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Big Horn County
Big Horn County
County
	Big Horn County Courthouse
	Flag
	Location within the U.S. state of Wyoming
	Wyoming's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 44°32′N 107°59′W / 44.53°N 107.99°W
Country	United States
State	Wyoming
Founded	March 12, 1890 (authorized); 1897 (organized)
Named for	Bighorn Mountains
Seat	Basin
Largest town	Lovell
Area
• Total	3,159 sq mi (8,180 km2)
• Land	3,137 sq mi (8,120 km2)
• Water	22 sq mi (60 km2) 0.7%
Population (2020)
• Total	11,521
• Density	3.6/sq mi (1.4/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district	At-large
Website	www.bighorncountywy.gov

Big Horn County is a county in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 11,521.^[1] The county seat is Basin.^[2] Its north boundary abuts the south boundary of Montana.

History

Big Horn County was created by the legislature of Wyoming Territory in March 1890, and was organized in 1897; its area was annexed from Fremont, Johnson, and Sheridan counties.^[3] Big Horn County was named for the Big Horn Mountains which form its eastern boundary.^[4] Originally, the county included the entire Big Horn Basin, but in 1909 Park County, WY was created from a portion of Big Horn County, and in 1911 Hot Springs and Washakie counties were created from portions of Big Horn, leaving the county with its present borders. There were large amounts of first generation immigrants from England and Germany living in Big Horn County when World War I broke out in Europe.

The two groups went out of their way to maintain cordial relations with one another, and the county did not see the sorts of anti-German sentiment that was common throughout much of the country. While the English residents were outspokenly pro-British, and many of their Wyoming-born sons went to Canada and joined the Canadian Armed Forces in order to serve in the war on England's side, they nonetheless made sure that their German co-workers and neighbors were not harassed or discriminated against. In late 1917 one English rancher referred to the effort as making sure that his German neighbor was always "treated like a gentleman." Another English rancher said that two of his ranch hands were from Germany and he "would hate to see the foolishness of national hatreds inflicted on men as decent as they are." English residents of Big Horn County went out of their way to make sure that German-born residents did not feel unwelcome. German immigrants and their Wyoming-born children were not "anti-British" though they favored America remaining neutral in the conflict. Before the war the most commonly read works of fiction among German-born residents of Big Horn County were German language translations of British adventure stories including The Four Feathers by A. E. W. Mason as well as Sherlock Holmes stories and The Light That Failed by Rudyard Kipling. Consensus among Big Horn County residents of all backgrounds after the war was that the war had ultimately been a tragedy and a "horrible waste of human life."^[5]

Geography

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,159 square miles (8,180 km²), of which 3,137 square miles (8,120 km²) is land and 22 square miles (57 km²) (0.7%) is water.^[6]

Adjacent counties

Park County – west
Carbon County, Montana – northwest
Big Horn County, Montana – northeast
Sheridan County – east
Johnson County – southeast
Washakie County – south

Big Horn County in Wyoming and Montana are one of ten pairs of counties and parishes in the United States with the same name to border each other across state lines. The others are Sabine (Texas and Louisiana), Union (Arkansas and Louisiana), Bristol (Massachusetts and Rhode Island), Kent (Maryland and Delaware), Escambia (Alabama and Florida), Pike (Illinois and Missouri), Teton (Idaho and Wyoming), Park (Montana and Wyoming), and San Juan (New Mexico and Utah - albeit through a single point, the four corners).

Major highways

Transit

Express Arrow

National protected areas

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area (part)
Bighorn National Forest (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1900	4,328		—
1910	8,886		105.3%
1920	12,105		36.2%
1930	11,222		−7.3%
1940	12,911		15.1%
1950	13,176		2.1%
1960	11,898		−9.7%
1970	10,202		−14.3%
1980	11,896		16.6%
1990	10,525		−11.5%
2000	11,461		8.9%
2010	11,668		1.8%
2020	11,521		−1.3%
2023 (est.)	12,018	^[7]	4.3%
US Decennial Census^[8] 1870–2000^[9] 2010–2016^[1]

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States Census,^[10] there were 11,461 people, 4,312 households, and 3,087 families in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile (1.5 people/km²). There were 5,105 housing units at an average density of 2 units per square mile (0.77 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.03% White, 0.11% Black or African American, 0.75% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 3.37% from other races, and 1.46% from two or more races. 6.17% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 23.0% were of German, 21.4% English, 8.1% American and 8.0% Irish ancestry.

