Lander County is a county in Nevada, United States, in the state’s north-central mining country along Interstate 80. It had a population of 5,734 at the 2020 census and covers 5,519 square miles (14,290 km2) centred near 39°57′N 117°02′W.
Battle Mountain is the county seat and its postal code is 89820. The county has no incorporated cities or towns — its population lives in three unincorporated census-designated places (Battle Mountain, Austin and Kingston) plus a scatter of historic mining camps and ghost towns. Lander County observes Pacific Time.
Towns & Villages in Lander County
Lander County has three census-designated places and roughly two dozen named mining camps and ghost towns on record, most dating to the county’s 1860s–1900s silver and gold booms. None are incorporated, so there is no “city” tier here — CDPs are the county’s largest settlements, and everything else below is a historic site, active mine camp, or a place name that survives on maps without a resident population.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle Mountain | CDP · seat | — | 89820 |
| Austin | CDP | — | 89310 |
| Kingston | CDP | — | 89310 |
| Argenta | Unincorp. | — | 89820 |
| Bannock | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Buckingham Camp | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Canon City | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Copper Basin | Unincorp. | — | 89820 |
| Cortez | Unincorp. | — | 89820 |
| Galena | Unincorp. · ghost town | — | 89310 |
| Gold Acres | Unincorp. | — | 89820 |
| Grass Valley | Unincorp. | — | 89820 |
| Hilltop | Unincorp. · ghost town | — | — |
| Kampos | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McCoy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Airy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| North Battle Mountain | Unincorp. | — | 89820 |
| Tenabo | Unincorp. · ghost town | — | 89820 |
| Yankee Blade | Unincorp. | — | 89310 |
A handful of names from older gazetteers — Dewitt Mill, Gold Quartz, Jenkins, Mosel, Petersons Mill, Piute, Rennox and Rosny — could not be independently confirmed as distinct places against current sources and are omitted here rather than repeated on faith; several look like duplicate or misspelled entries for camps already listed above (see notes).
ZIP Codes
- 89820 — Battle Mountain (also serves Argenta, Copper Basin, Cortez, Gold Acres, Grass Valley, North Battle Mountain and Tenabo)
- 89310 — Austin (also serves Kingston, Galena and Yankee Blade)
Every address in the county is served by one of these two rural route ZIP codes; there is no separate code for the smaller camps.
Geography
Lander County sits in the heart of the Basin and Range province, a landscape of north-south mountain ranges separated by broad desert valleys. The Toiyabe Range runs along the county’s western edge, topping out at Bunker Hill; the Shoshone Range crosses the north. Part of Toiyabe National Forest lies within the county, and the Reese River and Humboldt River drain its valleys. Lander County borders Elko County to the north, Eureka County to the east, Nye County to the south, Churchill and Pershing Counties to the west, and Humboldt County to the northwest.
Links to bordering-county pages: Elko County (north), Eureka County (east), Nye County (south), Churchill County and Pershing County (west), and Humboldt County (northwest).
Demographics
Lander County had 5,734 residents at the 2020 census, a density of roughly one person per square mile. Battle Mountain is by far the largest community, home to the bulk of the county’s population; Austin, the former county seat, is a small remnant of its 1860s silver-rush peak. Household income in Lander County runs well above the Nevada median of $76,364, reflecting steady mining-sector wages, though the county’s small population makes year-to-year figures volatile. (Per-place 2020 CDP populations were not independently verifiable this session and are omitted from the table above rather than estimated.)
Economy & Local Life
Gold mining drives the Lander County economy. Nevada Gold Mines operates the Pipeline and Cortez mining complexes in the county, among the largest gold operations in North America, and mining employment supports most local jobs and county tax revenue. Ranching remains active in the Reese River and Grass Valleys. Battle Mountain hosts the county’s schools, hospital and government offices; Austin, though tiny today, keeps its 1860s courthouse and several stone-and-brick buildings from its boomtown years.
History
Lander County was organized on December 19, 1862, one of the original nine counties created at Nevada Territory’s formation, and is named for General Frederick W. Lander, an army engineer who surveyed a federal wagon road across the Great Basin in the 1850s. Austin, founded after an 1862 silver strike on the slopes of the Toiyabe Range, served as county seat until Battle Mountain — built up around a Central Pacific Railroad stop in the 1870s — took over the role in 1979 as mining and population shifted north to the interstate corridor. Tenabo and Cortez both trace to early-1900s gold rushes and are now largely abandoned townsites.
Getting There
Interstate 80 crosses the county through Battle Mountain, and U.S. Route 50 — the “Loneliest Road in America” — runs through Austin to the south.
- Elko — 66 miles east
- Winnemucca — 48 miles northwest
- Reno — 220 miles west
- Ely — 155 miles southeast
The nearest commercial airport is Elko Regional Airport; Battle Mountain also has a small county-owned public airport with no scheduled passenger service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Lander County, Nevada?
It sits in north-central Nevada along Interstate 80, between Elko and Winnemucca.
What is the population of Lander County?
5,734 at the 2020 census.
How big is Lander County?
5,519 square miles (14,290 km2), one of Nevada’s largest counties by land area.
What is the county seat of Lander County?
Battle Mountain is the county seat.
How many towns are in Lander County?
None are incorporated. The county’s population centers are three census-designated places — Battle Mountain, Austin and Kingston — plus a number of small historic mining camps and ghost towns.
What ZIP codes are in Lander County?
89820 (Battle Mountain) and 89310 (Austin and Kingston) cover the whole county.
What is Lander County’s main industry?
Gold mining, anchored by Nevada Gold Mines’ Pipeline and Cortez complexes, along with cattle ranching.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Nevada.