Casper is a city in and the

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 ...

Natrona County, Wyoming Natrona County is a County (United States), 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, Wyoming, Casper. N ...

, United States. Casper is the second-most populous city in the state after

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. The Cheyenne comprise two Native American tribes, the Só'taeo'o or Só'taétaneo'o (more commonly spelled as Suhtai or Sutaio) and the (also spelled Tsitsistas, The term for th ...

, with the population at 59,038 as of the 2020 census. Casper is nicknamed "The Oil City" and has a long history of oil boomtown and cowboy culture, dating back to the development of the nearby

Salt Creek Oil Field The Salt Creek Oil Field is located in Natrona County, Wyoming. By 1970, more oil had been produced by this field than any other in the Rocky Mountains region and accounted for 20 percent of the total production in Wyoming.Barlow and Haun, p ...

. Casper is in east central Wyoming, on the

North Platte River The North Platte River is a major tributary of the Platte River and is approximately long, counting its many curves.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 21, 2011 I ...

History

Casper was established east of the former site of

Fort Caspar Fort Caspar was a military post of the United States Army in present-day Wyoming, named after 2nd Lieutenant Caspar Collins, a U.S. Army officer who was killed in the 1865 Battle of the Platte Bridge Station against the Lakota and Cheyenne. Fou ...

, in an area that attracted European settlers during the mid-19th century mass migration of land seekers along the

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, and

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...

trails, where several nearby ferries offered passage across the North Platte River in the early 1840s. In 1859, Louis Guinard built a bridge and trading post near the original ferry locations, allowing overland travel to continue through the area. The government also posted the military garrison to protect

telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...

and mail service. It was under the command of Lieutenant Colonel William O. Collins. Native American attacks increased after the 1864

Sand Creek Massacre The Sand Creek massacre (also known as the Chivington massacre, the battle of Sand Creek or the massacre of Cheyenne Indians) was a massacre of Cheyenne and Arapaho people by the U.S. Army in the American Indian Genocide that occurred on No ...

in Colorado, bringing more troops to the post, which was by now called Platte Bridge Station. In July 1865, a group of Indian warriors killed Collins's son

Caspar W. Collins Caspar Weaver Collins (September 30, 1844 to July 26, 1865) was an American Union army, Union Army officer who served in the 11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry in the American west. He is the namesake for Fort Caspar (historically known as Fort Casper), ...

near the post in the

Battle of Platte Bridge The Battle of Platte Bridge, also called the Battle of Platte Bridge Station, on July 26, 1865, was the culmination of a summer offensive by the Lakota people, Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne Native Americans of the United States, Indians against the ...

, and three months later the garrison was renamed Fort Caspar in his honor. In 1867, the troops were ordered to abandon Fort Caspar in favor of

Fort Fetterman Fort Fetterman was constructed in 1867 by the United States Army on the Great Plains frontier in Dakota Territory, approximately 11 miles northwest of present-day Douglas, Wyoming. Located high on the bluffs south of the North Platte River, it s ...

, downstream on the North Platte along the

Bozeman Trail The Bozeman Trail was an overland route in the Western United States, connecting the gold rush territory of southern Montana to the Oregon Trail in eastern Wyoming. Its important period was from 1863 to 1868. While the major part of the route us ...

. But the town itself was settled in 1887, and incorporated a year later by developers as an anticipated stopping point during the Wyoming Central Railway's expansion. A site a few miles east was planned as the original site, where homesteader Joshua Stroud lived before the construction of the station for the

Chicago and North Western Railway The Chicago and North Western was a Railroad classes#Class I, Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of t ...

. The Pioneer Town Site Company laid out the site in 1888 and it was known as Strouds, but the name Casper soon prevailed. The name is derived from Fort Casper which was named for Caspar Collins. The fort, and later the city, were spelled with an "er" due to a misspelling in the Army order renaming the fort in 1865. Casper was an early commercial rival to both Bessemer and

Douglas, Wyoming Douglas is a city in and the county seat of Converse County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 6,386 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the home of the Wyoming State Fair. History Douglas was platted in 1886 when the ...

