e-ReferenceDesk's College and 50 State Learning Resource Guide

Find Online Colleges

Find Campus Colleges

Wyoming State...

Wyoming

Choose a County

Albany, Big Horn, Campbell, Carbon, Converse, Crook, Fremont, Goshen, Hot Springs, Johnson, Laramie, Lincoln, Natrona, Niobrara, Park, Platte, Sheridan, Sublette, Sweetwater, Teton, Uinta, Washakie, Weston

Wyoming Counties

Click Image to Enlarge

Wyoming Counties

There are 23 Counties in the state of Wyoming. There were originally five Counties in the Wyoming Territory: Laramie and Carter, established in 1867; Carbon and Albany established in 1868; and Uinta, an annexed portion of Utah and Idaho, extending from Montana (including Yellowstone Park) to the Wyoming-Utah boundary. On July 10, 1890, Wyoming was admitted to the Union with thirteen counties.

Hot Springs County, Wyoming

Hot Springs County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

County Seat: Thermopolis
Year Organized: 1911
Square Miles: 2,006

Court House:

415 Arapahoe Street
County Courthouse
Thermopolis, WY 82443-2731

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Named for hot springs at Thermopolis in that county.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

County History

Hot Springs County was organized in 1911.

Hot Springs County is located in the central part of Wyoming. It is located 125 miles from Yellowstone Park. There are three incorporated towns in the County. They include Thermopolis, Kirby and East Thermopolis. Thermopolis is the County seat. Hot Springs County has a population of approximately 5,000 and contains 2006 square miles which makes it the smallest county in the State. It is the home of the "World`s Largest Mineral Hot Springs" in beautiful Hot Springs State Park.

The County offers ample opportunity for recreation. Golfing, tennis, fishing, bowling and horseback riding are all available. Swimming pools are open all year. Tourists and residents can travel through beautiful Wind River Canyon, visit the petroglyphs west of Thermopolis or take part in a dinosaur dig at the world famous Wyoming Dinosaur Center.

Thermopolis

Nestled among the foothills of the Owl Creek Mountains and resting beside the Big Horn River lies Thermopolis, Wyoming. It is renowned for its World’s Largest Mineral Hot Spring and beautiful surroundings. The Big Horn Springs are located throughout Hot Springs County.

For outdoor recreation and family fun, Thermopolis, Wyoming is a year around haven for anyone who enjoys nature at its most spectacular.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,006 square miles (5,196 km²), of which, 2,004 square miles (5,190 km²) of it is land and 2 square miles (6 km²) of it (0.12%) is water.

Neighboring Counties:

Washakie County, Wyoming (east)
Fremont County, Wyoming (south)
Park County, Wyoming (northwest)

Cities and Towns:

- East Thermopolis	town	Incorporated Area
- Kirby	town	Incorporated Area
- Thermopolis (County Seat)	town	Incorporated Area
- Worland	city	Incorporated Area

County Resources:

Hot Springs County

County Resources

The history of our nation was a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names given the counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of this country!"

But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.

Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally."