When it comes to Old West charm, Wyoming has everyone beat. Our cities and towns are chock-full of quaint stone and log buildings and loads of history.
On all our journeys through our beloved Cowboy State, we’ve found the smaller cities to be the most charming. As proof, here are Wyoming’s 11 tiniest towns – some with populations in the single digits.
- Clearmont, Wyoming, population: 142
gahoward/Flickr Not all the buildings in Clearmont are log cabins framed by antler arches, but with its manicured parks and tree lined streets, it’s an enchanting place to visit.
- Granger, Wyoming, population: 139
Jimmy Emerson DVM/Flickr This tiny town in Sweetwater County is the location of the historic stage station, built in 1856. It served as a stop for the Pony Express in addition to being a stage stop, and according to WyoHistory.org, the distinguished New York Tribune editor Horace Greeley and famous author Mark Twain were among the well-known passengers to visit the station.
- Manderson, Wyoming, population: 114
Google Maps The current location of Manderson is actually a couple of miles from the original site, according to archived newspaper articles. The reason citizens gave for the move was so that the town could grow, but Manderson has kept a low population count and retained all of its Wyoming small town charm.
- Dixon, Wyoming, population: 97
Jeffrey Beall/Flickr Named for one of the first trappers in the region, Bob Dixon, this tiny Wyoming town still attracts hunters and outdoor enthusiasts today. Even the town hall in Dixon is quaint.
- Opal, Wyoming, population: 96
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr As much a ranching community as a town, this little hamlet takes its name from the gems found scattered around the area when it was first settled.
- Manville, Wyoming, population: 95
Jasperdo/Flickr It’s only fitting that this tiny town is located in the least populated county in the state, Niobara County. In fact, Niobara is made up of only three little cities, and two of them are here on our list of tiny towns.
- Kirby, Wyoming, population: 92
TripAdvisor Established as a coal town, the land in the Big Horn Basin around Kirby is ideal for ranching. One of the oldest families in the area have found that it’s also uniquely suited for growing the ingredients for world-class bourbon, so they opened Wyoming Whiskey and made quaint little Kirby the home of one of the best distilleries this side of the Continental Divide.
- Hartville, Wyoming, population: 62
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr This little town is proud of its tiny status, proclaiming its prominence at the smallest town in Platte County and the oldest existing incorporated town. It has a petite post office, a cute church house, and is home to the oldest bar in Wyoming.
- Riverside, Wyoming, population: 52
Nick Taylor/Flickr This tiny town makes the most of its location nestled next to the Encampment River. There’s a trading post, a tree lined river walkway and campground, and, of course, plenty of places to fish.
- Van Tassell, Wyoming, population: 15
Jasperdo/Flickr Van Tassell is the other little town on our list from Niobara County. Like much of Wyoming, the area is great for ranching and, while tiny town living isn’t for everyone, the handful of residents here enjoy their quiet community.
- Lost Springs, Wyoming, population: 4
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr For a long time, the official population count in Lost Springs was only one, but when the numbers from the 2010 census came in, the populace had quadrupled. In keeping with its standing as a tiny town, the post office in Lost Springs is housed in the same building as the general store.
Honorable Mention: Buford, Wyoming, population: 1
Derek Bruff/Flickr Located in Paradise Valley, you couldn’t ask for a better setting for a charming, tiny town. There’s a log trading post and a few other buildings - more than enough town for just one resident. Though it was sold to a Vietnamese entrepreneur in 2012 and renamed PhinDeli Town Buford, it will always be Buford to us.
These are the smallest towns in the state, but there are many more that are home to 1,000 people or less. What charming, tiny Wyoming towns have you visited?
gahoward/Flickr
Not all the buildings in Clearmont are log cabins framed by antler arches, but with its manicured parks and tree lined streets, it’s an enchanting place to visit.
Jimmy Emerson DVM/Flickr
This tiny town in Sweetwater County is the location of the historic stage station, built in 1856. It served as a stop for the Pony Express in addition to being a stage stop, and according to WyoHistory.org, the distinguished New York Tribune editor Horace Greeley and famous author Mark Twain were among the well-known passengers to visit the station.
Google Maps
The current location of Manderson is actually a couple of miles from the original site, according to archived newspaper articles. The reason citizens gave for the move was so that the town could grow, but Manderson has kept a low population count and retained all of its Wyoming small town charm.
Jeffrey Beall/Flickr
Named for one of the first trappers in the region, Bob Dixon, this tiny Wyoming town still attracts hunters and outdoor enthusiasts today. Even the town hall in Dixon is quaint.
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr
As much a ranching community as a town, this little hamlet takes its name from the gems found scattered around the area when it was first settled.
Jasperdo/Flickr
It’s only fitting that this tiny town is located in the least populated county in the state, Niobara County. In fact, Niobara is made up of only three little cities, and two of them are here on our list of tiny towns.
TripAdvisor
Established as a coal town, the land in the Big Horn Basin around Kirby is ideal for ranching. One of the oldest families in the area have found that it’s also uniquely suited for growing the ingredients for world-class bourbon, so they opened Wyoming Whiskey and made quaint little Kirby the home of one of the best distilleries this side of the Continental Divide.
This little town is proud of its tiny status, proclaiming its prominence at the smallest town in Platte County and the oldest existing incorporated town. It has a petite post office, a cute church house, and is home to the oldest bar in Wyoming.
Nick Taylor/Flickr
This tiny town makes the most of its location nestled next to the Encampment River. There’s a trading post, a tree lined river walkway and campground, and, of course, plenty of places to fish.
Van Tassell is the other little town on our list from Niobara County. Like much of Wyoming, the area is great for ranching and, while tiny town living isn’t for everyone, the handful of residents here enjoy their quiet community.
For a long time, the official population count in Lost Springs was only one, but when the numbers from the 2010 census came in, the populace had quadrupled. In keeping with its standing as a tiny town, the post office in Lost Springs is housed in the same building as the general store.
Derek Bruff/Flickr
Located in Paradise Valley, you couldn’t ask for a better setting for a charming, tiny town. There’s a log trading post and a few other buildings - more than enough town for just one resident. Though it was sold to a Vietnamese entrepreneur in 2012 and renamed PhinDeli Town Buford, it will always be Buford to us.
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