Carbon County is made up of mountains, desert, and alpine prairie. The hills seem to almost breathe the spirit of cowboys, pioneers, and mountain men. The majority of the county is open, with towns at regular intervals, dispersed across nearly 8000 sq. miles in south-central Wyoming. The towns are surrounded by wildlife and spectacular scenery. The County contains all of the elements that are associated with the West, in a way that pulls people to it.

The scenery isn't lovely in the traditional lush sense...it has more stark majesty, with subtle tones, except when dressed in winter finery. During winter, nature tends to wax fanciful, creating surreal scenes that cannot be envisioned, but have to be seen.

This part of Wyoming is replete with ranching heritage, pioneer legacy, and railroad history. A strong mining tradition clings to many of the towns as well, due to the plentiful coal deposits that give Carbon County its name. Currently, the wind industry is finding a home in Carbon County, with one project bringing in over 1,000 wind towers alone!

The county includes ten incorporated communities, and has been in existence (under Territorial governance, then State governance) since 1868.

Carbon County Trivia

1. Home to the last postal relay airport built before Postal Relay Stations became obsolete (still in fairly well preserved condition).

2. Contains part of the former Republic of Texas - eastern line is on the eastern edge of Sinclair, eastern edge is just east of Hanna, and north edge is near Seminoe. That strip of the Republic was probably the Wyoming/Texas Cattle Corridor, where cattle were driven from summer grazing in Wyoming, to winter range in Texas.

3. After the closure of the Wyoming Territorial Prison, the first State Prison was built in Rawlins.

4. One of the most consistently windy spots in the US.

5. Home to the fastest animal in North America (only a Cheetah is faster worldwide) - the Pronghorn Antelope - as well as Bald Eagles, Golden Eagles, and Black Footed Ferrets.

6. Birthplace of Coyote expert Bill Austin (Rawlins).

7. Close to the home to the Como Bluff Dinosaur Graveyard.

8. Home to the Fossil Cabin - Near Como Bluff, a cabin constructed entirely of dinosaur fossils.

9. When the Oregon Trail switched from wagon to rail, the rails ran through Carbon County - and still do today.

10. The largest shipping point for cattle in the early 1900s (Medicine Bow). It was both an east-west crosspoint and a north-south crosspoint.

11. Stopping points on the Lincoln Highway in Carbon County include Hanna and Medicine Bow.

12. Contains a national forest with a well-preserved tie camp (log cabins and common rooms still standing).

13. Location of legendary treasure hoard of Butch Cassidy's gang (Baggs).

14. Legendary location of two "lost" mines.

15. The longest running oil refinery in Wyoming is located in Sinclair.

16. Contains a publicly accessible hot spring (Saratoga).

17. From any point in Carbon County, you are within easy distance of skiing, hiking, water sports, historical sites, incredible campsites, and photo opportunities that amaze and astound.

Carbon County Population( estimate as of July 1. 2009)  - 15,720

Ranches and unincorporated communities 2,528

Distance to locations within Wyoming

Casper 116 miles

Cheyenne 166 miles

Devils Tower National Monument 383 miles

Jackson Hole 289 miles

Sheridan 286 miles

Yellowstone National Park 369 miles

Distance to locations outside Wyoming

Billings, MT 415 miles

Denver, CO 267 miles

Las Vegas, NV 696 miles

Phoenix, AZ 1,166 miles

Salt Lake City, UT 280 miles

Santa Fe, NM 660 miles

Johannesburg, South Africa 9,852 miles