Carlin is a small city located near the western border of Elko County in northeast Nevada, 23 miles (37 km) west of the city of Elko. It is part of the Elko Micropolitan Statistical Area. Carlin sits along Interstate 80 at an elevation of approximately 4,900 feet (1,500 m). As of the 2000 census, its population was 2,161. The city was named for Civil War general William Passmore Carlin.