Reno Arch, Desert city in Nevada, United States

Reno sits along the Truckee River and is surrounded by the Sierra Nevada mountains at an elevation of 1373 meters in Washoe County. The town spreads across several wide avenues where casinos, residential areas and shops are scattered between the slopes.

The town began in 1868 as a railway stop and took its name from Civil War General Jesse Lee Reno. In the following decades it grew into a crossroads for travelers and gambling, which still shapes how the place looks today.

Visitors walk through the National Automobile Museum and see more than 200 historic cars that show how Americans traveled and lived across different decades. The collection sits just steps from downtown, where casinos and wedding chapels draw people day and night, creating a rhythm that mixes tradition with spectacle.

Reno-Tahoe International Airport links the town to 22 destinations across the country without stopping through several carriers. Downtown can be walked easily, but trips to the surrounding mountains or Lake Tahoe work better with a car.

The arch on Virginia Street was built in 1926 and displays the town motto on bright letters. At night it glows in changing colors and becomes one of the most photographed spots downtown.