Carson City

Understand

From the beginning, Carson City was intended to be Nevada's capital. Its cause was advanced by local fraternal orders and businessmen, chief among them Abraham Curry, who bankrolled and oversaw many of Carson City's early developments. Carson City was once home to an outlet of the US Mint. The collectible "CC" Carson City coins were produced here from 1870-1893.

With several hidden surprises for the history buff, Carson City is a pleasant daytrip from nearby Reno and Lake Tahoe.

Climate

Visitors information

Get in

By plane

The nearest airport for commercial flights to Carson City is Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO), 30 miles north via Highway 395. Carson City has Carson Airport (CSN), a small regional airport for general aviation with no scheduled commercial services via major airlines.

By car

Carson City can be accessed via US Highway 50 from the east and west, and US Highway 395 from the north and south.

From Reno

Highway 395 from Reno comes into Carson City just south of Washoe Lake. The divided freeway ends at the junction with Highway 50.

From California

Highway 395 from Bishop comes into Carson City approximately 30 miles north of the Nevada/California border.

Highway 50 from Sacramento and Lake Tahoe comes into Carson City via Spooner Summit.

From the east

Highway 50 from Fallon, Austin, Eureka, and Ely comes into Carson City just west of Mound House.

By bus

Carson City is served weekday mornings and afternoons via Washoe County RTC's commuter express bus service RTC Regional Connector from Reno. Buses go both directions in the early morning and late afternoon.

Eastern Sierra Transit provides very limited service from Reno, Mammoth Lakes, Bishop, and Lone Pine, with connections to other places.

The Tahoe Transportation District serves Carson City a few times a day from Minden, with connections to South Lake Tahoe and its vicinity.

Get around

By bus

Carson City's transit service is called JAC (for Jump Around Carson). Regular scheduled service operates 6 days a week hourly on 3 routes. RTC Intercity shares a few stops with JAC. JAC connects to Tahoe Transportation, offering stops in Minden, Gardnerville and South Lake Tahoe. The route setup and schedule frequency of the various bus transit services operating in and around Carson City makes using public transit as your primary means of getting around in the Carson City area a challenge.

By car

Interstate 580 Nevada, known until 2012 as US 395, connects Carson City with Reno and terminates at the junction with US-50.

Carson Street, which is also US 395 business, runs north-south through the city. It is supplemented by Stewart Street, Roop Street, and Saliman Rd providing north-south connectivity through Carson City.

Williams Street is also US-50 as it heads east through Carson City. Highway 50 (as it is mostly referred to locally) is joined by 5th Street to the south and College Parkway on the north carrying traffic eastward and westward to and from Carson Street. The west side of Carson Street is known as Carson City's "West Side" and is served mainly by small neighborhood streets.

By foot

Downtown Carson City and the West Side are all easily explored on foot. The Kit Carson Trail, a route of blue lines and bronze medallions on the sidewalk, guides the visitor past a variety of historic and cultural attractions.

Go next

• Lake Tahoe. Just over Spooner Summit at the south end of town, via Highway 50 West (completely different road than the popular "Highway 50" Williams Street), is Lake Tahoe. Carson City is a direct route to South Lake Tahoe and the Stateline casino area, as well as Heavenly ski area and the rest of what Lake Tahoe has to offer.
• Nevada Outback. The other way on Highway 50 East, Williams Street, you find the Nevada outback. This region of basins and ranges is perhaps best explored via Highway 50. Overnight trips work best for anything beyond Sand Mountain, which lies outside Fallon. Other things to see along the Highway 50 corridor include Fort Churchill State Park, Lahontan Reservoir, and the historic diametric opposite central Nevada mining towns of Austin and Eureka.
• Carson Valley. South along 395, the Carson Valley is home to Genoa, Nevada's oldest settlement (established as Mormon Station in 1851), as well as the towns of Minden and Gardnerville. Gardnerville is home to some Basque food and downtown Minden is quaint and picturesque. Kingsbury Grade climbs the Sierra west of Carson Valley to Lake Tahoe, and is the Nevada side entrance to Heavenly Ski Resort.