VA Dedicates First National Cemetery in Nevada

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has officially held a dedication ceremony for Nevada’s first national cemetery in Elko, establishing a dedicated local resting place for rural veterans and their families.

When interments begin in late 2026, Elko National Cemetery will become the 158th national cemetery operated by the VA’s National Cemetery Administration (NCA).

Expanding Access for Rural Veterans

Spanning 15.37 acres at 3602 Jennings Way, the cemetery was established as part of the NCA's Rural Initiative, which aims to provide federal burial benefits to veterans residing in underserved rural regions. Previously, the closest national cemetery for veterans in the Elko area was the Snake River Canyon National Cemetery in Idaho, located nearly 170 miles away.

The new facility will serve the burial needs of more than 3,705 veterans, spouses, and eligible children living within a 75-mile radius.
“Veterans come first at VA no matter where they live, and this new cemetery creates a much-needed final resting place for Nevadans who served this nation and their families,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. “Elko National Cemetery will give generations of Nevadans a space to honor and remember the friends, neighbors and relatives who stood up and sacrificed for the country we love.”

Facility Options and Construction Timeline

Elko National Cemetery will offer a comprehensive range of interment options, including casketed burials, in-ground cremation burials, and columbarium niche placements for urns.

The site is being developed in three distinct phases, with each phase planned to supply approximately 15 years of burial service—totaling 45 years of capacity: 

• Phase 1 (Immediate Buildout): Provides 1,045 initial gravesites and is slated for completion in the coming months, allowing interments to begin in Fall 2026.
• Phases 2 & 3 (Future Expansion): Will be constructed sequentially in future years as Phase 1 fills, expanding the footprint to meet long-term regional demand over the next several decades.

Management and operational oversight for the Elko site will be directed by the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery, located in Dixon, California. Veterans, eligible dependents, and funeral directors interested in scheduling burial services can coordinate through the NCA National Scheduling Office.

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