Goodsprings

History

The town was named for cattle rancher Joseph Good, whose cattle frequented a spring nestled in the southeastern foothills of the Spring Mountains. Mormon miners discovered lead at Potosi Mountain in 1856. Gold was first discovered in the region in 1893. Over the years, lead, silver, copper, zinc and gold have all been mined from this area. Before 1900, a small cluster of tent cabins and a mill were erected, as well as a post office. Lincoln County established Goodsprings Township. In 1904, Salt Lake City mining interests platted the Goodsprings Township. Most early buildings in the town were constructed during the boom spurred by the railroad in 1910–1911. After a number of moves, the current Goodsprings Schoolhouse was erected in 1913. Now on the National Register of Historic Places, it is the oldest school in Clark County that was built as a school. By 2016, the school had only around 10 students. The town boasted a population of 800 by 1918. However, after World War I, mining slowed and families moved away. World War II created a second boom, but it too slowed after the war ended.

Geography

Goodsprings is in the Goodsprings Valley of southern Nevada. The Bird Spring Range lies to the northeast with Las Vegas beyond. The community is on Nevada State Route 161 five miles northeast of Jean and Interstate 15. According to the United States Census Bureau, the census-designated place (CDP) of Goodsprings has a total area of , all of it land. Goodsprings experiences an arid climate with long, hot summers, and mild winters.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Larrea tridentata (DC.) Coult.

  Larrea tridentata (DC.) Coult. · Magnoliopsida
  2,458
• Joshua-tree

  Yucca brevifolia Engelm. · Liliopsida
  1,073
• Mohave yucca

  Yucca schidigera Roezl ex Ortgies · Liliopsida
  951
• cottontop cactus

  Echinocactus polycephalus Engelm. & J.M.Bigelow · Magnoliopsida
  773
• Pelecyphora dasyacantha (Engelm.) D.Aquino & Dan.Sanchez

  Pelecyphora dasyacantha (Engelm.) D.Aquino & Dan.Sanchez · Magnoliopsida
  520
• Engelmann's hedgehog cactus

  Echinocereus engelmannii (Parry ex Engelm.) Lem. · Magnoliopsida
  513
• Le Conte barrel cactus

  Ferocactus cylindraceus (Engelm.) Orcutt · Magnoliopsida
  269
• Mormon-tea

  Ephedra nevadensis S.Watson · Gnetopsida
  231

Largest nearby schools

• Sandy Valley J-SHS
  High · Sandy Valley · 188 students · 13.4:1 ratio
• Sandy Valley ES
  Elementary · Sandy Valley · 120 students · 12:1 ratio
• Goodsprings ES
  Elementary · Goodsprings · 2 students · 1:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.68 — 2026-06-22
  31 km NE of Fort Irwin, CA
• M 3.75 — 2026-06-04
  11 km NW of Summerlin South, Nevada
• M 3.34 — 2026-03-28
  27 km S of Tecopa, CA
• M 2.79 — 2026-01-15
  14 km SSE of Tecopa, California
• M 2.64 — 2025-10-07
  20 km SW of Primm, NV
• M 3.3 — 2025-06-05
  24 km ENE of Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada