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Natrona County, Wyoming facts for kids

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Natrona County
Natrona County Courthouse in Casper
Natrona County Courthouse in Casper
Flag of Natrona County
Flag
Map of Wyoming highlighting Natrona County
Location within the U.S. state of Wyoming
Map of the United States highlighting Wyoming
Wyoming's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Wyoming
Named for Natron deposits
Seat Casper
Largest city Casper
Area
 • Total 5,376 sq mi (13,920 km2)
 • Land 5,340 sq mi (13,800 km2)
 • Water 35 sq mi (90 km2)  0.7%%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 75,450
 • Estimate 
(2020)
80,815
 • Density 14.0346/sq mi (5.4188/km2)
Time zone UTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district At-large

Natrona County is a county in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 79,955, making it the second-most populous county in Wyoming. Its county seat is Casper.

Natrona County comprises the Casper, WY Metropolitan Statistical Area.

In 2010, the center of population of Wyoming was in Natrona County, near Alcova.

History

The first Euro-American settlement occurred in the Casper area in the late 19th century. Natrona County was created by the legislature of the Wyoming Territory on March 9, 1888, and it was later organized in 1890. The land for Natrona County was ceded from Carbon County.

Natrona County was named for the deposits of natron that are found in the area. In 1909, Natrona County gained land from Fremont County. The boundaries were adjusted slightly in 1911 and 1931, and at that point the county gained its present outline.

Geography

HellsHalfAcre
Badlands of Hell's Half-Acre, Natrona Co.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 5,376 square miles (13,920 km2), of which 5,340 square miles (13,800 km2) is land and 35 square miles (91 km2) (0.7%) is water.

Geographic features

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

  • Medicine Bow National Forest (part)
  • Pathfinder National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Major highways

  • I-25.svg Interstate 25
  • US 20.svg U.S. Highway 20
  • US 26.svg U.S. Highway 26
  • US 87.svg U.S. Highway 87
  • WY-220.svg Wyoming Highway 220

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1890 1,094
1900 1,785 63.2%
1910 4,766 167.0%
1920 14,635 207.1%
1930 24,272 65.8%
1940 23,858 −1.7%
1950 31,437 31.8%
1960 49,623 57.8%
1970 51,264 3.3%
1980 71,856 40.2%
1990 61,226 −14.8%
2000 66,533 8.7%
2010 75,450 13.4%
2020 (est.) 80,815 7.1%
US Decennial Census
1870–2000 2010–2020

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 75,450 people, 30,616 households, and 19,714 families in the county. The population density was 14.1 inhabitants per square mile (5.4/km2). There were 33,807 housing units at an average density of 6.3 per square mile (2.4/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 92.8% white, 1.0% American Indian, 0.9% black or African American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.2% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 6.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 27.2% were German, 15.2% were Irish, 13.2% were English, and 10.7% were American.

Of the 30,616 households, 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.6% were non-families, and 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age was 36.8 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $50,936 and the median income for a family was $62,859. Males had a median income of $47,610 versus $30,664 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,235. About 5.4% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.9% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Natrona para niños

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