Reno, Nevada: The Six-Week Divorce Capital of America

In 1931, Nevada made a bold economic gamble that would transform the small railroad town of Reno into America's most famous divorce destination. Facing the depths of the Great Depression, state legislators slashed the residency requirement for divorce from three months to an unprecedented six weeks—the shortest waiting period in the nation. Combined with the simultaneous legalization of wide-open gambling, this legislative package launched Reno's "Divorce Ranch Era," an extraordinary period when thousands of Americans, primarily women, traveled west to end their marriages in a fraction of the time required elsewhere.

While most states maintained strict fault-based divorce laws requiring proof of adultery, abandonment, or cruelty—and residency periods ranging from six months to two years—Nevada offered a revolutionary alternative. With broad grounds for divorce including "incompatibility" and the simple requirement to live in the state for six weeks, Reno became the practical solution for couples trapped in unhappy marriages. The city openly advertised itself as "The Biggest Little City in the World" and "The Divorce Capital of America," with hotels, boarding houses, and a network of exclusive "divorce ranches" catering specifically to the six-week waiting period.

The divorce ranches became legendary destinations where wealthy socialites, Hollywood stars, and desperate housewives from across the country would establish temporary residency. Ranches like the Flying ME, Pyramid Lake Ranch, Washoe Pines, and the Donner Trail Ranch offered horseback riding, mountain excursions, and most importantly, privacy and community among others enduring the same life transition. For approximately $1,500 (equivalent to $28,000 today), divorce-seekers received accommodation, activities, and a crucial service: a witness to verify their Nevada residency in court.

The phenomenon entered American popular culture in dramatic fashion. The 1939 film "The Women," based on Clare Boothe Luce's Broadway play, featured iconic scenes of Manhattan socialites traveling to a Reno divorce ranch, cementing the "Reno cure" in the national imagination. Mary Pickford's controversial 1920 divorce from Owen Moore—which exploited a legal loophole and required only sixteen days rather than the standard six-month residency of that era—had already established Nevada as the place to go for quick divorces, particularly among the wealthy and famous.

Timeline of Key Developments:

• 1864: Nevada statehood establishes six-month residency requirement and seven grounds for divorce
• 1913: Reformers pressure legislature to increase requirement to one year; divorce trade collapses
• 1915: Six-month requirement restored after business outcry
• 1920: Mary Pickford's scandalous sixteen-day divorce makes national headlines
• 1927: Competing with France and Mexico, Nevada reduces requirement to three months
• 1931: Great Depression drives legislature to six-week minimum and legalizes gambling
• 1939: "The Women" film immortalizes Reno divorce ranches in popular culture
• 1946: Peak year with nearly 19,000 divorces granted in Nevada
• 1969-1970: California adopts first no-fault divorce law; other states follow
• 1970s: Nevada's divorce monopoly ends as all states liberalize divorce laws

Historical Significance:

Reno's divorce industry represented more than just legal tourism—it reflected profound changes in American attitudes toward marriage, women's autonomy, and personal freedom. For decades, Nevada profited from other states' restrictive laws, creating an entire economy around marital dissolution. The divorce ranch era provided many women their first taste of independence, financial control, and community support during life transitions. The phenomenon also highlighted growing tensions between state sovereignty and uniform marriage laws, ultimately contributing to nationwide divorce reform.

When California introduced no-fault divorce in 1969, followed rapidly by other states throughout the 1970s, Nevada's unique position evaporated. The divorce ranches closed, the Washoe County Courthouse no longer processed hundreds of six-week divorces weekly, and Reno pivoted fully toward its gambling economy—now dominated by Las Vegas. Today, Nevada still maintains the six-week residency requirement, but it's a historical footnote rather than a defining industry.

Sources & Further Reading:

• Reno Divorce History Project (renodivorcehistory.org) - comprehensive digital archive
• Harmon, Mella Rothwell. "Divorce and Economic Opportunity in Reno, Nevada during the Great Depression" (1998)
• Nevada Historical Society archives on divorce ranch culture
• McGee, William L. & Sandra McGee. "The Divorce Seekers" (memoir from Flying ME wrangler)
• Nevada statutes: AB 98 and AB 11 (1931 legislation)

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