The Bighorn Basin is a plateau region and intermontane basin, approximately 100 miles (160 km) wide, in north-central Wyoming in the United States . It is bounded by the Absaroka Range on the west, the Pryor Mountains on the north, the Bighorn Mountains on the east, and the Owl Creek Mountains and Bridger Mountains on the south. It is drained to the north by tributaries of the Bighorn River , which enters the basin from the south, through a gap between the Owl Creek and Bridger Mountains, as the Wind River , and becomes the Bighorn as it enters the basin. The region is semi-arid, receiving only 6–10 in (15–25 cm) of rain annually.
60-452: The largest cities in the basin include the Wyoming towns of Cody , Thermopolis , Worland , and Powell . Sugar beets , pinto beans, sunflowers, barley, oats, corn and alfalfa hay are grown on irrigated farms in the region. The basin was explored by John Colter in 1807. Just west of Cody, he discovered geothermal features that were later popularly called " Colter's Hell ". The region
120-531: A Superior Court and Sheriff (as an officer of the court ), both located in a designated "shire town". Bennington County, Vermont has two shire towns; the court for "North Shire" is in the shire town Manchester , and the Sheriff for the county and court for "South Shire" are in the shire town Bennington. In 2024, Connecticut , which had not defined their counties for anything but statistical, historical and weather warning purposes since 1960, along with ending
180-711: A citywide vote. The city council consists of six members who are elected from one of three wards. Each ward elects two members. Twice-weekly Cody Enterprise . Founded by "Buffalo Bill" Cody and Col. John Peake in August 1899. The paper has a paid circulation of 7,050, and is owned by SAGE Publishing of Cody. The Yellowstone Regional Airport offers full passenger service. Flights are available through SkyWest ( United Airlines ), connecting through Denver, Colorado . Air cargo services are provided by FedEx and UPS . Cody has four local transportation companies: Cody Over Land Transit, Phidippides Shuttle Service, Cody Town Taxi, and
240-410: A county seat may be an independent city surrounded by, but not part of, the county of which it is the administrative center; for example, Fairfax City is both the county seat of Fairfax County, Virginia and completely surrounded by Fairfax County, but the city is politically independent of the county. When the county seat is in the independent city, government offices such as the courthouse may be in
300-527: A deep canyon formed by the Shoshone River provides the only passage to Yellowstone's Eastern Entrance. At its mouth and rising above Cody are Rattlesnake Mountain on the north side and Cedar Mountain on the south side. Much of Cody has views of Heart Mountain , whose 8,123 ft (2,500 m) peak is 9 miles (14 km) directly north of Cody, and the Carter Mountain massif, which forms
360-463: A fairly dry 30% or less. Precipitation averages 11.5 inches or 292.1 millimetres annually, including 45.0 inches or 45.00 inches of snow per season. Due to the aridity, snow cover is highly unreliable, with 29.4 days per season with 1 inch or 0.025 metres or more on the ground. Cody enjoys about 300 days of sunshine per year, and is in USDA plant hardiness zone 5a (-20 to -15 °F/-28.9 to -26.1 °C). Wind
420-529: A large amount of it accessible by bike from town. A bike park was recently completed with jump and drop lines as well as a pump track. Skiing, both downhill and cross-country are very popular sports in Cody, with the local High School boasting competitive cross-country and downhill ski teams. Sleeping Giant Ski Area & Zipline, about an hour west of Cody, is a popular local downhill ski mountain, in close proximity Yellowstone East Entrance . Another industry
480-401: A line with peaks above 12,000 ft (3,700 m), some 15 miles (24 km) to the south. Cody experiences a cold semi-arid climate ( Köppen BSk ), with highly variable conditions. Summers are warm, with some heat spells pushing temperatures above 90 °F (32.2 °C). Winters are cold, with frigid periods alternating with sometimes milder temperatures. Relative humidity is usually
540-689: A war memorial, a walking trail, and a world-class museum. Visual Arts are celebrated and displayed within the Buffalo Bill Center of the West , Whitney Western Arts Museum as well as many other collective local/regional galleries around town such as the Cody Country Art League, By Western Hands and more. Many photographers, painters, sculptors, designers, and artists love to capture the surrounding natural wonder and western aesthetics. For nearly twenty years Cody has also been
600-509: Is tourism . Hotels, restaurants and shops cater to travelers coming to visit the West and Yellowstone Park. Cody has several art galleries, with some notable local painters and artists living in the area. Cody is fast becoming a hub for outdoor recreation. The Shoshone River runs through town offering class I-V kayaking and whitewater rafting. Shoshone Canyon offers over 300 rock climbing routes, while Cedar Mountain boasts nearly 600 boulder problems. Cody hosts nearly 50 miles of single track, with
660-593: Is an administrative center, seat of government , or capital city of a county or civil parish . The term is in use in five countries: Canada , China , Hungary , Romania , and the United States . An equivalent term, shire town , is used in the U.S. state of Vermont and in several other English-speaking jurisdictions, such as Venezuela . In Canada , the provinces of Ontario , Quebec , New Brunswick , Prince Edward Island , and Nova Scotia have counties as an administrative division of government below
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#1732765135540720-403: Is an almost constant presence in the Cody area. Air flow in Cody area is turbulent, but during the winter most storms move in from the north-northwest. During the summer, it is not unusual to see storms move in from the southwest. Throughout a normal day, winds can be experienced as coming from almost any direction, mostly from the north and west, but sometimes from the south and east. The Canyon at
780-409: Is known as the seat of its county. Generally, the county legislature, county courthouse, sheriff's department headquarters, hall of records, jail and correctional facility are located in the county seat, though some functions (such as highway maintenance, which usually requires a large garage for vehicles, along with asphalt and salt storage facilities) may also be located or conducted in other parts of
840-490: Is land and 0.23 square miles (0.60 km ) is water. Cody's elevation is approximately 4,997 feet (1,523 m) above sea level. The main part of the city is split across three levels, separated by about 60 feet (18 m). The Shoshone River flows through Cody in a canyon. There are four bridges over this river in the Cody vicinity, one at the north edge of town that allows travel to the north, and one about 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Cody that allows passage to Powell and
900-488: Is named after Buffalo Bill Cody for his part in the founding of Cody in 1896. The population was 10,028 at the 2020 census , making Cody the eleventh-largest city in Wyoming by population. Cody is served by Yellowstone Regional Airport . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 10.43 square miles (27.01 km ), of which 10.20 square miles (26.42 km )
960-791: Is provided by Express Arrow . Cody is served by the Cody Branch of the BNSF Railway , which runs south-west from Frannie for about 46 miles (74 km). The branch terminates in Cody near where WY-120 crosses the Shoshone River . Persons born in Cody or with notable connections. ^20 "Kanye, Out West: What is the Superstar doing out in Wyoming?" New York Times, Style section, February 23, 2020. Retrieved October 26, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/23/style/kanye-west-cody-wyoming.html County seat A county seat
1020-412: Is western style furniture , with several small furniture makers producing custom pieces. The oil industry seems to wax and wane over the years in the Cody area. Husky Energy was founded in Cody in 1938 (as Husky Refining Company), when Glenn Nielson purchased the assets of Park Refining Company, started four years earlier by area oil developer Valentine M. Kirk. Husky operated as refinery until 1980s,
1080-756: The Buffalo Bill Dam and reservoir. The wealth in the region also attracted outlaws. Butch Cassidy lived near Meeteetse for a while and was arrested at the insistence of local cattle baron Otto Franc and sent to the Wyoming State Penitentiary for horse theft. Following his release, he formed the Wild Bunch gang which operated from the Hole-in-the-Wall area southeast of the Bighorn Basin. In 1942 one of
1140-471: The 4th of July features several parades, rodeos, fireworks and more. In 2019 Cody Stampede celebrated its 100th year. The Heart Mountain Relocation Center , was a War Relocation Camp where 14,000 Japanese Americans were interned during World War II ( Internment of Japanese Americans ). The Interpretive Center is approximately 17 miles east of town and includes surviving buildings from the camp,
1200-457: The Bighorn Basin became more arid during the PETM, with wet/dry cycles superimposed over this general increase in aridity. These changes in environment are coupled with changes in paleoecology. 44°18′N 108°12′W / 44.3°N 108.2°W / 44.3; -108.2 Cody, Wyoming Cody is a city in and the county seat of Park County, Wyoming , United States. It
1260-465: The Cody Shuttle. Cody Over Land operates routes within the city of Cody, from June through September. Phidippides is a full service transportation company with service to Cody, Yellowstone National Park , and airports in Cody, Jackson , and Billings . They also have courier and package service available. Cody Town Taxi and Cody Shuttle operate primarily in Cody. Intercity bus service to the city
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#17327651355401320-947: The United States, followed by Towson , the county seat of Baltimore County, Maryland . Likewise, some county seats may not be incorporated in their own right, but are located within incorporated municipalities. For example, Cape May Court House, New Jersey , though unincorporated, is a section of Middle Township , an incorporated municipality. In some states, often those that were among the original Thirteen Colonies , county seats include or formerly included "Court House" as part of their name, such as Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia . Most counties have only one county seat. However, some counties in Alabama , Arkansas , Georgia , Iowa , Kentucky , Massachusetts , Mississippi , Missouri , New Hampshire , New York , and Vermont have two or more county seats, usually located on opposite sides of
