Editing Caliente, Nevada

{{short description|City in Lincoln County, Nevada, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Caliente, Nevada
| settlement_type    = [[City]]
| image_blank_emblem = CalienteNVlogo.png
| blank_emblem_type  = Logo
| nickname           = City of Roses<ref name="Travel Nevada">{{cite web | title=Caliente Restaurants - Caliente NV Hotels | website=Travel Nevada | date=2022-05-04 | url=https://travelnevada.com/cities/caliente/ | access-date=2022-08-27}}</ref>
| motto              = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline      = CalienteNV.jpg
| imagesize          = 250px
| image_caption      = The historic [[Caliente station|Caliente Railroad Depot]],<br>January 2007
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = <!-- Maps -->
| image_map          = Lincoln_County_Nevada_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Caliente_Highlighted.svg
| mapsize            = 250x200px
| map_caption        = Location of Caliente, Nevada
| image_map1         = 
| mapsize1           = 
| map_caption1       = 
| pushpin_map        = Nevada#USA
| pushpin_label      = Caliente
| pushpin_map_caption = <!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{USA}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = {{flag|Nevada}}
| subdivision_type2  = [[County (United States)|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Lincoln County, Nevada|Lincoln]]
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = Steve Rowe<ref>{{cite web |title=The Mayor |url=https://www.cityofcaliente.com/the-mayor/ |website=The City of Caliente |access-date=10 May 2025}}</ref>
| leader_title1      = 
| leader_name1       = 
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = <!-- Area -->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=September 19, 2022}}</ref>
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 137.33
| area_land_km2      = 137.33
| area_water_km2     = 0.00
| area_total_sq_mi   = 53.02
| area_land_sq_mi    = 53.02
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.00

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 990
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
| population_est     = 
| population_density_km2 = 7.21
| population_density_sq_mi = 18.67

<!-- General information -->| timezone           = [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific (PST)]]
| utc_offset         = &minus;8
| timezone_DST       = PDT
| utc_offset_DST     = &minus;7
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 5131
| coordinates        = {{coord|37|36|55|N|114|30|51|W|region:US-NV_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 89008
| area_code          = [[Area code 775|775]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 32-08500
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2409959<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2409959}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|http://www.cityofcaliente.com/}}
}}

'''Caliente''' {{IPAc-en|k|æ|l|i|ˈ|ɛ|n|t|i}}, formerly known as '''Culverwell''' and '''Calientes''', is a city in [[Lincoln County, Nevada|Lincoln County]], [[Nevada]], United States. The population was 1,130 at the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]],<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US3208500&tid=DECENNIALSF12010.P1| title=Total Population: 2010 Census DEC Summary File 1 (P1), Caliente city, Nevada| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| website=data.census.gov| access-date=May 1, 2020}}</ref> making it the least populated incorporated city in Nevada.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/502234/smallest-town-each-50-states | title=The Smallest Town in Each of the 50 States | work=Mental Floss | date=25 August 2017 | access-date=25 June 2018 | author=Rivero, Nicolas}}</ref> The city's name originated from the nearby [[hot spring]]s, as "''caliente''" is the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] word meaning "hot".<ref name="coc">{{Cite web |url=http://www.lincolncountynevada.com/Lincoln-County-Nevada-Caliente.html |title=Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce Website, Caliente |access-date=2009-11-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090904020536/http://www.lincolncountynevada.com/Lincoln-County-Nevada-Caliente.html |archive-date=2009-09-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url=http://dwgateway.library.unr.edu/keck/histtopoNV/Origin_of_Place_Names_Files/1941NevadaOriginofNames-pt1.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180409171723/http://dwgateway.library.unr.edu/keck/histtopoNV/Origin_of_Place_Names_Files/1941NevadaOriginofNames-pt1.pdf |archive-date=2018-04-09 |url-status=live | title=Origin of Place Names: Nevada | publisher=W.P.A. | author=Federal Writers' Project | year=1941 | pages=43}}</ref>

