Esmeralda County is a county in Nevada, United States, on the California state line in the southwestern part of the state. It had a population of 729 at the 2020 census, the smallest of any Nevada county, and covers 3,589 square miles (9,295 km2), of which 3,582 square miles are land, centred near 37°47′N 117°30′W.
Goldfield is the county seat, and its postal code is 89013. Esmeralda County has no incorporated cities or towns; its population lives in three unincorporated census-designated places and a scatter of historic mining camps, most now ghost towns. The county sits in the Pacific time zone and carries FIPS code 32009.
Towns & Villages in Esmeralda County
Because no place in Esmeralda County has ever incorporated, the table below lists the county’s three census-designated places alongside its best-documented unincorporated communities and historic mining camps. Most of the latter are abandoned or nearly so; population is shown only where a census figure exists.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goldfield | CDP · seat | — | 89013 |
| Silver Peak | CDP | — | 89047 |
| Dyer | CDP | — | 89010 |
| Gold Point | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lida | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Columbus | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Montezuma | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tokop | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Weepah | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blair | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nivloc | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Coaldale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Coaldale Junction | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sylvania | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Forks Station | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Alkali | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stateline | Unincorp. | — | — |
Goldfield, Silver Peak and Dyer are the only census-designated places the Census Bureau tracks here; every other name in the table is a historic mining camp or ranch stop, and most — Columbus, Montezuma, Tokop, Weepah, Blair, Nivloc and Coaldale among them — are now abandoned or reduced to a handful of buildings.
ZIP Codes
- 89013 — Goldfield (also serves nearby unincorporated mining camps)
- 89010 — Dyer (also serves the Fish Lake Valley communities)
- 89047 — Silver Peak (PO Box delivery only)
Most other places in the county have no ZIP code of their own and are served by the nearest of these three post offices.
Geography
Esmeralda County sits in Nevada’s Basin and Range country, split between the Big Smoky, Fish Lake and Columbus valleys and the high desert ranges that separate them. Boundary Peak, at 13,147 feet, is Nevada’s highest natural point and rises on the county’s western edge inside the Inyo National Forest boundary. The county borders Mineral County to the northwest, Nye County to the east, Mono County, California to the west, and Inyo County, California to the south.
Bordering counties: Mineral County (northwest), Nye County (east), Mono County, California (west), and Inyo County, California (south).
Demographics
Esmeralda County had 729 residents at the 2020 census, making it the least populous county in Nevada. Goldfield and Silver Peak are its two largest communities. Median household income in the county runs well below the Nevada median of $76,364, reflecting its narrow mining-and-ranching economy. Population density is about 0.2 people per square mile, among the lowest of any county in the continental United States.
Economy & Local Life
Mining remains the backbone of the local economy — lithium extraction at Silver Peak (the only operating lithium brine mine in the United States) and small-scale gold and silver operations near Goldfield employ much of the working population. Cattle ranching in Fish Lake Valley around Dyer is the other mainstay. Tourism tied to Goldfield’s mining-boom architecture, the Goldfield Historic District, and Boundary Peak climbers passing through round out the local economy.
History
Esmeralda County was organized on November 25, 1861, one of Nevada’s nine original counties, and takes its name from the Spanish word for “emerald,” reportedly applied to an early mining claim in the area. Goldfield’s 1902 gold discovery triggered one of the last great American mining booms; the town’s population reportedly swelled past 20,000 by 1906 before labor disputes and depleted ore bodies emptied it within a decade, and Goldfield has served as county seat ever since.
Getting There
U.S. Route 95 runs the length of the county north–south, linking Goldfield and Silver Peak to the rest of Nevada; State Route 264 serves Fish Lake Valley and Dyer on the county’s western side.
- Tonopah — 27 miles north
- Beatty — 60 miles south
- Bishop, California — 65 miles west
- Las Vegas — 210 miles southeast
The nearest commercial airport is Bishop Airport in Bishop, California; Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport is the nearest major hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Esmeralda County?
It is in southwestern Nevada on the California state line, between Mineral, Nye, Mono and Inyo counties.
What is the population of Esmeralda County?
729 people at the 2020 census, the fewest of any county in Nevada.
How big is Esmeralda County?
3,589 square miles (9,295 km2), of which 3,582 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Esmeralda County?
Goldfield is the county seat.
How many towns are in Esmeralda County?
None are incorporated; the county has three census-designated places (Goldfield, Silver Peak, Dyer) plus scattered unincorporated mining camps and ghost towns.
What ZIP codes are in Esmeralda County?
89013 (Goldfield), 89010 (Dyer) and 89047 (Silver Peak).
What is Esmeralda County known for?
The Goldfield gold boom of 1902–1910, Nevada’s only operating lithium mine at Silver Peak, and Boundary Peak, the state’s highest point.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Nevada.