Area 51

Area 51 is a military base about 80 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. With a few exceptions, though, it's mostly conspiracy theorists — and those who have been influenced by them through the countless TV, magazine, and website references — who call it "Area 51." To the U.S. government, it's simply the Nevada Test and Training Range, part of Edwards (formerly Nellis) Air Force Base. Employees will sometimes refer to it as simply "the site" or "the ranch."