Converse County is a county in Wyoming, United States, on the North Platte River in the east-central part of the state. It had a population of 13,751 at the 2020 census and covers 4,265 square miles (11,050 km2) centred near 42°58′N 105°30′W.
Douglas is the county seat, and its postal code is 82633. The county has one city, three towns, two census-designated places, and several unincorporated communities. Converse County observes Mountain Time and carries FIPS code 56009.
Towns & Villages in Converse County
Converse County has one incorporated city, three incorporated towns, two census-designated places (CDPs, unincorporated but tracked by the Census Bureau), and a scatter of unincorporated communities across its ranching country. Wyoming has no civil townships, so places are grouped by incorporation status only.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas | City · seat | 6,386 | 82633 |
| Glenrock | Town | 2,395 | 82637 |
| Rolling Hills | Town | 483 | 82637 |
| Lost Springs | Town | 4 | 82224 |
| Esterbrook | CDP | — | 82633 |
| Orin | CDP | — | 82633 |
| Bill | Unincorp. | — | 82631 |
| Shawnee | Unincorp. | — | 82229 |
| Boxelder | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Clayton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Irvine | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Orin Junction | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Orpha | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Parkerton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ross | Unincorp. | — | — |
Lost Springs, with a population of 4 at the 2020 census, is regularly cited as one of the smallest incorporated towns in the United States. Rolling Hills is a former company town for the nearby Dave Johnston Power Plant, distinct from Glenrock proper though it shares its ZIP code. A handful of names carried on older gazetteers — Ammon, Birkner Hill, Buck Place, Deadmans Corner, Leahy Place, Underwood Crossing, Whipple Hollow — are ranch or rural-locality names rather than populated places with current census or postal data, and are omitted from the table above pending verification.
ZIP Codes
- 82633 — Douglas (also serves Esterbrook, Orin)
- 82637 — Glenrock (also serves Rolling Hills)
- 82224 — Lost Springs
- 82229 — Shawnee
- 82631 — Bill
The rural ranch localities listed above without a ZIP code use one of these five post offices for mail.
Geography
Converse County sits on the high plains of east-central Wyoming, split by the North Platte River, which flows northeast through Glenrock and Douglas. The Laramie Range rises along the county’s southern edge, and the Powder River Basin’s southern rim covers much of the north. Land use is dominated by cattle and sheep ranching, with coal, oil, and gas development in the Powder River Basin sector.
Converse County borders Campbell County to the north, Weston County to the northeast, Niobrara County to the east, Platte County to the southeast, Albany County to the south, Carbon County to the southwest, Natrona County to the west, and Johnson County to the northwest. Of these, Campbell County, Johnson County, Albany County, and Platte County have live pages on this site; the others are named without a link.
Demographics
Converse County had 13,751 residents at the 2020 census. Douglas, the county seat, accounts for roughly half the county’s population; Glenrock is the second-largest community. Median household income runs below the Wyoming median of $72,415, reflecting the county’s dependence on cyclical energy and ranching income. Population density is low, at about 3 people per square mile, typical of Wyoming’s high plains counties.
Economy & Local Life
Energy is the backbone of the county economy: coal mining and oil and gas extraction in the Powder River Basin, plus the coal-fired Dave Johnston Power Plant near Glenrock, are major employers alongside cattle ranching. Converse County Memorial Hospital and Converse County School District No. 1 anchor public-sector jobs in Douglas. The Wyoming State Fair, held in Douglas every August, is the county’s largest annual event and one of the oldest state fairs in the region.
History
Converse County was created in 1888 by the Wyoming Territorial legislature, from land annexed out of Albany and Laramie counties, and organized the following year. It was named for A.R. Converse, a Cheyenne banker and rancher who co-owned the Two Bar Ranch with Francis E. Warren, later Wyoming’s first state governor. The county’s early economy grew around cattle ranching and the Fort Fetterman military post, and later around coal and oil development along the North Platte corridor.
Getting There
Interstate 25 runs the length of Converse County north to south through Douglas and Glenrock, connecting to Casper and the rest of Wyoming’s I-25 corridor. U.S. Route 20/26 crosses the county east-west through Douglas. The nearest commercial airport is Casper-Natrona County International Airport, in neighboring Natrona County.
- Casper — 50 miles northwest
- Cheyenne — 165 miles south
- Gillette — 100 miles north
- Torrington — 95 miles east
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Converse County, Wyoming?
It lies in east-central Wyoming, on the North Platte River, between Casper and the Nebraska border.
What is the population of Converse County?
13,751 people, according to the 2020 census.
How big is Converse County?
4,265 square miles (11,050 km2), most of it ranch and rangeland.
What is the county seat of Converse County?
Douglas is the county seat and the largest city in the county.
How many towns are in Converse County?
One city (Douglas) and three incorporated towns (Glenrock, Rolling Hills, and Lost Springs), plus two census-designated places and several unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Converse County?
82633 (Douglas), 82637 (Glenrock/Rolling Hills), 82224 (Lost Springs), 82229 (Shawnee), and 82631 (Bill).
Is Lost Springs really one of the smallest towns in America?
Yes — its 2020 census population was 4, making it one of the smallest incorporated municipalities in the United States.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Wyoming.