1380-654: The World". The Cody Nite Rodeo is an amateur rodeo every night from June 1 through August 31. Cody is also host to the Cody Stampede Rodeo. The Stampede is a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association rodeo and is one of the largest rodeos in the nation that is held over the Independence Day Holiday. Many of the top cowboys in the country attend. The stampede has been held from July 1–4 every year since 1919. The weeklong series of events around
1440-646: The areas to the north and east. The other two are west of town; one allows access to the East Gate of Yellowstone National Park , and the other is used by fishermen in Shoshone Canyon and as access to the Buffalo Bill Dam . Cody is located at the western edge of the Bighorn Basin , a depression surrounded by the Big Horn , Owl Creek , Bridger , and Absaroka ranges. At the western edge of Cody,
1500-403: The average family size was 2.86. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males. The median income for a household in the city
1560-424: The average window for freezing temperatures is September 30 through May 10 and for measurable (≥0.1 inches or 0.25 centimetres snow, October 21 through April 21. The record high temperature was 105 °F or 40.6 °C on July 14, 1925, and July 15, 1951, and the record low temperature was −46 °F or −43.3 °C on February 8, 1936. The wettest calendar year has been 2014 with 16.59 inches (421.4 mm) and
1620-485: The city of Cody is provided by Park County School District #6 . Three elementary schools – Eastside, Glenn Livingston, and Sunset - serve students in grades kindergarten through five. The district's two secondary campuses are Cody Middle School (grades 6-8) and Cody High School (grades 9-12). Cody has a public library , a branch of the Park County Library System. The primary industry in Cody
1680-429: The city. The population density was 933.3 inhabitants per square mile (360.3/km ). There were 4,650 housing units at an average density of 455.9 per square mile (176.0/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 95.9% White , 0.2% African American , 0.7% Native American , 0.4% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 1.0% from other races , and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 3.1% of
1740-422: The city. The population density was 952.3 people per square mile (367.6/km ). There were 4,113 housing units at an average density of 443.3 per square mile (171.1/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 96.90% White , 0.10% African American , 0.42% Native American , 0.58% Asian , 0.05% Pacific Islander , 0.85% from other races , and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.22% of
1800-526: The counties after his unification, there were about 1,000. Under the Eastern Han dynasty , the number of counties increased to above 1,000. About 1400 existed when the Sui dynasty abolished the commandery level (郡 jùn), which was the level just above counties, and demoted some commanderies to counties. In Imperial China, the county was a significant administrative unit because it marked the lowest level of
1860-418: The county, especially if it is geographically large. A county seat is usually an incorporated municipality . The exceptions include the county seats of counties that have no incorporated municipalities within their borders, such as Arlington County, Virginia , where the county seat is the entire county. Ellicott City , the county seat of Howard County, Maryland , is the largest unincorporated county seat in
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1920-420: The county. Examples include Harrison County, Mississippi , which has both Biloxi and Gulfport as county seats, and Hinds County, Mississippi , which has both Raymond and the state capital of Jackson . The practice of multiple county seat towns dates from the days when travel was difficult. There have been few efforts to eliminate the two-seat arrangement, since a county seat is a source of civic pride for
1980-781: The cultural events and activities in the area. The Buffalo Bill Center of the West is a large and modern facility located near the center of the city. It contains five museums in one, including the Draper Natural History Museum, the Plains Indian Museum, the Cody Firearms Museum , the Whitney Western Art Museum and the Buffalo Bill Museum which chronicles the life of William F. Cody , for whom
2040-624: The driest 1956 with 3.58 inches (90.9 mm). The most rainfall in one month was 5.76 in (146 mm) in June 1992. The most rainfall in 24 hours was 2.51 inches or 64 millimetres on July 22, 1973. There are an average of 72.3 days with measurable precipitation. The most snow in one year was 73.4 inches (1.86 m) between July 1916 and June 1917. The most snow in one month was 29.0 inches (0.74 m) in February 2014. Themes surrounding Cody's pioneer and Cowboy and Western history are common in
2100-674: The early 20th century the basin has been a significant source of petroleum, and has produced more than 1,400,000,000 barrels (220,000,000 m) of oil. The principal reservoir of oil is the Pennsylvanian Tensleep Formation ; Other important petroleum horizons are the Mississippian Madison Limestone , Permian Phosphoria Formation and the Cretaceous Frontier Sandstone . Some uranium has been mined in
