49 Amazing and Unusual Nevada Facts You Won’t Believe

What I liked about driving through Nevada on our epic cross country road trip was that we got to see a lot more than just Vegas. We’ve been going to Vegas almost every year for the past five years, and we pretty much never left the strip, let alone leave the hotel & casino. This time around, we got to try different foods off-strip and see different landscapes outside of the city.

Before we get into the weird and unbelievable Nevada facts, here are the state symbols and other basic facts you might want to know for trivia night. The symbols also make interesting photography subjects if you plan on photographing all 50 states.

Nevada State Symbols

1. Capital: Carson City
2. State Nickname: The Silver State, Battle Born State, Sagebrush State
3. Motto: All for Our Country
4. State Colors: Silver and Blue
5. Song: Home Means Nevada (in case you want to add it to your road trip playlist)
6. Nevada State Flower: Sagebrush
7. Tree: Bristlecone Pine and Single-Leaf Piñon
8. Grass: Indian Ricegrass
9. Nevada State Bird: Mountain Bluebird
10. Mammal: Desert Bighorn Sheep
11. Reptile: Desert Tortoise
12. Fish: Lahontan Cutthroat Trout
13. Insect: Vivid Dancer Damselfly
14. Rock: Sandstone
15. Fossil: Ichthyosaur
16. State Gem: Virgin Valley Black Fire Opal
17. Semi-Precious Gem: Nevada Turquoise
18. Metal: Silver. It is also the number one producer of gold in the US and second in the world after South Africa.

Nevada State Welcome Sign

Basic Nevada Facts

19. Abbreviation: NV
20. Region of the US: Rocky Mountain Region
21. Industries: Tourism, logistics, manufacturing, mining, aerospace
22. Key Cities: Las Vegas, Reno, Carson City
23. Arizona State Population: ~3 Million in 2018
24. Size: It’s the 7th largest state at 110,577 sq mi (295,234 sq km). It’s right after Arizona. About 86$ is owned by the federal government.
25. Counties: 17 (Carson City, Churchill, Clark, Douglas, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Pershing, Storey, Washoe, White Pine)
26. Highest Point: Boundary Peak (13,147 ft)
27. Lowest Point: Colorado River (481 ft)
28. It’s the 36th State. Nevada became a state in October 31, 1864.
29. Nevada is the driest state in the US with an average annual rainfall of seven inches. The Kangaroo Rat can live its whole life without a single drop of water.
30. The Mojave Desert is the smallest desert in America.
31. Over 40 million people visited Las Vegas last year (2018).
32. It’s Nev-AD-a not Nev-AH-da.

MORE: 101 Incredible Things to Do in Nevada

Nevada Landscape & Cloudscape

Nevada Food. The first place we ever ate off-strip was Hot n Juicy. Now that we live here, we have a lot more recommendations for you. Here are the 49 Best Places to Eat in Las Vegas.

Looks like a volcano almost.

These are some old favorites we shot in previous years in Las Vegas.  Slot machines at the airport. Only in Vegas…

Nevada Animals. The White Tiger at Mirage.

Nevada Architecture:

17 Nevada Facts You Won’t Believe

33. There’s no state income tax, which is one of the reasons why we moved here!
34. Las Vegas is called the 9th island because there are so many Hawaiians living here. Don’t miss all the yummy Hawaiian food, especially Poke Express.
35. Nevada has over 200,000 slot machines, one for every 10 residents.
36. Las Vegas has more hotel rooms than any other place on earth.
37. The Bellagio hotel on the Strip has more rooms than the population of Bellagio, Italy.
38. On average, 300 couples are married each day in Las Vegas. It’s the top wedding destination in the US and second in the world after Istanbul.
39. Before you decide to go for a swim, all fountains and manmade lakes in Las Vegas use grey water, which is water recycled from showers, baths, and sinks.
40. It’s illegal to have hula hoops on Fremont Street.
41. If you feed a pigeon in Las Vegas, you can face up to 6 months in jail.
42. The Las Vegas Strip is the brightest place on Earth when viewed from outer space.
43. 15 of the world’s top 25 hotels are in Las Vegas.
44. Prostitution is legal in the state, but illegal in major cities like Reno and Las Vegas.
45. People in Las Vegas eat more shrimp a day (60,000 pounds) than the entire US combined.
46. The electric bill for the Luxor light is $51 / hour.
47. The Las Vegas Strip has over 75,000 miles of neon.
48. It’s illegal to drive / ride a camel on the highway in Nevada.
49. Virginia City is believed to be the most haunted town in the U.S

Popular Nevada Destinations

• Area 51
• Death Valley National Park
• Hoover Dam
• Las Vegas Strip
• Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area

Backtrack to the other states: Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama! Also, follow our adventures in real time on @estherjulee and @jacobthefu.