Editing Smith Valley, Nevada (section)

==Geography and name==
Smith Valley is located in southwestern Lyon County at {{Coord|38|49|9|N|119|21|21|W|type:city}} (38.819204, -119.355912),<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> occupying the valley of the same name. The valley is bordered to the west by the [[Pine Nut Mountains]], to the north by the [[Buckskin Range]], to the east by the [[Singatse Range]], to the southwest by the [[Wellington Hills]], and to the southeast by the [[Pine Grove Hills]]. The CDP occupies the western and central parts of the valley, with the western border of the CDP following the [[Douglas County, Nevada|Douglas County]] line.

[[Nevada State Route 208]] passes through the valley, leading northeast {{convert|23|mi}} to [[Yerington, Nevada|Yerington]], the Lyon [[county seat]], and west {{convert|15|mi}} to [[U.S. Route 395]] north of [[Topaz Lake, Nevada|Topaz Lake]]. [[Nevada State Route 338|State Route 338]] leads south from Smith Valley {{convert|30|mi}} to the [[California]] border, where [[California State Route 182|State Route 182]] leads an additional {{convert|14|mi}} to [[Bridgeport, California]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the Smith Valley CDP has a total area of {{convert|317.4|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|312.4|km2|order=flip}} are land and {{convert|5.0|km2|order=flip}}, or 1.57%, are water.<ref name="Gazetteer 2019">{{cite web| url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_32.txt| title=U.S. Gazetteer Files: 2019: Places: Nevada| website=U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division| accessdate=May 5, 2020}}</ref> The central part of the valley is drained by the [[West Walker River]], which exits the valley to the east through Wilson Canyon. The northern part of the valley is an [[endorheic basin]], with Artesia Lake occupying the lowest area.

Smith Valley is named for American fur trapper and explorer [[Jedediah Smith]], who crossed the area in spring 1827, after crossing the Sierra Nevada at [[Ebbetts Pass]] on his way to the 1827 fur trade rendezvous.