Wyoming is a high, open state of Yellowstone geysers, Grand Teton peaks, ranch country, and landmark women’s-rights history. These 15 facts introduce the Equality State and its outsized landscapes.
Quick Facts
Capital: Cheyenne
Largest city: Cheyenne
Statehood: July 10, 1890 (44th state)
Nickname: Equality State
15 Essential Facts About Wyoming
1. Wyoming became the 44th state in 1890.
Wyoming entered the Union on July 10, 1890. Cheyenne is both the capital and the largest city.
2. “Equality State” honors an early women’s-rights milestone.
The Wyoming Territory granted women the right to vote in 1869, decades before the Nineteenth Amendment extended voting rights nationally.
3. Yellowstone was the world’s first national park.
Established in 1872, Yellowstone lies mostly in Wyoming and protects geysers, hot springs, wildlife, and the Yellowstone Caldera.
4. Old Faithful is one of Yellowstone’s best-known geysers.
The predictable geyser is a classic symbol of the park’s active geothermal landscape, although its eruption intervals naturally vary.
5. Grand Teton National Park protects dramatic mountain scenery.
The sharp Teton Range rises directly from the Jackson Hole valley, creating one of the most recognizable mountain skylines in the country.
6. Devils Tower was the first U.S. national monument.
President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed Devils Tower National Monument in 1906. The geologic formation is sacred to many Native nations.
7. Wyoming is the least populous U.S. state.
Its wide-open character comes from vast public lands, ranches, small towns, and a population spread across a large area.
8. The Continental Divide crosses the state.
Water on one side of the divide flows toward the Pacific; water on the other flows toward the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic drainage systems.
9. Gannett Peak is Wyoming’s highest point.
At 13,809 feet, Gannett Peak in the Wind River Range is the state’s highest summit.
10. Ranching is deeply woven into Wyoming identity.
Cattle, sheep, rodeo traditions, and open-range history continue to shape the state’s communities and cultural image.
11. Cheyenne Frontier Days is a major western celebration.
Founded in 1897, the annual event includes rodeo competition, parades, concerts, and a public celebration of western heritage.
12. Bison are a Wyoming wildlife icon.
Yellowstone supports the nation’s largest population of wild bison on public land, and wildlife viewing is a major draw across the state.
13. Fossils reveal an ancient Wyoming.
The state contains important fossil localities, including the Green River Formation, which preserves remarkable records of ancient lakes and animals.
14. Energy and minerals are economically important.
Coal, natural gas, oil, uranium, trona, and wind resources have all played important roles in Wyoming’s economy.
15. Wyoming offers extraordinary space for outdoor adventure.
Visitors can move from geothermal basins and river canyons to high mountain trails and prairie horizons, often with very little development in view.
Sources and Further Reading
- Wyoming state government
- Wyoming State Archives
- National Park Service: Yellowstone
- National Park Service: Grand Teton
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts