Fernley

History

Fernley, established in 1904, developed as primarily an agricultural and ranching community in proximity to Reno. It is unknown why the name "Fernley" was applied to this community. It, along with the defunct settlement of Fernley, California are the only two known places in the world to have the name Fernley. Much of the farmland in the Fernley area was developed through the Newlands Irrigation Project, which was a result of the Newlands Reclamation Act of 1902. The project established an irrigation system that delivers water to an area stretching from Derby Dam, along the Truckee River, to the Lahontan Reservoir near Fallon, Nevada. Construction and expansion of the system took place from the inception through the 1960s. Many of the concrete irrigation headgates, still in use today, are embossed with the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) stamp and date of construction. In addition to the irrigation system in the Fernley area, a drainage system was also constructed to carry away excess water and mineral salts from the farmlands. This system consists of channels ( deep) dug adjacent to fields; it eventually terminates in the sink northeast of Fernley. The irrigation system is administered and maintained through the Truckee–Carson Irrigation District. The Southern Pacific Railroad completed the Fernley and Lassen Railway in 1914. The transcontinental Lincoln/Victory Highways was built through town in the 1920s. In 1965, the Nevada Cement Company started operation in a new plant built on the north side of the city between Fernley and Wadsworth. This was the first significant non-agricultural/ranching business to come to Fernley, aside from the railroad. Primary employment in Fernley began a steady transition to an industrial and commuter base. Beginning in the 1970s,…

Geography

Fernley is located at the intersection of Interstate 80, U.S. Route 50 Alternate and U.S. Route 95 Alternate (US 95A). Although it originally spanned the Lyon–Washoe county line, a county boundary change in 2005 left it entirely in Lyon County. | date=March 16, 2023}}

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Fernley High School
  High · Fernley · 1,308 students · 25.2:1 ratio
• Silverland Middle School
  Middle · Fernley · 643 students · 20.7:1 ratio
• Fernley Intermediate School
  Middle · Fernley · 640 students · 22.9:1 ratio
• Cottonwood Elementary School
  Elementary · Fernley · 579 students · 18.7:1 ratio
• East Valley Elementary School
  Elementary · Fernley · 563 students · 20.1:1 ratio
• Fernley Elementary School
  Elementary · Fernley · 428 students · 18.6:1 ratio
• Lyon County Adult Education
  Other · Fernley · 32 students