Carbon County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

in the U.S. state of

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 14,537. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Rawlins. Its south border abuts the north line of

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

History

Carbon County was organized in 1868, one of the five original counties in Dakota Territory. Originally about near the center of Wyoming, Carbon County was once part of the

Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire, sometimes referred to as the Hispanic Monarchy (political entity), Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it ushered ...

, then part of the

Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas (), or simply Texas, was a country in North America that existed for close to 10 years, from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846. Texas shared borders with Centralist Republic of Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande, an ...

(1835-1845) and part of the State of Texas until 1852 when the northernmost part of that state's claims were ceded to the US government. This area is defined by the 42nd parallel on the north, and straight lines south from there to the headwaters of the Arkansas river on the east and the headwaters of the Rio Grande on the west. The documents defining that area include the Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819, the

1824 Constitution of Mexico The Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1824 () was the first constitution of Mexico, enacted on October 4 of 1824, inaugurating the First Mexican Republic. Background During the Mexican War of Independence, the liberal domin ...

, and the 184
"Joint Resolution for the Admission of the State of Texas into the Union"
. Carbon County was organized December 16, 1868, from Laramie County in Dakota Territory, which at the time had jurisdiction over part of modern-day Wyoming. It became a county in Wyoming Territory when that territory's government was formally organized on May 19, 1869. In 1868, the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad is a Railroad classes, Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United Stat ...

opened the first coal mine in Carbon County, and the county was named for its extensive coal deposits. In 1875, Carbon County lost territory when Johnson County was created by the legislature of the Wyoming Territory. Natrona County was created with land ceded by Carbon County in 1888. The boundaries of the county were final at that time except for minor adjustments in 1911. From 1978 to 1982, Carbon County was represented in the Wyoming House of Representatives by Democrat Thomas E. Trowbridge (1930-2009) of Saratoga, a

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

native. From 1982 to 1986, Trowbridge was a member of the Wyoming State Senate. He was later appointed by

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Mike Sullivan to the Wyoming State Board of Equalization. Trowbridge's father, Elton Trowbridge, held the state House seat from Carbon County from 1961 until his death in office in 1974. George R. Salisbury Jr., a rancher from Savery, represented Carbon County in the Wyoming House from 1975 to 1986. He was succeeded in office by his son-in-law and fellow Democrat, Patrick F. O'Toole, also a Savery rancher.

Geography

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (2.0%) is water. It is the third-largest county in Wyoming by area. The Continental Divide runs through the county. Carbon County is equidistant from the North American capital cities of

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

, Washington, D.C., and

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

, being from each of them. It is therefore one of two circumcenters of these cities. The other circumcenter is the antipode of Carbon County, a spot in the ocean off the southwest coast of Australia.

Major highways

* Interstate 80 * U.S. Highway 30 * U.S. Highway 287

Adjacent counties

Sweetwater County Sweetwater County is a County (United States), county in southwestern Wyoming, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 42,272, making it the List of counties in Wyoming, fourth-most populous county in Wyoming. Its ...

- west * Fremont County - northwest * Natrona County - north * Converse County - northeast * Albany County - east * Jackson County, Colorado - southeast * Routt County, Colorado - south * Moffat County, Colorado - southwest

National protected areas and State historical sites

* Fort Fred Steele State Historic Site * Medicine Bow National Forest (part) * Pathfinder National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

Census-designated places

* Arlington * Ryan Park

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 15,639 people, 6,129 households, and 4,130 families in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 8,307 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 90.11%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.67% African-American or

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

, 1.27% Indigenous American, 0.67% Asian, 0.06%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 5.17% from other races, and 2.05% from two or more races. 13.83% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. 20.1% were of German, 11.8% English, 10.0% Irish and 8.9% American ancestry. There were 6,129 households, out of which 31.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.10% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 8.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.60% were non-families. Of 6,129 households, 364 were unmarried partner households: 318 heterosexual, 41 same-sex male, and 5 same-sex female. 27.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.91. The county population contained 24.10% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 28.40% from 25 to 44, 26.70% from 45 to 64, and 12.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 115.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 118.10 males. The median income for a household in the county was $36,060, and the median income for a family was $41,991. Males had a median income of $31,603 versus $21,451 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $18,375. About 9.80% of families and 12.90% 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 ...

, including 16.60% of those under age 18 and 14.80% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 15,885 people, 6,388 households, and 4,109 families in the county. The population density was . There were 8,576 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 88.8% white, 1.0% American Indian, 0.7% black or African American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 6.5% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 16.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 26.0% were German, 15.8% were English, 14.4% were Irish, 5.6% were Scottish, and 4.8% were American. Of the 6,388 households, 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.7% were non-families, and 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age was 38.9 years. The median income for a household in the county was $56,565 and the median income for a family was $65,171. Males had a median income of $51,201 versus $32,603 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,122. About 5.6% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the

, including 9.6% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

During the twentieth century, owing to its considerable unionized mining population, Carbon County tended to be much more Democratic than the rest of generally Republican Wyoming. It was one of three Wyoming counties to vote for John F. Kennedy in 1960 and one of two to vote for Hubert Humphrey in 1968, while Dwight D. Eisenhower only won the county narrowly in his two landslide Presidential wins. In recent decades, the county has trended much more towards the Republican Party. The Wyoming State Penitentiary, operated by the Wyoming Department of Corrections, is located in Rawlins. The facility was operated by the Wyoming Board of Charities and Reform until that agency was dissolved as a result of a state constitutional amendment passed in November 1990.

Communities

City

* Rawlins (county seat)

Towns

* Baggs * Dixon * Elk Mountain * Encampment * Hanna * Medicine Bow * Riverside * Saratoga * Sinclair

Unincorporated communities

* Arlington * Leo * McFadden * Muddy Gap * Savery * Walcott * Woodedge • Fort Steele

Education

The county has two school districts: Carbon County School District 1 and Carbon County School District 2.
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