Reno, city in western Nevada and seat of Washoe County. The city is located on the Truckee River, near the Lake Tahoe resort area of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Reno is a busy resort with large gambling casinos. Its proximity to a region of magnificent scenery and outdoor recreation makes it popular with tourists. Reno is also a residential community and a commercial, services, and manufacturing center. Products include building materials, electronic equipment, plastics, and specialized medical software. Reno is served by the Reno/Tahoe International Airport.
Reno is home to the University of Nevada-Reno (1874), a community college, and the Desert Research Institute, a division of the University of Nevada System. Museums include the Nevada Museum of Art, featuring American art from the 19th and 20th centuries; the Nevada State Historical Society Museum, housing items from prehistoric times to the state's present; the William F. Harrah Foundation National Automobile Museum; and the W. M. Keck Museum, part of the Mackay School of Mines, with mining artifacts and a large exhibit on minerals. The University of Nevada is also the site of the Fleischmann Planetarium. North of Reno are the Animal Ark Wildlife Sanctuary and Nature Center and Pyramid Lake, Nevada's largest natural lake and the site of sacred land of the Paiute people. Annual events in Reno include the Reno Rodeo, the Nevada State Fair, and the National Championship Air Races.
