Thermopolis is 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 ...

and largest town in Hot Springs County, Wyoming, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the town population was 2,725. Thermopolis is Greek for "hot city." It is home to numerous natural

hot spring A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by ci ...

s, in which mineral-laden waters are heated by geothermal processes. The town is named for the hot springs located there. The town claims the world's largest mineral hot spring, appropriately named "The Big Spring", as part of

Hot Springs State Park Hot Springs State Park is a public recreation area in Thermopolis, Wyoming, known for its hot springs, which flow at a constant temperature of . The state park offers free bathing at the State Bath House, where temperatures are moderated to a ...

. The springs are open to the public for free as part of an 1896

treaty A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal pers ...

signed with the

Shoshone The Shoshone or Shoshoni ( or ) are a Native American tribe with four large cultural/linguistic divisions: * Eastern Shoshone: Wyoming * Northern Shoshone: southern Idaho * Western Shoshone: Nevada, northern Utah * Goshute: western Utah, east ...

and

Arapaho The Arapaho (; french: Arapahos, ) are a Native American people historically living on the plains of Colorado and Wyoming. They were close allies of the Cheyenne tribe and loosely aligned with the Lakota and Dakota. By the 1850s, Arapaho ba ...

Indian tribes. Dinosaur fossils were found on the Warm Springs Ranch in 1993, and the

Wyoming Dinosaur Center The Wyoming Dinosaur Center is located in Thermopolis, Wyoming and is one of the few dinosaur museums in the world to have excavation sites within driving distance. The museum displays the Thermopolis Specimen of ''Archaeopteryx'', which is the on ...

was founded soon after.

Geography

Thermopolis is located near the northern end of the

Wind River Canyon Wind River Canyon is a scenic Wyoming canyon on the Wind River. It is located between the towns of Shoshoni and Thermopolis and is a popular stop for visitors to Yellowstone National Park. It is accessible by U.S. Highway 20 and Wyoming Highway ...

and Wedding of the Waters, where the north-flowing Wind River becomes the

Bighorn River The Bighorn River is a tributary of the Yellowstone, approximately long, in the states of Wyoming and Montana in the western United States. The river was named in 1805 by fur trader François Larocque for the bighorn sheep he saw along its ...

. It is an unusual instance of a river changing names at a point other than a confluence of two streams. The dual name is ascribed to the mountain barrier between the Wind River and

Bighorn The bighorn sheep (''Ovis canadensis'') is a species of sheep native to North America. It is named for its large horns. A pair of horns might weigh up to ; the sheep typically weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates three distinct subspe ...

basins, obscuring the fact that the river that drains the two is the same. The term "Wedding of the Waters" dates to at least 1934, when a marker was placed at the location. Thermopolis is ringed by mountains, with the

Big Horn 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 ...

to the northeast, the Bridger Mountains to the southeast, the

Owl Creek Mountains The Owl Creek Mountains are a subrange of the Rocky Mountains in central Wyoming in the United States, running east to west to form a bridge between the Absaroka Range to the northwest and the Bridger Mountains to the east. The range forms the b ...

to the southwest and the

Absaroka Range The Absaroka Range ( or ) is a sub-range of the Rocky Mountains in the United States. The range stretches about across the Montana–Wyoming border, and at its widest, forming the eastern boundary of Yellowstone National Park along Paradise Va ...

to the northwest. Thermopolis is the southernmost municipality in the Big Horn Basin. Roundtop Mountain, on the northern edge of town, is a unique geological formation shaped much like a volcano. It sits at approximately and is the highest area in the immediate vicinity of Thermopolis. A large body of water,

Boysen Reservoir Boysen Reservoir is a reservoir formed by Boysen Dam, an earth-fill dam on the Wind River in the central part of the U.S. state of Wyoming. It is near the town of Shoshoni in Fremont County. The dam was constructed between 1947 and 1952 at ...

, lies approximately south of Thermopolis and is inhabited by many species of fish including

rainbow trout The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead (sometimes called "steelhead trout") is an anadromous (sea-run) form of the coasta ...

cutthroat trout The cutthroat trout is a fish species of the family Salmonidae native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean, Rocky Mountains, and Great Basin in North America. As a member of the genus ''Oncorhynchus'', it is one of the Pacific trout ...

brown trout The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a European species of salmonid fish that has been widely introduced into suitable environments globally. It includes purely freshwater populations, referred to as the riverine ecotype, ''Salmo trutta'' mor ...

walleye The walleye (''Sander vitreus'', synonym ''Stizostedion vitreum''), also called the yellow pike or yellow pickerel, is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the Northern United States. It is a North American close rela ...

northern pike The northern pike (''Esox lucius'') is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus '' Esox'' (the pikes). They are typical of brackish and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (''i.e.'' holarctic in distribution). They are known simply as a ...

and

perch Perch is a common name for fish of the genus ''Perca'', freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which three species occur in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Perci ...

among others. 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 th ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Thermopolis has a cool semi-arid climate, abbreviated ''BSk'' on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Thermopolis was on July 25, 1929, while the coldest temperature recorded was on January 16, 1930.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 3,009 people, 1,389 households, and 818 families residing in the town. 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 RosenberP ...

was . There were 1,583 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.4%

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 o ...

