Fernley, Nevada
23 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1890 and the latest in 1985. It stands in the Fernley census division. It lies in ZIP code area 89408. The Survey maps it on the Fernley West quadrangle. 22,895 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 4,160 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Fernley
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 2 records
Fernley and Lassen Railway Depotlisted 2005
Fernley Community Churchlisted 2003
Population over time
2 figuresFernley grew from 19,368 to 22,895 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 19,368 | |
| 2020 | 22,895 | +3,527 (+18%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
9 surveys from 23 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1890 USGS Wadsworth quadrangle1:125000
- 1892 USGS Wadsworth quadrangle1:125000
- 1894 USGS Wadsworth quadrangle1:125000, 5 printings
- 1957 USGS Reno quadrangle1:250000, 5 printings
- 1957 USGS Wadsworth quadrangle1:62500, 3 printings
- 1959 USGS Reno quadrangle1:250000
- 1960 USGS Reno quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1980 USGS Reno quadrangle1:100000, 3 printings
- 1985 USGS Fernley West quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
Photographs
6 photographs, 2022Taken for the Office of War Information and the Farm Security Administration, who photographed the country between 1935 and 1944. Works of United States government photographers, with no known restriction on use. Each opens its catalogue record.
Highsmith, Carol M, 2022. Library of Congress
Highsmith, Carol M, 2022. Library of Congress
Highsmith, Carol M, 2022. Library of Congress
Highsmith, Carol M, 2022. Library of Congress
Highsmith, Carol M, 2022. Library of Congress
Highsmith, Carol M, 2022. Library of Congress
Fires near this place
114 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 114 fires within 5 miles of Fernley between 1992 and 2020, burning about 732 acres in total. 9 started naturally. 4 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 41 |
| Debris and open burning | 36 |
| Natural | 9 |
| Fireworks | 7 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 5 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 5 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 4 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 3 |
| Other causes | 2 |
| Smoking | 2 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 September 2011 | Natural | 1.0 acres | Carson City District Office | LYOX 10 |
| 30 September 1996 | Natural | 2.0 acres | Carson City District Office | TIGER |
| 16 September 2005 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3.0 acres | Carson City District Office | WNA 9 |
| 12 September 2020 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Carson City District Office | WEST TRUCKEE RIVER RANCH |
| 10 September 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3.5 acres | Carson City District Office | WNA 17 |
| 1 September 2017 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | Carson City District Office | FREEMAN |
| 9 August 2017 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Carson City District Office | FLYING J |
| 8 August 1998 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.0 acres | Carson City District Office | WADSWORTH |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 12 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 12 workings within 5 miles of Fernley: 7 past producers, 3 producers, 1 unknown, 1 occurrence. 3 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Gold, Calcium, Diatomite. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cr Minerals Mill | Diatomite | Producer | ||
| Nevada Cement Co. Plant | Calcium | Producer | ||
| Rainbow Canyon Mines | Gold | Unknown | ||
| Fernley No. 1 State Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Fernley Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Johnson Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Paiute Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Pyramid Sand & Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Sand & Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| State Highway Contract 1728 Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
18 since 1997Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Fernley in 18 storm reports between 1997 and 2023: 6 heavy rain, 4 flash flood, 3 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado. The reports record 1 death. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2002 | Winter Weather | Fernley | 1 killed | no account filed |
