Buffalo

Community Events

Buffalo and Kaycee have the feel of small towns, while at the same time offering dynamic community life. In addition to a wide range of recreational activities in all seasons for all ages, Buffalo's annual events calendar is punctuated with festivities. The community hosts the Lighted Christmas Parade and Chili Feed to kick of the holidays, a Halloween party for families in the downtown square, and Oktoberfest as fall begins.

In the spring and summer, Johnson county is home to rodeos, golf tournaments, and live music. The annual Big Horn Music Festival attracts bluegrass and folk music fans from all over the nation, with a full 3-day schedule of bands, workshops, food, prizes, and city-wide dance parties. 

Healthcare

Johnson County Health Care Center is a fully-staffed and operational hospital as well as having a large outpatient medical clinic serving the towns of Johnson County inside the town of Buffalo. The Center provides Cardiology, Orthopedics, Nephrology, Neurology, Urology, and Vascular care, with a large surgery suite and intensive care unit. The Family Medical Center is open six days a week, with 7 family doctors, an oncologist/hematologist, a general surgeon, and other specialists, in addition to 2 physician's assistants. The emergency room is a full service facility open 24 hours. There is an ambulance servicing Buffalo, Linch, and Kaycee.

The facility is dedicated not only to the urgent care and illness aspect of healthcare, but they also offer childbirth classes and extensive physical therapy programs for those both expecting or recovering. JCHC also has a 50-bed nursing home, the Amie Holt Care Center, as part of its complex.

Johnson County Healthcare Center
497 West Lott Street
Buffalo, WY 
(307) 684-5521
www.jchealthcare.com

Buffalo Churches and Places of Worship

  • St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
  • Union Congregational
  • Bighorn Baptist
  • Grace Mission Baptist
  • Seventh Day Adventist
  • New Life Assembly of God
  • Church of Christ
  • Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints
  • St. Luke's Evangelical Lutheran
  • Grace Fellowship
  • Calvary Chapel
  • Prince of Peace Lutheral
  • Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witness
  • First United Methodist
  • Wesleyan
  • St. Luke's Episcopal
  • New Beginnings Independent Baptist

Additional Buffalo Facilities

  • Banks • 4
  • Day Care Centers • 2
  • Pre-Schools • 2
  • Libraries • 1 (extension branch in Kaycee)
  • Fairgrounds • Johnson County Fairgrounds
  • Veterans Home • 1
  • Dentists • 3
  • Optometrist • 1
  • Chiropractors • 2
  • Massage Therapists • 6
  • Home Health Care •  2

Johnson County Schools

Wyoming invests heavily in its schools, and its investment is visible in Buffalo and Kaycee. With a general fund budget of approximately $19.4 million, Johnson County School District #1 serves approximately 1,260 students in the progression through 4 schools. Buffalo High School boasts a student-teacher ratio of 12 to 1 and a rating of nine out of ten on greatschools.com. Parents and other community members support the schools through the active Buffalo Backers program. A state-of-the-art elementary school is under construction, and will be up and running for the 2013-2014 school year. Get more info about Johnson County Schools here.

School Contact Information      
School Telephone Grades ApproximateEnrollment
Learning Tree Pre-School (307) 684-7509 3-5 Years 102
Head Start (307) 684-2873 4-5 Years 19
Buffalo Children’s Center (307) 684-5802 0-5 Years 65
Big Horn Christian School (307) 684-9062 K-5 6
Meadowlark Elementary (307) 684-9518 K-3 324
Clear Creek Elementary (307) 684-0153 04/05/14 172
Clear Creek Middle School (307) 684-5594 06/08/14 252
Buffalo High School (307) 684-2269 09/12/14 373

 

Location and Climate

Location

In Northern Wyoming, among the Bighorn Mountains in the heart of Johnson County lies the towns of Buffalo and Kaycee. With close proximity to both Montana, Yellowstone Park, and the junction of I-25 and I-90, residents enjoy the convenience of small town western life as well as world-class outdoor beauty.

Nearby Cities: 

  • Story, WY: 21.3 mi
  • Sheridan, WY: 35.8 mi
  • Billings, MT: 160.7 mi
  • Kaycee, WY: 45.5 mi
  • Cheyenne, WY: 289 mi 
  • Billings, MT: 160.7 mi
  • Denver, CO: 390 mi

Climate

  • Elevation: 4,645
  • Average Temperature: January 36.0, July  85.0
  • Humidity: 48%
  • Precipitation:  Average 13.29'', Average snowfall - 33.3''
  • Sunshine Days: 252
  • Prevailing Winds: N/NW
  • Average Growing Days: 115

Recreation

Buffalo sits at the foot of the spectacular Big Horn Mountains, a recreational mecca in all seasons. An extensive network of trails and camp sites are available for hikers, mountain bikers, and campers, and sportsmen will find all varieties of fish and game.

In the winter, the Big Horns boast skiing, snowboarding, and some of the best snowmobiling in the nation. Find more information about the Big Horn lifestyle here.

Lake DeSmet, located just north of Buffalo, is popular for boating and water skiing. Featuring fully-equipped campsites, the lake offers trails for backpacking, day hikes, nature walks, and horseback riding.

