Platte County is a county in Wyoming, United States, on the North Platte River, from which it takes its name. It had a population of 8,605 at the 2020 census and covers 2,111 square miles (5,468 km2) of land and water, of which 2,084 square miles (5,398 km2) is land, centred near 42°08′N 104°58′W.
Wheatland is the county seat, and its postal code is 82201. The county has five incorporated towns, seven census-designated places, and several unincorporated communities. Platte County sits in the Mountain Time Zone.
Towns & Villages in Platte County
Nineteen named places appear across Platte County’s incorporated towns, census-designated places, and unincorporated communities. Wheatland is the only city; Chugwater, Glendo, Guernsey, and Hartville are incorporated towns; the rest are CDPs or unincorporated crossroads with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheatland | City · seat | 3,588 | 82201 |
| Chugwater | Town | — | 82210 |
| Glendo | Town | — | 82213 |
| Guernsey | Town | — | 82214 |
| Hartville | Town | — | 82215 |
| Chugcreek | CDP | — | 82210 |
| El Rancho | CDP | — | 82201 |
| Lakeview North | CDP | — | 82213 |
| Slater | CDP | — | 82201 |
| Westview Circle | CDP | — | 82201 |
| Whiting | CDP | — | 82201 |
| Y-O Ranch | CDP | — | 82213 |
| Bordeaux | Unincorp. | — | 82201 |
| Diamond | Unincorp. | — | 82214 |
| Dwyer | Unincorp. | — | 82213 |
| Dwyer Junction | Unincorp. | — | 82213 |
| Uva | Unincorp. | — | 82201 |
| Wendover | Unincorp. | — | 82201 |
| Sunrise | Unincorp. | — | 82215 |
Sunrise is a ghost town next to Hartville, once home to one of Wyoming’s largest iron-ore mines; it carries no population count today. The five CDPs and unincorporated places clustered around Wheatland (El Rancho, Slater, Westview Circle, Whiting) are rural subdivisions rather than historic settlements, and share Wheatland’s 82201 ZIP.
ZIP Codes
- 82201 — Wheatland (also serves El Rancho, Slater, Westview Circle, Whiting, Bordeaux, Uva, Wendover)
- 82210 — Chugwater (also serves Chugcreek)
- 82213 — Glendo (also serves Lakeview North, Y-O Ranch, Dwyer, Dwyer Junction)
- 82214 — Guernsey (also serves Diamond)
- 82215 — Hartville (also serves Sunrise)
All five ZIPs are standard delivery post offices; there are no PO-box-only or single-entity ZIPs in the county.
Geography
Platte County lies in southeastern Wyoming on the high plains, where the North Platte River cuts a broad, irrigated valley through otherwise dry grassland and low ridges. The county contains part of the Medicine Bow National Forest in its western reaches, and Glendo Reservoir, on the North Platte, is one of the state’s larger man-made lakes.
Platte County borders Niobrara County to the northeast, Goshen County to the east, Laramie County to the south, Albany County to the west, and Converse County to the northwest.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 8,605 residents. Wheatland, with 3,588 people, is the county’s largest community and home to more than 40 percent of the population; Guernsey is the second-largest incorporated town. Platte County’s median household income runs below the Wyoming median of $72,415, reflecting its ranching- and mining-dependent economy. Population density is light, at roughly 4 people per square mile across the county’s 2,084 land square miles.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture (cattle ranching, sugar beets, and irrigated hay and grain) anchors the county economy, alongside limestone and bentonite mining near Guernsey and Hartville, a historic mining district that once supplied iron ore to the Colorado Fuel and Iron mill in Pueblo. Wheatland is the commercial hub, home to Platte County School District #1 and Platte County Memorial Hospital. Guernsey State Park, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, draws boaters and campers to Guernsey Reservoir each summer.
History
Platte County was created on February 21, 1911, from part of Laramie County and formally organized in 1913, taking its name from the North Platte River. Fort Laramie’s outlying trail history runs through the county’s eastern edge, and Hartville’s mines, opened in the 1880s, made it one of Wyoming’s earliest industrial mining towns. Since 1912, no candidate has won the Wyoming presidential vote without carrying Platte County, making it a closely watched statewide bellwether.
Getting There
Interstate 25 runs the length of the county north–south, joined by US Routes 26 and 87 and Wyoming Highway 34.
- Cheyenne — 55 miles south
- Casper — 75 miles north
- Torrington — 40 miles east
- Laramie — 60 miles southwest
The nearest commercial airport is Cheyenne Regional Airport; Denver International Airport, about 130 miles south, offers wider connections.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Platte County, Wyoming?
It sits in southeastern Wyoming along the North Platte River, between Cheyenne and Casper.
What is the population of Platte County?
8,605 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Platte County?
2,111 square miles total (2,084 square miles of land), making it Wyoming’s third-smallest county by land area.
What is the county seat of Platte County?
Wheatland is the county seat.
How many towns are in Platte County?
Five incorporated towns — Wheatland, Chugwater, Glendo, Guernsey, and Hartville — plus seven census-designated places and several unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Platte County?
82201 (Wheatland), 82210 (Chugwater), 82213 (Glendo), 82214 (Guernsey), and 82215 (Hartville).
What is Sunrise, Wyoming?
A ghost town next to Hartville that once housed workers at one of Wyoming’s largest iron-ore mines, active from the 1890s into the 1980s.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Wyoming.