. The absence of a railhead doomed Bessemer in favor of Casper, while Douglas, also a railhead, survives. This rail presence also made Casper the starting point for the "invaders" in the

Johnson County War The Johnson County War, also known as the War on Powder River and the Wyoming Range War, was a range war in Johnson County, Wyoming from 1889 to 1893. The conflict began when cattle companies started ruthlessly persecuting alleged Cattle raiding ...

, since the chartered train carrying the men from Texas stopped at Casper. Casper received a significant influx of visitors during the

solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 The solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, dubbed the "Great American Eclipse" by some media, was a total solar eclipse visible within a band that spanned the contiguous United States from the Pacific Ocean, Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic c ...

, due to its position along the path of totality.

Geography

Interstate 25 Interstate 25 (I-25), also known as the Pan-American Freeway, 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 st ...

, which approaches Casper from the north and east, is the main avenue of transportation to and from the city. The towns immediately adjacent to Casper are

Mills Mills is the plural form of mill, but may also refer to: As a name * Mills (surname), a common family name of English or Gaelic origin * Mills (given name) *Mills, a fictional British secret agent in a trilogy by writer Manning O'Brine Places U ...

Evansville Evansville is a city in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 118,414 at the 2020 census, it is Indiana's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the most populous city in S ...

, and Bar Nunn. Unincorporated areas include Allendale, Dempsey Acres, Red Buttes, and Indian Springs. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has an area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

Like most of Wyoming, Casper has a continental

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

: ''BSk''), with long, cold, dry winters, hot but generally dry summers, mild springs, and short, crisp autumns. Normal daily maxima range from in January to in July. Snow can fall heavily during the winter and early to mid-spring months, and usually falls in May and October. Precipitation is greatest in spring and early summer, but even then is not high. Highs reach on 37.8 days per year and fail to surpass freezing on 41.3. Lows drop to on an average of 14.6 nights annually. The highest temperature recorded in Casper was on July 12, 1954; July 16, 2005; and July 29, 2006; the lowest was on December 22, 2022.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 55,316 people, 22,794 households, and 14,237 families residing in the city. 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 24,536 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.3%

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 ...

, 1.0%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.9% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 2.3% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races.

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 people of any race were 7.4% of the population. There were 22,794 households, of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% 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, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.5% were non-families. Of all households 30.3% were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age in the city was 36 years. 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.7% were from 25 to 44; 26.4% were from 45 to 64; and 12.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.7% male and 50.3% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 49,644 people, 20,343 households, and 13,141 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 21,872 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.03% White, 0.86% Black, 1.00% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02%

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 ...

, 2.04% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. 5.35% of the population were

or Latino of any race. There were 20,343 households, out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. Of all households 29.1% were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.94. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.9% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 91.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $36,567, and the median income for a family was $46,267. Males had a median income of $34,905 versus $21,810 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 city was $19,409. About 8.5% of families and 11.4% 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 15.4% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Casper is a regional center of banking and commerce. After the discovery of

crude oil Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring u ...

in the region during the 1890s, Casper became the regional petroleum industry center. Oil has figured prominently in its history from nearly the outset. It was first discovered in the

in 1889, about north of Casper; the first refinery in Casper was built in 1895. The city has featured a refinery ever since, with various refineries built and closed over the years. As recently as the early 1980s, the city was near or home to three refineries. The surviving one, operated by

Sinclair Oil Corporation Sinclair Oil Corporation was an American petroleum corporation founded by Harry F. Sinclair on May 1, 1916. The Sinclair Oil and Refining Corporation amalgamated the assets of 11 small petroleum companies. Originally a New York corporation, Si ...

