Editing Elko County, Nevada (section)

==Geography==
[[File:2013-07-04 15 37 14 Sagebrush-steppe along U.S. Route 93 in central Elko County in Nevada.jpg|thumb|left|Sagebrush steppe in Elko County, [[Nevada]] along [[U.S. Route 93 in Nevada|US 93]]. This view is characteristic of most of the county.]]
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|17203|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|17170|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|33|sqmi}} (0.2%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_32.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=December 20, 2014|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}</ref> Not counting [[List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska|Alaska's boroughs]] (four of which are also larger), it is the [[List of the largest counties in the United States by area|fourth-largest county in area in the United States]] (behind [[San Bernardino County, California]], [[Coconino County, Arizona]], and [[Nye County, Nevada]]).<ref>{{cite web|title=Elko County Public Lands Policy Plan 2008|url=http://www.elkocountynv.net/departments/planning_and_zoning/docs/Public_Land_Use_Plan_Final.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330191105/http://www.elkocountynv.net/departments/planning_and_zoning/docs/Public_Land_Use_Plan_Final.pdf |archive-date=March 30, 2012 |url-status=live|work=Elko County (Nevada)|access-date=August 15, 2011}}</ref>  The elevation ranges from about {{convert|4300|ft|m}} at the edge of the salt flats of the [[Great Salt Lake Desert]], to {{convert|11387|ft|m}} on the summit of [[Ruby Dome]] in the [[Ruby Mountains]].<ref name="pb">{{cite peakbagger |pid=3524 |name=Ruby Dome, Nevada |access-date=May 19, 2011}}</ref> The most topographically prominent mountain in Elko County is [[Pilot Peak (Nevada)|Pilot Peak]].

The county has three [[United States physiographic region|physiographic sections]] (70% [[Great Basin section]], 20% [[Payette (physiographic section)|Payette]], 10% [[Snake River Plain]]) and 4 watersheds (45% Humboldt River, 30% Upper [[Snake River]], 20% central Nevada desert, 5% Pilot-Thousand Springs).

[[File:2011-08-04 20 00 00 Susie Fire in the Adobe Range west of Elko Nevada.jpg|thumb|right|Lightning-sparked wildfires are common occurrences in Elko County.]]

===National protected areas===
* [[Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest]] (part)
* [[Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge]] (part)

===Adjacent counties===
{{div col}}
* [[Owyhee County, Idaho|Owyhee County]], Idaho – northwest/Mountain Time Border
* [[Twin Falls County, Idaho|Twin Falls County]], Idaho – north/Mountain Time Border
* [[Cassia County, Idaho|Cassia County]], Idaho – northeast/Mountain Time Border
* [[Box Elder County, Utah|Box Elder County]], Utah – east/Mountain Time Border
* [[Tooele County, Utah|Tooele County]], Utah – southeast/Mountain Time Border
* [[White Pine County, Nevada|White Pine County]] – south
* [[Eureka County, Nevada|Eureka County]] – southwest
* [[Lander County, Nevada|Lander County]] – southwest
* [[Humboldt County, Nevada|Humboldt County]] – west
{{div col end}}

===Time zones===
{{Further|Time in Nevada}}
Except for [[West Wendover]] which is in the [[Mountain Time Zone]], the county is in the [[Pacific Time Zone]], though other communities such as [[Owyhee, Nevada|Owyhee]], [[Mountain City, Nevada|Mountain City]], [[Jarbidge, Nevada|Jarbidge]] and [[Jackpot, Nevada|Jackpot]] unofficially observe Mountain Time as well due to their proximity to, and economic connections with, neighboring areas of Idaho.