| January 2008 | Flash Flood | Fernley | $6,600,000 | A 40-foot-long break in the Truckee Canal released floodwater into portions of Fernley, Nevada on the morning of January 5th. Local newspapers reported that approximately 1500 people had to be evacuated from their homes. Water 2 to 4 feet deep affected as many as 500 homes. The Reno Gazette-Journal newspaper reported that more than $1.75 million in federal disaster housing assistance had been provided. In addition to this, Fernley city officials estimated that the cost to repair roads would be over $720,000. |
| July 2013 | Flash Flood | Fernley | $25,000 | The Lyon County sheriff reported house and yard flooding near Saddlehorn Way, Mallard Way and Jenny's Lane. In addition, the Wendy's in central Fernley noted flooding. Three waves of heavy thunderstorm rainfall produced up to 1.3 inches of rain (per spotter reports) between about 1500PST and 1900PST. |
| July 2013 | Flash Flood | Fernley | $10,000 | Training thunderstorms brought very heavy rain to the Fernley area during the afternoon and evening of the 4th. Flash flooding caused a 10 ft sinkhole to form near the intersection of Cable Canyon Rd and Seabiscuit Dr. |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fernley | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fernley | $2,000 | A severe thunderstorm produced an estimated wind gust to 65 kts in Fernley. Tree limbs and a phone line were reported down. Power outages also occurred in the area. Alternate Highway 50 was closed briefly due to blowing dust. |
| July 2013 | Flash Flood | Fernley | $1,000 | Three feet of standing water was reported on Scott Drive in Fernley. |
| October 2023 | Heavy Rain | Fernley | - | A mesonet station (CW2857-Fernley) located 2.0 mi WSW of Fernley, NV reported a total rainfall amount of 0.50 inches. |
| July 2021 | Flood | Fernley | - | Spotter reported flooding on some roadways in the Fernley area due to thunderstorms. 0.25 inch of rainfall in 15 minutes. |
| April 2018 | Heavy Rain | Fernley | - | CoCoRaHS station NV-LY-14, 3 miles west-northwest of Fernley reported 0.69 inches of rainfall in a 24 hour period from 6 April 0700PST to 7 April 0700PST. |
| April 2018 | Heavy Rain | Fernley | - | CoCoRaHS station NV-LY-29, 1 mile southeast of Fernley reported 0.58 inches of rainfall in a 24 hour period from 6 April 0700PST to 7 April 0700PST. |
| October 2018 | Heavy Rain | Fernley | - | CoCoRaHS station NV-LY-14, 3 miles west-northwest of Fernley reported 0.78 inches of rainfall in a 24-hour period from 3 October 0700PST to 4 October 0700PST. |
| October 2018 | Heavy Rain | Fernley | - | A trained weather spotter 1-mile south-southwest of Fernley reported 0.78 inches of rainfall in a 24-hour period from 3 October 0915PST to 4 October 0915PST. |
| October 2009 | Heavy Rain | Fernley | - | The Lyon County Emergency Manager reported street flooding in Fernley at 1745PST. |
| January 2008 | Flood | Fernley | - | A 40-foot-long break in the Truckee Canal released floodwater into portions of Fernley, Nevada on the morning of January 5th. Local newspapers reported that approximately 1500 people had to be evacuated from their homes. Water 2 to 4 feet deep affected as many as 500 homes. The floodwaters started to recede the afternoon of January 5th but remained over the area until the afternoon of January 6th. |
| June 1998 | Tornado (F0) | Fernley | - | Public report of a tornado 6 miles south of Fernley, NV. Report confirmed by Lyon County Sheriff. Tornado in open country. Path width and length were unknown. No damage reported. |
| June 1998 | Tornado (F0) | Fernley | - | A second tornado was reported by a pilot south of the Fernley airport. This tornado was also in open country. Path width and length were unknown. No damage reported. |
| July 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fernley | - | Storm survey on 07/24/98 reported 6 inch diameter limbs blown off trees with evidence of mud and water across roads from previous night's thunderstorms. Estimated peak wind gust 60 knots. |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argo | 4.7 miles | 22 | |
| Darwin | 8.0 miles | 21 | |
| Talapoosa | 10.7 miles | 22 | |
| Ramsey (historical) | 12.8 miles | 22 | |
| Silver Springs | 13.4 miles | 22 | |
| Nevada Station (historical) | 13.6 miles | 22 | |
| Ramsey Station | 15.4 miles | 22 | |
| Stagecoach | 17.4 miles | 22 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Fernley | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1948662 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 840446. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.








