Blank Nevada map

What the outline shows

The map shows the state boundary only. The north edge with Oregon and Idaho is the 42nd parallel. The east edge with Utah and Arizona is a straight meridian. The west edge with California is two straight lines: one running south from Oregon along about 120°W, then from Lake Tahoe a diagonal running southeast to the Colorado River. The short southern tip is the Colorado River against Arizona, with Lake Mead and Laughlin on it. No county lines, ranges, or cities are drawn. Press Capital to mark Carson City, near Lake Tahoe in the far west, which students often confuse with Las Vegas at the southern tip. Nevada is on Pacific time, though West Wendover on the Utah border uses Mountain time unofficially.

Portrait or landscape

Nevada is about 490 miles from the Oregon line to the southern tip and about 320 miles wide at the top, narrowing to a point. Print in portrait. The wedge shape leaves the lower-left part of the page empty in portrait, a good place for a key. Landscape shrinks the state to about two-thirds of the size and leaves both sides blank. Nevada's mountain ranges all run north–south, so any exercise drawing them fits the portrait page.

Five classroom exercises

1. Draw the diagonal California border from Lake Tahoe to the Colorado River and mark Tahoe at the bend.
2. Draw the Humboldt River flowing west across the north of the state from near Wells to the Humboldt Sink, and note it never reaches the sea.
3. Mark the Colorado River at the southern tip with Lake Mead and Hoover Dam, and label Arizona across the river.
4. Place Las Vegas, Henderson, Reno, Carson City and Elko, and draw the line of Interstate 80 across the north linking Reno and Elko.
5. Draw five of the north–south ranges of the Great Basin, such as the Ruby, Toiyabe and Snake ranges, as parallel lines, and mark Boundary Peak on the California line.

How to recognise the Nevada outline

• A wedge or funnel: wide flat top, straight sides, tapering to a point at the bottom.
• The left side has a sharp bend a third of the way down, at Lake Tahoe.
• The right side is a single straight line the whole way down.
• A tiny wavy segment at the point, where the Colorado River forms the border.

Answer key and related maps

• Nevada map — the labeled version with capital, cities and borders; use it as the answer key.
• Printable Nevada map — the same outline with cities, county lines and the capital printed on.
• Nevada county map — all 17 counties with their seats.
• Carson City — the capital, near Lake Tahoe.
• Neighbours: Idaho, Utah, Arizona, California, Oregon.
• US deserts, Mojave Desert and Colorado River.
• All blank state maps and the printable US maps index.