Editing Yerington, Nevada

{{short description|City in Nevada, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Yerington, Nevada
| settlement_type    = [[City]]
| nickname           = The Onion Capital of the West<ref>[https://www.rgj.com/story/news/local/mason-valley/2016/03/14/wright-yearning-fest-onion-capital-west/81767672/ Reno Gazette Journal], accessed March 3, 2021, "Wright: Yearning for a fest in Onion Capital of West"</ref>
| motto              = "Preserving Our History While Planning Our Future"
| image_skyline      = 2015-10-30 12 09 09 View north along Main Street (Nevada State Route 208) near Littell Street in downtown Yerington, Nevada.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = Main Street ([[Nevada State Route 208|SR 208]]) in downtown Yerington
| image_seal         = YeringtonNVseal.png
| image_map          = Lyon County Nevada Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Yerington Highlighted.svg
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Location of Yerington, Nevada
| pushpin_map        = USA
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in the United States
<!-- Location -->| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Nevada]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[County (United States)|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Lyon County, Nevada|Lyon]]
<!-- Government -->| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name        = 
| established_title  = Founded
| established_date   = {{Start date and age|1871|8|6}}
| established_title2 = Incorporated
| established_date2  = {{Start date and age|1907|3|17}}
| named_for          = Henry M. Yerington
<!-- 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_total_km2     = 76.30
| area_land_km2      = 76.30
| area_water_km2     = 0.00
| area_total_sq_mi   = 29.46
| area_land_sq_mi    = 29.46
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.00
<!-- Population -->| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 3121
| population_density_km2 = 40.90
| population_density_sq_mi = 105.94
<!-- General information -->| timezone           = PST
| utc_offset         = &minus;8
| timezone_DST       = PDT
| utc_offset_DST     = &minus;7
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 4577
| coordinates        = {{Coord|38|59|07|N|119|09|30|W|region:US-NV|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 89447
| area_code          = [[Area code 775|775]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 32-85400
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2412318<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2412318}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|www.yerington.net}}
| footnotes          = 
}}

'''Yerington''' is a city in [[Lyon County, Nevada]], United States. The population was 3,121 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US3285400&tid=DECENNIALSF12010.P1| title=Total Population: 2010 Census DEC Summary File 1 (P1), Yerington city, Nevada| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| website=data.census.gov| access-date=May 4, 2020}}</ref>  It is the current [[county seat]] of Lyon County, with the first county seat having been established at [[Dayton, Nevada|Dayton]] on November 29, 1861.<ref name="1stSession">{{cite book |author=<!--Legislative Assembly, Territory of Nevada.--> |title=Laws of the Territory of Nevada passed at the first regular session of the Legislative Assembly |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oq0wAQAAMAAJ |location=San Francisco, CA |publisher=Valentine & Co. |pages=289–291 |date=1862 |access-date=May 14, 2014 }}</ref>  It is named after Henry M. Yerington, superintendent of the [[Virginia and Truckee Railroad]] from 1868 to 1910.<ref name="OPNF">{{cite book | url=http://dwgateway.library.unr.edu/keck/histtopoNV/Origin_of_Place_Names_Files/1941NevadaOriginofNames-pt2.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180416200454/http://dwgateway.library.unr.edu/keck/histtopoNV/Origin_of_Place_Names_Files/1941NevadaOriginofNames-pt2.pdf |archive-date=2018-04-16 |url-status=live | title=Origin of Place Names: Nevada | publisher=W.P.A. | author=Federal Writers' Project | year=1941 | pages=49}}</ref>

==History==

===Native people===
The [[Yerington Paiute Tribe of the Yerington Colony and Campbell Ranch]] is headquartered in Yerington.<ref>Conway, Lorna. [http://www.ypt-nsn.gov/ "Tribal Government."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717100705/http://www.ypt-nsn.gov/ |date=2012-07-17 }} ''Yerington Paiute Tribe.'' 2007 (retrieved 12 December 2008)</ref> The people, known as ''Numu'' (human beings) in their own language, have lived in the Smith and Mason Valleys in Northwestern Nevada, since around 1000 A.D.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://yeringtonpaiute.us/index.php/our-culture|publisher=Yerington Paiute Tribe|access-date=2018-09-26|title=Our Culture}}</ref>

===City===
The community was formerly named '''Greenfield''', '''Mason Valley''', and '''Pizen Switch''' (irreverent nickname from the time where Yerington was a transfer - or switch - stop; and the local whiskey was so bad that it was called "poison". "Poison" came out sounding like "pizen" because of local vernacular, and the name "Pizen Switch" stuck.)