==History==
Caliente was founded in 1901 on Culverwell Ranch (or just "Culverwell"), built on land owned by William and Charles Culverwell. The town was initially given the name of "Calientes", due to the hot springs present in the area, but later in the year a post office was erected and workers removed the "s" from the name of the town. In 1905, the [[Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad]] was completed, followed by the construction of the train depot in the style of Spanish mission architecture. The train depot, built in 1923, is now home to some city and county offices and a museum that exhibits historical information. Caliente once reached a peak of over 5,000 residents,<ref name="coc"/> but declined in the late 1940s as a result of [[Dieselisation#Rail transport|rail dieselization]].<ref>{{Cite journal| last=Cottrell| first=W. F.| date=1951 |title=Death by Dieselization: A Case Study in the Reaction to Technological Change| journal=American Sociological Review| volume=16| issue=3| pages=358–365| doi=10.2307/2087609| issn=0003-1224| jstor=2087609}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| align = left
| 1950 = 970
| 1960 = 792
| 1970 = 916
| 1980 = 982
| 1990 = 1111
| 2000 = 1123
| 2010 = 1130
| 2020 = 990
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 1,123 people, 408 households, and 241 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|603.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 479 housing units at an average density of {{convert|257.5|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 87.27% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.96% [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 3.03% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.62% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.09% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 3.56% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 3.47% from two or more races. 7.30% of the population were [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Latino]] or of any type of race.

There were 408 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.9% were non-families. 37.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 39.1% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 17.5% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,833, and the median income for a family was $38,667. Males had a median income of $39,500 versus $24,688 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $20,555. About 17.3% of families and 22.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 31.4% of those under age 18 and 17.9% of those age 65 or over.

==Geography and climate==
[[File:2015-01-15 14 39 33 View south along U.S. Route 93 in Caliente, Nevada.JPG|thumb|left|South along [[U.S. Route 93 in Nevada|U.S. Route 93]] in Caliente, January 2015]]
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|141.9|sqkm|order=flip}}, all of it land.<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| access-date=April 30, 2020}}</ref>

Caliente has a high-desert climate typical for a location around {{convert|4000|ft}} in elevation. Winters are chilly, but only moderately cold. Summers are characterized by blazing sunshine, long days, cool nights, and high diurnal temperature range. January highs average in the mid 40s, while July averages mid 90s.

A majority of precipitation occurs in the winter months (Nov - March) due to the yearly dip of the jetstream bringing Pacific storms. Temperatures in summer are very warm to hot. The July average of {{convert|95.4|F}} means that 100-degree days are a common occurrence in a typical summer. The elevation, aridity, and clear skies allow intense radiative cooling, even in midsummer. This means hot days are followed by mild evenings. Southerly monsoon rains from mid-July through September bring thunderstorms, increased dew points, and [[flash flood]]ing.{{clear left}}

{{Weather box
 | width       = auto
 | collapsed   = yes
 | single line = yes
 | location    = Caliente, Nevada (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1903–1916, 1931–2020)
 | Jan record high F  = 71
 | Feb record high F  = 81
 | Mar record high F  = 90
 | Apr record high F  = 94
 | May record high F  = 103
 | Jun record high F  = 109
 | Jul record high F  = 110
 | Aug record high F  = 108
 | Sep record high F  = 106
 | Oct record high F  = 95
 | Nov record high F  = 82
 | Dec record high F  = 71
 | year record high F = 
 | Jan high F = 48.5
 | Feb high F = 53.4
 | Mar high F = 62.1
 | Apr high F = 68.7
 | May high F = 78.7
 | Jun high F = 90.0
 | Jul high F = 96.5
 | Aug high F = 94.2
 | Sep high F = 86.8
 | Oct high F = 73.7
 | Nov high F = 59.9
 | Dec high F = 48.1
 | year high F = 71.7
 | Jan mean F = 33.5
 | Feb mean F = 38.0
 | Mar mean F = 45.2
 | Apr mean F = 51.3
 | May mean F = 60.4
 | Jun mean F = 69.8
 | Jul mean F = 76.8
 | Aug mean F = 74.8
 | Sep mean F = 66.5
 | Oct mean F = 54.0
 | Nov mean F = 41.7
 | Dec mean F = 33.0
 | year mean F = 53.8
 | Jan low F = 18.6
 | Feb low F = 22.5
 | Mar low F = 28.2
 | Apr low F = 33.8
 | May low F = 42.1
 | Jun low F = 49.7
 | Jul low F = 57.2
 | Aug low F = 55.4
 | Sep low F = 46.1
 | Oct low F = 34.2
 | Nov low F = 23.6
 | Dec low F = 17.9
 | year low F = 35.8
 | Jan record low F  = -31
 | Feb record low F  = -19
 | Mar record low F  = 2
 | Apr record low F  = 15
 | May record low F  = 22
 | Jun record low F  = 33
 | Jul record low F  = 40
 | Aug record low F  = 34
 | Sep record low F  = 25
 | Oct record low F  = 9
 | Nov record low F  = 0
 | Dec record low F  = -18
 | year record low F = 
 | precipitation colour   = green
 | Jan precipitation inch = 0.86
 | Feb precipitation inch = 0.99
 | Mar precipitation inch = 1.20
 | Apr precipitation inch = 0.58
 | May precipitation inch = 0.68
 | Jun precipitation inch = 0.39
 | Jul precipitation inch = 0.69
 | Aug precipitation inch = 0.86
 | Sep precipitation inch = 0.49
 | Oct precipitation inch = 0.75
 | Nov precipitation inch = 0.55
 | Dec precipitation inch = 0.81
 | year precipitation inch = 8.85
 | unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
 | Jan precipitation days  = 4.7
 | Feb precipitation days  = 4.8
 | Mar precipitation days  = 4.9
 | Apr precipitation days  = 4.1
 | May precipitation days  = 4.2
 | Jun precipitation days  = 1.9
 | Jul precipitation days  = 4.2
 | Aug precipitation days  = 4.1
 | Sep precipitation days  = 3.2
 | Oct precipitation days  = 3.5
 | Nov precipitation days  = 2.8
 | Dec precipitation days  = 4.0
 | year precipitation days = 46.4
 | Jan snow inch = 2.8
 | Feb snow inch = 2.2
 | Mar snow inch = 0.5
 | Apr snow inch = 0.2
 | May snow inch = 0.0
 | Jun snow inch = 0.0
 | Jul snow inch = 0.0
 | Aug snow inch = 0.0
 | Sep snow inch = 0.0
 | Oct snow inch = 0.0
 | Nov snow inch = 0.3
 | Dec snow inch = 2.7
 | year snow inch = 8.7
 | unit snow days = 0.1 in
 | Jan snow days  = 1.2
 | Feb snow days  = 1.1
 | Mar snow days  = 0.4
 | Apr snow days  = 0.3
 | May snow days  = 0.0
 | Jun snow days  = 0.0
 | Jul snow days  = 0.0
 | Aug snow days  = 0.0
 | Sep snow days  = 0.0
 | Oct snow days  = 0.0
 | Nov snow days  = 0.5
 | Dec snow days  = 1.2
 | year snow days = 4.7
 | source = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]]<ref name="NOWData">{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=vef
|title = NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|access-date = December 16, 2023}}</ref><ref name="NCEI">{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00261358&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|title = Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|access-date = December 16, 2023}}</ref>
}}