, 0.3%

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 ensl ...

, 0.9% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.4% 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 1.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties form ...

or Latino of any race were 2.2% of the population. There were 1,389 households, of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.3% 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, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.1% were non-families. 35.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.70. The median age in the town was 47 years. 20.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.2% were from 25 to 44; 30.5% were from 45 to 64; and 22.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,172 people, 1,342 households, and 849 families residing in the town. The

was 1,331.0 people per square mile (514.6/km²). There were 1,568 housing units at an average density of 657.9 per square mile (254.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.90%

, 0.47%

, 1.70% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.50% from

, and 1.17% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.30% of the population. There were 1,342 households, out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were

living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.86. In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. Gender makeup for this period was 47.2% male and 52.8% female. The median income for a household in the town was $29,205, and the median income for a family was $38,448. Males had a median income of $26,824 versus $18,438 for females. 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 ...

for the town was $16,648. About 8.3% of families and 10.1% 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 11.3% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Tourism

Because of Hot Springs State Park, tourism is of considerable economic importance to Thermopolis.About Thermopolis
, Accessed 090728. A state maintained herd of

American Bison The American bison (''Bison bison'') is a species of bison native to North America. Sometimes colloquially referred to as American buffalo or simply buffalo (a different clade of bovine), it is one of two extant species of bison, alongside the ...

reside in

, which extends into the northeast corner of town. Two hot mineral water concessions with numerous water slides and other attractions, the Teepee Pools and Star Plunge are located within the park. Two hotels, Days Inn-Safari Club and Best Western-Plaza Inn, are also in the park. Other tourism-related businesses in and near the town include the Downtown Thermopolis Historic District, the Hot Springs County Museum and Cultural Center and the Wind River Canyon Whitewater Rafting. Thermopolis (indeed, all of Hot Springs County) levies a 4% lodging tax for boarders in county hotels and motels.Wyoming tax rate chart
Accessed 090728. The Hot Springs County Museum and Cultural Center has an eclectic collection of memorabilia from local pioneers circa 1890 through 1910, with plans to focus on

Tim McCoy Timothy John Fitzgerald McCoy (April 10, 1891 – January 29, 1978) was an American actor, military officer, and expert on American Indian life. McCoy is most noted for his roles in B-grade Western films. As a popular cowboy film star, he ap ...

, who lived in Hot Springs County from 1912 to 1942, during which he built the High Eagle Ranch about 45 miles west of town. He worked for many years as an actor in what are now called B westerns, or lower-budget cowboy movies in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

.Wyoming Tourism entry on Thermopolis
, Accessed 090728. Nearby East Thermopolis is home to the

, a non-profit corporation that conducts

paleontology Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of foss ...

digs in the area and maintains a visitor center with a museum, gift shop and snack bar.Wyoming Dinosaur Center website
, Accessed 090728. They offer daily tours of the dig site that allow visitors to participate in excavations. Every May since 1993, thousands of basketball players have descended upon Thermopolis for the annual 3 on 3 Hot Spot Shootout Basketball Tournament. The tournament shuts down several blocks of the city for the weekend, as up to 60+ temporary basketball courts are constructed on city streets in the downtown area. The event is co-sponsored by the Hot Springs County Chamber of Commerce and Hoop World Basketball. On August 21, 2017, Thermopolis experienced a total eclipse of the sun.

Education

Public education in the town of Thermopolis is provided by Hot Springs County School District #1 It is the only school district in the county. HSCSD1 includes Ralph Witters Elementary School, Thermopolis Middle School, Hot Springs County High School, and a building for the county auditorium and district administrative offices, all in Thermopolis. Lucerne Intermediate School, a facility for fourth and fifth graders located in Lucerne, closed in 2005. Fourth and fifth graders now attend the recently expanded Ralph Witters Elementary.Hot Springs County School District #1
, Accessed 090728. All of HSCSD1's athletic teams are known as the Thermopolis Bobcats, and their colors are purple and gold. Hot Springs County High School's athletics are currently classified to compete as the smallest school (by enrollment) in class 3A (some programs are currently in Class 2A, such as varsity football) by the Wyoming High School Activities Association. The estimated high school enrollment for the 2017–18 school year is 209 students. By comparison, the largest 3A school, Riverton High School's estimated 2017-18 enrollment, stands at 787 students.

