Esmeralda County is a county in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2023 estimate, the population was 736, making it the least populous county in Nevada, and the 20th least populous county in the United States. Esmeralda County does not have any incorporated communities. Its county seat is the town of Goldfield.

Its 2000 census population density of 0.2706 inhabitants per square mile (0.1045/km) was the second-lowest of any county in the contiguous United States (above Loving County, Texas). Its school district does not have a high school, so students in grades 9–12 go to school in Tonopah, in the Nye County School District.

Most residents live in Goldfield or in the town of Dyer in Fish Lake Valley, near the California border. Esmeralda is the only Nevada county in the Los Angeles TV market (or any California market) as defined by The Nielsen Corporation.

Esmeralda County is one of the original counties in Nevada, established on November 25, 1861. When it was organized, it comprised the part of the Nevada Territory south of the 39th parallel and east of Mason Valley. Esmeralda is the Spanish and Portuguese word for "emerald". An early California miner from San Jose, James Manning Cory, named the Esmeralda Mining District after Esmeralda the Romani dancer from The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.

Just after the organization of Esmeralda County, the vast majority of the land area had yet to be explored. John C. Frémont was one of the few people who had explored parts of the county. He had crossed Big Smoky Valley in 1845. Also, Aurora and its northern corridor had been encountered. In 1862 and 1863, the area along the Reese River was explored during the Reese River excitement. The event resulted in the establishment of three mining districts in the Toiyabe Range, namely Marysville, Twin River, and Washington, and the establishment of a number of settlements and ranches in Esmeralda County. Explorers pursued south and explored the Shoshone Mountains. The mining district Union was organized after silver was found in 1863 and the settlement of Ione was founded there.

The total area of Esmeralda County more than halved as Nye County was organized on February 16, 1864, entirely out of land that used to be part of Esmeralda County. Esmeralda has had three county seats: Aurora until 1883, Hawthorne from 1883 to 1907 and finally Goldfield. At one point, due to the disputed border with California, Aurora was simultaneously the county seat of both Mono County, California and Esmeralda County. Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) wrote about his time as a miner in the Esmeralda District in his book Roughing It.

Esmeralda grew from a gold mining boom in the first years of the 20th century. The mines were largely tapped out by the end of the 1910s and the economy and population declined afterwards.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,589 square miles (9,300 km), of which 3,582 square miles (9,280 km) is land and 7.2 square miles (19 km) (0.2%) is water. It is the fourth-smallest county in Nevada by area. A very small part of Death Valley National Park lies in its southeast corner.

The county is dominated by the Silver Peak and Monte Cristo mountain ranges. Mountains in the county include:

• Boundary Peak, 13,147 feet (4,007 m), the highest natural point in Nevada
• Piper Peak, 9,450 feet (2,880 m), the most prominent peak in Esmeralda County
• Magruder Mountain 9,044 feet (2,757 m)
• Montezuma Peak, 8,373 feet (2,552 m)
• Emigrant Peak, 6,790 feet (2,070 m)

• Mineral County - northwest
• Nye County - east
• Inyo County, California - south
• Mono County, California - west

• Death Valley National Park (part)
• Inyo National Forest (part)
• Boundary Peak Wilderness

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1870	1,553		—
1880	3,220		107.3%
1890	2,148		−33.3%
1900	1,972		−8.2%
1910	9,369		375.1%
1920	2,410		−74.3%
1930	1,077		−55.3%
1940	1,554		44.3%
1950	614		−60.5%
1960	619		0.8%
1970	629		1.6%
1980	777		23.5%
1990	1,344		73.0%
2000	971		−27.8%
2010	783		−19.4%
2020	729		−6.9%
2023 (est.)	736		1.0%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020

At the 2000 census there were 971 people, 455 households, and 259 families living in the county. The population density was 0 people per square mile (0 people/km). There were 833 housing units at an average density of 0 per square mile (0/km). The racial makeup of the county was 81.98% White, 0.10% Black or African American, 5.15% Native American, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 7.62% from other races, and 4.94% from two or more races. 10.20% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 455 households 21.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.40% were married couples living together, 6.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.90% were non-families. 36.00% of households were one person and 13.20% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.79.

