Skip to ContentReno began at a bridge over the Truckee River, was named for a Union general in 1868 and became known for its arch, its railroad and a six-week divorce law.
Checked November 2, 2026. Dates, prices and hours change; the official page wins.
- 1868town established (Wikipedia)
- 1926first Reno Arch
- 1987third and current arch
- 264,165people, 2020 census (Wikipedia)
How Reno Began
The Riverwalk District says Reno was founded beside the first bridge across the Truckee River. Wikipedia (secondary) names it as Charles Fuller’s 1859 toll bridge, later Lake’s Crossing; the town was established May 9, 1868, after a Central Pacific station was built, and was named for Maj. Gen. Jesse Lee Reno. It became the Washoe County seat in 1871 and incorporated March 16, 1903. The 2020 census counted 264,165 people.
The Arch
The Reno Arch spans Virginia Street at Commercial Row and is owned and run by the City of Reno. Wikipedia says the first arch went up October 23, 1926 for the Nevada Transcontinental Highway Exposition, and the slogan “The Biggest Little City in the World” first appeared on it June 25, 1929, after a contest. (The Reno article gives March 14, 1929 for the contest win, so the two dates may describe different steps.) A larger arch with a rotating star followed in 1963, and the current third arch was installed August 8, 1987, converted to LED lights in 2009 and recolored silver and blue by May 2018. The original 1926 arch has stood on Lake Street since 1995. The city has not confirmed these dates on a page we read.
The Divorce Era
Nevada cut its residency requirement for divorce to six weeks in 1931, Wikipedia says, and the business faded after California adopted no-fault divorce in 1969. The Riverwalk District places Reno’s divorce era in the 1930s and 1940s. Also in 1931 the state legalized open gambling; that one plain sentence is all this guide says about it.
The River Came Back
Through the middle of the 20th century the river “took a back seat” to downtown, the Riverwalk District says. In the 1990s the city built the Raymond I. Smith Truckee River Walk. See the Riverwalk page.
What We Could Not Confirm
These items were not read on an official page when we checked, so we do not state them as fact. Who can confirm each one is named.
- Founding and arch dates beyond what Wikipedia says (City of Reno or the Nevada Historical Society).
- Which bridge came first: Wikipedia names an 1859 toll bridge; the Riverwalk District says only the late 1800s.
More to Explore
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Reno founded?
Wikipedia gives May 9, 1868 for the town, after the railroad arrived; a toll bridge on the river dates to 1859.
Sources
- Riverwalk District: History (official)
- Wikipedia: Reno, Nevada (secondary)
- Wikipedia: Reno Arch (secondary)
Cite this page: It’s Reno editorial team, “Reno History,” itsreno.com, checked November 2, 2026.