Kemmerer, Wyoming facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kemmerer, Wyoming
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Kemmerer (2003)
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| Motto(s):
"An Aquarium in Stone"
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Location within Lincoln County and Wyoming
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| Country | United States |
| State | Wyoming |
| County | Lincoln |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.81 sq mi (20.22 km2) |
| • Land | 7.80 sq mi (20.20 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 6,949 ft (2,118 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,415 |
| • Density | 352.39/sq mi (136.06/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
83101
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| Area code(s) | 307 |
| FIPS code | 56-42005 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1590317 |
Kemmerer is a city in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. It is the largest city and the county seat of Lincoln County. In 2020, about 2,415 people lived there.
Contents
History of Kemmerer
Early Discoveries and Mining
In 1843, explorer John C. Frémont found coal in the Kemmerer area. Later, in 1881, the Union Pacific Coal Company opened the first underground coal mine. This happened after the Oregon Short Line Railroad was built nearby.
Founding the City
Patrick J. Quealy, who came from Ireland, founded Kemmerer in 1897. He was a leader at the Kemmerer Coal Company. He named the company and town after Mahlon S. Kemmerer, a rich coal businessman from Pennsylvania. The company's mine was about 6 miles (10 km) south of the original town.
In 1950, the mine changed to strip mining, which is digging coal from the surface. It became one of the world's largest open pit coal mines. Today, it still operates and produces about 5 million tons of coal each year.
Growth and Businesses
Patrick J. Quealy sold land in Kemmerer instead of leasing it. This allowed many independent businesses to start. His company also provided electricity to the town. Quealy was also the first president of the First National Bank, which opened in 1900.
A famous store, J. C. Penney, started in Kemmerer in 1902.
Future Energy Plans
TerraPower, an energy company, chose Kemmerer for a new type of power plant. This plant will use a special kind of nuclear reactor called a molten salt reactor. It can produce 345 megawatts of power and even boost it to 500 megawatts. This helps it work well with other energy sources like solar or wind power.
In June 2024, work began to prepare the site for this plant. The project is expected to cost about $4 billion. The U.S. Department of Energy is helping to pay for half of it, and Bill Gates is contributing $1 billion.
Geography of Kemmerer
Kemmerer covers about 7.81 square miles (20.22 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a very small amount of water.
The Fossil Butte National Monument is a cool place to visit. It's about 15 miles (24 km) west of Kemmerer, right on U.S. Highway 30.
Kemmerer's Climate
Kemmerer has a climate known as "warm-summer humid continental." This means it has warm summers and cold winters. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Kemmerer was 99°F (37°C) on July 12, 1990. The coldest was -39°F (-39°C) on December 22, 1990.
| Climate data for Kemmerer, Wyoming, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1990–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 48 (9) |
55 (13) |
69 (21) |
77 (25) |
86 (30) |
93 (34) |
99 (37) |
95 (35) |
91 (33) |
78 (26) |
68 (20) |
64 (18) |
99 (37) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 42.2 (5.7) |
45.1 (7.3) |
56.6 (13.7) |
69.0 (20.6) |
76.5 (24.7) |
84.4 (29.1) |
89.1 (31.7) |
87.9 (31.1) |
82.9 (28.3) |
72.7 (22.6) |
57.8 (14.3) |
45.9 (7.7) |
89.3 (31.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 31.0 (−0.6) |
33.6 (0.9) |
42.5 (5.8) |
52.2 (11.2) |
62.8 (17.1) |
73.4 (23.0) |
82.8 (28.2) |
81.1 (27.3) |
71.6 (22.0) |
57.4 (14.1) |
42.1 (5.6) |
31.4 (−0.3) |
55.2 (12.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 16.6 (−8.6) |
18.5 (−7.5) |
27.8 (−2.3) |
