Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States

🇺🇸 Cheyenne, Wyoming is the capital and most populous city in Wyoming. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Laramie County.

Cheyenne is the northern terminus of the extensive Southern Rocky Mountain Front, which extends southward to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and includes the fast-growing Front Range Urban Corridor.

Local residents named the town for the Cheyenne Native American people in 1867 when it was founded in the Dakota Territory.

Cheyenne is the northern terminus of the extensive Southern Rocky Mountain Front, which extends southward to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and includes the fast-growing Front Range Urban Corridor. Cheyenne is situated on Crow Creek and Dry Creek.

History At a celebration on July 4, 1867, Grenville M. Dodge of the Union Pacific Railroad announced the selection of a townsite for its mountain region headquarters adjacent to the bridge the railroad planned to build across Crow Creek in the Territory of Dakota. At the same celebration, Major General Christopher C. Augur announced the selection of a site three miles (5 km) west of Crow Creek Crossing for a U.S. Army fort to protect the railroad.

The Union Pacific Railroad platted its Crow Creek Crossing townsite on July 5, 1867. Residents named the town Cheyenne for the Cheyenne Native American people. On August 8, 1867, the Town of Cheyenne, Dakota Territory was incorporated, and on August 10, 1867, H. M. Hook was elected as Cheyenne's first mayor. The tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad reached Cheyenne on November 13, 1867, and the first train arrived the following day. Cheyenne grew so quickly it gained the nickname of "Magic City of the Plains".

On September 8, 1867, the United States Army established Fort D.A. Russell in honor of Brigadier General David Allen Russell. Initially a cavalry encampment, construction of the fort began the following month. The fort was renamed Fort Francis E. Warren in 1930 in honor of the first Governor of the State of Wyoming, Francis E. Warren. The fort was transferred to the new United States Air Force and was renamed Francis E. Warren Air Force Base in October 1949.

On July 25, 1868, the United States organized the Territory of Wyoming. Territorial Governor John Allen Campbell arrived in Cheyenne on May 7, 1869, and named Cheyenne the temporary territorial capital. Cheyenne has remained the only capital of Wyoming. On December 10, 1869, the first session of the Wyoming Territorial Legislature met in Cheyenne. That day, the legislature passed and Territorial Governor Campbell signed an act to re-incorporate the Town of Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory, and an act granting women the right to vote, the first U.S. state or territory to grant suffrage to women.

On July 10, 1890, the Territory of Wyoming was admitted to the Union as the State of Wyoming. The Wyoming State Capitol was constructed between 1886 and 1890, with further improvements being completed in 1917.

The Cheyenne Regional Airport was opened in 1920, initially serving as a stop for airmail. It soon developed into a civil-military airport, serving DC-3s and various military craft. During World War II, hundreds of B-17s, B-24s, and PBYs were outfitted and upgraded at the airfield. Today, it serves a number of military functions, and as a high-altitude testbed for civilian craft.

Geography Lying near the south-east corner of the state, Cheyenne is one of the least centrally located state capitals in the nation (together with cities such as Carson City, Nevada; Juneau, Alaska; Tallahassee, Florida; and Topeka, Kansas).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 24.63 square miles (63.79 km²), of which 24.52 square miles (63.51 km²) is land and 0.11 square miles (0.28 km²) is water.

Some of the largest industries in Cheyenne are Professional Services (625),Entertainment Agencies & Bureaus (231), and Restaurants (220). Other businesses include Legal & Financial, Commercial & Industrial, Construction & Contractors, Community & Government, Business & Professional Services, Personal Care & Services, Health Care, Retail Stores, Personal Transportation, Eating & Drinking Places, Arts & Entertainment, Education, Travel & Public Transportation, Products, Sports & Recreation.

Arts and culture Cheyenne Frontier Days, which is held over ten days centered around the last full week in July, is known as the largest outdoor rodeo and western festival in the world. The events include professional bull riding, calf roping, barrel racing, steer wrestling, team roping, bronc riding, steer roping, bareback riding, and many others. During this week there are many parades and other events. Additionally there is a carnival with numerous rides, games, and shops. The festival has been held since 1897.

Landmarks • Tivoli Building (Cheyenne, Wyoming) • William Sturgis House • Wyoming State Capitol • F.E. Warren Air Force Base, one of the United States's oldest, continuously active installations (originally U.S. Army Fort D.A. Russell). • Nagle Warren Mansion

Historic Places Over fifty different locations in Cheyenne are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including: • The Historic Plains Hotel (added 1978) • Atlas Theatre (added 1973) • Union Pacific Depot (Cheyenne Depot Museum) (1973) • the Governor's Mansion (1969) • Nagle-Warren Mansion (1976) • First Presbyterian Church (1869) • First United Methodist Church (1975) • St. Mark's Episcopal Church (1970) • St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral (1974) • Cheyenne High School (2005) • High Plains Horticulture Research Station a.k.a. High Plains Arboretum (1930–1974) • Storey Gymnasium (2005) • Park Addition School (1970) • Big Boy Steam Engine (1956) • Botanic Gardens Rotary Century Plaza & Steam Locomotive (1921)

Several districts in the city are also listed, including: • Downtown Cheyenne Historic District (1978, with boundary increase in 1980, 1988, 1996. Encompasses 205 acres (0.83 km²) and 67 buildings) • Lakeview Historic District (1996, 350 acres and 109 buildings) • Rainsford Historic District (1984, 1980 acres and 288 buildings) • Capitol North Historic District (1980, 204 acres and 112 buildings) • Fort David A. Russell (1969, 6,300 acres and 19 buildings) • Union Pacific Roundhouse, Turntable and Machine Shop (1992, 113 acres and 2 buildings) • South Side Historic District (2006)

Sport Sports venues in Cheyenne include the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center, Pioneer Park, Powers Field, Bison Stadium and Okie-Blanchard Stadium.