There were 4,312 households, out of which 32.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.00% were married couples living together, 6.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.40% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.13.

The county population contained 28.70% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 22.60% from 25 to 44, 24.60% from 45 to 64, and 16.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 100.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,682, and the median income for a family was $38,237. Males had a median income of $30,843 versus $19,489 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,086. About 10.20% of families and 14.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.20% of those under age 18 and 10.00% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 11,668 people, 4,561 households, and 3,179 families in the county.^[11] The population density was 3.7 people per square mile (1.4 people/km²). There were 5,379 housing units at an average density of 1.7 units per square mile (0.66 units/km²).^[12] The racial makeup of the county was 94.4% white, 0.9% American Indian, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% black or African American, 3.0% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 8.4% of the population.^[11] In terms of ancestry, 30.0% were German, 22.3% were English, 10.4% were Irish, 7.6% were Scottish, and 5.7% were American.^[13]

Of the 4,561 households, 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.2% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.3% were non-families, and 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.05. The median age was 41.8 years.^[11]

The median income for a household in the county was $48,270 and the median income for a family was $57,705. Males had a median income of $40,762 versus $31,440 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,486. About 5.7% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.2% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.^[14]

Government and infrastructure

The Wyoming Department of Health Wyoming Retirement Center, a nursing home,^[15] is located in Basin.^[16]^[17] The facility was operated by the Wyoming Board of Charities and Reform until that agency was dissolved as a result of a state constitutional amendment passed in November 1990.^[18]

Big Horn County voters have been reliably Republican for decades. They have selected the Republican Party candidate in every national election except one since 1936 (as of 2024).

In 2016 the county voted 2.1% for Darrell Castle on the Constitution Party ticket, the highest of any county nationally that year. (Outside of Alaska which does not report 3rd Party Performance on the borough level)

United States presidential election results for Big Horn County, Wyoming^[19]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	4,867	84.86%	742	12.94%	126	2.20%
2020	4,806	83.55%	788	13.70%	158	2.75%
2016	4,067	76.49%	604	11.36%	646	12.15%
2012	4,285	80.48%	868	16.30%	171	3.21%
2008	4,045	76.18%	1,108	20.87%	157	2.96%
2004	4,232	80.11%	960	18.17%	91	1.72%
2000	3,720	75.64%	1,004	20.41%	194	3.94%
1996	2,821	58.30%	1,438	29.72%	580	11.99%
1992	2,216	46.54%	1,216	25.54%	1,330	27.93%
1988	3,258	68.16%	1,469	30.73%	53	1.11%
1984	4,019	76.51%	1,175	22.37%	59	1.12%
1980	3,709	71.01%	1,212	23.21%	302	5.78%
1976	3,117	65.66%	1,618	34.08%	12	0.25%
1972	3,244	75.44%	1,049	24.40%	7	0.16%
1968	2,771	64.07%	1,201	27.77%	353	8.16%
1964	2,668	49.79%	2,690	50.21%	0	0.00%
1960	3,449	62.79%	2,044	37.21%	0	0.00%
1956	3,369	65.01%	1,813	34.99%	0	0.00%
1952	3,859	68.67%	1,755	31.23%	6	0.11%
1948	2,429	50.36%	2,370	49.14%	24	0.50%
1944	2,659	53.47%	2,314	46.53%	0	0.00%
1940	2,859	52.22%	2,594	47.38%	22	0.40%
1936	1,996	38.12%	3,156	60.28%	84	1.60%
1932	2,334	51.15%	2,155	47.23%	74	1.62%
1928	2,646	73.58%	933	25.95%	17	0.47%
1924	2,023	54.45%	459	12.36%	1,233	33.19%
1920	2,157	65.80%	1,082	33.01%	39	1.19%
1916	1,239	44.75%	1,493	53.92%	37	1.34%
1912	794	35.43%	691	30.83%	756	33.73%
1908	2,638	60.28%	1,648	37.66%	90	2.06%
1904	1,962	70.83%	751	27.11%	57	2.06%
1900	843	63.77%	479	36.23%	0	0.00%
1896	538	46.95%	591	51.57%	17	1.48%