On a map, the town of Beatty (pronounced "Bay-dee") Beatty may appear remote, but this is precisely why this town is so important! Beatty is conveniently located at US 95 and SR 372, the road to Death Valley at the northern end of Amargosa Valley just 12 miles from the Nevada-California state line. The town's uber important crossroads provides major service for many miles around. Whether a traveler is coming from the west, the north, east, or south, Beatty is a refreshing oasis right in the middle of the Mojave. Beatty prides itself as the "Gateway to Death Valley," and no town could be a better holder of this title!

"Chicago of the West"
Before the arrival of non-indigenous people in the 19th century, the region was home to groups of Western Shoshone. Beatty itself was established in 1905 and named after Montillus (Montillion) Murray "Old Man" Beatty. Beatty settled on a ranch in the Oasis Valley in 1896 and became the town's first postmaster. During Beatty's first year, mule-drawn wagons hauled freight between the Bullfrog district - an area that included the mining camps of Rhyolite, Bullfrog, Gold Center, Transvaal, and Springdale. In the October 1906, the Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad (LV&T) began regular service to Beatty. In April 1907, the Bullfrog Goldfield Railroad (B&G) reached the community, and the Tonopah and Tidewater (T&T) line added a third railroad to the area in October 1907! The town's bustling railroad traffic earned the nickname, "Chicago of the West." Sadly, these great railroads fell almost one after the other starting with the LV&T in 1918. The B&G fell in 1928, and the T&T touted on for an amazing 20-long years to 1940. Beatty really began to take notice from the government starting in the 1940s when Nellis Air Force Base and other federal installations contributed to the town's economy. Tourism related to Death Valley National Park took off on the late 50s and the rise of Las Vegas as an entertainment center later in the 1970s.

Today, the town of Beatty is quiet, humble, and comfortable for every walk of life. Beatty sees millions of people every year on their way to Las Vegas or nearby Death Valley and is well-fashioned for almost everybody. Beatty sports a quaint museum with a visitors center for Death Valley run by the National Park Service. The ghost town of Rhyolite and the Goldwell Open Air Museum (a sculpture park) sit only 2 minutes to the west further attracting desert lovers to this neck of the woods! And don't worry about services. Beatty has to provide for a vast region, including the entire Amargosa Valley.