Laramie County, Wyoming facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Laramie County
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City/County Building at Cheyenne in 1981
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Location within the U.S. state of Wyoming
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 Wyoming's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Wyoming |
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| Founded | January 9, 1867 | |
| Named for | Jacques La Ramee | |
| Seat | Cheyenne | |
| Largest city | Cheyenne | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 2,688 sq mi (6,960 km2) | |
| • Land | 2,686 sq mi (6,960 km2) | |
| • Water | 1.6 sq mi (4 km2) 0.06%% | |
| Population | ||
| • Estimate
(2020)
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100,512 | |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) | |
| Congressional district | At-large | |
Laramie County is a county located at the southeast corner of the U.S. state of Wyoming. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 100,512, making it the most populous county in Wyoming, but the least populous county in the United States to be the most populous in its state.
The county seat is Cheyenne, the state capital. The county lies west of the Nebraska state line and north of the Colorado state line.
Laramie County comprises the Cheyenne, WY Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The city of Laramie, Wyoming, is in neighboring Albany County.
Contents
History
Laramie County was originally created in 1867 as a county within the Dakota Territory. The county was named for Jacques La Ramee, a French-Canadian fur-trader. In late 1867, Laramie County lost territory when Sweetwater County was created.
In 1868, Laramie County also lost territory when Albany County and Carbon County were created. Laramie County became a county in the Wyoming Territory when the territorial government was formed in 1869. Crook County was created with land ceded by Laramie County in 1875. A few years later in 1888, Converse County was also formed from a portion of Laramie County. In 1911, Goshen and Platte Counties were formed from another part of Laramie County, and at that point the county achieved its current boundaries.
Many of the early occupations in the county were agriculturally based. The best known example would have to be Cattle farming; the Wyoming Stock Growers Association is one remaining example of this. However other animals were also raised.
Americans and foreigners were both attracted out over time, with places such as Burns being German immigrant filled early on.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,688 square miles (6,960 km2), of which 2,686 square miles (6,960 km2) is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2) (0.06%) is water.
Adjacent 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)
Major highways
Interstate 80
Interstate 25
Interstate 180
U.S. Highway 30
U.S. Highway 85
U.S. Highway 87
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 2,957 | — | |
| 1880 | 6,409 | 116.7% | |
| 1890 | 16,777 | 161.8% | |
| 1900 | 20,181 | 20.3% | |
| 1910 | 26,127 | 29.5% | |
| 1920 | 20,699 | −20.8% | |
| 1930 | 26,845 | 29.7% | |
| 1940 | 33,651 | 25.4% | |
| 1950 | 47,662 | 41.6% | |
| 1960 | 60,149 | 26.2% | |
| 1970 | 56,360 | −6.3% | |
| 1980 | 68,649 | 21.8% | |
| 1990 | 73,142 | 6.5% | |
| 2000 | 81,607 | 11.6% | |
| 2010 | 91,738 | 12.4% | |
| 2020 | 100,512 | 9.6% | |
| US Decennial Census 1870–2000 2010–2020 |
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2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 91,738 people, 37,576 households, and 24,340 families in the county. The population density was 34.2 inhabitants per square mile (13.2/km2). There were 40,462 housing units at an average density of 15.1 per square mile (5.8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 88.5% white, 2.5% black or African American, 1.1% Asian, 1.0% American Indian, 0.2% Pacific islander, 3.8% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 13.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 29.5% were German, 15.5% were Irish, 12.7% were English, and 4.9% were American.
Of the 37,576 households, 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.2% were non-families, and 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age was 37.0 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $52,824 and the median income for a family was $64,589. Males had a median income of $44,001 versus $32,882 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,406. About 6.7% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
City
- Cheyenne (county seat)
Towns
Census-designated places
- Carpenter
- Fox Farm-College
- Hillsdale
- Ranchettes
- South Greeley
- FE Warren AFB
Unincorporated communities
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Laramie (Wyoming) para niños
