Why visit Elko
Townapedia lists 10 museums and landmarks, 16 parks and trails, 53 places to eat, 38 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Elko Cinema 6, Crystal 5, Northeastern Nevada Museum and Elko County Courthouse.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 92°F; December lows average 15°F, and about 41 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Elko
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Elko
Elko is a city in and the county seat of Elko County, Nevada, United States. As of the 2020 census, Elko had a population of 20,564. Elko serves as the center of the Ruby Valley, a region with a population of over 55,000.
From the Wikipedia article Elko, Nevada (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Museums and landmarks10
Northeastern Nevada Museum
Museum · 0.8 mi
1515 Idaho Street, Elko
Tu-Sa 09:00-17:00, Su 13:00-17:00, Mo off
Elko County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Courthouse
Elko Main Post Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Post office in Elko, Nevada
Ruby Valley Pony Express Station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Western Folklife Center
Museum · 0.5 mi
501 Railroad Street, Elko
Mo-Fr 10:00-17:00; Sa 10:00-17:30; PH off
Cowboy Gear and Arts Museum
Museum · 0.5 mi
Note: Hours can occasionally vary or differ slightly across regional listings, such as Tuesday through Thursday/Saturday variants...
542 Commercial Street, Elko
Open on Monday, Friday, Saturday 10:00 – 16:00
Parks, trails and playgrounds16
_in_Elko,_Nevada.JPG){kind=link}
4 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes53
Blue Moon Asian Cuisine & Sushi Bar
Restaurant · Japanese · 0.7 mi
1430 Idaho Street, Elko
Mo-Su 11:00-21:30
Garibaldi's Restaurant
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.0 mi
1830 Idaho Street, Elko
Su 10:30-21:00, Mo-Th 10:30-21:30, Fr-Sa 10:30-22:00
Starbucks
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.0 mi
1744 Mountain City Highway, Elko
Mo-Fr 04:00-20:00; Sa-Su 05:00-20:00
Cowboy Joe
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.5 mi
376 5th Street, Elko
Mo-Fr 05:30-17:00; Sa 06:00-17:00; Su 08:00-17:00
41 more on the map.
History
Though Elko lies along the route of the historic California Trail, its roots as a town date only back to its establishment in 1868 by settlers, when it was at the east end of the railroad tracks built by the Central Pacific Railroad (the portion of the First transcontinental railroad built from California to Utah). When the railroad crews moved on, Elko remained, serving as a center for ranching, mining, rail freight, and general supplies.
Elko is said to have been named by Charles Crocker, a superintendent of the Central Pacific Railroad. He was fond of animal names and added the letter "o" to Elk. There is no definitive evidence of this naming history, but it has become the widely accepted version.
The first Elko County Courthouse was built in 1869. Elko was officially incorporated as a city in 1917. The first church and school opened in 1870, and in 1896, Elko High School became the first county school in Nevada.
From the History section of Elko, Nevada on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay38
Churches and places of worship5
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 1.3 mi
3001 5th Street, Elko
Shopping13
Gas and EV charging15
Schools, colleges and libraries19
Elko Institute For Academic Achievement
School · 0.5 mi
1031 Railroad St Ste 107, Elko
Healthcare4
Map of Elko
176 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38°F | 16°F | 1.2 in | 10.4 in |
| Feb | 43°F | 20°F | 0.9 in | 6.8 in |
| Mar | 53°F | 27°F | 1.0 in | 5.5 in |
| Apr | 60°F | 32°F | 1.1 in | 3.3 in |
| May | 70°F | 38°F | 1.2 in | 0.4 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 45°F | 0.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 92°F | 52°F | 0.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 49°F | 0.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 40°F | 0.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 66°F | 29°F | 0.7 in | 0.5 in |
| Nov | 50°F | 22°F | 0.9 in | 4.1 in |
| Dec | 38°F | 15°F | 1.2 in | 10.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Elko Rgnl Ap Hcn (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Elko County has had 18 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2020-04-04: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2017-07-17: Oil Well Fire (Fire)
- 2017-03-27: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2011-10-03: Indian Creek Fire (Fire)
- 2007-07-23: Murphy Fire Complex (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Elko Regional Airport (EKO) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Osino 9 mi northeast, about 15 min by car
- Spring Creek 11 mi southeast, about 18 min by car
- Carlin 20 mi southwest, about 32 min by car
- Wells 47 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Crescent Valley 51 mi southwest, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- 2012-09-30 14 28 33 View of downtown Elko in Nevada from a bluff to the south, Famartin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2015-03-16 13 47 57 Silver Maple in flower at Grammar School Number 2 in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2015-03-16 13 48 08 Silver Maple in flower at Grammar School Number 2 in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2015-03-16 13 55 18 Silver Maple flowers at Grammar School Number 2 in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2015-03-16 13 49 07 Silver Maple flowers at Grammar School Number 2 in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2015-03-16 13 49 28 Silver Maple flowers at Grammar School Number 2 in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2015-03-16 13 48 36 Silver Maple branches with flowers at Grammar School Number 2 in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2015-03-16 13 48 32 Silver Maple branches with flowers at Grammar School Number 2 in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2015-03-16 13 53 42 Grammar School Number 2 in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2015-03-16 13 52 45 Grammar School Number 2 in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Partial Lunar Eclipse Elko Nevada (7178439919), Jeremy Michael, CC BY 2.0
- Elko County Court House Nevada - panoramio, Chanilim714, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Chamber of Commerce Elko Nevada - panoramio, Chanilim714, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2014-05-02 14 05 58 View southeast along 7th Street in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2015-03-27 16 18 55 High Tech Center at Great Basin College in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2015-03-27 16 19 53 Elko County School District Administration Building in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2015-03-27 16 03 56 McMullen Hall at Great Basin College in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2015-03-27 16 05 19 Purple-leaf plum blossom buds at Great Basin College in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2015-03-27 16 03 43 Lundberg Hall at Great Basin College in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2015-03-27 16 05 32 Crabapple beginning to green up at Great Basin College in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2015-03-27 16 17 45 Berg Hall at Great Basin College in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2015-03-27 16 04 34 Grass lawn at Great Basin College in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2014-04-28 18 02 46 Flowering plum in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2014-04-28 18 00 42 Peach blossoms in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2014-04-28 18 00 10 Peach flowering in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2014-04-28 18 00 31 Peach flowering in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2014-04-28 18 00 05 Peach flowering in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2014-04-28 18 01 18 Peach blossoms in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2014-04-28 18 01 05 Peach blossoms in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2014-04-28 18 00 51 Peach blossoms in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2015-03-27 16 25 32 Cemetery in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2015-03-27 16 01 51 Berg Hall at Great Basin College in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2015-03-27 16 25 27 Cemetery in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2015-03-27 16 02 31 Colorado Spruce with trunk sprouts at Great Basin College in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2015-03-27 16 02 46 Colorado Spruce with trunk sprouts at Great Basin College in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2015-03-27 16 02 41 Colorado Spruce with trunk sprouts at Great Basin College in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2015-03-27 16 02 14 McMullen Hall at Great Basin College in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2015-03-25 13 37 39 The Elko County Court House on Idaho Street (Interstate 80 Business) in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2015-04-07 16 25 03 The old Post Office on 3rd Street in Elko, Nevada, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- RUBY VALLEY PONY EXPRESS STATION, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.