The community was first populated during the gold rush, because multiple travelers stopped after crossing the Carson River. The town and post office were established on July 24, 1896 in a little shack belonging to Michael Fallon and Eliza Fallon, who operated a ranch at the site. Shortly afterwards, Jim Richards later operated a store near the post office. The town was officially incorporated in 1908. On June 16, 2019, downtown Fallon was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Geography
Fallon is located in western Churchill County at the geographic coordinates . It is in the Lahontan Valley, a former lakebed into which flows the Carson River, which passes north of the city. According to the United States Census Bureau, Fallon has a total area of, of which is land and, or 0.49%, is water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,536 people, 3,004 households, and 1,877 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,474.1 people per square mile. There were 3,336 housing units at an average density of 1,095.2 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 76.5% White, 2.0% African American, 3.0% Native American, 4.7% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.9% of the population. There were 3,004 households, out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.7% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.06. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $35,935, and the median income for a family was $41,433. Males had a median income of $35,356 versus $22,818 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,919. About 9.5% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.6% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.
Fallon experiences a cold desert climate, with hot summers and cold winters. Due to Fallon's elevation and aridity, the diurnal temperature variation is quite substantial, especially in the summer months. Fallon's climate is quite dry, due to its location in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada. Summer days can be hot, but temperatures are cooler than in deserts such as the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan deserts, due to Fallon's altitude and higher latitude north of the equator. In the winter, daytime temperatures are usually above freezing, but nights can be bitterly cold. Fallon can experience heavy fog in winter, known as pogonip. Climate data below were accessed via the Western Regional Climate Center on 24 June 2020.
According to the Home Improvement episode "A Sew Sew Evening", Al was stationed in Fallon when he served in the Navy, which was a disappointment to him since he wanted to see the world. He used the native pronunciation of "Nevada", which is unusual for an outsider, especially someone in the Midwest.
The Go-Getter, starring Zooey Deschanel and Jena Malone, mentions Fallon many times and even brings up Fallon's annual Heart 'O Gold Cantaloupe Festival. Malone's character lives in Fallon, and parts of the movie were filmed in and around Fallon.