2160-546: The facility being demolished in the 1990s. Just to the south of Cody are large deposits of gypsum . Park County School District #6 is another large employer in the area. As of the census of 2020, there were 10,066 people, and 4,401 households in the city. The population density was 981.7 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 93.8% White , 0.6% African American , 0.6% Native American , 0.0% Asian , 0.0% Pacific Islander , and 3.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7% of
2220-484: The historical center is named. The historical center maintains large collections. It is a stopping point for tourists passing through the town, on their way to or from Yellowstone. Old Trail Town, a restoration of more than 25 historic Western buildings and artifacts, is located in Cody just off the Yellowstone Highway . Rodeo is important in the culture in Cody, which calls itself the "Rodeo Capital of
2280-541: The home to the Rendezvous Royale art festival. The week-long festival includes the Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale, a nationally renowned art show that features a wide range of interpretations of western art from emerging artists and contemporary masters. Rendezvous Royale features the art show sale, lectures, workshops, and a patrons ball. The live music scene in Cody is especially vibrant in
2340-424: The imperial bureaucratic structure; in other words, it was the lowest level that the government reached. Government below the county level was often undertaken through informal non-bureaucratic means, varying between dynasties. The head of a county was the magistrate , who oversaw both the day-to-day operations of the county as well as civil and criminal cases. The current number of counties mostly resembled that of
2400-585: The increase of Han Chinese population in Taiwan, the number of counties also grew by time. By the end of Qing era, there were 11 counties in Taiwan. Protestant missionaries in China first romanized the term as hien . When Taiwan became a Japanese colony in 1895, the hierarchy of divisions also incorporated into the Japanese system in the period when Taiwan was under Japanese rule. By September 1945, Taiwan
2460-625: The independent city under an agreement, such as in Albemarle , or may in be enclaves of the county surrounded by the independent city, such as in Fairfax . Others, such as Prince William , have the courthouse in an enclave surrounded by the independent city and have the county government, the Board of Supervisors, in a different part of the county, far from the county seat. The following counties have their county seat in an independent city: Bedford
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2520-758: The later years of the Qing dynasty . Changes of location and names of counties in Chinese history have been a major field of research in Chinese historical geography, especially from the 1960s to the 1980s. There are 1,355 counties in Mainland China out of a total of 2,851 county-level divisions. In Taiwan , the first counties were first established in 1661 by the Kingdom of Tungning . The later ruler Qing empire inherited this type of administrative divisions. With
2580-511: The nation's ten Japanese American internment camps was located in Park County in the western part of the basin. The camp was named Heart Mountain Relocation Center , after nearby Heart Mountain . The camp operated until 1945, and at its peak detained over 10,000 internees. The Bighorn Basin forms a geologic structural basin filled with more than 20,000 feet (6,100 m) of sedimentary rocks from Cambrian to Miocene in age. Since
2640-711: The northern part of the basin, along the Bighorn Mountains . The eastern section of the basin is famously rich in fossils , with formations such as the Cretaceous period Cloverly Formation yielding numerous dinosaur fossils. The alluvial strata of the Willwood and Fort Union Formations of the Bighorn Basin contain a well-documented record of the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). Analysis of paleosols here shows that
2700-430: The population. 21.4% of the population were under 18, and 6.6% were under 5. People over 65 made up 19.4% of the population. The gender makeup was 49.9% female and 50.1% male. The median household income was $ 59,682, and the per capita income was $ 34,127. People under the poverty line made up 8.9% of the population. As of the census of 2010, there were 9,520 people, 4,278 households, and 2,502 families living in
2760-408: The population. There were 3,791 households, out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and
2820-441: The population. There were 4,278 households, of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.5% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size
2880-775: The provincial level, and thus county seats. In the provinces of Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia the term "shire town" is used in place of county seat. County seats in China are the administrative centers of the counties in the People's Republic of China . Xian have existed since the Warring States period and were set up nationwide by the Qin dynasty . The number of counties in China proper gradually increased from dynasty to dynasty. As Qin Shi Huang reorganized
