Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Just a few miles from the Colorado border is Cheyenne (population 60,096, elevation 6,062
feet), the state capital and an important historical and modern crossroads. The town was
named by the Sioux, who used the word to define another tribe, which we know as the
Cheyenne, that they considered alien. A settlement sprang up on July 4, 1867, in advance of
the Union Pacific Railroad's arrival; the town's population thrived and culture flourished.
Influential people and performers traveling across the West by train often stopped in Chey-
enne, making it a rather progressive town. Today I-80 and I-25 cross in Cheyenne, bringing
visitors from every direction into its historic folds.
The city's defining event, Frontier Days, was founded in 1897 and today brings nearly
200,000 people to town for 10 days in late July. Cheyenne is still a rodeo town, with one
of the only visitors bureaus that lists horse-boarding stables along with hotels and motels.
After all, if you're coming to Cheyenne, why not bring your horse?
High and windswept, Cheyenne is not a classic Wyoming beauty in the same way as
Jackson Hole or Sheridan, but it has a compelling setting with more urban culture than in
most of the state, some wonderful museums, and a smattering of ways to enjoy the great
outdoors.
