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The biggest misconception about Reno is probably its location. Television commentators, scenes and dialogue in movies, even some of Nevada’s lore suggests that Reno and Las Vegas are next-door neighbors, related by the desert and a proclivity for casinos. Reno, located in northern Nevada, is more than 400 miles from Las Vegas. Reno’s geography is representative of its close proximity to the Sierra Nevada, with numerous mountain ranges, alpine trees, weather patterns that clearly reflect the four seasons of fall, winter, spring and summer,  a river that runs through downtown Reno (the Truckee) and picturesque foothills that possess plentiful amounts of sagebrush to reinforce a distinctly “Northern Nevada” character.

Reno, the “The Biggest Little City in the World,” is only a short drive from California. Our city is one of the fastest-growing in the country, with a population of close to 400,000 and a favorable quality of life that has been recognized by numerous national sources, including Forbes magazine. Reno’s population enjoys an array of cultural activities, including one of the most unique museums in the country, numerous theatre companies, a symphony, ballet and opera. There are several major venues for concerts, sporting events and other live performances, including Lawlor Events Center on campus and the Reno Events Center, located less than 10 minutes on foot from campus in downtown Reno.

Visitors have called Reno one of the country’s true outdoor meccas, and for good reason. Within a one-hour drive of Reno are 15 world-class skiing and snowboarding resorts, Lake Tahoe, the Nevada state capital in Carson City, thousands of mountain biking and hiking trails ­ including the 165-mile Tahoe Rim Trail, ­ numerous lakes and the Truckee River, which runs from the California state line through downtown Reno, where one of country’s top outdoor whitewater kayak parks is located. Reno¹s sister city, Sparks, is home to several special events that draw thousands of attendees to the area in the summer and fall. Lake Tahoe, which can be accessed from Reno from two different major highways, has been selected on numerous occasions as the nation¹s most popular destination.

Known as the “jewel of the Sierra" for its clear blue water and panorama of surrounding mountains, Tahoe, with its 6,229-foot elevation, is the highest lake of its size in the U.S. Located beyond Donner Summit on Interstate 80 is California¹s state capital, Sacramento, less than two hours from Reno, as well as the San Francisco Bay Area, which is less than four hours from Reno.

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