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
The trail density for Empire comes to 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
62% of Empire’s expected losses from natural hazards come from wildfires, followed by inland flooding at 16%. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 97% of U.S. communities.
97risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
WildfireInland floodingAvalanches
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and hot summers in Empire
A winter brings about 13 inches of snow, with January nights at 23° and July afternoons at 94°.
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.