It was founded on August 6, 1871. The city was incorporated on March 17, 1907.<ref name="OPNF"/>

After the Dayton Court House burned down in 1909, the county seat was moved to Yerington in 1911.<ref name="1stSession"/>

===Wilson Ranch fire balloon===
During [[World War II]], one of many [[Japan]]ese [[Fu-Go balloon bomb]]s launched at the United States landed on the Wilson Ranch near Yerington.<ref>{{cite web | title=Japanese Balloons and Attached Devices, TAIC Report, Number 41, May 1945 | url=http://www.allworldwars.com/Japanese-Balloon-and-Attached-Devices.html | access-date=2015-02-07}}</ref> The ranchers, not knowing what it was, attempted to notify the authorities by mail, but did not receive a response until after they cut it up and used it as a hay tarp.<ref>{{cite news | last=Schindler | first=Hal | title=Utah Was Spared Damage By Japan's Floating Weapons | date=1995-05-05 | newspaper=[[The Salt Lake Tribune]] | url=http://historytogo.utah.gov/salt_lake_tribune/in_another_time/050595.html | access-date=2015-02-07}}</ref>

==Geography==
Yerington is located at the intersection of [[Special routes of U.S. Route 95#Schurz–Fernley alternate route|US 95A]] and [[Nevada State Route 208]]. It is {{convert|33|mi}} south of [[Silver Springs, Nevada|Silver Springs]] and [[U.S. Route 50]], 47 miles (76&nbsp;km) south of Fernley and Interstate 80, {{convert|23|mi}} west of [[Schurz, Nevada|Schurz]] and [[U.S. Route 95]], and {{convert|23|mi}} northeast of [[Smith Valley, Nevada|Smith Valley]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|76.3|km2|order=flip}}, all 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=May 4, 2020}}</ref> The [[Walker River]] is formed in southern Lyon County, {{convert|9|mi|0}} south of Yerington, by the confluence of the [[East Walker River|East Walker]] and [[West Walker River|West Walker]] rivers. It flows into the [[Mason Valley (Nevada)|Mason Valley]] where Yerington is located, and is used for [[irrigation]].

===Climate===
Yerington experiences a borderline [[Desert climate#Cold desert climates|cool desert climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''BWk'')/[[Semi-arid climate#Cold semi-arid climates|cool semi-arid climate]] (''BSk''). Yerington is noticeably more arid than areas even marginally closer to the Sierra Nevada – it receives only half as much precipitation as [[Carson City, Nevada|Carson City]], a third as much as [[South Lake Tahoe, California|South Lake Tahoe]] and only one-eighth as much as [[Nevada City, California]] on the western Sierra slopes. Because the drying effect of the [[Pine Nut Mountains]] is most pronounced in the winter, Yerington receives very little snow in most years, although in the very cold and snowy month of January 1916 as much as {{Convert|37.0|in|m|2}} fell and that season saw a total of {{Convert|39.5|in|m|2}}. January 2017 proved the first month to exceed {{Convert|4|in|mm|1|disp=or}} of precipitation when it totaled {{Convert|4.55|in|mm|1}}.<ref name=NOWData /> The wettest "rain year" has been from July 1955 to June 1956 with {{Convert|9.06|in|mm|1}} and the driest from July 1949 to June 1950 with only {{Convert|1.62|in|mm|1}}, although the calendar year of 1983 saw {{Convert|10.58|in|mm|1}}. The most precipitation in one day is {{Convert|2.02|in|mm|1}} on September 18, 1955, closely rivaled by December 23 of that year when {{Convert|2.00|in|mm|1}} fell.

