Laramie County, Wyoming facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Laramie County
U.S. county
United States Post Office and Courthouse, Cheyenne, Wyoming
Flag
Location within the U.S. state of Wyoming
Wyoming's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Wyoming
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  (2020)
• Total	100,512
• Density	37.39/sq mi (14.44/km2)
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 state of Wyoming. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 100,512 or 17.4% of the state's total 2020 population, 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.

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 1867, a portion of Laramie County was annexed to create Sweetwater County; in 1868; further annexations occurred to create Albany County and Carbon County. 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. In 1888, Converse County was formed from a portion of Laramie County. In 1911, Goshen and Platte Counties were formed from parts of Laramie County, giving the county its current boundaries.

The county's early economy was based on agriculture and livestock raising. The present-day Wyoming Stock Growers Association dates from that era. Other types of animal husbandry also occurred.

Some of the settlers in early Laramie County were foreign immigrants; for example, Burns was largely settled by German immigrants.

Arts and culture

Laramie County Library System

The Laramie County Library System is one of the oldest continually operating county library systems in the United States, the first branch established in Cheyenne in 1886. In 1899, Andrew Carnegie donated $50,000 toward the building of the state's first Carnegie Public Library, which opened in 1902. The library moved to a larger location in 1969. In 2007, a second library opened.

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

Major highways

• Interstate 25
• Interstate 80
• Interstate 180 (Not a freeway.)
• I-25 Bus.
• I-80 Bus.
• U.S. Highway 30
• U.S. Highway 85
• U.S. Highway 87
• Wyoming Highway 210
• Wyoming Highway 211
• Wyoming Highway 212
• Wyoming Highway 213
• Wyoming Highway 214
• Wyoming Highway 215
• Wyoming Highway 216
• Wyoming Highway 219
• Wyoming Highway 221
• Wyoming Highway 222
• Wyoming Highway 223
• Wyoming Highway 225

Transit

• Cheyenne Transit
• Express Arrow
• Greyhound Lines

Demographics

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 people per square mile (13.2 people/km²). There were 40,462 housing units at an average density of 15.1 units per square mile (5.8 units/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) - 65,132

Towns

• Albin - 169
• Burns - 356
• Pine Bluffs - 1,159

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Education

There are two school districts in Laramie County: Laramie County School District 1 and Laramie County School District 2.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Laramie (Wyoming) para niños