Elko (Nevada)
| Electrolytic capacitor | |
|---|---|
 Elko in the county (right) and the county in the state
|
|
| Basic data | |
| Foundation : | 1868 |
| State : | United States |
| State : | Nevada |
| County : | Elko County |
| Coordinates : | 40 ° 50 ′ N , 115 ° 46 ′ W |
| Time zone : | Pacific ( UTC − 8 / −7 ) |
| Residents : | 18,297 (as of 2010) |
| Population density : | 487.9 inhabitants per km 2 |
| Area : | 37.5 km 2 (approx. 14 mi 2 ) of which 37.5 km 2 (approx. 14 mi 2 ) are land |
| Height : | 1544 m |
| Postcodes : | 89801-89803 |
| Area code : | +1 775 |
| FIPS : | 32-22500 |
| GNIS ID : | 0845452 |
| Website : | www.ci.elko.nv.us |
| Mayor : | Michael J. Franzoia |
 Elko County Courthouse |
|
Elko is a city in Elko County in the US state of Nevada and also the administrative seat of the county to which the city gave its name. It was founded in 1869 when the Central Pacific Railroad advanced into the Humboldt River area where Elko lies today.
In 2010 Elko had 18,297 inhabitants on 37.5 km². The population density is 445.2 / km². With the Elko Municipal-JC Harris Field, the city has its own small regional airfield with connections to Reno and Salt Lake City (mainly so-called "casino flyers" and business flights of the regional mine operators).
Similar to Las Vegas , which is about 650 km further south, Elko was initially only a transshipment point for equipment and goods that were used in the surrounding gold mines in northern Nevada (including the gold mine of Tuscarora , about 90 km northwest of Elko). With the legalization of gambling across Nevada in 1931, the first casinos, arcades and hotels were built in the city, which still shape the image of the main street that runs through the city, Idaho Street.
In addition to the logistical function for the mining industry, Elko is also a center of the local farmers and ranchers. Of this u. a. the "Elko Cowboy Poetry Festival" , which takes place every year in the last week of January and attracts both amateurs and professionals from the country & western scene from all over the country and their fans.
In 1993, Elko was named “The Best Small Town in America for the highest quality of life” in a book about US small towns with less than 20,000 inhabitants and has been using this “award” for self-promotion ever since. The city is home to the " Northeastern Nevada Museum " with exhibits from the culture of the indigenous people of the area around Elko, the Western Shoshone Indians, but also from the early days of white settlement and from the field of gold and silver mining. The former "Pioneer Hotel" in the city center of Elko has meanwhile been converted into a museum-like "Western American Folk Art" center.
Elko is also the birthplace of Morley Griswold , a politician and governor of Nevada from 1934 to 1935.
Elko is one of the locations in the 2005 film Don't Come Knocking by Wim Wenders .
Web links
- Cowboy Country Elko (English)
- Western & Cowboy Poetry Festival, Elko (English)
- Western Folklife Center, Elko (English)