updated 10/11/23
Prayer podcasts: for the city | for the officials
Location: On a plaque in the town, it says the town was born in 1905, with the coming of the first train on San Pedro. Los Angeles and Salt Lake railroad. Originally called Nippeno camp after a nearby gold discovery. The name was changed to Nipton after the railroads merged in 1910. For many years the depot was cattle loading station for several local ranches including Yates's ranch, the Walking Box, and Rock Springs Land and Cattle co. The town and depot also supplied numerous mines in the area, becoming a social area for the sparse population in the area. Community facilities included a school, post office, voter precinct and several small businesses. Begun as a 20th century railroad depot, Nipton is reforming into a 21st century gateway to the National Mojave Desert.
The town also has a general store, a trading post, the Whistle Stop Cafe, a RV park, five eco-cabins, and ten sites with teepees on them. There is also a historic schoolhouse and art exhibits connected to the Burning Man event. It has railroad tracks on one side and a massive Joshua tree forest on the other. Nipton looks old and new at the same time. The tiny desert town attracts people who like to star gaze, ride motorcycles, take photographs, visit railroads.
DemographicsDemographics: overall crime grade is F [see more details below]; estimated population [2021] 158; average age 41; 14% college; 86% high school; $65K average income; 20% poverty; very high days of sunshine; average rainfall 5"; snowfall average 1.4"
Town used to be a mining camp; founded on February 9, 1905, with the coming of the first train on the newly constructed San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad. It was called "Nippeno Camp" following a nearby discovery of gold. The name was changed to Nipton when the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad merged with the Union Pacific Railroad around 1910. In addition to being a cattle-loading station for several local ranches, the town and depot also supplied numerous mines in the area, becoming a social center for the sparse population of the region.
In September 2017, Nipton was purchased by American Green Inc., for US$5 million with plans to turn the town into a cannabis tourism destination. The CEO of the company hoped to make this into the first "Pot Town, USA". American Green Inc. sold the town in March 2018 after failing to attract the capital investment necessary to continue the project. The town was sold to Delta International Oil & Gas for a total of $7.7 million in debt assumption and Delta preferred stock, along with a provision that it continue with the project to transform the 80-acre (32 ha) town on the edge of the Mojave Desert into a cannabis-themed resort. As of November 16, 2020, the town was listed for sale again for $2.75 million.
“From Pot Town to Place to Stop."
Location of Nipton in SBC
Specific Prayer Points
Spiritual: Intercessors rise up and pray for this small town, it grows economically, a church rises up, Bible studies arise to bring transformation, that people attending the Burnout Man in nearby Arizona will instead find Jesus to find transformation [not drugs, alcohol, debauchery or any false idol]
Governed by: District 1 County Supervisor
Schools: none
Crime statistics: [2022] A crime occurs every 34 days 22 hours (on average) in Nipton; overall grade is D-; violent crime grade is D-; property crime is D- and other crime is F; Top crime issues are 44% drug crimes [very high]; 22% theft; burglary 11%; vandalism 9% & assault at 6%.
Points of interest: Burning Man annual event ; Cannabis company sells California town it envisioned as a marijuana resort, but pipe dream isn't dead - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com); Ivanpah Lake
Churches [not exhaustive]
none in city proper
nearest churches in Las Vegas & Henderson, Nevada