Rachel, Nevada

{{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2016}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Rachel, Nevada | settlement_type = Census-designated place | named_for = Rachel Jones  | image_skyline = {{Photomontage | photo1a = Little A'Le'Inn Rachel NV 2.jpg | photo2a = Rachel NV Hwy375.jpg | photo2b = Little A'Le'Inn - Rachel, Nevada (14472614283).jpg | photo3a = Alienstock 2019 Music Festival.jpg | photo3b = ID4timecapsule.jpg | photo4a = 2014-07-18 13 11 09 Sign for and view of Rachel, Nevada from northbound Nevada State Route 375 about 38.5 miles north of Nevada State Route 318.JPG | photo4b = Little A'lee'inn.JPG | spacing = 1 | position = center | color_border = white | color = white | size = 280 | foot_montage = '''Clockwise from top:''' {{flatlist| * The Little A'Le'Inn * Inside the Little A'Le'Inn in May 2014 * Independence Day 4 time capsule installed by the production team outside the A'Le'Inn * A tow truck towing a crashed UFO, a local art installation * Sign for and view of Rachel, Nevada northbound on the Extraterrestrial Highway * The Alienstock music festival hosted to celebrate the storming of Area 51 * Rachel, as seen from Highway 375, looking northwest }} }} | imagesize = 250px | image_caption =  | pushpin_map = Nevada#USA | pushpin_label = Rachel | pushpin_label_position = top | pushpin_map_caption = | pushpin_mapsize = | pushpin_relief = yes | image_map = | map_caption =  | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = United States | subdivision_type1 = State | subdivision_name1 = Nevada | subdivision_type2 = County | subdivision_name2 = Lincoln | government_footnotes = | government_type = | leader_title = | leader_name = | established_title = | established_date = 1996-07-04  | unit_pref = Imperial | area_footnotes = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 19, 2022}}</ref> | area_total_sq_mi = 4.34 | area_land_sq_mi = 4.34 | area_water_sq_mi = 0.00 | area_total_km2 = 11.24 | area_land_km2 = 11.24 | area_water_km2 = 0.00  | population_as_of = 2020 | population_footnotes = | population_total = 48 | population_density_sq_mi = 11.07 | population_density_km2 = 4.27  | timezone = PST | utc_offset = -08:00 | timezone_DST = PDT | utc_offset_DST = -07:00 | elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/> | elevation_ft = 4794 | coordinates = {{coord|37|38|21|N|115|45|15|W|region:US-NV_type:city|display=inline,title}}  | postal_code_type = ZIP Code | postal_code = 89001 | area_code = 775 | blank_name = FIPS code | blank_info = 32-58820 | blank1_name = GNIS feature ID | blank1_info = 2583953<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2583953}}</ref> | website = {{URL|https://www.rachel-nevada.com/}} | footnotes = }}

'''Rachel''' is a census-designated place (CDP) in Lincoln County, Nevada, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 48.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rachel CDP, Nevada |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/all?q=Rachel%20CDP,%20Nevada |access-date=1 April 2022 |website=Census.gov}}</ref> As the closest settlement to the Nellis Air Force Range and Area 51, Rachel enjoys a modest celebrity status, particularly among aviation enthusiasts and UFO hunters.

==Overview== Rachel is over {{convert|100|mi|km}} north of Las Vegas in the Great Basin Desert, along Nevada Highway 375 (the "Extraterrestrial Highway") in Nevada. The tiny town receives a substantial number of visitors and tourists, catered to by a small tourist shop, a 12-room motel, and an alien-themed restaurant and bar, the Little A'Le'Inn.<ref name="Berk Destinations">{{cite journal|last=Berk|first=Joe|title=Destinations: The Extraterrestrial Highway|journal=Motorcycle Classics|date=July–August 2013|volume=7|issue=6|url=http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/classic-motorcycle-touring/extraterrestrial-highway-zmkz12jazbea.aspx|access-date=February 27, 2013}}</ref>

Several unpaved roads near Rachel lead from Highway 375 to the boundary of Area 51.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rachel-nevada.com/tikaboo_valley_map.html|title=Rachel, NV and Tikaboo Valley Map|website=www.rachel-nevada.com}}</ref>

Rachel's resident population generally numbers around 50, with some of them involved in ranching. Most of the year-round inhabitants live in mobile homes.<ref>{{cite book|last=Bryan|first=C.D.B.|title=Close Encounters Of The Fourth Kind: Alien Abduction, UFOs, and the Conference at M.I.T.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zs0ApdiSIZ8C&pg=PT263|date=November 2, 2011|publisher=Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-307-80316-0|page=263}}</ref> Rachel has never had a post office. The children are bussed to Alamo, approximately {{convert|50|mi|km}} away, for school.<ref>{{cite book|last=Darlington|first=David|title=Area 51: The Dreamland Chronicles|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g60pAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT119|date=January 7, 2014|publisher=Henry Holt and Company|isbn=978-1-4668-6197-8|page=119}}</ref> North of the town is the Quinn Canyon Range that has the ghost town of Adaven.

