Afton, Wyoming facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Afton, Wyoming
|
|
|---|---|
Main Street Afton with antler arch
|
|
Location of Afton in Lincoln County, Wyoming.
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Wyoming |
| County | Lincoln |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.45 sq mi (11.51 km2) |
| • Land | 4.44 sq mi (11.50 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2) |
| Elevation | 6,240 ft (1,902 m) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 2,172 |
| • Density | 459.79/sq mi (177.53/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
83110
|
| Area code(s) | 307 |
| FIPS code | 56-00245 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1597691 |
Afton is a town in Lincoln County, Wyoming, in the United States. In 2020, about 2,172 people lived there.
Afton is famous for having the world's largest arch made from elk antlers. This huge arch stretches 75 feet (about 23 meters) across U.S. Highway 89. It's built from 3,011 elk antlers and weighs an incredible 15 tons!
Contents
History of Afton
The first people settled in the area that is now Afton in 1885. The town was named after the River Afton, which is a river in Ayrshire, Scotland.
Geography and Nature
Afton covers an area of about 4.18 square miles (10.83 square kilometers), and all of it is land.
One of Afton's most interesting natural features is a special spring called the Intermittent Spring. This spring is unique because its water flow turns on and off! During summer, fall, and winter, the water stops and starts every 12 to 18 minutes. But in the spring, when snow melts, the water flows all the time. When it's flowing fully, the spring can release up to 285 gallons (about 1,079 liters) of water every second! You can find this spring about five miles east of Afton, after a short hike from the end of Swift Creek Road.
Afton's Climate
Afton has a climate with warm summers and cold, snowy winters. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Afton was 97°F (36°C) on July 15, 2002. The coldest temperature ever recorded was a very chilly -46°F (-43°C) on January 1, 1979.
People of Afton (Demographics)
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 570 | — | |
| 1920 | 796 | 39.6% | |
| 1930 | 807 | 1.4% | |
| 1940 | 1,211 | 50.1% | |
| 1950 | 1,319 | 8.9% | |
| 1960 | 1,337 | 1.4% | |
| 1970 | 1,290 | −3.5% | |
| 1980 | 1,481 | 14.8% | |
| 1990 | 1,394 | −5.9% | |
| 2000 | 1,818 | 30.4% | |
| 2010 | 1,911 | 5.1% | |
| 2020 | 2,172 | 13.7% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 2,270 | 18.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2020, the 2020 United States census counted 2,172 people living in Afton. There were 806 households and 554 families. The town had about 489 people per square mile.
About 36% of the households in Afton had children under 18. Most households (56.2%) were married couples living together. About 28% of households were single people, and 11.9% of those were people aged 65 or older living alone. The average household had 2.5 people.
About 30.3% of Afton's population was under 18 years old. The median age in the town was 35.2 years. This means half the people were younger than 35.2 and half were older.
Education in Afton
Public schools in Afton are part of the Lincoln County School District #2. Students attend different schools based on their grade level:
- Afton Elementary School (grades K-3)
- Osmond Elementary School (grades 4–6)
- Thayne Elementary School (grades K-3)
- Etna Elementary School (grades 4–6)
- Star Valley Middle School (grades 7–8)
- Star Valley High School (grades 9–12)
Afton also has a public library, which is a part of the Lincoln County Public Library System.
Notable People from Afton
- Rulon Gardner (born 1971) – An Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler. He won a gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
- Velma Linford (1907–2002) – An educator and politician.
Images for kids
-
Star Valley looking east toward Afton, Wyoming
See also
In Spanish: Afton (Wyoming) para niños