, is in nearby Evansville. Development of Wyoming

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...

and

uranium Uranium is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Ura ...

fields in recent decades has helped Casper continue its role as a center in the energy industry. Casper Wind Farm began operations near Casper in Natrona County and has 11 turbines with a generating capacity of 16.5 MW."Rocky Mountain Power's Wind Projects." ''Rocky Mountain Power''. 2010
PDF
. Energy Transportation Inc. is headquartered in Casper. This logistics firm transports overweight and outsized components used in the wind power industry. The Casper landfill is also a disposal site for windmill blades.

Education

Casper is home to

Casper College Casper College is a Public college, public community college in Casper, Wyoming. It is one of the largest and most comprehensive community colleges in the region. Established in 1945 as Wyoming's first junior college and initially located on the ...

, a

community college A community college is a type of undergraduate higher education institution, generally leading to an associate degree, certificate, or diploma. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an open enr ...

that offers bachelor's degrees in 16 areas of study from the

University of Wyoming The University of Wyoming (UW) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Laramie, Wyoming, United States. It was founded in March 1886, four years before the territory was admitted as the 44th state, ...

through its UW/CC Center. Public education in Casper is provided by Natrona County School District #1, the county's only school district. The district operates 16 elementary schools, five middle schools, and three high schools in Casper. The high schools are Kelly Walsh,

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 ...

, and Roosevelt High Schools. A program called CAPS is being added to Natrona County School District, which will provide more space and classrooms for juniors and seniors at the high schools. Casper has a

public library A public library is a library, most often a lending library, that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil servic ...

, a branch of the Natrona County Public Library System.

Media

Casper is served by one print newspaper, the ''

Casper Star-Tribune The ''Casper Star-Tribune'' is a newspaper published in Casper, Wyoming, with statewide influence and readership. It is Wyoming's largest print newspaper, with a daily circulation of 23,760 and a Sunday circulation of 21,041. The ''Star-Tribune' ...

'', a daily, and until recently the ''Casper Journal'', a weekly. Casper is also home to WyoFile, an online publication focusing on state issues, and ''Oil City News,'' an online news and media site. Casper is served by 30 radio stations on FM and AM. KTWO 1030 AM is the state's oldest radio station. Casper is served by the following television stations:

KTWO-TV KTWO-TV (channel 2) is a television station in Casper, Wyoming, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is owned by Vision Alaska LLC, which maintains a shared services agreement (SSA) with Coastal Television Broadcasting Company LLC, owner of F ...

(channel 2), affiliated with

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

;

KCWY KCWY-DT (channel 13) is a television station in Casper, Wyoming, United States, affiliated with NBC and The CW Plus. Owned by Marquee Broadcasting, the station has studios on Progress Circle in Mills, Wyoming, and its transmitter is located atop ...

(channel 13), affiliated with

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

(and

The CW The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the firs ...

on DT2);

KGWC-TV KGWC-TV (channel 14) is a television station in Casper, Wyoming, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Big Horn Television LLC, which maintains a shared services agreement (SSA) with Coastal Television Broadcasting Company LLC, own ...

(channel 14), affiliated with

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

; and

KFNB KFNB (channel 20) is a television station in Casper, Wyoming, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by Coastal Television Broadcasting Company LLC, which provides certain services to ABC affiliate KTWO-TV (channel 2, owned ...

(channel 20), affiliated with

Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

. Casper also has a member station of

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

, KPTW, on channel 8. Almost all the city's FM stations and all its TV stations broadcast from Casper Mountain south of the city. Casper from Casper Mountain

Sports

UFC 6 ''UFC 6: Clash of the Titans'' was the sixth mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 14, 1995, at the Casper Events Center in Casper, Wyoming, Casper, Wyoming. The event was seen live on pay per view in the Unit ...

took place at the

Casper Events Center The Ford Wyoming Center (formerly known as the Casper Events Center) is a multi-purpose arena in Casper, Wyoming, in the United States. The arena was built in April 1982. It seats 8,395 for ice hockey and indoor football games, 8,842 for basket ...

in 1995. *Casper hosted the AIFA Championship Bowl III at the Casper Events Center on July 26, 2009. *The Events Center has hosted the

College National Finals Rodeo The College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR), sanctioned by the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA), is held every June. The inaugural event was hosted at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California, in 1949. Since 1999, the CNFR has been ...

since 2001. *The Casper Recreation Center offers basketball, fitness, racquetball, volleyball and is adjacent to the Casper Family Aquatics Center and

Casper Ice Arena Casper (Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics, earlier CASPer or "CMSENS") is an admissions test developed by Harold Reiter and Kelly Dore. It was made for the McMaster University's Program for Educational Research and De ...

