How Wyoming Towns Reflect The State's Geographic Features

By sheer size, Wyoming is the 9th-largest state with over 97,000 square miles. When it comes to population, Wyoming is the least populated state, ranked 50th out of 50, with 590,169 residents, representing a 0.43% increase.

Wyoming has 255 towns throughout the state, each with a unique name and a distinct history of how it came to be. If you were to study the town names thoroughly and how they got their names, you may or may not be surprised to discover that water has a big part in many town names here.

Bitter Creek
Cow Creek
Hawk Springs
Lost Springs
Rock Springs

There are several towns with 'creek' and 'springs' in their names, but according to studies, the word most commonly associated with Wyoming towns is actually 'river'.

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When it comes to names, Wyoming knows a thing or two about rarity. The actual name, Wyoming, is one that's been debated over the origins of how the word became the name of the state. Research shows that other names were suggested for the area; these included Cheyenne, Shoshoni, Arapaho, Sioux, Platte, Big Horn, Yellowstone, Sweetwater, and Lincoln.

They stuck with "Wyoming" as the name for the territory, and then the official town began to emerge. The naming of towns originated from various sources. It could've been the first person or family who stopped there, the animals roaming the plains, or the nearby water source.

Wyoming has around 80 rivers, so there's a good reason as to how and why the word 'River' inspired the most town names here.