Media

The Thermopolis Independent Record, a weekly newspaper, has been published since 1901 and has a circulation of 1,800. Classic country station KDNO and

Wyoming Public Media Wyoming Public Media is a public broadcaster and is part of the University of Wyoming in Laramie. The organization operates several services: Wyoming Public Radio Wyoming Public Radio (WPR) is the statewide public radio network in Wyoming, and ...

classical music affiliate KUWT both broadcast from Thermopolis.

Infrastructure

Postal service

The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the Federal government of the Uni ...

operates the Thermopolis Post Office under ZIP code 82443.

Health care

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 Ch ...

's Wyoming Pioneer Home, an assisted living facility for the elderly owned and run by the State of Wyoming, is located in Thermopolis. The facility was operated by 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 ...

until that 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, Wyoming, Cheyenne. History Wyoming entered the ...

. Retrieved on August 22, 2010. The facility sits in the heart of the scenic

. Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital is a full-service hospital located in Thermopolis. It is a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital that provides state of the art equipment. Gottsche Rehab Center is located within the campus of Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital. It serves as a rehabilitation center for those in need after serious treatment at Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital. The building went under huge renovation in 2018. Red Rock Family Practice is a small health facility in East Thermopolis. The building is usually served as a minor treatment clinic, and is a branch of Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital.

Transportation

Highways

U.S. Route 20 U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major coast-to-coast route. ...

- * - * -

Airport

Thermopolis is served by the Hot Springs County–Thermopolis Municipal Airport near Grass Creek, Wyoming for basic aviation.

Notable people

* Wyatt Agar, a Republican member of the

Wyoming Senate The Wyoming Senate is the upper house of the Wyoming State Legislature. There are 30 Senators in the Senate, representing an equal number of constituencies across Wyoming, each with a population of at least 17,000. The Senate meets at the Wy ...

(2017–2021) and rancher *

Don Bracken Donald Craig Bracken (February 16, 1962 – October 29, 2014) was an American football punter. After playing high school football in Thermopolis, Wyoming, Bracken played college football for the University of Michigan from 1980 to 1983. As a fr ...

(1962–2014), American football punter at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

and in the NFL for the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the thi ...

and

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams pla ...

* Clayton Danks (1879–1970), Three-time

Cheyenne Frontier Days Cheyenne Frontier Days is an outdoor rodeo and western celebration in the United States, held annually since 1897 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. It bills itself as the "World's Largest Outdoor Rodeo and Western Celebration." The event, claimed to be one of ...

winner, model of the Wyoming cowboy symbol; died in Thermopolis in 1970 *

Mike Enzi Michael Bradley Enzi ( ; February 1, 1944 – July 26, 2021) was an American politician who served in the United States Senate from Wyoming as a member of the Republican Party from 1997 to 2021. Prior to his tenure in the United States Senate ...

(1944–2021),

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

from Wyoming (1997–2021) *

Dave Freudenthal David Duane Freudenthal (born October 12, 1950) is an American attorney, economist, and politician who served as the 31st Governor of Wyoming from 2003 to 2011. Freudenthal previously was the United States Attorney for the District of Wyoming ...

(born 1950),

governor of Wyoming A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...

(2003–2011) *

Steve Freudenthal Steven F. Freudenthal (born June 8, 1949) is a Democratic politician who served as the 28th Attorney General of Wyoming from 1981 until 1983. Career After graduating from Vanderbilt University, Freudenthal served as an Assistant Attorney Gener ...

(born 1949), a Democratic politician who served as the 28th Attorney General of Wyoming from 1981 until 1983 * W. Michael Gear, a writer and archaeologist * Kathleen O'Neal Gear, a writer and archaeologist * Morris H. Hansen, a statistician who was born in Thermopolis * Dora McGrath, the first woman elected to the Wyoming State Senate * Barton R. Voigt, former Chief Justice of the Wyoming Supreme Court * John Winter, Republican member of the Wyoming House of Representatives (2019–present) and rancher * Nathan Winters, former Republican member of the Wyoming House of Representatives (2013–2019)

References

External links

Town website
*
Thermopolis Independent Record
', weekly newspaper
Thermopolis-Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce
{{Authority control Towns in Hot Springs County, Wyoming Towns in Wyoming County seats in Wyoming Hot springs of Wyoming Spa towns in the United States Landforms of Hot Springs County, Wyoming