Empire Store Bat Country, 2006
Empire’s story
75 years in pictures
The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 2006 and 2 maps from 1964 on.
- 1951Empire is settled
EmpireNV
A town, settled in 1951.
Photo: Kees08 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Land area
5 sq mi
Is Empire a good place to live?
Empire’s July high is 94°F, against 94°F in Nevada’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns. 86% of the land in Empire is conserved, against 5.2% in Nevada’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. We don’t grade Empire yet; the figures below are still real.
Getting set up
Moving to Empire: who provides what
Empire is unincorporated, so Washoe County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerNV Energy13.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterEmpire Mining CompanyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet1 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesWashoe CountyWashoe County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Nevada you can register online until 5 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 28 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereWashoe County Registrar of VotersWashoe County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code8940589405 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Empire.
Outdoors
Conserved land covers nearly a third of Empire
6.4 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. Empire’s trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile.
85.8%conserved
85.8%
conserved · 2,800 of 3,265 acres
6.4 mi
of trails · 1.3 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
In Empire, the FEMA risk score runs higher than in the typical Nevada or U.S. town
The FEMA risk score in Empire is 97 of 100.
97risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
WildfireInland floodingAvalanches
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Empire, expect four seasons and hot summers
Empire has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 94°, January nights drop to 23° and about 13 inches of snow falls in a winter.
13″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–46°
Spring37–66°
Summer56–90°
Fall37–69°
Oct 15
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Empire
11pages on Empire
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Empire; the nearest are
About Empire
Place in Nevada, United States
Empire is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Washoe County, Nevada, United States, with a population estimated at 65 (2021). Prior to the 2010 census it was part of the Gerlach–Empire census-designated place, it is now part of the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area. The nearest town, Nixon, is 60 miles (97 km) to the south on a reservation owned by the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. For 63 years, from 1948 to 2011, Empire was a company town of the US Gypsum Corporation, a manufacturer of gypsum-based construction sheetrock, and once had a population of more than 750 people. US Gypsum closed the mine and the town in 2011; the mine and town were bought in 2016 by the Empi…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.1 sq mi
Questions about Empire
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Empire, NV a good place to live?
We don’t grade Empire yet; the figures below are still real.