. *Soccer matches are held at the Casper Soccer Complex. *The Casper Municipal Golf Course is a public 27-hole golf course in Casper. Sports teams based in Casper include: * Casper Cannibal RFC, an amateur rugby football team in the Eastern Rockies Rugby Football Union * Casper Coyotes were a Junior A hockey team in the

Western States Hockey League The Western States Hockey League (WSHL) was a junior ice hockey league established in 1993. It was sanctioned by the United Hockey Union, the junior hockey branch of the Amateur Athletic Union. Previously, it was sanctioned by USA Hockey from ...

(WSHL) that played out of the Casper Ice Arena. They were renamed the Casper Bobcats for the 2018–19 season and folded before the 2019–20 season. * Casper Ghosts (formerly). From 2001 to 2011,

Mike Lansing Field Mike Lansing Field is a stadium in Casper, Wyoming. It is primarily used for baseball. It was the home field of the Casper Ghosts minor league baseball team from 2002 to 2011, of the Casper Cutthroats summer-collegiate baseball team from 2012 to ...

hosted the Ghosts of the Pioneer League, Rookie-level affiliate of the

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...

. In 2011, the team relocated to

Grand Junction, Colorado Grand Junction is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality that is the county seat and largest city of Mesa County, Colorado, United States. Grand Junction's population was 65,560 at the 2020 United St ...

to become the

Rockies The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Canada, to New Mexico in ...

. * Casper Horseheads (formerly). From 2018 to 2022 the Horseheads, a

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

team of

Independence League Baseball Independence League Baseball is a collegiate summer baseball league in the United States with teams playing in Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The league played its inaugural season in 2022 with ten teams and had eight teams for 2023. eight ...

, played their home games at

before closing operations. * Casper Spuds, a

team of

that started play in the summer of 2023, after relocating from

Caldwell, Idaho Caldwell (locally CALL-dwel) is a city in and the county seat of Canyon County, Idaho, United States. The population was 68,336 at the time of th2023 United States census making it the List of cities in Idaho, 5th most populous city in Idaho. C ...

, playing their home games at

Culture

Museums and historical sites

Casper is home to a number of museums and historical sites: * Fort Caspar Museum and Historic Site *

National Historic Trails Interpretive Center The National Historic Trails Interpretive Center (NHTIC) is an interpretive center about several of the National Historic Trails and is located northwest of Casper, Wyoming on Interstate 25. It is operated through a partnership between the B ...

, a federally funded and operated museum * Nicolaysen Art Museum * Tate Geological Museum at

* Werner Wildlife Museum * Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum * The Science Zone * Historic Bishop Home * Casper Planetarium

Performing arts and music

Casper has three locations offering

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communi ...

: the Gertrude Krampert Theatre at Casper College, Stage III Community Theatre, and the Casper Events Center, where an annual series of touring Broadway shows, ''Broadway in Casper'', can be seen. Casper is home to the Troopers, a drum and bugle corps in

Drum Corps International Drum Corps International (DCI) is a governing body for drum and bugle corps. Founded in 1971 and known as "marching music's major league," DCI develops and enforces rules of competition and judges at sanctioned drum and bugle corps competitions t ...

, and the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra. In the summer, Casper's City Band performs free concerts Thursday evenings at Washington Park. The

International Thespian Society The International Thespian Society (ITS) is an honor society for high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary educ ...

