Buffalo is a city in Johnson 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 city is located almost equidistant between

Yellowstone Park Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U.S. Congress with the Yellowston ...

and

Mount Rushmore Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a national memorial centered on a colossal sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore (Lakota: ''Tȟuŋkášila Šákpe'', or Six Grandfathers) in the Black Hills near Keystone, South Dakot ...

. The population was 4,415 at the 2020 census, down from 4,585 at the 2010 census. It 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 st ...

of Johnson County. The city has experienced an economic boom due to

methane Methane ( , ) is a chemical compound with the chemical formula (one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms). It is a group-14 hydride, the simplest alkane, and the main constituent of natural gas. The relative abundance of methane on Ea ...

production from the

coal bed methane extraction Coalbed methane extraction (CBM extraction) is a method for extracting methane from a coal deposit. Coal bed methane (CBM) is one of the factors restricting safe production of coal in underground coal mines. It is also a form of high-quality energ ...

method used in the

Powder River Basin The Powder River Basin is a geologic structural basin in southeast Montana and northeast Wyoming, about east to west and north to south, known for its extensive coal reserves. The former hunting grounds of the Oglala Lakota, the area is very s ...

and surrounding areas. However, with the decline of methane production, Buffalo's population has stabilized since the 2010 Census. Even though energy is a vital part of its economy, agriculture, tourism, and recreation are three other major components. Buffalo is at the foot of the

Bighorn 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 ...

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 in ...

of 2010, there were 4,585 people, 2,080 households, and 1,198 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical ...

was . There were 2,300 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.5%

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 ens ...

, 1.6% Native American, 0.7%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.8% 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 1.2% 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 forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 3.5% of the population. There were 2,080 households, of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.4% were non-families. 37.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age in the city was 42.2 years. 23% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.4% were from 25 to 44; 27.7% were from 45 to 64; and 19.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.1% male and 49.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 3,900 people, 1,718 households, and 1,042 families living in the city. The

was 1,104.8 people per square mile (426.6/km²). There were 1,842 housing units at an average density of 521.8 per square mile (201.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.46%

, 0.10%

, 0.82% Native American, 0.05%

, 0.54% from

, and 2.03% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.82% of the population. There were 1,718 households, out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.88. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 22.6% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $29,392, and the median income for a family was $40,683. Males had a median income of $28,716 versus $19,688 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 city was $19,054. About 6.7% of families and 10.4% 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 t ...

, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

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 Chari ...

Veteran's Home of Wyoming, an assisted living facility for veterans and their dependents, is located in Buffalo. 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 es ...

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. History Wyoming entered the Union in 1890. As a ...

. Retrieved on August 22, 2010. Buffalo also has an airport named Johnson County Airport/KBYG.

Education

Public education in the city of Buffalo is provided by Johnson County School District #1. Schools serving the city include Meadowlark Elementary School (grades K-2) Cloud Peak Elementary School (grades 3–5), Clear Creek Middle School (grades 6–8), and Buffalo High School (grades 9–12). Buffalo High School was in the national news spot light after the (former) head football coach, distributed an offensive "hurt feelings report" in November 2011. This attention brought several heated school board meetings and eventually lead to the resignation of Lynch as the head football coach. Buffalo has a public library, the Johnson County Library.

Area media

Newspapers

The Mini Publications Center is a Wyoming non-profit and registered

501 (c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...

organization, dedicated to helping regional community and small businesses grow and prosper through free and low cost community services, using both print and online media journalism focused on the needs of rural communities. MPC runs an

internet café An Internet café, also known as a cybercafé, is a café (or a convenience store or a fully dedicated Internet access business) that provides the use of computers with high bandwidth Internet access on the payment of a fee. Usage is generall ...

, has a local gallery in the café, and is starting its 14th year publishing a free local community newspaper, ''The Mini'', published twice a week. An online version, BigHornMountainExpress.com, expands to include the whole

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 ...

region of north central Wyoming. MPC runs the BigHornMountainExpress.com as a rural community news site, as well as an educational website, instructing how to write about the arts, their community and small business advice. The MPC is also working to create a community learning or community college course certification in running a rural community news service and for developing citizen journalists of all ages and backgrounds. They adhere to the best principles of

citizen journalism Citizen journalism, also known as collaborative media, participatory journalism, democratic journalism, guerrilla journalism or street journalism, is based upon public citizens "playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, a ...

for rural communities. ''The Buffalo Bulletin'' has served as the newspaper of record in Johnson County since 1884.''Buffalo Bulletin Employee Handbook'' The paper is published once a week on Thursdays. It has been family owned and operated for three generations. Robb Hicks, the current owner and publisher of the paper, purchased the Bulletin from his father Jim Hicks in 1996. Hicks owns newspapers across Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Idaho and Washington.

