Riverton’s site at the joining of the Big Wind and Little Wind River has been a meeting place and crossroads since pre-historic times.  Chief Washakie, Jim Bridger and Sacajawea are only a few of the legends that walked this land.

The modern city of Riverton was founded in 1906 during the land rush to settle acreage withdrawn by treaty from the Wind River Indian Reservation.  Totally insular within the reservation, our history blends the pioneer spirit of the homesteaders with the native cultures of the Arapahoe and Shoshone Indians.  As Riverton evolved from a freewheeling ranching and mining town into the commercial and educational hub of west-central Wyoming, it has retained the “can do” spirit and vitality of the New West.

Located in the heart of Fremont County, an area larger than many Eastern States, Riverton is surrounded by mountains and rivers.  The Wind River Range of the Rocky Mountains lies south and west; the Owl Creek Range is north.  The Wind River is south and east of town, with the Gas Hills to the east.

Elevation:               4956 ft.
Longitude:              108 23’ 11”             Latitude:  43 01’ 25.5”

Sheltered by mountains to the west and north and on the edge of the precipitation shadow cast by the Rockies, Riverton has the mildest year-round weather in the state of Wyoming.

Annual average temperature:                    44.4°f
January average temperatures:                 30.1°f high & 17.6°f low
July average temperatures:                      89.2°f high & 52.1°f low
Annual average rainfall:                           13.60 inches
Average wind gust:                                 7 mph
Annual average snow pack:                      8 inches in winter
Average growing season:                         139 days per year
Average sunshine days:                           347 days per year
Annual average humidity:                         30%

                                     1985           1990        2000

City                               9,212           9,202           9,310
County                           34,120         33,662         35,804

Housing is available for families of all sizes and income brackets.  The information contained here is subject to change.  Precise and updated information can be obtained from area realtors through the Riverton Chamber of Com­merce.

Monthly Rental Rates: 

Single Family Home, 3 Bedrooms                $400 to $600/month
Apartments (1, 2, & 3 Bdrms)                    $250 to $404/month
Mobile home lots:                                    $100 to $154/month

Senior Citizen’s Housing

The cost of Senior Citizen housing ranges anywhere from a HUD-subsidized percentage income to $325/month.  There are 117 units of Senior housing currently available.  Sertoma West Senior Housing, 856-7117, has assisted living facilities.  This facility also has a community center, and 150 living units, including duplexes, triplexes, and four-plexes.

Natural Gas

KN Energy  (800) 563-0012
maximum capacity:  13,000 (mcf) peak demand:  6,268 (mcf), thermal rating: 85,000 Btu/cf 

Electricity

Pacific Power  (307) 856-2235
Base monthly rate:  $5.50/month plus $8.46/month for first 20-kilowatt hours and 5.329¢ per additional kilowatt-hour

Rural Electricity

High Plains Power, Inc.  (307) 856-9426.

Water & Sewer

City of Riverton  (307) 856-2227
The municipal water system has two separate sources, a well field of 13 wells ranging from 450 to 1,300 feet below the surface for use during the winter months, and a surface water treatment plant for use during the summer months.  The sustained combined yield of the water production facili­ties is slightly in excess of 8 million gallons per day, sufficient to accommodate a population of 35,000.

Riverton’s new $12 million wastewater treatment facility has a design capacity, which will accommodate a population of 26,000.

Irrigation

Surface water for cooling and irrigation purposes are provided by three separate irrigation companies; Midvale Irrigation, Riverton Valley Irrigation, and LeClair Irrigation districts.  For information on irrigation water rights and availability within the city limits, contact the City of Riverton, Public Works Department, at (307) 856-2227.

Trash Disposal

City of Riverton (307) 856-2227
City public works provides trash disposal for all residential and commercial customers within the city limits of Riverton.  For service outside the city limits, contact Waste Management of Wyoming at (307) 856-5354.

Telephone

Residential:  Qwest Communications (800) 244-1111
Business:  Qwest Communications (800) 603-6000
Local Number    307-856-8455
Local Pager        307-261-4702
Local Wireless    307-340-1461
Business:  McLeod USA (307) 856-8600

Basic Installation Fee:  $41.25-$80.00
Monthly Rate:  Private in-city line:  $15.00-$25.00.

Cable Television

Bresnan Communications (307) 856-3248

Contact vendor for current price and service packages.

COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY

Central Wyoming College (CWC), 1-800-735-8418, offers coursework for everyone from the serious student to the individual interested in taking single classes.  Fremont County residents 60 years of age or older pay no tuition, but are responsible for payment of fees.  The college’s facilities are used extensively by the community for entertainment and cultural events.  Central Wyoming College provides nationally recognized equine education, nursing, broadcasting, fine arts and microcomputer technol­ogy classes. Microsoft and Cisco Systems have chosen CWC as a national certification center and an educational partner by NASA.  Continuing education and outreach programs for bachelor and post-graduate degrees are available through CWC and through Riverton’s University of Wyoming Extension Office, 856-8651.

