When was Nye County founded?

Nye County was founded in 1864, formed from Esmeralda County, and named after James W. Nye.

What is the county seat of Nye County?

The county seat of Nye County is Tonopah.

Is there an online parcel map for Nye County?

Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 60,215 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Nye County's boundary or name changed?

Nye County was created in 1864 from Esmeralda County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 12 later changes, chiefly involving Esmeralda County, Lincoln County and Bullfrog County.

Who issues building permits in Nye County?

The county's page on building permits: Encroachment Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.

Who issues septic and well permits in Nye County?

The county's page on septic systems and wells: Health and Human Resources - Tonopah.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

We do not have flood maps for Nye County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

County · code 32023

Nye CountyNevada

Nye County is in Nevada and has its seat in Tonopah. It was formed on February 16, 1864, and named after James W. Nye.

Founded1864
County seatTonopah
Named forJames W. Nye
Land area18,182 sq mi + 17 sq mi water
Population51,591 2020 Census
Parcels mapped60,215 checked 16 October 2026

Open the free map Click any parcel in Nye County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated 20 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Nye on the map of Nevada

Nevada has 17 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Counties of Nevada · Nye highlighted

History

Formed in 1864 from Esmeralda County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Nye County was created from Esmeralda County and non-county area. It gained territory from Churchill, Esmeralda, and Lander counties in 1865, and from Utah and Arizona territories in 1866. The county lost land to the creation of Lincoln County in 1866, and continued boundary adjustments with neighboring counties through 1875.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

1864
Nye County created Nye created by Nevada Territory from Esmeralda and Non-County Area.
from Esmeralda
16 February 1864 · Nev. Terr. Stats. 1864, 3d sess., ch. 102/p. 143
1864
Became part of Nevada Nye became a county in the state of Nevada. 31 October 1864 · U.S. Stat., vol. 13, ch. 36[1864]/pp. 30-32 and proc. 22/p. 749; Van Zandt, 158-160
1865
Gained territory Nye gained from Churchill, Esmeralda, and Lander.
from Churchill from Esmeralda from Lander
9 March 1865 · Nev. Stats. 1865, 1st sess., ch. 106/p. 352
1866
Lost territory Nye lost to creation of Lincoln.
to Lincoln
26 February 1866 · Nev. Stats. 1866, 2d sess., ch. 48/p. 131
1866
Gained territory Nye gained from Beaver (Utah), Iron (Utah), Millard (Utah), and Pah-Ute (Arizona Territory, extinct) when the state of Nevada gained from Arizona Territory and Utah Territory.
from Beaverfrom Ironfrom Millardfrom Pah-Ute
5 May 1866 · U.S. Stat., vol. 14, ch. 73[1866]/p. 43; Van Zandt, 158, 165; Nev. Stats. 1866, 2d sess., ch. 84/p. 183

Show all 13 changes (8 more)

