West Wendover | City | 4,143 | 89883 |
| Carlin | City | 2,177 | 89822 |
| Lamoille | CDP | — | 89828 |
| Wells | City | 1,300 | 89835 |
| Owyhee | CDP | — | 89832 |
| Jackpot | CDP | 875 | 89825 |
| Mountain City | CDP | — | 89831 |
| Montello | CDP | — | 89830 |
| Osino | CDP | — | — |
| Oasis | CDP | — | — |
| Tuscarora | Unincorp. | — | 89834 |
| Jarbidge | Unincorp. | — | 89826 |
| Deeth | Unincorp. | — | 89823 |
| Jiggs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ruby Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Contact | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Currie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Halleck | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Midas | Unincorp. | — | — |
| North Fork | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ryndon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Welcome | Unincorp. | — | — |
Owyhee, on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation straddling the Idaho line, is the tribal government seat of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes; roughly half the reservation lies inside Elko County. Jarbidge and Tuscarora are former gold-rush camps that never incorporated and today count only a few dozen residents each.
ZIP Codes
- 89801 — Elko (also serves Spring Creek and the surrounding valley)
- 89815 — Spring Creek
- 89822 — Carlin
- 89823 — Deeth
- 89825 — Jackpot
- 89826 — Jarbidge
- 89828 — Lamoille
- 89830 — Montello
- 89831 — Mountain City
- 89832 — Owyhee
- 89834 — Tuscarora
- 89835 — Wells
- 89883 — West Wendover
Several small ranch communities such as Ruby Valley, Jiggs and Contact share the ZIP code of the nearest post office town rather than carrying one of their own.
Geography
Elko County is Great Basin high desert dominated by sagebrush steppe, cut by mountain ranges that rise to Ruby Dome at 11,387 feet in the Ruby Mountains. The Humboldt River crosses the county west to east through Elko and Carlin, and the county holds part of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in its far north.
Elko County borders Owyhee County, Twin Falls County and Cassia County in Idaho to the north; Box Elder County and Tooele County in Utah to the east; White Pine County, Eureka County and Lander County to the south; and Humboldt County to the west.
Demographics
Elko County had 53,702 residents at the 2020 census, the largest population base of any county in rural Nevada outside the Reno and Las Vegas metros. Elko and Spring Creek together hold well over half the county’s people. Median household income in the county has historically tracked close to, and at times above, the Nevada median of $76,364, driven by well-paid mining jobs. Density works out to roughly 3 people per square mile, reflecting the county’s vast, largely unpopulated rangeland.
Economy & Local Life
Gold mining dominates the county’s economy: Elko County sits atop the Carlin Trend, one of the richest gold-producing districts in the world, and Barrick Gold and Nevada Gold Mines both run major operations here. Ranching and hay production remain important in the valleys, and the annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, held in Elko every winter, draws visitors from across the country. Great Basin College, based in Elko, is the county’s main higher-education institution.
History
Elko County was organized on March 5, 1869, carved out of Lander County as the Central Pacific Railroad pushed east across Nevada; the county took its name from the newly platted railroad town of Elko. The Duck Valley Indian Reservation was established in the county’s far north in 1877 for the Western Shoshone, and expanded in 1886 to also serve Northern Paiute families. Gold discoveries on the Carlin Trend in the 1960s transformed the county from a ranching and railroad economy into one of the world’s major gold-mining regions.
Getting There
Interstate 80 runs the length of the county east–west through Elko, Carlin and Wells, and U.S. Route 93 runs north–south through Wells toward Jackpot and Idaho.
- Wells — 51 miles east of Elko
- Carlin — 24 miles west of Elko
- Spring Creek — 10 miles south of Elko
- West Wendover — 108 miles east of Elko, on the Utah line
Elko Regional Airport offers commercial service (via Salt Lake City), and Amtrak’s California Zephyr calls at the Elko station.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Elko County?
It is in the northeastern corner of Nevada, bordering Idaho and Utah.
What is the population of Elko County?
53,702 at the 2020 census.
How big is Elko County?
17,170 square miles (44,500 km2) of land, making it larger than nine U.S. states.
What is the county seat of Elko County?
Elko is the county seat.
How many towns and communities are in Elko County?
Four incorporated cities, eight census-designated places, and about a dozen smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Elko County?
Zip codes include 89801 (Elko), 89815 (Spring Creek), 89822 (Carlin), 89835 (Wells) and 89883 (West Wendover), among others.
What is Elko County known for?
Gold mining on the Carlin Trend and the annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Nevada.