Orovada, Nevada
16 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1882 and the latest in 1991. It stands in the McDermitt census division. It lies in ZIP code area 89425. It stands on Wood Canyon Creek. The Survey maps it on the Orovada quadrangle. 117 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 4,344 feet above sea level.
Research this city
Population over time
2 figuresOrovada fell from 155 to 117 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 | 155 | |
| 2020 | 117 | -38 (-25%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
7 surveys from 16 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.
- 1882 USGS Paradise quadrangle1:250000
- 1893 USGS Paradise quadrangle1:250000, 6 printings
- 1955 USGS McDermitt quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1959 USGS McDermitt quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1959 USGS Orovada quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1985 USGS Quinn River Valley quadrangle1:100000
- 1991 USGS Orovada quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
40 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 40 fires within 5 miles of Orovada between 1994 and 2020, burning about 28,086 acres in total. 21 started naturally. 1 was 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 |
|---|---|
| Natural | 21 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 9 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 6 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 2 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
| Debris and open burning | 1 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 September 2017 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.1 acres | Winnemucca District Office | ANTELOPE CREEK |
| 11 September 1995 | Arson/incendiarism | 75 acres | Winnemucca District Office | NVALLEY RD |
| 3 August 2019 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Winnemucca District Office | MM 45 |
| 24 August 2013 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Winnemucca District Office | MM 46 |
| 24 August 2013 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Winnemucca District Office | MM 46 5 |
| 19 August 2010 | Equipment and vehicle use | 21 acres | Winnemucca District Office | REST AREA |
| 17 August 2016 | Natural | 44 acres | Winnemucca District Office | MCCONNELL |
| 16 August 2016 | Natural | 5.7 acres | Winnemucca District Office | HORSE |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
6 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 6 workings within 5 miles of Orovada: 3 occurrences, 1 unknown, 1 past producer, 1 prospect. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Silver, Gold, Silver, Lead, Gold, Sand and Gravel, Construction. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dykke Springs Mine | Gold, Silver | Unknown | ||
| Mustard #1 Claim | Silver, Gold, Arsenic | Occurrence | Vein | |
| Mustard No. 1 Claim | Silver, Arsenic, Gold | Prospect | ||
| Orovada Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Liberty Loan Claim | Gold, Silver, Lead | Occurrence | 1907 | |
| Northern Claim | Gold, Silver, Lead | Occurrence | 1919 |
Storms near this place
22 since 1999Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Orovada in 22 storm reports between 1999 and 2024: 15 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail, 3 flood, 1 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orovada | $10,000 | Downburst winds from collapsing thunderstorm damaged buildings, bee houses, irrigation sprinklers, as well as blew down trees. The observer estimated that winds were over 50 mph. Time estimated based off radar and nearby wind observations. Damages are estimated. |
| June 2009 | Flash Flood | Orovada | $5,000 | Up to two inches of rain fell from a severe thunderstorm over Orovada resulting in flooding of several businesses, a church, and a residential home. |
| May 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orovada | $3,000 | Thunderstorm winds estimated to 80 mph hit the Moser Ranch and destroyed one large parking shed. The roof of the shed was blown into a power pole damaging the pole and the transformer. In addition 11 pollination sheds were either severely damaged or destroyed. |
| October 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orovada | $500 | A weather spotter reported a tree was blown down and 3 to 5 inch diameter branches snapped off other trees. |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orovada | - | Station (MORN2) Morey Creek Raws, Elevation 5500 feet. |
| September 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orovada | - | Station (MORN2) Morey Creek, Elevation 5500 ft. |
| October 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orovada | - | Station (MORN2) Morey Creek, Elevation 5500 ft. |
| April 2023 | Flood | Orovada | - | Chimney Dam Road was flooded at the crossing of Adam Slough Creek. Warm Temperatures in the 60s to mid 70s caused snow melt of mid-level slopes and perhaps some, but not all of the high level slopes. Martin Creek nearby went into Major Flood Stage and crested at 7.75 feet at 8PM LT. Photos were submitted by the EM of Humboldt County shortly after this crest. |
| April 2023 | Flood | Orovada | - | Chimney Dam Road was flooded for a 2nd day in a row, at the crossing of Adam Slough Creek. Warm Temperatures in the 60s to low 70s caused additional snowmelt. Martin Creek nearby went into Major Flood Stage (7.5 feet) for a second day in a row, cresting at a height of 8.22 feet, at 745PM. The EM of Humboldt County sent photos of the flooded road. |
| April 2023 | Flood | Orovada | - | Flooding occurred at Ninety-Six Ranch in Paradise Valley, due to warm temperatures accelerating snowmelt. Martin Creek crested at 8.22 feet, almost a foot into Major Flood Stage at 7 PM. The EM of Humboldt County sent photos the next morning of the flooding. |
| August 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orovada | - | Station (MORN2) Morey Creek Raws, Elevation 5500 feet. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orovada | - | Downburst winds occurred at station (MORN2) Morey Creek Raws, Elevation 5500 feet. |
| April 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orovada | - | A 67 mph thunderstorm wind gust was reported at the Morey Creek RAWS. |
| June 2009 | Hail | Orovada | - | Hail up to one inch in diameter covered the ground to a depth of two to three inches. |
| July 2004 | Hail | Orovada | - | Hail destroyed alfalfa field |
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orovada | - | Severe thunderstorm winds knocked down numerous highway signs along highway 95 around 20 miles south of Orovada. This same storm also produced a wind gust to 63 mph at the Morey Creek Raws site 6 miles southwest of Paradise Valley. As the storm moved through Orovada a farmer reported his hay crop destroyed. |
| May 2017 | Hail | Orovada | - | no account filed |
| April 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orovada | - | no account filed |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orovada | - | no account filed |
| July 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orovada | - | no account filed |
| August 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orovada | - | no account filed |
| August 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orovada | - | no account filed |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rebel Creek (historical) | 2.7 miles | 16 | |
| Platora | 6.6 miles | 16 | |
| Amos (historical) | 12.5 miles | 16 | |
| Paradise Valley | 14.3 miles | 16 | |
| Cañon Creek Station (historical) | 16.4 miles | 17 | |
| Gouge Eye | 16.7 miles | 14 | |
| Spring City (historical) | 17.7 miles | 14 | |
| Queen City (historical) | 19.5 miles | 14 |
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 Orovada | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q3452082 | 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 860849. 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.






