The capital of Nevada is Carson City, named for the American frontiersman Kit Carson.
The settlement was established in the Eagle Valley near the Sierra Nevada and was first known as Eagle Station. It was renamed Carson City in 1858, honoring Kit Carson, who had guided an expedition through the region in 1843–1844. The city became the territorial capital in 1861 and retained that status when Nevada became a state in 1864.
Carson City grew during the mining era, especially after the discovery of the Comstock Lode near Virginia City. Nevada’s admission to the Union during the American Civil War led to its nickname, “the Battle Born State.”
Las Vegas is Nevada’s largest and best-known city, while Reno is another major population center. Neither is the state capital. Carson City is unusual among Nevada municipalities because it functions as both a consolidated municipality and the state’s capital.