Pershing County is a county in Nevada, United States, centred on the Humboldt River valley in the north-central part of the state. It had a population of 6,650 at the 2020 census and covers 6,067 square miles (15,710 km2), of which 6,037 square miles (15,640 km2) are land, centred near 40°27′N 118°24′W.
Lovelock is the county seat, and its postal code is 89419. The county has one incorporated town, one census-designated place, and roughly two dozen additional unincorporated communities and former mining camps, most of them now ghost towns. Pershing County observes Pacific time.
Towns & Villages in Pershing County
Pershing County’s settlement pattern is a single town (Lovelock) surrounded by scattered rail sidings, mining camps and hot-springs stops, many abandoned decades ago but still marked on USGS maps and county records. The table below lists Lovelock, the recognised census-designated place of Imlay, and the historic communities carried over from county gazetteers. “CDP” = census-designated place; “Unincorp.” covers unincorporated communities, ghost towns and rail stops with no current census count.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lovelock | City · seat | 1,805 | 89419 |
| Imlay | CDP | 210 | 89418 |
| Arabia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Colado | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cosgrave | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fitting | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Granite Point | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Grass Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Humboldt | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Humboldt City | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Humboldt House | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kodak | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kyle Hot Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lower Rochester | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mill City | Unincorp. | — | 89418 |
| Nightingale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oreana | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Panama | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Perth | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Placerites | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Poker Brown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rochester | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rye Patch | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Scossa | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Toulon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Trego | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tungsten | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Twain | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Unionville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Woolsey | Unincorp. | — | — |
Rochester and Lower Rochester mark two mining-camp sites tied to the same early-1900s silver district in the Humboldt Range and are listed separately because both names appear on county records for distinct town sites.
ZIP Codes
- 89419 — Lovelock (also serves the surrounding valley and county government offices)
- 89418 — Imlay and Mill City
Most of the smaller ghost towns and camps listed above never had their own post office and are served by the Lovelock or Imlay ZIPs.
Geography
Pershing County sits in the Great Basin, split by the Humboldt River, which flows northeast to southwest through the Lovelock Valley before disappearing into the Humboldt Sink. The county’s western edge reaches into the Black Rock Desert, home of the annual Burning Man festival, and its ranges include the Humboldt Range, Trinity Range and Stillwater Range foothills. Pershing County borders Humboldt County to the north, Churchill County to the south, Lander County to the east, and Washoe County to the west.
Demographics
Pershing County had 6,650 residents at the 2020 census. Lovelock, the county seat, is by far the largest community at 1,805 people, followed by the CDP of Imlay at 210. Median household income in the county runs below the Nevada median of $76,364; Pershing County’s population density is about one person per square mile, reflecting its vast, sparsely settled desert geography.
Economy & Local Life
The economy centres on mining, ranching and agriculture along the irrigated Lovelock Valley bottomland, plus government and correctional employment — the Lovelock Correctional Center is one of the county’s largest employers. Historic silver, gold and tungsten mining shaped many of the ghost towns on the list above; some claims around Rochester and Rye Patch have seen periodic modern-era gold mining activity. Lovelock hosts an annual Frontier Days celebration and sits along the routes many Burning Man attendees use en route to the Black Rock Desert playa each summer.
History
Pershing County was created on March 18, 1919, from the southern portion of Humboldt County — the last county formed in Nevada. It is named for General John J. Pershing (1860–1948), commander of American forces in World War I. The Central Pacific Railroad reached the valley in 1868, and Lovelock grew up around its depot; the county’s mining camps, most now abandoned, boomed and busted through the late 1800s and early 1900s on silver, gold, and tungsten strikes.
Getting There
Interstate 80 runs the length of the county through Lovelock, Mill City and Imlay, connecting to Reno to the west and Winnemucca to the east.
- Reno — about 95 miles west
- Winnemucca — about 65 miles east
- Fernley — about 60 miles southwest
- Fallon — about 75 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is Reno-Tahoe International Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Pershing County?
It is in north-central Nevada, along the Humboldt River corridor between Winnemucca and Fernley.
What is the population of Pershing County?
6,650 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Pershing County?
6,067 square miles (15,710 km2), making it one of Nevada’s largest counties by area and one of its least densely populated.
What is the county seat of Pershing County?
Lovelock is the county seat.
How many towns are in Pershing County?
One incorporated-style town center (Lovelock), one census-designated place (Imlay), and roughly two dozen mostly-abandoned mining camps and rail stops.
What ZIP codes are in Pershing County?
89419 (Lovelock) and 89418 (Imlay and Mill City).
Is Burning Man held in Pershing County?
The Burning Man festival’s Black Rock Desert site sits partly within Pershing County’s western reaches, and many attendees pass through the county en route.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Nevada.