Storey County is a county in Nevada, United States, home to the historic Comstock Lode mining district. It had a population of 4,104 at the 2020 census and covers 264 square miles (680 km2) centred near 39°27′N 119°32′W.
Virginia City is the county seat, and its postal code is 89440. Storey County has no incorporated cities or towns — every place in the county is either a census-designated place or an unincorporated community, five in all. The county sits in the Pacific time zone.
Towns & Villages in Storey County
Storey is Nevada’s smallest county by area and has never incorporated a single municipality. Its settlements split between census-designated places (CDP), which the Census Bureau tracks separately, and smaller unincorporated communities with no formal population count.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia City | CDP · seat | 787 | 89440 |
| Lockwood | CDP | — | 89434 |
| Virginia City Highlands | CDP | — | 89440 |
| Gold Hill | CDP | — | 89440 |
| Mustang Ranch | Unincorp. | — | 89434 |
| Clark | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Divide | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gilpin | Unincorp. | — | — |
Gold Hill sits immediately south of Virginia City and is often treated as one continuous mining district with it. Clark, Divide and Gilpin are small rural crossroads along US 50 near the Lyon County line with no separate census tally.
ZIP Codes
- 89440 — Virginia City (also serves Gold Hill and Virginia City Highlands)
- 89434 — Sun Valley/Lockwood area (also serves Mustang Ranch)
- 89437 — Sparks (covers the sparsely populated Tahoe Reno Industrial Center portion of the county)
Clark, Divide and Gilpin have no dedicated ZIP code and are served by the nearest post office town.
Geography
Storey County lies in the high desert of western Nevada, straddling the eastern slope of the Virginia Range. Terrain is rugged and hilly, rising from the Truckee River valley in the north to mountain peaks above 7,000 feet around Virginia City. Of its 264 square miles, about 263 are land and 0.7 square mile is water.
The county borders Washoe County to the north, Lyon County to the southeast, and Carson City to the southwest.
Demographics
Storey County’s 2020 population of 4,104 makes it one of Nevada’s least-populous counties by headcount, though it is one of the fastest-growing by employment. Virginia City (787) and Lockwood are its two largest communities. Median household income runs below the Nevada median of $76,364, reflecting the county’s mix of retirees, tourism workers and industrial-park commuters. Population density is about 15.6 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Heritage tourism anchors Virginia City, where 19th-century saloons, museums and the Virginia & Truckee Railroad draw visitors year-round. The county’s real economic engine, though, is the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center along its northern edge, home to Tesla’s Gigafactory 1 and other battery-storage and logistics manufacturers. Manufacturing employment in the county grew from under 500 jobs in 2010 to more than 11,000 by 2019, and by 2018 the county employed over 18,000 people in total — several times its own resident population, drawn largely from Washoe and Lyon counties.
History
Storey County was organized in 1861, one of Nevada Territory’s original counties, and named for Captain Edward Faris Storey, killed in 1860 during the Pyramid Lake War. The discovery of the Comstock Lode silver deposit in 1859 made Virginia City an instant boomtown; the county was briefly Nevada’s most populous, and by 1876 Comstock mines were yielding an estimated $36 million a year in gold and silver. Population peaked near 16,115 in 1880, then collapsed as the ore played out, bottoming at 568 residents by 1960 before heritage tourism and, later, industrial development reversed the decline.
Getting There
State Route 341 climbs from Interstate 580 north of Virginia City to the historic district; US 50 crosses the county’s southern edge toward Carson City.
- Reno — 18 miles north
- Carson City — 15 miles southwest
- Sparks — 15 miles north
- Dayton, Lyon County — 8 miles southeast
Reno-Tahoe International Airport, about 20 miles north, is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Storey County, Nevada?
It is in western Nevada, between Reno and Carson City, in the Virginia Range.
What is the population of Storey County?
4,104 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Storey County?
264 square miles (680 km2), making it Nevada’s smallest county by area.
What is the county seat of Storey County?
Virginia City.
How many towns are in Storey County?
The county has no incorporated towns; it has four census-designated places and several unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Storey County?
89440 (Virginia City), 89434 (Lockwood/Mustang Ranch area) and 89437 (Sparks, industrial park).
What is Storey County known for?
The Comstock Lode silver rush and Virginia City’s preserved mining-era downtown, plus, more recently, the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center and Tesla’s Gigafactory 1.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Nevada.