==Attractions==
*Caliente is located near [[Kershaw–Ryan State Park]]. This park contains hiking trails, campgrounds, volleyball courts, picnic pavilions, horseshoe pits, a playground, and a small natural swimming pool.
*The [[Caliente Railroad Depot]] is a two-story [[Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad]] depot next to the rail line. It houses the city's offices, a library, and a gallery.

==Outdoor recreation==
Caliente is home to extensive outdoor recreation opportunities.  As of mid-2020, there are approximately 30 miles of purpose-built singletrack mountain bike trail in and around town, bringing mountain bikers from across the country to enjoy the wild, isolated Nevada desert. There are thousands of miles of motorized off-road track and trail, and several large motorized races and events are hosted in Caliente each year.  [[Rainbow Canyon (Nevada)|Rainbow Canyon]] and [[Big Rocks Wilderness]] offer a wide variety of rock climbing routes, while nearby [[Eagle Valley Reservoir]] boasts fishing and boating.

==FLDS controversy==
According to testimony given in the criminal case, ''Utah v. [[Warren Jeffs]]'', the Hot Springs Motel located in Caliente is the site of several forced marriages between under-aged girls and older men. The hotel was owned and operated by members of the [[Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints]] (FLDS Church). This was verified in grand jury testimony involving the trial ''Arizona v. Warren Jeffs''. Jeffs was the leader of the polygamous FLDS Church, and before his capture was on the [[FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives]] list. The motel was sold to a Las Vegas company in 2004.<ref>{{cite web |title=Motel offered privacy for sect's secretive weddings |url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/motel-offered-privacy-for-sects-secretive-weddings/ |publisher=Las Vegas Review-Journal |access-date=9 May 2020 |date=16 September 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=JENNIFER DOBNER |title=Motel room was often site of polygamist rites |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/motel-room-was-often-site-of-polygamist-rites/ |publisher=The Seattle Times |access-date=9 May 2020 |date=21 November 2006}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Nevada}}
* [[List of cities in Nevada]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Caliente, Nevada}}
* {{official website|http://www.cityofcaliente.com/}}
* [https://travelnevada.com/cities/caliente/] at the Nevada Commission on Tourism, travelnevada.com

{{Lincoln County, Nevada}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Nevada]]
[[Category:Cities in Lincoln County, Nevada]]
[[Category:Spa towns in the United States]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1901]]
[[Category:1901 establishments in Nevada]]