125px|right|thumb|John C. Frémont

Fremont County is a county in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 39,234, making it the fifth-most populous county in Wyoming. Its county seat is Lander. The county was founded in 1884 and is named for John C. Frémont, a general, explorer, and politician. It is roughly the size of the state of Vermont. Fremont County comprises the Riverton, WY Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Fremont County was created on March 5, 1884, by the legislature of the Wyoming Territory. The county was created with land ceded by Sweetwater County. In 1890, Big Horn County was carved out of Fremont, Johnson, and Sheridan Counties. Hot Springs County was created in 1911 from parts of Fremont, Big Horn, and Park counties. In 1921, Sublette County was created from parts of Fremont and Lincoln counties, leaving Fremont County's boundary at its present configuration.

Fremont County was named for John Charles Frémont, an explorer of the American West, United States Senator from California, and 1856 Republican presidential candidate. Fremont County is the site of the Wind River Indian Reservation, home of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes of Native Americans.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.9%) is water. It is the second-largest county by area in Wyoming, as well as in the six Rocky Mountain States. Elevations and climate range from desert at Boysen State Park to glaciers at Gannett Peak, the highest point not only in Wyoming but in the three Central Rockies states of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. The southern end of the county is traversed by the Oregon Trail and in the northwest corner lies Dubois, a gateway town for Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. Although the county seat is Lander, the largest community is Riverton, home of Central Wyoming College and the economic hub of the region. A large portion of the western edge of the county follows the Continental Divide at the crest of the Wind River Range of the Rocky Mountains, known for its wilderness areas and home of the largest glaciers in the American Rocky Mountains.

Adjacent counties

  • Hot Springs County – north
  • Washakie County – northeast
  • Natrona County – east
  • Carbon County – southeast
  • Sweetwater County – south
  • Sublette County – west
  • Teton County – northwest
  • Park County – northwest

Major highways

  • 20px U.S. Highway 20
  • 20px U.S. Highway 26
  • 20px U.S. Highway 287
  • 20px Wyoming Highway 28
  • 20px Wyoming Highway 131
  • 20px Wyoming Highway 132
  • 20px Wyoming Highway 133
  • 20px Wyoming Highway 134
  • 20px Wyoming Highway 135
  • 20px Wyoming Highway 136
  • 20px Wyoming Highway 138
  • 20px Wyoming Highway 789

Transit

  • Express Arrow
  • Wind River Transportation Authority

National protected areas

  • Bridger National Forest (part)
  • Shoshone National Forest (part)
  • Teton National Forest (part)

The Bridger National Forest and the Teton National Forest have been administratively combined into the Bridger–Teton National Forest. Fremont County contains portions of both originally-designated forests.

Demographics