2940-777: The state's area, has no borough government or borough seat. One borough, the Lake and Peninsula Borough , has its borough seat located in another borough, namely King Salmon in Bristol Bay Borough . In Louisiana , which is divided into parishes rather than counties, county seats are referred to as "parish seats". In New England , counties have served mainly as dividing lines for the states' judicial systems. Rhode Island has no county level of government and thus no county seats, and Massachusetts has dissolved many but not all of its county governments. In Vermont , Massachusetts , and Maine county government consists only of
3000-558: The summer when the City of Cody hosts an annual Concert in the Park series, The Cody Cattle Company does a nightly show, Dan Miller's Cowboy Music Revue is up and running, and several bars in town host touring artists. Cody is also the home to several theatre and dance companies that promote community theatre and dance education from pre-k through high school. These companies produce many seasonal projects as well as annual productions. Throughout
3060-473: The town of Cody and owned a great deal of land surrounding the Shoshone River . The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad extended a branch line to Cody in 1901 and ultimately built through the entire basin. In 1904, Cody helped to form the Shoshone project , the nation's first federal water development project to help irrigate the western portion of the basin. The project culminated in the construction of
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#17327651355403120-416: The towns involved, along with providing employment opportunities. There are 33 counties with multiple county seats in 11 states: Alaska is divided into boroughs rather than counties; the county seat in these case is referred to as the "borough seat"; this includes six consolidated city-borough governments (one of which is styled as a "municipality"). The Unorganized Borough, Alaska , which covers 49% of
3180-544: The use of county seats in particular, will fully transition with the permission of the United States Census Bureau to a system of councils of government for the purposes of boundary definition and as county equivalents. Two counties in South Dakota , Oglala Lakota and Todd , have their county seat and government services centered in a neighboring county. Their county-level services are provided by Fall River County and Tripp County , respectively. In Virginia ,
3240-413: The west end of Cody funnels rain and wind across the city from the west. The winds can be quite strong at 30 to 40 miles per hour (48 to 64 km/h) and last for several days. Because of the dry climate, the entire area is laced with irrigation canals, holding ponds, laterals, and drops. The Buffalo Bill Dam between Rattlesnake and Cedar mountains forms a large reservoir about 10 miles (16 km) to
3300-577: The west of Cody. This reservoir (among others) feeds the Shoshone Project , a large irrigation water distribution system. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 27.3 °F or −2.6 °C in December to 70.6 °F or 21.4 °C in July. An average of 16.2 days have highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher and an average of 12.3 days have lows of 0 °F (−18 °C) or lower;
3360-464: The year various dance recitals from the companies, as well as musical theatre and theatre productions from community members are produced and performed. The annual performing arts events in Cody are produced from The Rocky Mountain Dance Theatre. They have been doing The Nutcracker annually in December for 25 years, and The Wild West Spectacular Musical for seven seasons. Public education in
3420-404: Was $ 34,450, and the median income for a family was $ 40,554. Males had a median income of $ 31,395 versus $ 19,947 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 17,813. About 9.4% of families and 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line , including 19.3% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over. Cody is governed by a city council and a mayor. The mayor is elected in
3480-436: Was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.82. The median age in the city was 42.4 years. 21.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.1% were from 25 to 44; 28.9% were from 45 to 64; and 18.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 8,835 people, 3,791 households, and 2,403 families living in
3540-573: Was divided into 8 prefectures ( 州 and 廳 ), which remained after the Republic of China took over. There are 13 county seats in Taiwan, which function as county-administered cities , urban townships , or rural townships . In most of the United States , a county is an administrative or political subdivision of a state that consists of a geographic area with specific boundaries and usually some level of governmental authority. The city, town, or populated place that houses county government
3600-706: Was later transversed by the Bridger Trail , which was blazed in 1864 by Jim Bridger to connect the Oregon Trail to the south with Montana . The route was an important alternative to the Bozeman Trail , which had crossed the Powder River Country , but had been closed to white settlers following Red Cloud's War . Around the turn of the 20th century the Bighorn Basin was settled by ranchers such as William "Buffalo Bill" Cody who founded
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