Green River is a city in and the county seat of
Sweetwater County, Wyoming
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 ...
, United States, in the southwestern part of the state.
The population was 11,825 at the
2020 census. It is the
7th most populous city in Wyoming.
History

The townsite of Green River,
Dakota Territory was platted by 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 ...
in 1867. Although the
Territory of Wyoming was created on July 25, 1868, the Town of Green River was incorporated on August 21,1868 under the laws of the previous Territory of Dakota since the laws of the Wyoming Territory had yet to be written. The Town of Green River was re-incorporated on June 10, 1891 under the laws of the
State of Wyoming to remove any ambiguity.
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 ...
reached Green River on October 1, 1868, and was supposed to be the site of a division point for the railroad. Railroad officials were surprised to find that a town of 2000 residents and permanent adobe buildings had been established there, likely requiring costly negotiations for railroad land. They moved the division point west, creating the town of
Bryan, on the
Blacks Fork of the Green River.
Just when Green River was on the verge of becoming a
ghost town
A ghost town, deserted city, extinct town, or abandoned city is an abandoned settlement, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economi ...
, Blacks Fork dried up during a drought and the railroad was forced to move the division point back to Green River to ensure adequate water for its
steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, Fuel oil, oil or, rarely, Wood fuel, wood) to heat ...
s. Bryan became the ghost town.
On May 24, 1869,
John Wesley Powell launched the
Powell Geographic Expedition from Green River.
On November 16, 1931, the Town of Green River passed the
Green River Ordinance that prohibited door-to-door selling. Other towns across the country would adopt the ordinance.
Geography
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 a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Climate
According to the
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 ...
system, Green River has a
cold semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Green River was on July 8, 1954, while the coldest temperature recorded was on December 31, 1978.
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 12,515 people, 4,642 households, and 3,406 families living 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 5,002 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.1%
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 ...
, 0.4%
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 ...
, 0.8%
Native American, 0.5%
Asian, 0.1%
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 ...
, 4.1% from
other races, and 2.0% 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 of any race were 13.4% of the population.
There were 4,642 households, of which 39.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% 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, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 26.6% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.12.
The median age in the city was 33.9 years. 28.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.6% were from 25 to 44; 28.1% were from 45 to 64; and 8.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.6% male and 48.4% female.
2000 census
As of the census
of 2000, there were 11,808 people, 4,177 households, and 3,212 families living in the city. The population density was 861.5 people per square mile (332.5/km
2). There were 4,426 housing units at an average density of 322.9 per square mile (124.6/km
2). The racial makeup of the city was 92.13% White, 0.27% African American, 1.36% Native American, 0.32% 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 ...
, 4.23% from
other races, and 1.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.21% of the population.
There were 4,177 households, out of which 42.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.1% were non-families. 19.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.1% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 6.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $53,164, and the median income for a family was $59,100. Males had a median income of $51,418 versus $24,306 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 $20,398. About 3.1% of families and 4.5% 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 6.0% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
Economy

The
Green River Basin contains the world's largest known deposit of
trona ore.
Soda ash mining from trona veins 900 and deep is a major industrial activity in the area, employing over 2000 persons at five mines. The mining operation is less expensive for production of soda ash in the United States than the synthetic
Solvay process, which predominates in the rest of the world. The trona in
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 ...
was created by an ancient body of water known as
Lake Gosiute. Over time, the lake shrank. With the loss of outflows, highly
alkaline
In chemistry, an alkali (; from the Arabic word , ) is a basic salt of an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. An alkali can also be defined as a base that dissolves in water. A solution of a soluble base has a pH greater than 7.0. The ...
water (salt brine) began to evaporate, depositing the beds of trona.
The four mines are run by these companies:
*
Tata Chemicals Ltd.
*
Genesis Alkali LLC
*
Ciner Resources LP
*
Solvay Chemicals Inc.
The Green River Basin also has large
oil shale
Oil shale is an organic-rich Granularity, fine-grained sedimentary rock containing kerogen (a solid mixture of Organic compound, organic chemical compounds) from which liquid hydrocarbons can be produced. In addition to kerogen, general compos ...
and
natural gas
Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...
reserves, which remain virtually untouched due to the high cost of extracting the oil from the hard shale formations. However, an increase in oil prices in 2008 and a national desire to become more energy independent led to an increase in well drilling and oil exploration. Expansion growth from
Halliburton
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 ...
and
Exxon, as well as other oil companies, created a mini-boom for Green River and its sister city,
Rock Springs.
The 80MW Sweetwater Solar project near Green River is "the first utility-scale solar farm" in Wyoming. It was slated to come online in 2019. Concerns have been raised about its impact on
antelope
The term antelope refers to numerous extant or recently extinct species of the ruminant artiodactyl family Bovidae that are indigenous to most of Africa, India, the Middle East, Central Asia, and a small area of Eastern Europe. Antelopes do ...
migration.
Arts and culture
Flaming Gorge Days