Primary and Secondary schools

A high quality faculty enables Riverton’s public school district to provide exceptional educational opportunities for all children.  The school district has a full range of academic programs including special education, vocational education, gifted education, art, physical education, and music from kindergarten through grade 12.  Elementary school-aged children can attend parochial school if pre­ferred, and there are several fine daycare facilities available.

Number Of Schools:  Preschools-5; 3 Grades K-3; 1Grades 4-5; 1 Middle School; 1 Senior High; 1 Alternative School; 1 Community College; and, 2 Parochial Schools.

Student Enrollment 2004-2005:  High School (9-12) enrollment is 751 not including Alternative School. Average teacher to student ratio is 1 to 20, and the graduation rate is 98%.

Parochial Schools:  St. Margaret’s Catholic School (preschool through 5).  Trinity Lutheran School  (preschool through 8).  Both parochial schools have a teacher to student ratio of 1 to 16.

Riverton Memorial Hospital is a 70-bed, full service, pri­mary/acute care hospital with one of the two best-equipped radiology departments in the state.  RMH offers many ser­vices including:  outpatient care, mammography, nuclear medicine, cardiac rehab, pharmacy, respiratory and physical therapy.  RMH is a teaching facility for Central Wyoming College, Casper College, Laramie College and the University of Wyoming.  RMH also provides 24-hour ambulance ser­vice.  Several affiliated and private clinics provide a full range of specialist and general medical services including orthope­dics, urology, physical therapy, mental health, general and vascular surgery and internal medicine.

Riverton has twenty-eight churches representing a variety of faiths and denominations. Please see the Church Locator published by the Riverton Chamber of Commerce for more information.

The Riverton Police Department maintains 2.05 uniformed officers per 1,000 residents to assure adequate law enforce­ment.  The Fremont County Sheriff’s Depart­ment, Wyoming Highway Patrol, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Wyoming Department of Criminal Investigation also provide public safety services to Riverton.

The Riverton Fire Department has over sixty volunteer firemen and professional investigators and staff.  In addition, Riverton is the home of the Wyoming State Fire Training Academy. 

The Riverton Senior Citizens and Community Center, 856-6332, provides recreational, educational, social, and advocacy resources to area seniors.  The Center also provides free and/or low cost transportation services and an adult day care facility.

With high-speed data services and the only daily newspaper published in Fremont County, Riverton is the communica­tions center for west-central Wyoming.  Riverton also offers four radio stations, Wyoming’s only public television broad­casting station, regional Internet service, a weekly shoppers guide, local cable and off-air broadcast television reception. 

Telecommunications

Riverton’s local telephone service provider (LEC) is Qwest Communications.  Service is also available through other long distance carriers and alternative local exchanges.  Through an agreement between Qwest, the State of Wyoming, and Central Wyoming College, Riverton has a telecom system comparable to a much larger, urban community.  Riverton’s central office digital switch provides frame relay and ATM capability, allowing DSL, a variable high bandwidth service and fractional T-1s.

Postal/Delivery Service:  United States Post Office, Federal Express, Airborne Express and United Parcel Service.

Newspaper:  Riverton Ranger  (307) 856-2244.

Shopping Guide:  The Advertiser  (307) 857-6114.

Wyoming Public Television:  KCWC - Central Wyoming College, PBS, (307) 856-9291.

Cable Television:  Bresnan Communications 
(307) 856-3248.

Radio Stations
KVOW-AM (1450) Oldies, 856-2251
KTAK-FM (93.9) Country, 856-2251
KTRZ-FM (93.1) Adult Contemporary, 856-2922
KCWC-FM (88.1) Jazz and New Age, 856-9291

Air Service

United Express serves the Riverton Regional Airport, located within the corporate limits of the city, with five daily flights to and from Denver.  A new passenger terminal to serve a second carrier was completed in 1998.  Western Executive Air provides charter ser­vice.  The airport has a primary runway surface of 8,200 ft., stressed to 110,000 dual wheels loading.  Navigational aids available include ILS, VASI, HIRI, TVOR, AWOS, (computerized 24-hour weather), and other necessary facilities for year-round opera­tion.  The NWS operates a NEXRAD Doppler Doppler_Radar Sta­tion at the airport.

Motor Freight Service

Our highway system provides year-round access to all of Wyoming and to the surrounding states via US Highway 26 & Wyoming Highway 789.  There are eleven motor trans­port firms located in Riverton providing regular and reliable motor freight services.

Parcel Services and Overnight Mail

United Parcel Service and Federal Express each have facili­ties in Riverton, and the United States Post Office also has express mail services.

Bus Services

Powder River Transportation (1-800-442-3682) has a local stop (856-7455) that connects with the regular Greyhound route.

Local public transit service is provided by the Riverton Sen­ior and Community Center (307-856-6332) and the Wind River Transportation Authority (307-856-7118).

Car Rental

Hertz (856-2344), Jim’s Aircraft Service (856-3599), and Rent-A-Wreck (332-5159) provide a variety of vehicles for competitive local and one-way rental.  Hertz and Jim’s Aircraft Services are located at the Riverton Regional Airport.