During the summer, temperatures are generally hot to very hot in the afternoon, but the high altitude and low humidity means temperature drop to a comfortable level at night. On average, 8.0 afternoons each summer will exceed {{Convert|100|F|C|1|disp=or}} and 73.2 afternoons reach {{Convert|90|F|C|1}}. It is rare, though, that minima stay above {{Convert|68|F|C|1}}, although thirteen mornings stayed this warm in 2015. The hottest minimum has been {{Convert|78|F|C|1}} on July 22, 2003, and the hottest temperature {{Convert|107|F|C|1}} on July 15, 2014. In the winter, afternoons are sunny and cool to cold with all but 4.6 topping freezing on average, although mornings typically range from freezing to frigid: 135.5 mornings fall below freezing in an average year and 0.6 fall to or below {{Convert|0|F|C|1}}. The coldest temperature on record is {{Convert|&minus;26|F|C|1}} on January 21, 1937, and the coldest month January 1949 which averaged {{Convert|12.4|F|C|1}} with a mean minimum of {{Convert|&minus;4.6|F|C|1}}. The coldest afternoon is {{Convert|6|F|C|1}}, which occurred on February 6, 1989, and December 22, 1990.

{{Weather box
|location = Yerington, Nevada, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1894–present
|single line = Yes
|collapsed   = yes
|Jan record high F = 72
|Feb record high F = 76
|Mar record high F = 84
|Apr record high F = 92
|May record high F = 100
|Jun record high F = 105
|Jul record high F = 107
|Aug record high F = 106
|Sep record high F = 102
|Oct record high F = 93
|Nov record high F = 82
|Dec record high F = 74

|Jan avg record high F = 61.2
|Feb avg record high F = 66.0
|Mar avg record high F = 74.1
|Apr avg record high F = 80.1
|May avg record high F = 90.3
|Jun avg record high F = 97.1
|Jul avg record high F = 102.1
|Aug avg record high F = 100.3
|Sep avg record high F = 95.1
|Oct avg record high F = 85.5
|Nov avg record high F = 71.3
|Dec avg record high F = 61.5
|year avg record high F = 102.4

|Jan high F = 45.8
|Feb high F = 51.1
|Mar high F = 59.3
|Apr high F = 65.4
|May high F = 74.6
|Jun high F = 85.0
|Jul high F = 93.4
|Aug high F = 91.9
|Sep high F = 83.5
|Oct high F = 69.6
|Nov high F = 55.0
|Dec high F = 44.2
|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 34.2
|Feb mean F = 38.4
|Mar mean F = 45.5
|Apr mean F = 51.1
|May mean F = 59.6
|Jun mean F = 68.5
|Jul mean F = 76.0
|Aug mean F = 74.2
|Sep mean F = 66.2
|Oct mean F = 53.8
|Nov mean F = 41.3
|Dec mean F = 33.0
|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 22.7
|Feb low F = 25.7
|Mar low F = 31.8
|Apr low F = 36.8
|May low F = 44.6
|Jun low F = 52.0
|Jul low F = 58.6
|Aug low F = 56.5
|Sep low F = 48.9
|Oct low F = 38.0
|Nov low F = 27.6
|Dec low F = 21.8
|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = 9.9
|Feb avg record low F = 13.8
|Mar avg record low F = 19.5
|Apr avg record low F = 25.7
|May avg record low F = 32.6
|Jun avg record low F = 39.5
|Jul avg record low F = 49.9
|Aug avg record low F = 47.8
|Sep avg record low F = 37.4
|Oct avg record low F = 24.5
|Nov avg record low F = 13.6
|Dec avg record low F = 7.4
|year avg record low F = 4.6

|Jan record low F = -26
|Feb record low F = -23
|Mar record low F = -2
|Apr record low F = 5
|May record low F = 15
|Jun record low F = 26
|Jul record low F = 30
|Aug record low F = 26
|Sep record low F = 11
|Oct record low F = 5
|Nov record low F = -6
|Dec record low F = -20