, originally called National Thespians, was founded in 1929 in

Fairmont, West Virginia Fairmont is a city in Marion County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. The population was 18,313 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in West Virginia, eighth-most populous city in ...

by Dr. Paul Opp, Earnest Bavely, and Harry T. Leeper. It honored high school theater students who participated in their school programs. The first troupe was started by Dr. Earl Blank at Natrona County High School in Casper, Wyoming.

Architecture

Wyoming National Bank, a mid-century modern tower, was designed by

Charles Deaton Charles Utter Deaton (January 1, 1921 – December 18, 1996) was an American architect. He designed several athletic stadiums, and is noted for his futuristic Sculptured House that was featured in the 1973 film '' Sleeper''. He is also noted as ...

and is featured in Casper's logo.

Transportation

Highways

Interstate Highways The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National H ...

: * – North-South Interstate running from

Las Cruces, New Mexico Las Cruces (; ; lit. 'the crosses') is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico and the county seat, seat of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, Doña Ana County. As of the 2020 United States ce ...

to its terminus at

I-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 states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...

Buffalo, Wyoming Buffalo is a city in and the county seat of Johnson County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 4,415 at the 2020 census, down from 4,585 at the 2010 census. The city had experienced an economic boom due to methane production from the C ...

. US Routes: * – East–west route through Casper that runs concurrent with I-25 through Casper. At exit 189 the highway continues west out of Casper, and no longer runs concurrent with the interstate. The

business route A business route (or business loop, business spur, or city route) in the United States is a short special route that branches off a parent numbered highway at its beginning, continues through the central business district of a nearby city or to ...

of US 20 follows North Beverly Street and Yellowstone Highway going east–west from I-25/US 87 (Exit 186) to U.S. 20–26 west of Casper in

. * – East–west route through Casper that runs concurrent with I-25 through Casper. At exit 189 the highway continues west out of Casper, and no longer runs concurrent with the interstate. The

of US 26 follows North McKinley Street and Yellowstone Highway going east–west from I-25/US 87 (Exit 187) to U.S. 20–26 west of Casper in

. * – North-South through Casper that runs concurrent with I-25 through Casper.

Wyoming State Highways The state highway system in the U.S. state of Wyoming consists of a series of numbered routes; usually known as WYO X, where X is the route number. __TOC__ List ...

: * (North Poplar Street, CY Avenue) – East–west route from I-25/US 87 (Exit 188B) west out of Casper towards Alcova. * (Wolcott Street, Casper Mountain Road) – North–south route that continues south out of Casper and up Casper Mountain, eventually ending at WYO 487. * (South Poplar Street) – North–south route from the intersection of Poplar Street and CY avenue to Casper Mountain Road. * (Salt Creek Hwy.) – North–south route from I-25/US 87 south to US 20-26 (Yellowstone Highway) in Mills. * (Center Street, 9th Strert, CY Avenue) – North–south route from I-25 exit 188A to the intersection of South Poplar Street and CY Avenue, where CY Avenue continues as WY 220. * (Wyoming Blvd.) – East-West loop route from I-25/US 87 to US 20-26 west of Casper in Mills; the majority of the highway runs along the southern borders of Casper.

Airports

The city has scheduled air service at

Casper–Natrona County International Airport Casper–Natrona County International Airport is northwest of Casper, in Natrona County, Wyoming. Before December 19, 2007, the airport was called Natrona County International Airport. Scheduled passenger service was previously offered by ...

, a former army air base built during World War II. The runways are large, having been built for bombers. It replaced

Wardwell Field Wardwell Field was a public airport approximately north of Casper, Wyoming. Constructed in 1927, the airport was named two years later for Maj. Doyen Wardwell, a World War I aviator and advocate for aviation in the state of Wyoming who was kill ...

north of Casper, which later became the town of Bar Nunn. The airport is west of the city just off of US Highway 20/26. In 2004, the airport facilities were renovated. Passenger service is offered by

United Express United Express is a regional airline network that supports United Airlines operations, primarily by serving smaller cities and connecting traffic to United's main hubs. Representing six percent of United's total capacity for 2024, United Express ...

