Wamsutter is a town in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 203 at the 2020 census.
The original inhabitants of the area were the Shoshone and Ute tribes. Westerners only began to settle in the county with the coming of the railroad in the 1860s. Originally, the town was known as Washakie. Confusion with nearby Fort Washakie prompted an 1884 name change to Wamsutter, after a Union Pacific bridge engineer.
The town, which bills itself as "The Gateway to the Red Desert" is located along Interstate 80 between Rawlins and Rock Springs, on the easternmost border of Sweetwater County. The natural gas industry has exerted great influence on Wamsutter in recent years, through employment opportunities in the area, and by contributing to the community directly.
Wamsutter is the largest settlement, and the only incorporated town in the Great Divide Basin.
History
The town was founded in 1868 as a vital service stop for the Union Pacific Railroad. During the construction of the Transcontinental railroad, steam locomotives required regular stops for water and coal, and Wamsutter provided an essential oasis in the water-scarce Red Desert. Initially, the settlement was named Washakie, in honor of the prominent Shoshone Chief Washakie. However, this caused significant logistical confusion for the railroad and the government, as freight intended for the nearby Fort Washakie was often misdirected to the rail stop. To resolve this, the town was renamed Wamsutter in 1884. Wamsutter was incorporated in 1914. In the latter half of the 20th century, Wamsutter’s economy shifted toward resource extraction. Natural gas was discovered in the Wamsutter Arch in 1946, with major reserves found at Desert Springs in 1958. This sparked several boom-and-bust cycles. By the early 2000s, the "Wamsutter Field" became one of the largest tight gas reservoirs in Wyoming, attracting major energy companies and causing the population to peak at 451 in 2010 before declining again during industry downturns.
The town was a stop on the Lincoln highway, U.S. Route 30, largely superseded by Interstate 80.
Geography
Wamsutter is located at (41.670839, –107.977457).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land.
Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Wamsutter has a cold semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Wamsutter was on July 28, 1897, while the coldest temperature recorded was on January 1, 1979, and February 2, 2011.
|source 2 = National Weather Service
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 451 people, 189 households, and 112 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 286 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 82.7% White, 0.7% African American, 2.9% Native American, 11.1% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.7% of the population.
There were 189 households, of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.7% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.96.
The median age in the town was 38.3 years. 25.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.9% were from 25 to 44; 33.6% were from 45 to 64; and 6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 58.1% male and 41.9% female.
2000 census
As of the census Students in grades K–8 attend Desert School in Wamsutter, which is divided into elementary (grades K–6) and middle school (grades 7–8) campuses. Upon the completion of 8th grade, students attend Rawlins High School (grades 9–12; part of Carbon County School District #1) by agreement of the respective boards of trustees.
Wamsutter has a public library, a branch of the Sweetwater County Library System.