==History== ===Early years=== Rachel was founded in May 1973 by a local alfalfa farmer named D.C. Day.<ref name="Arnu 1996"/> The community was first known as Tempiute Village, and then later as Sand Springs.<ref name="Arnu 1996"/>

On February 15, 1978, the town was renamed to Rachel after the first baby born in the valley, Rachel Jones (1978–1980). Rachel Jones died on May 24, 1980. In memory of her, Rachel residents created a cemetery and memorial park. Rachel Jones was not buried at Rachel Cemetery.<ref name="rachel_nevada_2002">{{cite web |url=http://www.rachel-nevada.com/rachel_history.html |title=A Short History on Rachel, Nevada |publisher=rachel-nevada.com |first1=Glen |last1=Campbell |first2=Edith |last2=Grover |first3=Joerg H. |last3=Arnu |date=April 25, 2002 |access-date=September 22, 2019}}</ref>

Electricity arrived in Rachel on March 22, 1978, supplied to the Penoyer Valley by the Penoyer Valley Electric Cooperative.<ref name="rachel_nevada_2002"/>

In 1980, the Rachel Baptist Mission, Rachel's only church, began service in a donated mobile home. Since then, a part-time pastor has come to Rachel for religious services every Sunday morning.

===Mid-air collision=== On July 10, 1986, at about 4:10 pm, two F-16s of the Norwegian Air Force collided in mid-air while participating in Red Flag exercises near Rachel. One of them crashed within Rachel, only {{convert|25|yd|m|0}} from the edge of a mobile home park. The pilot of the downed fighter had ejected safely before the crash, and the other F-16 made it back to Nellis Air Force Base. The pilot of the downed F-16 suffered only minor injuries, and was transported from the crash site within 20 minutes of the incident by a U.S. Air Force helicopter.<ref>{{cite news |title=Norwegian jets collide near Nellis |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/reno-gazette-journal-norwegian-jets/175216984/ |work=Reno Gazette-Journal |date=July 11, 1986 |page=C1}}</ref>

===Events=== In 1995, the Rachel Baptist Mission moved into a permanent building at the same site that it had occupied previously.

In 2006, KFC created a giant company logo on the ground at the north edge of Rachel and claimed it to be the first logo visible from space.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kfc.com/about/pressreleases/111406.asp |title=Press Releases |date=November 14, 2006 |access-date=October 13, 2007|archive-date=June 21, 2007|archive-url=https://archive.today/20070621225646/http://www.kfc.com/about/pressreleases/111406.asp}}</ref> Constructed in early November, it took six days to assemble the 65,000 colored tiles on {{convert|87500|sqft|m2|-1}} of flat desert terrain.<ref>{{cite book | last1=Butko | first1=B. | last2=Butko | first2=S. | title=Roadside Attractions: Cool Cafés, Souvenir Stands, Route 66 Relics, & Other Road Trip Fun | publisher=Stackpole Books | year=2007 | isbn=978-0-8117-0229-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-p9HerXN0ZcC&pg=PA91 | access-date=June 29, 2017 | page=91}}</ref> The logo also had a hidden message on the tie area of the logo that featured an impostor colonel holding a sign over his head, reading "Finger Lickin' Good". The logo was removed in mid-2007.

==Demographics== {{US Census population | 2010 = 54 | 2020 = 48 | footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170213220510/http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-2-30.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 13, 2017}}</ref> }} As of the census of 2010,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|title=Rachel CDP, Nevada|author=|website=United States Census Bureau|access-date=2019-09-22}}</ref> there were 54 people, 32 households, and 14 families residing in the CDP. The racial makeup was 94.44% White, 3.70% Asian, and 1.85% from other races. 11.11% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 32 households, 6.25% had children under the age of 18, 25.00% were married couples, 6.25% had a male householder with no wife present, and 12.50% had a female householder with no husband present. 56.25% of households were made up of individuals, and 9.38% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.69 and the average family size was 2.50.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 16.67% ages 15 to 24, 59.26% ages 35 to 64, and 24.07% aged 65 and over. The median age was 52.5 years. 59.26% of the residents were male, and 40.74% were female.