In town, Washington Memorial Park offers the region's largest outdoor swimming pool in the region, including a kids' waterpark and full-time lifeguards. Tennis courts, picnic tables, and a creek contribute to the park's character.

The newly-opened sports complex is already becoming a state-wide destination for tournaments on its numerous soccer fields and baseball diamonds.

Buffalo offers many other family-friendly facilities that include a bowling alley, a miniature golf course, and an ice-skating rink. TheBuffalo Golf Club offers a well-groomed 18 holes.

The Johnson County YMCA is the largest per capita in the state, offering amenities usually found in much larger communities! Its programs include group exercise classes, sports leagues for youth and adults alike, swimming lessons, and regular races, ranging from 5Ks to ultra-marathons.

In addition to its small-town, neighborly feel, Johnson County offers active families and adults a wide range of opportunities, bringing together the best of both worlds!
 

Population

Total Population

4,530

Population
Growth Rate

0.46%

Median Age

47

Diversity Index

24.400

Source: ESRI, 2024-09-27

Housing & Income

Households

2,093

Total Housing Units

2,356


Owner Occupied

1,518

Renter Occupied

575

Vacant

263

Median Home Value

$280,051


Average Home Value

$318,758

Income
Growth Rate

Median
Household Income

0.00%


Per Capita Income

3.23%

Income Projection

Median Household

$53,751 $61,129


Average Household

$73,701 $84,580


Per Capita

$34,181 $40,071

Source: ESRI, 2024-09-27

Workforce

Total Businesses

441

Total Employed

3,296

Workers 16+

1,881

2024 HealthCare / Social Assistance

cp-industries

Businesses

38

Employed

604

2024 Educational Services - Businesses

cp-industries

Businesses

15

Employed

450

2024 Prof / Scientific / Tech Service

cp-industries

Businesses

45

Employed

363

2024 Public Administration

cp-industries

Businesses

41

Employed

349

2024 Accommodation / Food Service

cp-industries

Businesses

37

Employed

332

2024 Retail Trade Businesses

cp-industries

Businesses

40

Employed

254

Some
High School

143

Graduated
High School

561

Associates
Degree

208

Bachelor's
Degree

720

Graduate
Degree

416

Average Commute Time

0 min.



Resident Commuters

1,698

Non-Resident Commuters

134

Drive Alone

1,395

Carpooled

126

Public

22

Work At Home

159

Source: ESRI, 2024-09-27

Higher Education

Sheridan College in Buffalo

One of the extension campuses of Sheridan College, the Johnson County branch dedicated to helping its students work towards a degree through job skill training and building prerequisite credits that will transfer toward the other campuses without having to leave Buffalo. For more information on classes and enrollment, visit the website here, or call (800) 913-9139, ext. 2005.

CollegeTelephoneWebsite
Sheridan College – Johnson County Campus(307) 684-2001http://www.sheridan.edu/site/johnson-county/
Sheridan College – Sheridan(307) 674-6446 
University of Wyoming – Laramie(307) 766-4273http://www.uwyo.edu/

Transportation

Highways Serving Johnson County:

  • I-90
  • US 16
  • I-25

Railroads:

  • Burlington Northern/Santa Fe (33 miles north)

Air: 

Commercial Service (Sheridan, 33 miles north)

  • Great Lakes Aviation
  • Passenger service available with direct service daily to Billings, MT and Denver, CO. 
  • Connections through St. Paul and Denver International. 
  • Paved Runway 8,300 ft and 5,039 ft

Johnson County Airport

  • Paved Runway 6,158 ft
  • Commercial service: No
  • Surface: Asphalt
  • Lights: Yes
  • Tower: No
  • Instrument Landing System: No

FlySheridan! (Air Service Begins November 19, 2015)

Nothing beats Sheridan and Johnson counties when it comes to quality of life, and reliable air service is an important piece of that quality. Whether it’s for business or personal travel, being able to fly from an airport near your home means less time getting where you’re going and more time being there.

Passenger air service is returning to Sheridan on November 19, 2015 with a new company, a new service schedule and new fares. This exciting opportunity brings Key Lime Air, dba Denver Air Connection, to the table as Sheridan and Johnson Counties’ partner in providing local air service.

If you’re ready now, don’t wait! You can already book your flights online, and don’t forget to check out the schedule page and other travel information in preparing for your trip.

Next time you’re planning a trip, remember to Fly Sheridan! Because with air service back in Sheridan you don’t have to travel, to travel. Learn More!

Bus Service:

  • Jefferson Bus Lines

Parcel Service:

  • UPS
  • USPS
  • FedEx

Trucking Firms:

  • North Park Transportation
  • Midwest Continental Freight
  • Private Haulers
     

Utilities

Electricity: 

  • Powder River Energy Co. (1-800-442-3630)
  • Estimated average cost (kwh)
  • Residential: $0.0517
  • Commercial: $0.0462
  • Industrial: $0.0462

Water: 

  • City of Buffalo (307) 684-5566
  • Source: Clear Creek and Tie Hack Dam

Waste Water: 

  • City of Buffalo (307) 684-9010
  • Treatment Plant: Aerated Lagoon

Sanitation: 

  • City of Buffalo (307) 684-7335