Johnson County is a
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
in the north central part of the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Wyoming
Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...
. At the
2020 United States Census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, the population was 8,447.
The
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
is
Buffalo.
Kaycee is the only other incorporated town in the county.
Johnson County lies to the southeast of the
Bighorn Mountains
The Bighorn Mountains ( cro, Basawaxaawúua, lit=our mountains or cro, Iisaxpúatahchee Isawaxaawúua, label=none, lit=bighorn sheep's mountains) are a mountain range in northern Wyoming and southern Montana in the United States, forming a nort ...
along
Interstate 25
Interstate 25 (I-25) is a major Interstate Highway in the western United States. It is primarily a north–south highway, serving as the main route through New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. I-25 stretches from I-10 at Las Cruces, New Mexic ...
and
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...
. The
Powder River flows northward through eastern Johnson County.
History
Johnson County was created on December 8, 1875, as Pease County from parts of
Albany,
Carbon
Carbon () is a chemical element with the symbol C and atomic number 6. It is nonmetallic and tetravalent
In chemistry, the valence (US spelling) or valency (British spelling) of an element is the measure of its combining capacity with o ...
and
Sweetwater Counties. It was organized in 1881. The county was named for Dr. E. L. Pease of
Uinta County
Uinta County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 20,450. Its county seat is Evanston. Its south and west boundary lines abut the Utah state line.
Uinta County comprises the Eva ...
. In 1879, the county was renamed Johnson, for E. P. Johnson, a
Cheyenne
The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enroll ...
attorney.
In 1888,
Sheridan County was created from a portion of Johnson County. In 1890,
Big Horn County was created from Johnson County along with land from
Fremont County and
Sheridan County. In 1911, the boundaries of Johnson County and adjacent
Crook
Crook is another name for criminal.
Crook or Crooks may also refer to:
Places
* Crook, County Durham, England, a town
* Crook, Cumbria, England, village and civil parish
* Crook Hill, Derbyshire, England
* Crook, Colorado, United States, a ...
,
Natrona and
Weston
Weston may refer to:
Places Australia
* Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra
* Weston, New South Wales
* Weston Creek, a residential district of Canberra
* Weston Park, Canberra, a park
Canada
* Weston, Nova Scotia
* W ...
Counties were adjusted to run along federal land survey lines.
In April 1892, Johnson County was the scene of the
Johnson County War
The Johnson County War, also known as the War on Powder River and the Wyoming Range War, was a range conflict that took place in Johnson County, Wyoming from 1889 to 1893. The conflict began when cattle companies started ruthlessly persecuting ...
, a range war between large cattle outfits and small stockgrowers.
Flag
Johnson County flag is based on the
ikurriña
The ikurrina flag (in Basque)EuskaltzaindiaDictionary of the Standard Basque retrieved 2010-10-04. or ikurriña (Spanish spelling of the Basque term) is a Basque symbol and the official flag of the Basque Country Autonomous Community of Spain ...
; since the birth of
Jean Esponda from
Baigorri, there has been a large
Basque
Basque may refer to:
* Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France
* Basque language, their language
Places
* Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France
* Basque Country (autonomous co ...
population in the county.
Geography
According to the
US Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the county has an area of , of which is land and (0.5%) is water.
Adjacent counties
*
Sheridan County (north)
*
Campbell County (east)
*
Converse County
Converse County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 13,751. Its county seat is Douglas.
History
Converse County was created in 1888 by the legislature of the Wyoming Territor ...
(southeast)
*
Natrona County
Natrona County is a county in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 79,955, making it the second-most populous county in Wyoming. Its county seat is Casper.
Natrona County comprises the Casper, WY ...
(south)
*
Washakie County (west)
*
Big Horn County (northwest)
Major highways
*
Interstate 25
Interstate 25 (I-25) is a major Interstate Highway in the western United States. It is primarily a north–south highway, serving as the main route through New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. I-25 stretches from I-10 at Las Cruces, New Mexic ...
*
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...
*
U.S. Highway 16
*
U.S. Highway 87
U.S. Highway 87 (US 87) is a north–south United States highway (though it is signed east–west in New Mexico) that runs for 1,998 miles (3,215 km) from northern Montana to southern Texas, making it the longest north-south roa ...
*
Wyoming Highway 192
Wyoming Highway 192 (WYO 192) is a state highway in southeastern Johnson County, Wyoming.
Route description
Wyoming Highway 192 begins its western end in Kaycee at an intersection with Wyoming Highway 196 (Nolan Avenue) and the eastern ter ...
*
Wyoming Highway 193
Wyoming Highway 193 (WYO 193) is a north–south Wyoming State Road that runs through southern Sheridan County, Wyoming, Sheridan County and the extreme northern part of Johnson County, Wyoming, Johnson County and serves the community of Stor ...