1864
Nye County created Nye created by Nevada Territory from Esmeralda and Non-County Area.
from Esmeralda
16 February 1864 · Nev. Terr. Stats. 1864, 3d sess., ch. 102/p. 143
1864
Became part of Nevada Nye became a county in the state of Nevada. 31 October 1864 · U.S. Stat., vol. 13, ch. 36[1864]/pp. 30-32 and proc. 22/p. 749; Van Zandt, 158-160
1865
Gained territory Nye gained from Churchill, Esmeralda, and Lander.
from Churchill from Esmeralda from Lander
9 March 1865 · Nev. Stats. 1865, 1st sess., ch. 106/p. 352
1866
Lost territory Nye lost to creation of Lincoln.
to Lincoln
26 February 1866 · Nev. Stats. 1866, 2d sess., ch. 48/p. 131
1866
Gained territory Nye gained from Beaver (Utah), Iron (Utah), Millard (Utah), and Pah-Ute (Arizona Territory, extinct) when the state of Nevada gained from Arizona Territory and Utah Territory.
from Beaverfrom Ironfrom Millardfrom Pah-Ute
5 May 1866 · U.S. Stat., vol. 14, ch. 73[1866]/p. 43; Van Zandt, 158, 165; Nev. Stats. 1866, 2d sess., ch. 84/p. 183
1867
Exchanged territory Nye exchanged with Lincoln.
with Lincoln
18 March 1867 · Nev. Stats. 1867, 3d sess., ch. 90/p. 129
1869
Exchanged territory Nye exchanged with Esmeralda.
with Esmeralda
5 March 1869 · Nev. Stats. 1869, 4th sess., ch. 75/p. 128
1875
Lost territory Nye lost to Lincoln.
to Lincoln
20 February 1875 · Nev. Stats. 1875, 7th sess., ch. 36/pp. 80-81
1875
Lost territory Nye lost to Esmeralda and White Pine.
to Esmeralda to White Pine
26 February 1875 · Nev. Stats. 1875, 7th sess., chs. 50, 52/pp. 102-105
1913
Gained territory Nye gained small area in the city of Tonopah from Esmeralda.
from Esmeralda
24 March 1913 · Nev. Stats. 1913, 26th sess., ch. 221/p. 312
1985
Changed Boundary between Nye and Clark was adjusted and placed on public land survey lines.
Clark
7 June 1985 · Nev. Stats. 1985, 63rd sess., ch. 551, p. 1654-1655
1987
Lost territory Nye lost to creation of Bullfrog (extinct). This creation was an effort by Nevada to discourage construction of the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste disposal site.
to Bullfrog
29 June 1987 · Nev. Stats. 1987, 64th sess., ch. 819/pp. 2304-2305; Coates, "Nevada Scam"
1989
Gained territory Nye gained all of Bullfrog; Bullfrog eliminated following a Nevada District Court ruling that the creation was unconstitutional.
from Bullfrog
3 May 1989 · Nev. Stats. 1989, 65th sess., ch. 104/pp. 241-246

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Nye

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 60,215 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 16 October 2026
Address points Missing

No public address points layer found for Nye County yet.
Buildings Reference

Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026

Official: from the office that keeps the record
Good enough: a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback: a guide only; check the official record
Missing: nothing public found yet

People and land

Nye by the Census

Population

51,591 2020 Census count

Housing units

25,191 2020 Census count

Land area

18,182 square miles

Water area

17 square miles

People per sq mi

3 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Who to ask before you build, dig or sell

Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.

Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.

Records

Assessor and property recordsfrom nyecountynv.gov · checked 13 October 2026
Clerk of court: deeds and plats
Clerk
from nyecountynv.gov · checked 13 October 2026

Permits

Health department: septic and well
Health and Human Resources - Tonopah
from nyecountynv.gov · checked 13 October 2026
Encroachment Permitsfrom nyecountynv.portal.opengov.com

Zoning and code

Planning and zoning
Building
from nyecountynv.gov · checked 13 October 2026
Nye County Codefrom nyecounty.municipalcodeonline.com
Pahrump Zoningfrom nyecountynv.gov

County government

County government
The official website of Nye County.
nyecountynv.gov

See your own lot on these maps

Open Nye County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

Open the free map no sign-in Pro early access

Questions

Common questions about Nye County

When was Nye County founded?: Nye County was founded in 1864, formed from Esmeralda County, and named after James W. Nye.
What is the county seat of Nye County?: The county seat of Nye County is Tonopah.
Is there an online parcel map for Nye County?: Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 60,215 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Nye County's boundary or name changed?: Nye County was created in 1864 from Esmeralda County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 12 later changes, chiefly involving Esmeralda County, Lincoln County and Bullfrog County.
Who issues building permits in Nye County?: The county's page on building permits: Encroachment Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Who issues septic and well permits in Nye County?: The county's page on septic systems and wells: Health and Human Resources - Tonopah.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Nye County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby