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Why visit Wells
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 5 places to eat and 10 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Trail of the 49ers Interpretive Center and Chimney Rock Municipal Golf Course.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; January lows average 12°F.
Weather in Wells
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Wells
Wells is a small city in Elko County, in northeast Nevada in the western United States. As of the 2020 census, Wells had a population of 1,237. Wells is located at the junction of Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 93, approximately 50 miles (80 km) east of Elko and is part of the Elko micropolitan area.
From the Wikipedia article Wells, Nevada (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks2
Trail of the 49ers Interpretive Center
Museum · 0.6 mi
436 6th Street, Wells
Mo-Fr 10:00-15:00
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Chimney Rock Municipal Golf Course
Golf course · 1.4 mi
9 hole Par 35
750 Ventosa, Wells
Restaurants and cafes5
Betaso's Restaurant & Bar
Restaurant · Mexican, American · 1.2 mi
755 Humboldt Avenue, Wells
Su-Th 12:00-20:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-21:00
JJ's Smokehauz
Diner · American · 0.8 mi
Temporarily closed
1237 6th Street, Wells
Where to stay10
Park Inn by Radisson
Motel and hotel · 0.8 mi
1561 6th Street, Wells
History
The site of Wells began as a place called Humboldt Wells along the trail to California. It was subsequently founded as a railroad town along the original Transcontinental Railroad, and was once a stopover for passenger trains. The Humboldt River has its source in springs and a swampy area just west of the city that today is called Humboldt Wells. In 1877, Humboldt Wells was burning down, and in a frantic plea for help, a telegraph was sent that said, "Wells is burning". After this the town was rebuilt and simply referred to as 'Wells'.
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurred near Wells at 6:16 A.M. on February 21, 2008. Because of its proximity to the epicenter, Wells experienced significant damage. The earthquake originated 5.6 miles (9.0 km) below the surface, with its epicenter only 12 miles (19 km) distant from Wells, at 41.077 N, 114.752 W.
From the History section of Wells, Nevada on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship2
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging7
Schools, colleges and libraries7
Healthcare1
Map of Wells
37 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°F | 12°F | 0.8 in |
| Feb | 39°F | 17°F | 0.7 in |
| Mar | 50°F | 24°F | 0.8 in |
| Apr | 57°F | 28°F | 1.1 in |
| May | 67°F | 35°F | 1.1 in |
| Jun | 77°F | 42°F | 0.6 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 50°F | 0.4 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 48°F | 0.3 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 39°F | 0.8 in |
| Oct | 62°F | 28°F | 0.7 in |
| Nov | 47°F | 20°F | 0.9 in |
| Dec | 37°F | 12°F | 1.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Wells 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, 48 miles away.
- Osino 39 mi west, about 1 h by car
- Spring Creek 42 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Elko 47 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- West Wendover 52 mi southeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Wendover 55 mi southeast, 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
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- 2012-10-20 View of Wells in Nevada from Angel Lake Road (Nevada State Route 231), Famartin, CC BY-SA 3.0
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