The Cheyenne Warriors were founded as an American Professional Football League team in 2012. After playing a season in the APFL, they announced a move to the Indoor Football League. Shortly after the owner of the team died in December 2012, the Warriors announced that they were forming the new Developmental Football League. After playing several games in this new league, the team folded in May 2013.

Parks and recreation The Cheyenne Community Recreation and Events Department operates an Ice and Events centre, swimming pool, spray park, skateboard park, two golf courses, Cheyenne Botanic Gardens (including the Paul Smith Children's Village at the Gardens), paddle boat rentals in Lions Park (summers only), cemeteries, forestry operations, community house, Youth Activity Center and a miniature golf park. The Cheyenne Parks and Recreation Department also operates a 37 miles (60 kilometers)) Greater Cheyenne Greenway system. The greenway connects parks and neighborhoods of greater Cheyenne. It includes many bridges and underpasses where travelers can avoid high traffic roads and travel above waterways and drainages. It is known that the famous bicycler, Cheyenne Otero, spent many weekends there training for marathons. sp In 1996, as a result of the greenway, Cheyenne was named a "Trail Town USA" by the National Park service and the American Hiking Society.

Government Cheyenne's government consists of a mayor and a city council, elected on a non-partisan basis. The mayor is elected in a citywide vote. The current Mayor, Patrick Collins, a bicycle shop owner, took office on January 4, 2021 with a term ending January 6, 2025. The city council has nine members each of whom are elected from one of three wards. Each ward elects three members. The mayor's office is responsible for managing the various city departments which consist of Police, Fire Rescue, Planning and Development, Engineering, Public Works, Treasury, Attorney's Office, Human Resources, and Municipal Court. The Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities is owned by the city but is semi-autonomous.

Education Public education in the city of Cheyenne is provided by Laramie County School District #1. The district is served by four high schools, Central High on the north-west side, East High on the east side, South High on the south side, and Triumph High, also on the south side.

Cheyenne is home to the Laramie County Community College (LCCC), one of seven constituent campuses managed by the Wyoming Community College Commission.

Cheyenne has a public library, a branch of the Laramie County Library System.

Media • Wyoming Tribune Eagle newspaper • The Cheyenne Herald (OCLC 51310460) was written and published by Dave Featherly from 2002 to 2012. • KGWN

Transport: Road • I-25 – North–South Interstate running from New Mexico to Wyoming intersects I-80 south-west of Cheyenne. • I-80 – East-West Interstate running from California to New Jersey. Intersects I-25 south-west of Cheyenne. • I-180 – Bypass Interstate that runs concurrent with US 85 from I-80 to US 30. • US 30 (Lincoln Highway) – East–west route through Cheyenne • US 85 (South Greeley Highway, Central Avenue (Southbound), Warren Avenue (Northbound)) – North–South route through Cheyenne • US 87 – North–South through Cheyenne that runs concurrent with I-25 through Cheyenne • WYO 210 (Happy Jack Road) – East–west route from I-25/US 87 (Exit 10) west out of Cheyenne towards Laramie • WYO 211 (Horsecreek Road) – Runs north-west out of Cheyenne to Horse Creek. • WYO 212 (College Drive, Four Mile Road) – North–South route that forms a beltway around Cheyenne. From I-25 (Exit 7) to WYO 219 • WYO 219 (Yellowstone Road) – North–South route from US 85 in Cheyenne near the Cheyenne Airport north out of the city • WYO 221 (Fox Farm Road) – East–west route from US 85 east to WYO 212 in Cheyenne • WYO 222 (Fort Access Road) – North–South route from WYO 225 just south-east of Cheyenne and travels north to F.E. Warren Air Force Base and continues on its north route east of the city to WYO 221 • WYO 225 (Otto Road) – East–west route from I-80/US 30 south-west of Cheyenne west

Public transit Cheyenne Transit provides local hourly bus service from 6:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Monday to Friday and 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. There is no Sunday service.

Intercity bus service to the city is provided by Express Arrow and Greyhound Lines.

Transport: Air Cheyenne Regional Airport features daily, nonstop airline service on United Express to Denver International Airport.

Railroads The Union Pacific and BNSF railroads intersect in Cheyenne. The city is home to a BNSF railyard, as well as the Union Pacific's roundhouse that hosts their steam program. UP's operational steam locomotives 844 and 4014 reside in the steam shop, along with Challenger #3985 and DDA40X #6936.