Kemmerer
County seat and largest place, founded in 1897 as a coal town and home to a National Historic Landmark district.
Towns guide
Independent guide, not an official site
Lincoln County, Wyoming, read layer by layer
An independent visitor and resident guide to the towns, the Fossil Butte fish beds, the Star Valley outdoors and the history of western Wyoming. Scroll down and the rock opens up.
Layer 01, Surface
About Lincoln County, Wyoming
Where it is
Lincoln County lies in western Wyoming, bordering Idaho and Utah. It was created in 1911 from land that had belonged to Uinta County, and Kemmerer is its county seat. The county is large: roughly 4,100 square miles, with fewer than five people per square mile in the 2020 Census.
Why people visit
What is Lincoln County known for? Visitors come for Fossil Butte, a National Park Service site that protects fish fossils from an ancient lake, and for Star Valley, a mountain valley with forest roads, rivers and winter recreation. Residents add a third reason: ranching, mining and small-town life in a quiet corner of the state.
- 1911year the county was created
- 19,581residents, 2020 Census
- about 4,100square miles of area
- 9incorporated places
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; WyoHistory.org.
Layer 02, Towns
Towns at a glance
What towns are in Lincoln County, Wyoming? The only city is Kemmerer. The eight towns are Afton, Alpine, Cokeville, Diamondville, La Barge, Opal, Star Valley Ranch and Thayne. Our guide to the towns in Lincoln County explains each one and how to choose a base.
Afton
The main town of Star Valley, known for the elk antler arch across US Highway 89.
Star ValleyAlpine
The northern gateway of the valley, about 36 miles from Jackson through the Snake River Canyon.
Things to doSource: U.S. Census Bureau decennial census, 2000, 2010 and 2020.
Layer 03, Open air
Things to do
What is there to do in Lincoln County? Fossils, forest roads, rivers and old mining towns. Browse the things to do overview, or start with one of these four.
Fossil Butte
Fossil Butte National Monument
More than 2,000 fossils from a 52 million year old lake, and a scenic drive above the sagebrush.
Read the guide
Star Valley
Star Valley, Wyoming
Forest roads, rivers and mountain trails on the western edge of the state.
Read the guide
Open country
Kemmerer and the sagebrush basins
A coal town with a landmark shop district and wide skies around it.
Read the guide
Winter
Snow season in the mountains
Deep snow on the ranges and quiet roads, with rules that change by season.
Read the guide
Layer 04, Deep time
Short history
Each period sits on an older one. Scroll to cut down through them, from today's towns to the lake bed beneath. The full story is in our county history.
Today
Towns, trails and rivers
Nine incorporated places, from Kemmerer in the south-east to Alpine in Star Valley, share about 4,100 square miles. See the towns in Lincoln County.
1874 to 1911
A valley settled, a county made
A trapper built a cabin in Star Valley in 1874, mass settlement began in 1878, and Lincoln County was created in 1911 with Kemmerer as county seat.
1897 to 1923
Coal towns on the plains
Kemmerer was founded in 1897 around coal mining. A mine explosion in 1923 killed 99 men, a loss still remembered in the area.
1972
Fossil Butte is set aside
Congress created Fossil Butte National Monument on 23 October 1972 to protect fossils from ancient Fossil Lake.
About 52 million years ago
A lake, and its fish
In a warm freshwater lake, small fish such as Knightia settled into fine mud that became limestone. Read the Fossil Butte guide or the full county history.
Layer 05, Notice
Independent guide notice
This website is an independent information project. It is not an official site, and it has no connection with any county, town, state or federal office. It does not issue notices, accept applications or publish records. Facts are drawn from public sources such as the National Park Service, the Forest Service, Wyoming state sources, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Census Bureau, and the pages say where to check current details. Read more about this guide.