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.54
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.40
|Mar precipitation inch = 0.49
|Apr precipitation inch = 0.33
|May precipitation inch = 0.63
|Jun precipitation inch = 0.42
|Jul precipitation inch = 0.28
|Aug precipitation inch = 0.22
|Sep precipitation inch = 0.12
|Oct precipitation inch = 0.34
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.39
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.42
|year precipitation inch =

|Jan snow inch = 0.6
|Feb snow inch = 0.4
|Mar snow inch = 0.0
|Apr snow inch = 0.3
|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 = 1.0
|Dec snow inch = 0.9
|year snow inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 3.6
|Feb precipitation days = 3.1
|Mar precipitation days = 3.3
|Apr precipitation days = 2.2
|May precipitation days = 3.7
|Jun precipitation days = 2.3
|Jul precipitation days = 1.4
|Aug precipitation days = 1.4
|Sep precipitation days = 1.0
|Oct precipitation days = 1.8
|Nov precipitation days = 2.4
|Dec precipitation days = 3.0

|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 0.4
|Feb snow days = 0.3
|Mar snow days = 0.1
|Apr snow days = 0.1
|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 = 0.2
|Dec snow days = 0.6

|source 1 = NOAA<ref name=NOAA>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00269229&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access
|access-date = September 21, 2022
}}
</ref>
|source 2 = National Weather Service<ref name = NOWData>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=rev
|publisher = National Weather Service
|title = NOAA Online Weather Data
|access-date = September 21, 2022
}}
</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1910= 682
|1920= 1169
|1930= 1005
|1940= 964
|1950= 1157
|1960= 1764
|1970= 2010
|1980= 2021
|1990= 2367
|2000= 2883
|2010= 3048
|2020= 3121
|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>
}}
[[File:Watering alfalfa field.JPG|thumb|right|Watering an alfalfa field in Yerington]]

For the 2010 [[census]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2018-09-15|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> basic statistics show there were 3,048 people, 1,302 households, and 747 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was 1792.9 people per square mile. There were 1,507 housing units at an average density of 886.5 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 80.20% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.60% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 6.80% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.60% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 8.90% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 3.00% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 18.80% of the population.

In comparison, during 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 2,883 people, 1,203 households, and 729 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was 1,698.4 people per square mile. There were 1,359 housing units at an average density of 800.6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 84.53% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.17% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 6.24% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.38% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 5.79% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 2.88% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 15.44% of the population.

There were 1,203 households, out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29, and the average family size was 2.97.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 25.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,151, and the median income for a family was $39,038. Males had a median income of $25,724 versus $24,550 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $18,640. About 12.6% of families and 17.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 26.2% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.

==In popular culture==
"[[Darcy Farrow]]," a folk song written by [[Steve Gillette]] and Tom Campbell, mentions Yerington ("Her eyes shone bright like the pretty lights / That shine in the night out of Yerington town," 7–8) and other places and landmarks in the area, including [[Virginia City, Nevada|Virginia City]], the Carson Valley, and the [[Truckee River]]. Critics have noted the geographical inaccuracy in the line "The [[Walker River|Walker]] runs down to the Carson Valley plain."<ref>{{cite web|last=Gillette|first=Steve|title=Darcy Farrow Lyrics|url=http://compassrosemusic.com/DarcyFarrowLyrics.asp|work=Steve Gillette & Cindy Mangsen website|access-date = 2013-02-08}}</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Nevada Barr]], (1952– ) mystery writer, created the Anna Pigeon series
* [[Jesse Brinkley]], (1976– ) professional boxer, contestant on season one of ''[[The Contender (TV series)|The Contender]]''
* [[Joe Dini]], (1929–2014) long time member of the [[Nevada Assembly]]
* [[Wovoka]], (1856–1932) also known as Jack Wilson. Paiute religious leader

==See also==
{{Portal|Nevada}}
* [[Anaconda Copper Mine (Nevada)]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Yerington, Nevada}}
* [http://www.yerington.net City of Yerington official website]

{{Lyon County, Nevada}}
{{Nevada}}
{{Nevada county seats}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:1871 establishments in Nevada]]
[[Category:Cities in Lyon County, Nevada]]
[[Category:Cities in Nevada]]
[[Category:County seats in Nevada]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1871]]