Every year, on the last full weekend of June, Green River hosts Flaming Gorge Days. The festival features concerts, 3-on-3 basketball, Red Desert Road Runner 5K race, Festival in the Park, among other activities. Past musical performances at the festival have included
Poison
A poison is any chemical substance that is harmful or lethal to living organisms. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figurati ...
,
Tesla,
Everclear,
Head East,
Neal McCoy,
REO Speedwagon
REO Speedwagon (originally stylized as R.E.O. Speedwagon), or simply REO, was an American Rock music, rock band from Champaign, Illinois. Formed in 1967, the band cultivated a following during the 1970s and achieved significant commercial suc ...
,
Josh Gracin,
Chris LeDoux and
Trick Pony.
Government
Green River's government consists of a six-member
city council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counc ...
, each of whom are elected from one of three wards. Each ward elects two members. The mayor is elected in a citywide vote. The city council was criticized in 2007 for its handling of a
smoking
Smoking is a practice in which a substance is combusted, and the resulting smoke is typically inhaled to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream of a person. Most commonly, the substance used is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant, whi ...
ban, which caused several residents to question the council's motives.
The Mayor of Green River is Pete Rust, who was elected in November 2014.
Animal welfare
Green River is one of the last cities in the United States that still uses a
gas chamber
A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing humans or animals with gas, consisting of a sealed chamber into which a poisonous or asphyxiant gas is introduced. Poisonous agents used include hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide.
History
Donatie ...
for euthanizing animals at its municipal
shelter. The practice, widely condemned by animal rights groups, has faced protests from citizens and activists. Despite offers to fund a transition to humane euthanasia methods, city officials have refused to discontinue gas chamber use.
Education
Public education in the City of Green River is provided by
Sweetwater County School District #2. Schools serving the city include: Harrison Elementary, Truman Elementary, Washington Elementary, Monroe Intermediate School, Lincoln Middle School, and
Green River High School. There is also one alternative high school campus -
Expedition Academy.
Western Wyoming Community College is located in nearby
Rock Springs and maintains an extension center in Green River.
Green River 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 Sweetwater County Library System.
Media
Green River is served by two print publications: ''The
Green River Star'' (a weekly newspaper published in Green River) and the ''
Rock Springs Daily Rocket-Miner''.
Four larger radio stations originate from Green River, three FM stations (
KYCS,
KZWB and
KFRZ) as well as one AM station (
KUGR). Stations from Rock Springs, Wyoming can also be heard in Green River.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Green River lies along
Interstate 80 (I-80), a major transcontinental freeway that crosses southern Wyoming. It was designated in 1956 and constructed in phases to replace
U.S. Route 30, the previous transcontinental highway on the corridor. The section around Green River was opened on October 28, 1966, and included the construction of the
Green River Tunnel, a pair of tunnels that ran . The tunnels closed on February 14, 2025, after a mass collision involving 26 vehicles started a fire that killed 3 people. Other highways in the city include
Highway 530, which connects to Flaming Gorge, and
Interstate 80 Business, which uses the old route of U.S. Route 30 through Green River.
The city government owns a
Greater Green River Intergalactic Spaceport, a public use
airstrip
An aerodrome, airfield, or airstrip is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for public or private use. Aerodromes in ...
south of the town on Highway 530. It was originally named Green River 48U for its
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...
identifier until 1994, when the city council passed a resolution to designate the airport as a spaceport. The same resolution included language with an "offer of sanctuary" to residents of
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a Jupiter mass, mass more than 2.5 times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined a ...
due to the impending collision of
Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9. The airport has a runway and a commemorative sign that has been replaced several times due to theft.
Notable people
*
Heather Moody (born 1973), Olympic water polo silver and bronze medalist
[City of Green River](_blank)
*
Curt Gowdy (1919–2006), sports announcer
*
Justin Salas (born 1982), mixed martial artist who competed as a lightweight in Ultimate Fighting Championship from 2012 to 2016
*
Nick Mamalis (born 1986), mixed martial artist who competed in the Bantamweight division
*
Marlene Tromp (born 1966), English literature scholar and 7th president of
Boise State University
References
External links
City of Green RiverGreen River Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control
Cities in Sweetwater County, Wyoming
County seats in Wyoming
Green River (Colorado River tributary)
Populated places established in 1868
Cities in Wyoming