==Climate== Rachel has a cold desert climate (Köppen climate classification ''BWk''), with cold winters, warm summers and a high diurnal temperature variation. The average annual high temperature is {{convert|20.3|C|F|abbr=on|order=flip}}, while the average annual low temperature is {{convert|0.3|C|F|abbr=on|order=flip}}. July has the highest average high at {{convert|33.2|C|F|abbr=on|order=flip}} and the highest average low at {{convert|12.1|C|F|abbr=on|order=flip}}. January has the lowest average high at {{convert|7.8|C|F|abbr=on|order=flip}}. December has the lowest average low at {{convert|-9.9|C|F|abbr=on|order=flip}}. The highest temperature ever recorded was {{convert|40|C|F|abbr=on|order=flip}} in July{{year needed|date=October 2022}} and the lowest temperature ever recorded was {{convert|-29|C|F|abbr=on|order=flip}} in January.{{year needed|date=October 2022}}

Rachel receives {{convert|139|mm|in|order=flip}} of precipitation, with the climate being consistently dry like the rest of the Great Basin. July, the wettest month, receives {{convert|21|mm|in|order=flip}} of rainfall on average. September, the driest month, receives {{convert|7.4|mm|in|order=flip}} of rainfall on average. Rachel receives a few inches of snowfall every winter.

{{Weather box |location = Rachel, Nevada (elevation 4,840ft) |single line = Yes |collapsed = yes |Jan record high F = 67 |Feb record high F = 71 |Mar record high F = 79 |Apr record high F = 84 |May record high F = 94 |Jun record high F = 103 |Jul record high F = 104 |Aug record high F = 100 |Sep record high F = 97 |Oct record high F = 88 |Nov record high F = 76 |Dec record high F = 66 |year record high F = 104 |Jan high F = 46.0 |Feb high F = 52.2 |Mar high F = 59.6 |Apr high F = 65.3 |May high F = 76.6 |Jun high F = 84.9 |Jul high F = 91.7 |Aug high F = 89.7 |Sep high F = 82.8 |Oct high F = 70.6 |Nov high F = 56.8 |Dec high F = 46.7 |year high F = 68.6 |Jan low F = 14.4 |Feb low F = 20.1 |Mar low F = 25.3 |Apr low F = 31.2 |May low F = 39.9 |Jun low F = 47.4 |Jul low F = 53.7 |Aug low F = 51.4 |Sep low F = 41.6 |Oct low F = 30.6 |Nov low F = 21.3 |Dec low F = 14.2 |year low F = 32.6 |Jan record low F = -21 |Feb record low F = -17 |Mar record low F = 7 |Apr record low F = 11 |May record low F = 20 |Jun record low F = 27 |Jul record low F = 36 |Aug record low F = 35 |Sep record low F = 24 |Oct record low F = 11 |Nov record low F = -1 |Dec record low F = -18 |year record low F = -21 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation inch = 0.33 |Feb precipitation inch = 0.76 |Mar precipitation inch = 0.40 |Apr precipitation inch = 0.51 |May precipitation inch = 0.31 |Jun precipitation inch = 0.35 |Jul precipitation inch = 0.81 |Aug precipitation inch = 0.46 |Sep precipitation inch = 0.29 |Oct precipitation inch = 0.43 |Nov precipitation inch = 0.47 |Dec precipitation inch = 0.36 |year precipitation inch = 5.47 |Jan snow inch = 2.4 |Feb snow inch = 1.2 |Mar snow inch = 1.0 |Apr snow inch = 0.5 |May snow inch = 0.0 |Jun snow inch = 0.0 |Jul snow inch = 0.0 |Aug snow inch = 0.0 |Sep snow inch = 0.0 |Oct snow inch = 0.2 |Nov snow inch = 0.2 |Dec snow inch = 0.8 |year snow inch = 6.3 |source 1 = The Western Regional Climate Center<ref name="WRCC">{{cite web | url =http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?nv6130| title =Seasonal Temperature and Precipitation Information | access-date =March 25, 2013 | publisher =Western Regional Climate Center }}</ref> |date=March 2013}}

==Economy== While a local tungsten mine was operative, the community numbered over 500 inhabitants, but after the mine's closing in 1988, the population rapidly dwindled.

