More About the Cowboy State

Learn some more about the Cowboy State! Also be sure to check out:

• Brief History of Wyoming
• Fun Wyoming Facts
• Noteworthy Wyomingites

Origin of State Name
The word “Wyoming” derives from a Native American word, mecheweamiing, which translates to “at the big plains.”

Statehood
July 10th, 1890 (44th in the Union)

State Capital
Cheyenne

Governor
Mark Gordon

Senators
John Barrasso
Cynthia Lummis

U.S. Representative 
Liz Cheney

State Motto
Equal Rights

State Nickname
The Equality State (originates from being the first state to give women the right to vote).

State Bird
Western Meadowlark

State Mammal
Bison

State Gem
Jade (Nephrite)

State Flower
Indian Paintbrush

State Tree
Cottonwood

Selected Cities (and 2019 Population Estimates)

• Cheyenne (population 64,235)
• Casper (population 57,931)
• Laramie (population 32,381)
• Rock Springs (population 22,653)
• Gillette (population 32,857)
• Sheridan (population 17,844)
• Rawlins (population 8,820)
• Riverton (population 10,981)

Population (2019 estimate)
578,759 (50th among the states)
Grew 3.5% since April 2010

Population Density (2019 Census)
5.97 people per square mile (50th among the states)

Distribution (2019 Census)
67% Urban
33% Rural

Total Area
97,818 square miles (9th among the states)

Highest Point
Gannett Peak
13,804 Ft. Elevation

Lowest Point
Belle Fourche River, 3,100 ft (946 m).

Water Area
714 square miles

Gross Domestic Product
$40.42 billion (2019)

Personal Income Per Capita
$63,263 (2020)

Counties
23 total: 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. Learn how the counties were named here.

Notable Wyoming Businesses

• J.C. Penney (started in Kemmerer, Wyoming)
• Taco Johns
• Croakies
• Chugwater Chili
• Sweetwater Cheese Company
• Wyoming Honey
• King Rope

Tourist Attractions
Yellowstone National Park, established in 1872, is the world’s first national park and the largest in the contiguous United States. Sprawling across volcanic plateaus in the northwest corner of the state, its 2.2 million acres (3,472 sq. mi) include steaming geysers, crystelline lakes, thundering waterfalls, and panoramic vistas. The park is home to over 80 species of mammals including elk, moose, bear, and buffalo.

Other Major Attractions: Grand Teton National Park, with mountains 13,000 ft. high; the National Elk Refuge, covering 25,000 acres; Devils Tower, a free-standing columnar rock 1,280 ft. high left when the lava in the throat of a volcano hardened and the volcano itself eroded; Fort Laramie and surrounding areas of pioneer trails; Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody; the famous Cheyenne Frontier Days Celebration, held in last full week in July, the state’s largest rodeo with the world’s largest purse.

For more information about these and other exciting Wyoming attractions, visit Wyoming Travel & Tourism.

Online Resources 
State of Wyoming
Wyoming State Legislature