36.8 (2.7) |
46.7 (8.2) |
55.0 (12.8) |
62.7 (17.1) |
60.9 (16.1) |
52.0 (11.1) |
40.0 (4.4) |
27.4 (−2.6) |
17.0 (−8.3) |
38.4 (3.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 2.2 (−16.6) |
3.3 (−15.9) |
13.2 (−10.4) |
21.4 (−5.9) |
30.7 (−0.7) |
36.6 (2.6) |
42.5 (5.8) |
40.7 (4.8) |
32.4 (0.2) |
22.7 (−5.2) |
12.7 (−10.7) |
2.7 (−16.3) |
21.8 (−5.7) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −17.4 (−27.4) |
−16.2 (−26.8) |
−6.5 (−21.4) |
9.5 (−12.5) |
19.2 (−7.1) |
27.3 (−2.6) |
34.9 (1.6) |
32.0 (0.0) |
22.4 (−5.3) |
9.2 (−12.7) |
−6.2 (−21.2) |
−17.4 (−27.4) |
−23.6 (−30.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −30 (−34) |
−31 (−35) |
−25 (−32) |
−7 (−22) |
11 (−12) |
19 (−7) |
28 (−2) |
21 (−6) |
17 (−8) |
−19 (−28) |
−25 (−32) |
−39 (−39) |
−39 (−39) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.69 (18) |
0.60 (15) |
0.65 (17) |
0.66 (17) |
1.38 (35) |
0.94 (24) |
0.50 (13) |
0.86 (22) |
0.97 (25) |
0.84 (21) |
0.65 (17) |
0.67 (17) |
9.41 (241) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 11.6 (29) |
9.6 (24) |
6.1 (15) |
3.0 (7.6) |
1.4 (3.6) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.4 (1.0) |
1.8 (4.6) |
6.2 (16) |
9.5 (24) |
49.7 (125.05) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 4.9 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 5.5 | 4.0 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 52.5 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 4.2 | 3.9 | 2.7 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 3.4 | 4.6 | 22.4 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
People Living in Kemmerer
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 843 | — | |
| 1920 | 1,517 | 80.0% | |
| 1930 | 1,884 | 24.2% | |
| 1940 | 2,026 | 7.5% | |
| 1950 | 1,667 | −17.7% | |
| 1960 | 2,028 | 21.7% | |
| 1970 | 2,292 | 13.0% | |
| 1980 | 3,273 | 42.8% | |
| 1990 | 3,020 | −7.7% | |
| 2000 | 2,651 | −12.2% | |
| 2010 | 2,656 | 0.2% | |
| 2020 | 2,415 | −9.1% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 2,393 | −9.9% | |
Kemmerer's Population in 2020
In 2020, Kemmerer had 2,415 people living in 1,251 homes. About 91.4% of the people were White. About 5.5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 23.4% of homes had children under 18. Many homes (39.8%) were married couples living together. The average age in the city was 39.1 years. About 25.6% of residents were under 18.
Kemmerer's Population in 2010
In 2010, there were 2,656 people living in Kemmerer. About 93.2% of the people were White. About 7.8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 30.7% of homes had children under 18. Many homes (57.7%) were married couples. The average age in the city was 38.2 years. About 24.5% of residents were under 18.
Kemmerer's Economy
The Naughton Power Plant is a large power station near Kemmerer. It uses coal and gas to make electricity. It provides jobs for 230 people. The plant plans to stop burning coal in 2026 and gas in 2036.
In 2021, TerraPower announced plans for a new nuclear power plant in Kemmerer. This plant will use a special type of reactor that uses liquid sodium to cool it. It is expected to open in 2028 and cost about $4 billion. TerraPower hopes to hire workers from the Naughton Power Plant. They started preparing the site in 2024.
Education in Kemmerer
Kemmerer is part of Lincoln County School District Number 1. This district includes Canyon Elementary School, New Frontier High School, and Kemmerer High School.
The city also has a public library. It is a part of the Lincoln County Library System.
Famous People from Kemmerer
- John Buck (born 1980), a former professional baseball catcher.
- Jerry Buss (1933–2013), who owned the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team, lived here as a teenager.
- William L. Carlisle (1890–1964), one of America's last train robbers, lived in Kemmerer after prison.
- Edgar Herschler (1918–1990), who was the governor of Wyoming from 1975 to 1986.
- James Cash Penney (1875–1971), who started the J.C. Penney chain of stores.
- Mollie Hemingway (born around 1974), a journalist, grew up in Kemmerer.
- Nancy F. Peternal, a state legislator.
See also
In Spanish: Kemmerer para niños
