Douglas, county, west-central Nevada, U.S., adjacent to the lower half of Lake Tahoe and the California border. The first permanent settlement in Nevada was established in 1851 at Mormon Station, renamed Genoa in 1855 (the Mormon Station Historic State Monument commemorates the event). Douglas, created in 1861, is one of Nevada’s original counties. Minden (the county seat) and Gardnerville are the commercial centres of the Carson River valley.
The economy is based on tourism, especially legalized gambling and recreation. Area 710 square miles (1,839 square km). Pop. (2000) 41,259; (2010) 46,997.