Afton is a town in Lincoln County,

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, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the s ...

, United States. The population was 1,911 at the 2010 census. Afton is home to the world's largest arch made of elk antlers. Spanning across the four lanes of

U.S. Highway 89 U.S. Route 89 (US 89) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway with two sections, and one former section. The southern section runs for from Flagstaff, Arizona, to the southern entrance of Yellowstone National Park. The northern section ...

, the arch consists of 3,011 elk antlers and weighs 15 tons.

History

The first settlement at Afton was made in 1885. The community takes its name from the

River Afton The River Afton (or Afton Water) is a small river in Ayrshire, Scotland, which flows north from Alwhat Hill in the Carsphairn and Scaur Hills, through Afton Reservoir and then for eight miles down Glen Afton before joining the River Nith at Ne ...

, in Ayrshire, Scotland.

Geography

Afton is the largest city in Star Valley, a grassland valley in forested mountains. According to the

United States 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 t ...

, the town has a total area of , all land. A periodic spring is Afton's main water supply, which cycles on and off during the summer, fall, and winter at 12 to 18 minute intervals. During the spring the flow never stops due to increased water supply from the melting snowpack. At full flow the Intermittent Spring discharges up to 285 gallons per second. It is located five miles east of Afton, a short hike from the end of Swift Creek Road.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Afton has a warm-summer humid continental, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in was on July 15, 2002, while the coldest temperature recorded was on January 1, 1979. Star Valley & Afton WY

Demographics

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 1,911 people, 703 households, and 496 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 855 housing units at an average density of . The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the town was 94.1% White, 0.2% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.2%. Of the 703 households 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.2% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.4% were non-families. 26.2% of households were one person and 10.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.26. The median age in the town was 33 years. 32% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.2% were from 25 to 44; 23% were from 45 to 64; and 14.3% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.7% male and 50.3% female.

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 1,818 people, 651 households, and 475 families living in the town. The population density was 530.8 people per square mile (204.6/km). There were 769 housing units at an average density of 224.5 per square mile (86.6/km). The

of the town was 97.19% White, 0.06% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.94% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.81%. Of the 651 households 38.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.5% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.9% were non-families. 24.1% of households were one person and 9.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.32. The age distribution was 32.3% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% 65 or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males. The median household income was $37,292 and the median family income was $43,400. Males had a median income of $33,472 versus $20,893 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,177. About 5.5% of families and 7.6% 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 9.8% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public education in the town of Afton is provided by Lincoln County School District #2. Zoned campuses include Afton Elementary School (grades K-3), Osmond Elementary School (grades 4–6), Thayne Elementary School (grades K-3), Etna Elementary School (grades 4–6), Star Valley Middle School (grades 7–8), and

Star Valley High School Star Valley High School is a high school located in rural Afton, Wyoming, Afton, Lincoln County, Wyoming, Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. It is one of three high schools in Lincoln County School District Number 2, along with Cokeville High ...

(grades 9–12). Afton has a public library, a branch of the Lincoln County Public Library System.

Notable people

Rulon Gardner Rulon Ellis Gardner (born August 16, 1971) is an American retired Greco-Roman Olympic Gold Medalist wrestler. He competed at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics and won the gold medal in 2000, defeating Russia's three-time reigning gold medalist Aleksan ...

(born 1971) Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler, gold medalist at 2000 Summer Olympics and bronze medalist at 2004 Summer Olympics * Velma Linford (1907–2002) educator, politician

References

External links

Town of Afton, Wyoming

Afton Civic Center

Star Valley Branch Library Homepage
{{authority control Towns in Lincoln County, Wyoming Towns in Wyoming