Carson City, the State Capital, is located in
Carson City just south of
Reno, between Fallon and the California state line in the
Western Region of the state. It lies along U.S. Highway 50 on the banks of the Carson River, near Washoe Lake and
Lake Tahoe.
The city, named after frontiersman Kit Carson, was laid out in 1858 on the Eagle Station site, a trading post erected in 1851. A miners supply depot, the town gained status with the 1859 Comstock Lode discovery and became the railroad terminus for removing the ore. In 1861, at the birth of the Nevada Territory, the city was designated the capital; in 1864 it became the state capital.
Today Carson City, population 52,457, is a mining and agricultural trading hub. State government employs the most residents and tourism is an economic contributor. Area attractions include the ghost town Virginia City, site of the Comstock Lode. The October Nevada Day Celebration commemorates the state s admission to the Union.