(

SkyWest Airlines SkyWest Airlines is an American regional airline headquartered in St. George, Utah. SkyWest operates and maintains aircraft used on flights that are scheduled, marketed and sold by four partner Mainline (air travel), mainline airlines. The comp ...

and

GoJet Airlines GoJet Airlines LLC is a regional airline headquartered in Bridgeton, Missouri, United States. Wholly owned by Trans States Holdings, it has 1,670 employees. It operates commuter feeder services under the United Express brand of United Airlines. ...

) and

Delta Connection Delta Connection is a brand name under which Delta Air Lines has air service agreements with domestic regional air carriers that feed traffic to their network by serving passengers primarily in small and medium-sized cities in the domestic mark ...

(SkyWest Airlines).

FedEx Express FedEx Express is a major American cargo airline based in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. As of 2023, it is the world's List of largest airlines, largest cargo airline in terms of fleet size and freight tons flown. It is the namesake and leadi ...

and

FedEx Feeder FedEx Express is a major American cargo airline based in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. As of 2023, it is the world's largest cargo airline in terms of fleet size and freight tons flown. It is the namesake and leading subsidiary of FedEx C ...

provide cargo airline service.

Public transit

Public transit in the Casper area was formerly provided by the Casper Area Transportation Coalition but is now offered by the city of Casper as

Casper Area Transit Casper Area Transit is the primary provider of mass transportation in Casper, Wyoming with six routes serving the region. As of 2019, the system provided 213,403 rides over 40,389 annual vehicle revenue hours with six buses and seven paratransit ...

. It offers fixed route service called Casper Area LINK and an on-request service called ASSIST from Monday to Saturday.

Scheduled bus service

Scheduled bus service once offered by Power River Bus Lines is now offered by ExpressArrow (formerly Black Hills Stages).

Notable people

* Laurie Anders (LoRaye Raddatz, born 1922), actress featured regularly on The Ken Murray Show and star of the 1953 film

The Marshal's Daughter ''The Marshal's Daughter'' is a 1953 American action film directed by William Berke, produced by Ken Murray and written by Bob Duncan, the latter two appearing in the film. The film stars Laurie Anders, Hoot Gibson, Preston Foster and Johnny Ma ...

. *

John Barrasso John Anthony Barrasso III ( ; born July 21, 1952) is an American physician and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from Wyoming, a seat he has held since 2007. A mem ...

(born 1952), U.S. senator *

Zane Beadles Zane Dae Beadles (born November 19, 1986) is an American former professional football player who was a guard for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Utah Utes and received All-American honors. ...

(born 1986), former Utah Ute

offensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line ( ...

; former member of the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

* C. J. Box (born 1958), author *

Tom Brewer Thomas Austin Brewer (September 3, 1931 – February 15, 2018) was an American professional baseball player. The right-handed pitcher appeared in 241 games over eight seasons (1954–1961) for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He was ...

(born 1958), member of the

Nebraska Legislature The Nebraska Legislature (also called the Unicameral) is the legislative branch, legislature of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln, Nebraska, Lincoln. With 49 members, known as "senators ...

* Bryant Butler Brooks (born 1861), early homesteader, 7th governor of Wyoming, President of Wyoming National Bank *

Tom Browning Thomas Leo Browning (April 28, 1960 – December 19, 2022) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1984 to 1995, spending almost his entire career with the Cincinnati Reds. In his rookie season in 1985, ...

(1960-2022), former major-league pitcher * Taven Bryan (born 1996), professional football player *

Dick Cheney Richard Bruce Cheney ( ; born January 30, 1941) is an American former politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He has been called vice presidency o ...

(born 1941), U.S. vice president, Secretary of Defense; CEO of

Halliburton Company Halliburton Company is an American multinational corporation and the world's second-largest oil service company which is responsible for most of the world's fracking operations. It employs approximately 55,000 people through its hundreds of su ...

