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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.

Laramie County, Wyoming

Laramie County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

County Seat: Cheyenne
Year Organized: 1867
Square Miles: 2,688

Court House:

310 West 19th Street, Room 400
County Courthouse
Cheyenne, WY 82001-4452

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Named for Jacques La Ramie, French-Canadian trapper, who was killed by the Indians near what was later Fort Laramie.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

History

In July 1858, gold was discovered along the South Platte River in Arapahoe County, Kansas Territory. This discovery precipitated the Pike's Peak Gold Rush. Many residents of the mining region felt disconnected from the remote territorial governments of Kansas and Nebraska, so they voted to form their own Territory of Jefferson on October 24, 1859. The following month, the Jefferson Territorial Legislature organized 12 counties for the new territory including Cheyenne County. Cheyenne County was named for the Cheyenne Nation of Native Americans that lived in the area. Cheyenne County encompassed most of present day Laramie County. The Jefferson Territory never received federal sanction.

On July 25, 1868, the Territory of Wyoming was organized. Laramie County was organized in 1867.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,688 square miles (6,961 km²), of which, 2,686 square miles (6,957 km²) of it is land and 2 square miles (4 km²) of it (0.06%) is water.

Laramie County is located in the southeast corner of Wyoming and shares a border with Nebraska to the east and Colorado to the south. It is at the crossroads of two major interstate highways and two major railroads. Residents enjoy a stable, growing economy, a high-quality of life, excellent educational system and a low tax structure. Laramie County ranks first in population and fifteenth in area when compared to the other twenty-two counties in Wyoming.

Neighboring Counties:

Goshen County (north-northeast)
Banner County, Nebraska (northeast)
Kimball County, Nebraska (east)
Weld County, Colorado (south)
Larimer County, Colorado (southwest)
Albany County (west)
Platte County (north-northwest)

Cities and Towns:

- Albin	town	Incorporated Area
- Burns	town	Incorporated Area
- Cheyenne (County Seat)	city	Incorporated Area
- Pine Bluffs	town	Incorporated Area

County Resources:

Official Site of Laramie County Government in Laramie County, Wyoming

County Resource Guide

Counties: US Map

The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of our 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."

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