Reno, Nevada

Over 18 world-class ski resorts and several of the nation’s best golf resorts are found in the Reno/Tahoe region, which also has superb fishing, water sports, and winter sports. Reno also has superb sport and recreation facilities of its own, including the National Bowling Stadium and about 30 top golf courses. Home to over 200,000 residents, Reno is large enough to have its own opera and dance company and its own symphony orchestra, making it a cultural hub for the wider region. With all this and more, it’s no surprise that Rand McNally has rated the Reno/Sparks/Tahoe the nation’s top outdoor recreation area!

Location
Reno is in Washoe County, Nevada, in the Northeast Tahoe region to the very west of the State. I 80 (east-west) and US 395 (north-south) connect the city to surrounding centers and beyond.

Geography/Terrain
Mostly flat, Reno is in the high desert about 4,400 feet above sea level, bordered by the majestic Sierra Nevada Mountains to the west. The Truckee River winds through the city, and is a popular place to go kayaking and canoeing.

Distance to 3 Closest Major Cities
Carson City is just 26 miles south of Reno and Incline Village on Lake Tahoe is just 21 miles west. Sacramento, CA is about 130 miles west.

Jobs
The thriving center of one of the nation’s fastest growth regions, Reno has a prosperous local economy and high job growth. While this is certainly due to its popularity as a place to live, the city’s excellent business incentives, which include tax benefits, an abundance of office and commercial space, and superb transportation links, also play a part.

Identified as the best small city in America for small businesses by Entrepreneur Magazine, Reno is home to countless entrepreneurial enterprises and large companies like Michelin North America, Microsoft Licensing, John Deere Company, Kal Kan, Amazon.com, Intuit, Cisco Systems, Ralston Foods, International Game Technology and R. R. Donnelley and Sons.

The University of Nevada, Reno, the Small Business Development Center and Truckee Meadows Community College provide employment and job training; the Truckee Meadows Community College customizes its training programs to serve individual businesses in Reno.

Housing
Reno has long enjoyed a steady and buoyant housing market, thanks to its consistent popularity. Homebuyers will find a good range of options available to them in both price and style. While most homes are single family dwellings, apartments and condominiums are readily available, and there are several gated communities and golfing resorts for those looking for private living. Elegant and upscale homes are also to be found here.

Parks/Sports/Recreation/Golf
With all the natural wonders of the Tahoe region at their doorstep, Reno residents have access to some of the nation’s best recreational opportunities. The casinos for which the city is justly proud, the Truckee River, and Reno’s many parks and excellent recreational facilities only add to the already attractive picture.

With Lake Tahoe immediately west, Pyramid Lake immediately north and a marina in neighboring Sparks, Reno residents can easily enjoy boating, swimming and water sports throughout the long summer months, and their proximity to the Sierra ski fields keeps them busy during the winter. The Sierras also provide superb camping, hiking, horseback riding, mountain climbing, biking, hunting and fishing in the sunny season.

Within the city itself, residents may kayak and canoe on the Truckee River, stroll and picnic along its banks, and relax in the Wilbur D. May Arboretum and Botanical Garden, one of Nevada’s most lovely and varied gardens with tree groves, wetlands, and seasonal gardens. Residents have the use of numerous town parks and ball fields, and the town recreation department is excellent, offering a wide range of recreational and sporting events and classes year round. The National Bowling Stadium is located here and plays host to major annual events. Reno has a good aquatic center and the fantastic Wild Waters Family Fun Park. The Great Basin Adventure Park at the Wilber D May gardens has further family fun in summer, including a log ride, pony rides, and a petting zoo.

With over 20 casinos within city limits, Reno is second in the State only to Las Vegas for the splendor of its casinos, nightspots, and entertainment venues. Visitors and residents alike can enjoy every kind of casino fun, from traditional to modern games to top musical, dance, and comedy acts.

Reno is also a golfer’s paradise. With over 30 courses in the immediate vicinity and over 50 within a 90 minute drive, there is more than enough to explore and enjoy. Top local courses include the stylish Montreux Golf Club, which hosts the prestigious annual PGA Reno-Tahoe Open. Named one of the nation’s best new courses by Golf Magazine, Northgate Golf Club is another premier facility, alongside Lake Ridge, which consistently rates best in the area.

Special Attractions/Events
A cultural center for the wider Washoe County region, Reno has several notable amenities, including the superb National Bowling Stadium, the only facility of its kind in the world, and the National Automobile Museum, which has one of the most comprehensive car collections on earth and interesting period exhibits. Dining, nightlife, and entertainment are world-class in Reno, by virtue of its many casinos and resorts.

Reno is a lively city with plenty happening. Summer brings all the fun of the Reno Rodeo, and the sophistication of the annual Jazz Festival, now in its 45th year. The yearly Great Reno Balloon Race draws over a hundred of America’s top balloonists and is not to be missed, and the Reno National Air Race and Air Show is another exciting draw. Covering 5 days, the event sees aircraft race against each other and the clock and culminates in one of the country’s best air shows featuring the USAF Thunderbirds. The Reno/Tahoe Open is one of the most exciting golfing events of the year on the PGA tour, and is held at the beautiful Montreux course.

In winter, Reno residents meet to enjoy seasonal events and winter sports together. The National Bowling Stadium also holds a wide range of national and regional championships and events during the winter months, including the National Mixed Championships and the Special Bowling Olympics in November and the Team USA Championships in January.

Interesting Facts/Historic Buildings and Places
Thanks to its desert climate, much is know about the prehistoric past of the Reno region, which was once home to mammoths and other huge creatures whose bones have since been unearthed. The first human records date to around 11,000 BC, and the Paiute Native Americans who still live here are thought to have arrived around 1300 BC. Today many Paiute live in the Pyramid Lake Reservation, about 35 miles north of Reno and visitors are welcome to attend some yearly powwows. Local Indian history and culture can also be discovered at the Stewart Indian Cultural Center in Carson City.

The first outsiders to cross the Black Rock desert that surrounds present day Reno were lead by John Fremont in 1843, and more were soon to arrive en route to the California goldfields, which were discovered in 1849. A toll bridge was built over the Truckee River in 1861 and a hotel erected for wayfarers. A settlement slowly grew up around the hotel and locals named it ‘Reno’ for Brigadier-General Jesse Lee Reno, an American army officer who had served in the Mexican and Civil Wars, and who was widely popular for his courage in battle.

Officially established in 1868, when the Union Pacific railroad auctioned off lots of what is now Reno’s downtown, the city was quick to become a regional center. Several lovely period buildings remain from its earliest days, including the Washoe County Courthouse, built in 1873 and renovated and extended in 1911 and 1963.

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