Nye is one of the 17 counties in the state of Nevada. It was created in 1864 from part of Esmeralda county. As of the 2010 census, the population was 43,946. The county seat is Tonopah. The county has 18,159 square miles in area.
The county's southern portion does contain substantial amounts of radioactive waste product, causing an intense amount of controversy by the residents. In 1987, Bullfrog county was created in a small region of the county, possibly as a gimmick to attract more visitors into the south portion. The county was labeled as void in 1989 and the area returned to Nye county.