The Area 51 Research Center, a small UFO souvenir shop, closed in November 2001. It subsequently re-opened in a corner of the Little A'Le'Inn, previously the Rachel Bar and Grill.<ref name="Arnu 1996" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lincolncountynevada.com/Lincoln-County-Nevada-Rachel.html|title=Rachel|publisher=Lincolncountynevada.com|access-date=15 October 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090527141308/http://www.lincolncountynevada.com/Lincoln-County-Nevada-Rachel.html|archive-date=May 27, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref> It is a small bar, restaurant and motel located in Rachel, along the Extraterrestrial Highway. The business has been running for over 20 years and is frequented by visitors to the local Area 51. The inn opened circa 1989. The original owners were Joe (now deceased) and Pat Travis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rachel-nevada.com/rachel.html#ALeInn|title=Rachel, Nevada|website=www.rachel-nevada.com}}</ref>

==In popular culture== Rachel was featured in an episode of ''Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends'' which covered the UFO subculture.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}} Rachel was mentioned in a two-part episode of ''The X-Files'' entitled "Dreamland", in which a secret agent aware of the hidden backstory of the show, played by Michael McKean, resided in the town and in which it is portrayed as much larger, and more suburban than it is in reality.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}} It is also a key place in the first-person shooter game ''BlackSite: Area 51''.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}}

In 1996, the producers of the movie ''Independence Day'' gave the town a time capsule, which is installed near the inn and is intended to be opened in 2050.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://skyshadows.com/area51/rachel.php|title=Area 51 - Rachel, Nevada|website=Sky Shadows|access-date=2019-08-22|archive-date=August 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190822193142/https://skyshadows.com/area51/rachel.php|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Beginning September 19, 2019, the day before the Area 51 Raid, people were reported showing up and camping around Rachel in preparation for the raid.<ref name="Raid Begins">{{cite news|title='Storm Area 51' raid commences in US|url=https://www.nst.com.my/world/2019/09/522782/storm-area-51-raid-commences-us|work=New Straits Times|date=September 20, 2019|access-date=September 21, 2019}}</ref>

In ''Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'', the Little A'Le'Inn is referenced.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F5SFDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA45 |title=UFOs, Chemtrails, and Aliens: What Science Says |first1=Donald R. |last1=Prothero |author-link=Donald R. Prothero |first2=Timothy D. |last2=Callahan |publisher=Indiana University Press |date=10 August 2017 |page=45 |isbn=9780253026927 |editor-first=Michael |editor-last=Shermer |editor-link=Michael Shermer}}</ref> It can be found in Bone County, San Andreas in the vicinity of Area 69, the game's parallel to Area 51, using the name "Lil' Probe'Inn".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.techtudo.com.br/listas/noticia/2017/02/lista-traz-9-segredos-de-gta-san-andreas-que-voce-precisa-conhecer.html |title=Lista traz 9 segredos de GTA San Andreas que você precisa conhecer |first=Thomas |last=Schulze |date=5 February 2017 |access-date=21 September 2019 |work=Techtudo |publisher=Globo Comunicação e Participações S.A. |language=pt}}</ref> [[File:A495, Rachel, Nevada, USA, town and surrounding mountains, 2016.jpg|thumb|center|upright=4|{{center|Panoramic view of Rachel and the surrounding area from the northern boundary of Area 51.}}]]

==References== <references> <ref name="Arnu 1996">{{cite web | last=Arnu | first=Joerg H. | title=A Short History of Rachel, Nevada | website=Rachel, Nevada Home Page | date=January 6, 1996 | url=http://www.rachel-nevada.com/rachel_history.html | access-date=June 29, 2017}}</ref> </references>

==External links== {{commons category|Rachel, Nevada|Rachel}} {{wikivoyage|Rachel}} *[http://www.rachel-nevada.com/ Official website] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20090527141308/http://www.lincolncountynevada.com/Lincoln-County-Nevada-Rachel.html Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce] *[http://www.rachel-nevada.com/tikaboo_valley_map.html Map of roads to Area 51]

Category:Census-designated places in Lincoln County, Nevada Category:Census-designated places in Nevada Category:UFO culture in the United States Category:Populated places established in 1973 Category:1973 establishments in Nevada Category:Restaurants in Nevada Category:Hotels in Nevada Category:Area 51