Silver City, Nevada (original) (raw)

Unincorporated community in the state of Nevada, United States

Unincorporated community in Nevada, United States

Silver City, Nevada
Unincorporated community
Silver City is located in NevadaSilver CitySilver CityShow map of NevadaSilver City is located in the United StatesSilver CitySilver CityShow map of the United States
Coordinates: 39°15′49″N 119°38′26″W / 39.26361°N 119.64056°W / 39.26361; -119.64056
Country United States
State Nevada
County Lyon
Area[1]
• Total 0.97 sq mi (2.50 km2)
• Land 0.97 sq mi (2.50 km2)
• Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation[2] 5,102 ft (1,555 m)
Population (2020)
• Total 155
• Density 160.29/sq mi (61.89/km2)
Time zone UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST) UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code 89428[3]
Area code 775
FIPS code 32-66800
GNIS feature ID 2728753[2]

Silver City is a Census Designated Place and small residential community in Lyon County, Nevada, USA, near the Lyon/Carson border. The population as of the 2020 census was 155.

Silver City was established in 1859, named for the silver deposits discovered in the area near the Lyon/Carson border.[4][5] Through this narrow gorge called Gold Canyon, above the historic Devil's Gate rock formation,[6][7] thousands of travelers passed on their way to the silver mines of the Comstock Lode.[8]

By 1861, the town had four hotels, multiple saloons and boarding houses, and a population of 1,200. Silver city provided boarding facilities for animals used in hauling ore-laden wagons between the Comstock mining areas and mills on the Carson River. A foundry, the first iron works in Nevada was moved here from Johntown in 1862. The town was the site of the Comstock's first silver mill—Paul's Pioneer. During the 1870s, additional mills were built and by 1871, Silver City had eight mills with 95 stamps.[5]

The population began to decline after the Virginia and Truckee Railroad was completed in 1869. Construction workers left the area, taking their business with them.[9]

Silver City experiences a warm summer Mediterranean climate (Csb).

Climate data for Silver City (6,189 ft/1,886 m)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 63(17) 70(21) 64(18) 79(26) 89(32) 95(35) 99(37) 100(38) 93(34) 85(29) 72(22) 69(21) 100(38)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 41.2(5.1) 43.5(6.4) 48.9(9.4) 55.2(12.9) 64.6(18.1) 74.1(23.4) 83.2(28.4) 81.6(27.6) 73.6(23.1) 61.9(16.6) 49.5(9.7) 41.7(5.4) 59.9(15.5)
Daily mean °F (°C) 32.9(0.5) 34.8(1.6) 39.3(4.1) 44.8(7.1) 53.5(11.9) 62.5(16.9) 71.1(21.7) 69.5(20.8) 61.9(16.6) 51.2(10.7) 40.5(4.7) 33.5(0.8) 49.6(9.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 24.3(−4.3) 26.1(−3.3) 29.8(−1.2) 34.3(1.3) 42.4(5.8) 50.8(10.4) 59(15) 57.3(14.1) 50.5(10.3) 40.7(4.8) 31.5(−0.3) 25.1(−3.8) 39.3(4.1)
Record low °F (°C) −1(−18) −9(−23) 4(−16) 10(−12) 15(−9) 28(−2) 36(2) 31(−1) 21(−6) 11(−12) 6(−14) −11(−24) −11(−24)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.1(53) 1.9(48) 1.5(38) 0.7(18) 0.9(23) 0.6(15) 0.3(7.6) 0.4(10) 0.5(13) 0.6(15) 1.3(33) 2(51) 12.7(320)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 14.3(36) 12.7(32) 7.7(20) 2.2(5.6) 1.2(3.0) 0.1(0.25) 0(0) 0(0) 0.2(0.51) 0.8(2.0) 5.1(13) 13(33) 57.3(146)
Average precipitation days 7 6 6 4 4 3 2 2 2 3 4 6 49
Average snowy days 4.2 4.2 2.8 1.2 0.5 0.1 0 0 0.2 0.2 2.1 3.9 19.4
Source: Weatherbase[10]

Historical population

Census Pop. Note
2020 155
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
  1. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Silver City, Nevada
  3. ^ "Silver City NV ZIP Code". zipdatamaps.com. 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  4. ^ Federal Writers' Project (1941). Origin of Place Names: Nevada (PDF). W.P.A. p. 48.
  5. ^ a b Paher, Stanley W (1970). Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps. Howell North.
  6. ^ "Devil's Gate - Nevada Historical Markers on Waymarking.com". www.waymarking.com. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  7. ^ "Fascinating story of Silver City's Devil's Gate". www.nevadaappeal.com. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  8. ^ Devils Gate, Nevada Historical Marker 223.
  9. ^ "Silver City, Nevada". Western Mining History. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  10. ^ "Silver City, Nevada Köppen Climate Classification". Weatherbase. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  11. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.