Libraries

The two libraries in our community, the Riverton Branch Library and the Central Wyoming College Library, provide a full range of services including listening stations, outreach services to the handicapped, meeting rooms, video cassettes, and televisions.  The Riverton Branch Library, (856-3556), also has concerts, children’s story hour, film showings, compact discs, exhibits and plays. 

Museums, galleries and fine arts

The Riverton Museum features a delightful collection of local memorabilia donated by area residents to preserve Riverton’s history.

At CWC’s Robert A. Peck Fine Arts Center, you can view the fine creations of local artists and collections and exhibi­tions from across the country. CWC also features one of the finest theater facilities in the state.

The Wind River Heritage Center (856-0706) provides a look at natural and human history of this area and the west.  Along with wildlife displays and a trap collection, it has a gift shop featuring the finest Indian Crafts from the Wind River Reservation. 

Local artists are also represented at several area galleries.  The Wind River Indian Reservation is home to the Shoshone and Arapahoe Indian tribes and provides many oppor­tunities to experience a cultural and artistic heritage.

recreation Facilities

Riverton has nine public parks, four baseball/softball com­plexes, eight soccer fields, ten tennis courts, two golf courses, 2 fitness centers, 11 gymnasiums, 1 400m track, 1 remote control modelers park, 1 skate park, 1 ice rink, 1 horse arena, thirteen miles of bike paths, two movie theaters (with a total of 5 screens), and an Olympic-size swimming pool.  And of course, the Rocky Mountains!

February                            Wild West Winter Carnival

May                                  Memorial Day Gun & Coin Show

June                                  Powwows (through September)

July                                   1838 Mountain Man Rendezvous
                                        Riverton Rendezvous Balloon Rally
                                        Rendezvous Car and Bike Show

August                               Fremont County Fair & Rodeo

September                          Cowboy Poetry Gathering

                                        Cowboy Art Show & Sale

November                           Winter Art Fair

Riverton has a mayor-council form of government.  Mayor is elected at-large for a four-year term.  City Council consists of six members elected for four-year overlapping terms from three separate election wards.  The Mayor appoints, with consent of the City Council: the Chief of Police, City Clerk, City Engineer, City Attorney, and the Municipal Judge.  Regular meetings of the City Council are held at the Council Chambers in the City offices on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 7:00 p.m.

Planning Commission                         Yes
Industrial Plan Approval                     Yes
Business License Required                  No
Zoning Regulations                           Yes
Building Codes                                 U.B.C.

There is no State income tax, corporate income tax, or business inventory tax in Wyoming.  Riverton assesses no local business tax and provides one of the most conducive tax environments in the country.

Sales & Use Tax:                       4% of Retail Sales

Property Tax Levy (mills):           Total of 80.00 mills allocated between city (9.542), county (15.880), and school district (54.354).  Industrial property is assessed at 11.5%. Residen­tial property is assessed at 9.5%.  For example, a $100,000 home would have taxes of $760.  Other property, e.g. ma­chinery and equipment, is assessed at the same rate as the classification in which it is used.

Riverton has a full range of professional services, including:

15 Public Accountants 21 Architects/Engineers 2 Psychiatrists 8 Chiropractors 27 Physicians & Surgeons

19 Attorneys 8 Veterinarians 8 Dentists 6 Optometrists

Hotels/Motels                 13                    Total Rooms          544
RV Parks                        3                      Total Spaces        104
Meeting Facilities             3                      Capacity             1000

Labor Drawing Area:                               70 miles
Avg. Unemployment:                              6.4%
Workforce Participation Rate:                   69.0%
Total Labor Force:                                 18,547
 Female Labor Force:                              8,399

                                                Business         Employees

School District 25                        Education          450
Wal-Mart                                   Retail                275
Central Wyoming College              Education           228
Riverton Memorial Hospital            Healthcare          218
Community Entry Services            Social Services    120
City of Riverton                          Government        117
Pertech                                     Manufacturing     90
Safeway                                    Grocery             85
BTI                                           Trucking            78
K-Mart                                      Retail                 75
Brunton                                     Manufacturing     62
Smith’s Food & Drug                    Grocery              53
Wyoming.com                             Internet             40

                                                    % Total              Average
                                                 Employment     Median Wage

Transportation Warehousing                4.5                     $29,840

Information                                      2.7                     $29,835

Construction                                    6.4                     $28,150

Education & Health Services              29.8                     $27,413

Mining, Ag, Forestry & Fisheries           4.7                     $27,389

Professional & Business Services          5.2                     $25,843

Public Administration                          6.2                     $25,572

Finance, Insurance & Real Estate         3.2                     $23,478

Services                                          7.5                     $22,103

Manufacturing                                  4.3                     $21,631

Wholesale Trade                               3.0                     $19,603

Retail Trade                                   14.4                     $16,694

Leisure & Hospitality                         8.2                      $13,439

Overall Average Median Wage                                          $23,922

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