The age distribution was 20.50% under the age of 18, 6.00% from 18 to 24, 23.40% from 25 to 44, 33.00% from 45 to 64, and 17.20% 65 or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 123.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 118.70 males.

The median household income was $33,203 and the median family income was $40,917. Males had a median income of $39,327 versus $25,469 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,971. 15.30% of the population and 7.50% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 9.70% are under the age of 18 and 11.40% are 65 or older.

At the 2010 census, there were 783 people, 389 households, and 213 families living in the county. The population density was 0.2 inhabitants per square mile (0.077/km). There were 850 housing units at an average density of 0.2 per square mile (0.077/km). The racial makeup of the county was 84.4% white, 4.2% American Indian, 0.4% Asian, 6.6% from other races, and 4.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 15.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 26.7% were German, 18.6% were English, 14.0% were American, 13.8% were Irish, and 8.7% were Swedish.

Of the 389 households, 18.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 45.2% were non-families, and 40.6% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.01 and the average family size was 2.67. The median age was 52.9 years.

The median household income was $39,712 and the median family income was $57,292. Males had a median income of $41,023 versus $27,019 for females. The per capita income for the county was $34,571. About 6.7% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.

The county seat of Esmeralda County is Goldfield since May 1, 1907. The courthouse was opened on May 1, 1908, and has been in continuous use since then. Currently, the Offices of the Assessor, Auditor/Recorder, District Attorney, Sheriff/Jail, Justice of the Peace, Treasurer, District Court, and Commissioner are located in the building.

United States presidential election results for Esmeralda County, Nevada

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	400	82.14%	74	15.20%	13	2.67%
2016	329	77.78%	65	15.37%	29	6.86%
2012	317	72.87%	92	21.15%	26	5.98%
2008	303	69.02%	104	23.69%	32	7.29%
2004	367	76.30%	99	20.58%	15	3.12%
2000	333	67.82%	116	23.63%	42	8.55%
1996	277	50.73%	140	25.64%	129	23.63%
1992	221	37.84%	118	20.21%	245	41.95%
1988	380	68.84%	143	25.91%	29	5.25%
1984	453	70.02%	158	24.42%	36	5.56%
1980	311	66.31%	110	23.45%	48	10.23%
1976	181	43.51%	214	51.44%	21	5.05%
1972	273	68.25%	127	31.75%	0	0.00%
1968	138	39.09%	118	33.43%	97	27.48%
1964	131	41.19%	187	58.81%	0	0.00%
1960	156	42.05%	215	57.95%	0	0.00%
1956	164	56.94%	124	43.06%	0	0.00%
1952	174	55.59%	139	44.41%	0	0.00%
1948	164	44.93%	183	50.14%	18	4.93%
1944	150	40.21%	223	59.79%	0	0.00%
1940	292	31.36%	639	68.64%	0	0.00%
1936	156	21.61%	566	78.39%	0	0.00%
1932	147	25.65%	426	74.35%	0	0.00%
1928	305	47.21%	341	52.79%	0	0.00%
1924	241	33.20%	150	20.66%	335	46.14%
1920	466	49.57%	347	36.91%	127	13.51%
1916	709	31.08%	1,135	49.76%	437	19.16%
1912	252	13.81%	713	39.07%	860	47.12%
1908	2,208	38.17%	2,787	48.18%	789	13.64%
1904	490	42.20%	380	32.73%	291	25.06%

The Esmeralda County School District has three elementary schools that currently serve approximately 90 students.

As of 2022 it sends its high school students to Tonopah High School of Nye County School District.

The county is in the service area of Great Basin College.

• Dyer
• Goldfield (county seat)
• Silver Peak

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Esmeralda County, Nevada
• USS Esmeraldo County (LST-761)

• Official website
• Esmeralda County School District
• Aurora, Esmeralda County, Nevada Collection. Western Americana Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

37°47′05″N 117°37′57″W / 37.7847°N 117.63237°W / 37.7847; -117.63237