*
Wyoming Highway 196
Wyoming Highway 196 (WYO 196) is a north–south Wyoming
Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, ...
*
Wyoming Highway 387
Wyoming Highway 387 (WYO 387) is a state road that travels from extreme northeast Natrona County, Wyoming through extreme southeast Johnson County, Wyoming and into southwest Campbell County, Wyoming.
Route description
Wyoming Highway 387 ...
National protected area
*
Bighorn National Forest
The Bighorn National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in northern Wyoming, United States and consists of over 1.1 million acres (4,500 km2). Created as a US Forest Reserve in 1897, it is one of the oldest government-protected forest ...
(part)
Demographics
2000 census
At the
2000 United States Census
The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...
, there were 7,075 people, 2,959 households and 2,006 families in the county. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 2 per square mile (1/km
2). There were 3,503 housing units at an average density of 0.8 per square mile (0.3/km
2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.03%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.08%
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
or
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.64%
Native American, 0.11%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.55% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.58% from two or more races. 2.09% of the population were
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race. 27.0% were of
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
, 15.2%
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
, 10.8%
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
and 7.9%
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
ancestry.
There were 2,959 households, of which 28.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.00% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 7.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.20% were non-families. 28.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.89.
24.20% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.60% from 18 to 24, 23.50% from 25 to 44, 28.70% from 45 to 64, and 18.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 96.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.30 males.
The
median household income
The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of ...
was $34,012 and the median family income was $42,299. Males had a median income of $29,271 and females $20,469. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
was $19,030. About 7.20% of families and 10.10% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 9.10% of those under age 18 and 10.60% of those age 65 or over.
2010 census
At the
2010 United States Census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...
, there were 8,569 people, 3,782 households, and 2,410 families in the county.
The population density was . There were 4,553 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 96.5% white, 1.1% American Indian, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.7% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.2% of the population.
[ In terms of ancestry, 31.6% were ]German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
, 22.4% were Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
, 18.3% were English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
, and 6.1% were American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
.
Of the 3,782 households, 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.3% were non-families, and 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.83. The median age was 44.8 years.[
The ]median household income
The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of ...
was $45,638 and the median family income was $58,983. Males had a median income of $40,572 and females $30,352. The per capita income was $26,753. About 5.9% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
City
* Buffalo (county seat)
Town
* Kaycee
Unincorporated communities
* Hazelton
* Linch
* Saddlestring
* Sussex
Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...
Government and infrastructure
Johnson County voters are reliably Republican. Since Wyoming statehood, the voters of this county have selected the Democratic Party candidate in only three national elections: William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator and politician. Beginning in 1896, he emerged as a dominant force in the History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, running ...
in 1896; Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...
in 1912 by two votes and with only 37.5 percent of the total vote (due to Roosevelt's independent run that year); and Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
by seventy votes in his 1932 landslide. FDR did not carry the county in his re-election campaigns; in 1936 Johnson was Alf Landon
Alfred Mossman Landon (September 9, 1887October 12, 1987) was an American oilman and politician who served as the 26th governor of Kansas from 1933 to 1937. A member of the Republican Party, he was the party's nominee in the 1936 presidential ...
’s second-best county in the Western United States behind Rio Blanco County, Colorado
Rio Blanco County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,529. The county seat is Meeker. The name of the county is the Spanish language name for the White River which runs through it.
H ...
. In the 1964 Democratic landslide it was Barry Goldwater’s best county in Wyoming, and second-best in the West behind Utah’s traditional banner Republican county of Kane.
The Wyoming Department of Health The Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) is a state agency of Wyoming. It has its headquarters in the Hathaway Building in Cheyenne.
History
In November 1990 Wyoming voters approved a constitutional amendment that abolished the Wyoming Board of Chari ...
Veteran's Home of Wyoming, an assisted living facility for veterans and their dependents, is in Buffalo. The Wyoming Board of Charities and Reform
The Wyoming Board of Charities and Reform (BCR) was a state agency of Wyoming that operated the state's charitable and penal institutions.
History
Article 7, Section 18. Chapter 37, Session Laws of Wyoming, 1890-1891 of the Wyoming Constitution es ...
operated the facility until the agency was dissolved as a result of a state constitutional amendment passed in November 1990.[About the Department of Corrections]
, Wyoming Department of Corrections
The Wyoming Department of Corrections (WDOC) is a state agency of Wyoming that operates adult correctional facilities. It is headquartered in Suite 100 of the 1934 Wyott Drive building in Cheyenne.
History
Wyoming entered the Union in 1890. As a ...
. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
See also
*
*
References
External links
*
Buffalo, Wyoming Chamber of Commerce Website
{{Coord, 44.04, -106.59, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-WY_source:UScensus1990
1881 establishments in Wyoming Territory
Populated places established in 1881