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FACT BRIEF

Did Nevada’s original southern boundary exclude Las Vegas?

By Austin Tannenbaum
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YES

Nevada’s first southern boundary was set about 60 miles north of what is now Las Vegas.

Congress formally created the Nevada territory in 1861 out of lands previously contained within the Utah territory. Nevada officially became a state in 1864, but it wasn’t until 1867 that the state acquired its current southern boundary, which includes all of Clark County, as well as parts of Lincoln, Nye and Esmeralda counties.

The decision to expand the state’s southern boundary was based on Congress’s assessment that Nevada would be better suited to manage an anticipated population boom following the discovery of gold in the region. The additional land was carved out of the Arizona territory, which had been organized in 1863. Arizonans protested, but their alignment with the Confederacy during the Civil War put them at a political disadvantage.

Clark County’s population of nearly 2.3 million made up about 73% of Nevada’s population in July 2021, according to the Census Bureau.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Nevada Legislature Political History of Nevada
Nevada Magazine Bounding the Silver State
US Census QuickFacts | Clark County, Nevada
US Census QuickFacts Nevada
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The Nevada Independent
The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.