; grew up in Casper *

Liz Cheney Elizabeth Lynne Cheney (; born July 28, 1966) is an American attorney and politician. She represented in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2017 to 2023, and served as chair of the House Republican Conference from 2019 to 2021. Cheney i ...

(born 1966), lawyer; member of U.S. State Department; daughter of Dick Cheney; attended elementary school in Casper; elected to the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

Lynne Cheney Lynne Ann Cheney ( ; ; born August 14, 1941) is an American author, scholar, and former talk show host. She served as the second lady of the United States from 2001 to 2009 when her husband was vice president. Childhood and education Lynne An ...

(born 1941), wife of former Vice President Dick Cheney *

Tom Coburn Thomas Allen Coburn (March 14, 1948 – March 28, 2020) was an American politician and medical doctor, physician who served as a United States senator from Oklahoma from 2005 to 2015. A Republican Party (United States), Republican, Coburn ...

(1948–2020), U.S. Senator from

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

Barbara Cubin Barbara Lynn Cubin (née Turner; born November 30, 1946) is an American politician who was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, Wyoming's sole member of that body. She was the first woman elected to Congress from Wy ...

(born 1946), former member of the U.S. House of Representatives; grew up and graduated from high school in Casper * Mike Devereaux (born 1963), professional baseball player with

World Series ring A World Series ring is an award given to Major League Baseball players who win the World Series. Since only one Commissioner's Trophy is awarded to the team, a World Series ring is an individual award that players and staff of each World Series ...

s with

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

and

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

* Ron Franscell (born 1957), journalist, crime author * Mary Meyer Gilmore (born 1947), former Democratic member of the Wyoming House of Representatives * John Hoffman (born 1965),

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

state politician * Rick Koerber (born 1973), convicted felon who was found guilty in federal court of orchestrating and running a $100 million

Ponzi scheme A Ponzi scheme (, ) is a form of fraud that lures investors and pays Profit (accounting), profits to earlier investors with Funding, funds from more recent investors. Named after Italians, Italian confidence artist Charles Ponzi, this type of s ...

Marlan Scully Marlan Orvil Scully (born August 3, 1939) is an American physicist best known for his work in theoretical quantum optics. He is a professor at Texas A&M University and Princeton University. Additionally, in 2012 he developed a lab at the Baylor ...

(born 1939), physicist best known for his work in theoretical quantum optics * Matthew Scully (born 1959), author, speechwriter *

Matthew Shepard Matthew Wayne Shepard (December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998) was an American student at the University of Wyoming who was beaten, tortured, and left to die near Laramie on October 6, 1998. He was transported by rescuers to Poudre Valle ...

(born 1976), murder victim for whom the Matthew Shepard Hate Crime Act is named *

Patrick Joseph Sullivan Patrick Joseph Sullivan (March 17, 1864April 8, 1935) was an American politician. He was the mayor of Casper, Wyoming, from 1897 to 1898 and was a Republican member of the United States Senate from Wyoming from 1929 to 1930. Biography Sullivan ...

(1864–1935), mayor of Casper, Wyoming, 1897–1898; member of

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

from Wyoming, 1929–1930 * Floyd Volker (1921–1995), professional basketball player * Pete Williams (born 1952),

NBC News NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Media Group, a division of NBCUniversal, which is itself a subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's various operations r ...

journalist covering the U.S. Justice Department. * Logan Wilson (born 1996), linebacker for the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...

In popular culture

* The protagonist Dr Shaun Murphy from the ABC show The Good Doctor is from Casper. * The film "Hellfighters" starring

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

was partly filmed near Casper in 1968. * The film "Starship Troopers" was partly filmed at Hells Half Acre near Casper in 1997.

References

External links

City website

Casper Area Chamber of Commerce
{{Authority control Cities in Wyoming County seats in Wyoming Cities in Natrona County, Wyoming World War II Heritage Cities