About 284,000 people live in Reno, the Biggest Little City in the World, on the dry eastern side of the Sierra Nevada, at about 4,500 feet, and the neon arch is there to prove the name. Downtown has casinos and the Riverwalk, and the Truckee River runs through town with a whitewater park. The National Automobile Museum and the Nevada Museum of Art are worth a visit, and Lake Tahoe is only about 45 minutes away for skiing and hiking. Hot August Nights and the Great Reno Balloon Race bring big crowds.
Costs are near the national average, but housing has risen and supply is tight. Some downtown blocks and the Fourth Street and Wells Avenue areas have visible homelessness and property crime, and violent crime runs above average. Altitude and dry air catch newcomers, wildfire smoke arrives in late summer, and snow can close Sierra passes in winter.
Cities with a similar character, anywhere on the site.
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- Known as
- The Biggest Little City in the World; Renotahoe; Sierra Nevada gateway
- Founded
- 1859 settled (Lake's Crossing toll bridge); 1868 town founded by the railroad; 1903 incorporated
- Languages
- English; Spanish; Tagalog; Chinese; Basque heritage presence
- Airports
- Reno-Tahoe International (RNO), about 10 minutes from downtown; Sacramento (SMF) about 135 miles; Truckee Tahoe (TRK) general aviation only; San Francisco (SFO) about 220 miles; Carson City has no commercial service
- Tipping
- Restaurants 18-20% for table service; casino bartenders and cocktail servers $1-2 per drink; taxis/rideshare 15-20%; hotel housekeeping $3-5 per night; valet $3-5; dealers tipped by toke bets or $1-5 per hand; buffet $1-3 per person
About this data
Population from Census QuickFacts V2025 (July 1, 2025); metro approximated as Washoe County 509,386 plus Storey County (about 4,100, not verified) for the Reno MSA, so about 513,500 is approximate; area is land area 108.77 sq mi (Census 2020); elevation about 1,373 m (4,505 ft) approximate from general references; rents from RentCafe; home price sources conflict, so approximate; crime from AreaVibes using 2024 FBI data; hotel rates, tipping and daily budget approximate and unverified; some event timing approximate
