Mina, Nevada

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mina is a small community in Mineral County in west-central Nevada on U.S. Highway 95. The 2000 census shows Mina with a population of 261. The zip code is 89422, and the area code is 775. Mina was founded as railroad town in 1905 and was named for the daughter of a railroad executive. The name "Mina" comes from Spanish for "mine" or "ore". The Nevada & California Railway, a division of Southern Pacific, had a railroad station in the town. The railroad is long gone, but at one time a local shuttle called the "Slim Princess" allowed Indians to ride for free on top of the railcars, and passengers and crew would shoot wild game such as jack rabbits, ducks and sage hens from the open windows. The train moved so slow that hunters had time to retrieve their game and hop back on board.

Despite its size, Mina can be quite volatile.

The town lies northeast of the Excelsior Mountains, and northwest of the Pilot Mountains which contain Pilot Peak, at 9,182 feet above sea level. It is approximately nine miles southeast of the community of Luning, and nine miles north of Tonopah Junction. The community lies a little more than 100 miles southeast of the state capital, Carson City.

Average July high temperatures range from 61° to 96°F, with January averaging between 22° and 47°F. The highest temperature ever recorded in Mina was 110°F in 1933, with a low in 1990 of –23°F. Mina receives very little rainfall, and in an average year gets about six inches, with no month getting more than one inch in a normal year. The town has a small airport at its southeastern end, with a runway approximately 4,600 feet long.