Radio

KBBS The tower for KBBS, east of Buffalo on Stockyard Road KBBS (1450 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Buffalo, Wyoming. The station carries a classic country format, primarily originating from Cumulus Media. The station is currently owne ...

AM 1450 "Classic Country" * KBUW FM 90.5 Wyoming Public Radio *

KHRW KHRW (92.7 FM, "Grace FM") is a radio station licensed to Ranchester, Wyoming, United States. It serves the Sheridan area, and carries a Contemporary Christian format. The station is currently owned by Legend Communications of Wyoming, LLC. Hist ...

FM 92.7 "The Eagle" *

KLGT KLGT (96.5 FM broadcasting, FM Hot Country Kix 96.5) is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Buffalo, Wyoming, United States, the station serves the Sheridan area, and most of northeastern Wyoming. The station is curren ...

FM 96.5 "KIX 96.5" *

KZZS KZZS (98.3 FM broadcasting, FM Wyoming's Lite-FM, 98-3 The Peak) is a radio station broadcasting an Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Story, Wyoming, United States, the station serves the Sheridan area, along with most of northeastern Wyoming ...

FM 98.3 "The Peak" * "307 Net Radio"

Geography

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 city has a total area of , all land. Panorama of Buffalo, Wyoming at the base of the Bighorn Mountains

Transportation

Buffalo is located near the northern terminus of Interstate 25, where it joins with Interstate 90. Nearby Airports: * Sheridan ( SHR) - Approx. 1/2-hour drive to Buffalo * Gillette ( GCC) - Approx. 1-hour drive to Buffalo *

Casper Casper may refer to: People * Casper (given name) * Casper (surname) * Casper (Maya ruler) (422–487?), ruler of the Mayan city of Palenque * Tok Casper, first known king of Maya city-state Quiriguá in Guatemala, ruling beginning in 426 * David ...

(

CPR Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure consisting of chest compressions often combined with artificial ventilation in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore sponta ...

) - Approx. 1.5-hour drive to Buffalo *

Billings Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, with a population of 117,116 as of the 2020 census. Located in the south-central portion of the state, it is the seat of Yellowstone County and the principal city of the Billings Met ...

( BIL) - Apprx. 2+hours drive to Buffalo

Public Transport

Buffalo and its surroundings are served by the Buffalo Area Transit System which is a paratransit service operated by the Buffalo Senior Center Buffalo Area Transit System also offers trips to Sheridan and

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, Buffalo has a

cold 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 semi-ar ...

, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Buffalo was on August 5, 1979, while the coldest temperature recorded was on January 17, 1930.

Notable people

Mark Gordon Mark Gordon (born March 14, 1957) is an American politician who has served as the 33rd governor of Wyoming since January 7, 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as state treasurer; then-governor Matt Mead appointed him ...

(born 1957), businessman, rancher from Buffalo and Wyoming

governor 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 ...

* Frank E. Lucas (1876–1948), Governor of Wyoming * Mathew Pitsch (born 1963), Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for Fort Smith since 2015; Buffalo native * Chris Prosinski (born 1987), safety for the Chicago Bears; previously played for the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...

and

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...

Constantine Scollen Father Con Scollen OMI. (4 April 1841 – 8 November 1902) was an Irish Catholic, Missionary priest who lived among and evangelized the Blackfoot, Cree and Métis peoples on the Canadian Prairies and in northern Montana in the United States. H ...

(1841–1902), missionary, resident priest from 1893 to 1894 *

Joe Tiller Joseph Henry Tiller (December 7, 1942 – September 30, 2017) was an American football player and coach. He was the head coach at the University of Wyoming from 1991 to 1996 and Purdue University from 1997 to 2008, with a career record of know ...

(1942–2017), head football coach

(six years) and Purdue (nine years), winningest coach ever at Purdue

References

External links

Chamber of Commerce website
* {{authority control Cities in Wyoming Cities in Johnson County, Wyoming County seats in Wyoming