Rock Springs, Wyoming
Rock Springs is a city of 23,127 people in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, founded in 1888.
Why visit Rock Springs
Townapedia lists 14 museums and landmarks, 21 parks and trails, 39 places to eat, 27 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Star Stadium, Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, Slovenski Dom and Bunning Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 12°F, and about 31 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Rock Springs
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Rock Springs
Rock Springs is a city in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 23,526 at the 2020 census, making it the fifth-most populous city in the U.S. state of Wyoming, and the most populous city in Sweetwater County. Rock Springs is the principal city of the Rock Springs micropolitan statistical area, which has a population of 37,975.
From the Wikipedia article Rock Springs, Wyoming (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks14
Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Church in Rock Springs, Wyoming
Slovenski Dom
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Building in Wyoming, United States of America
Taliaferro House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic house in Rock Springs, Wyoming
City Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
City hall in Rock Springs, Wyoming
Downtown Rock Springs Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic district in Wyoming, United States
First National Bank Building (Rock Springs, Wyoming)
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Bank building in Wyoming, United States of America
Gras House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic house in Wyoming, United States
Rock Springs Elks' Lodge No. 624
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic building located in Rock Springs, Wyoming
Wardell Court Historic Residential District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic district in Wyoming, United States
Reliance School and Gymnasium
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.8 mi
Reliance Tipple
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.2 mi
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Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church and Rectory
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
2 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds21
Washington Park
Park · 0.9 mi
Residential Park with a pool, tennis courts, and picnic areas.
608 D Street, Rock Springs
White Mountain Golf Course
Golf course · 3.6 mi
1501 Clubhouse Drive, Rock Springs
9 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes39
Santa Fe
Restaurant · Mexican, Grill, Salad, Burger, Breakfast · 1.2 mi
Mo-Th 07:30-21:00; Fr-Sa 07:30-21:30; Su 07:30-16:00
Renegade Cafe
Restaurant · Breakfast, American, Chinese · 1.2 mi
1610 Elk Street
Mo-Th, Su 07:00-21:30; Fr, Sa 07:00-21:30
Hooligan's Espresso
Cafe · 1.7 mi
1481 Dewar Drive, Rock Springs
Mo-Fr 06:00-18:00; Sa 07:00-17:00; Su 08:00-14:00
Bitter Creek Brewery
Brewery and winery · 0.6 mi
604 Broadway Street, Rock Springs
27 more on the map.
History
Rock Springs derives its name from a rock spring which flowed in the Number 6 district in the northern part of town. An account said that the spring was found by a lost Pony Express rider, but the spring station was known to Jim Bridger before 1860; the Overland Stage station was located nearby. The spring disappeared when the coal mine operations interrupted the underground flow.
In the early days, Ed Cleg hauled domestic water from the sulfur spring north of Rock Springs and charged $.25 a barrel. With the mining operations, the water flow was interrupted and water was hauled from Green River and Point of Rocks. Beginning in 1887, a water main was started from the Green River and completed in 1888 to bring a continuous supply of water to Rock Springs.
Rock Springs has a multi-ethnic heritage; locals called it the 57 Variety Town. The first immigrants were brought in by the railroad and coal mining companies. The Welsh and British people were initially most populous. Later, Irish, Black people, and refugees from the Southern part of the United States also came. The Scandinavian people were represented with a heavy Mormon recruitment.
From the History section of Rock Springs, Wyoming on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay27
Four Points by Sheraton
Motel and hotel · 2.1 mi
2518 Foothill Boulevard, Rock Springs
Churches and places of worship8
Shopping5
Gas and EV charging16
Schools, colleges and libraries19
Healthcare3
Map of Rock Springs
154 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°F | 12°F | 0.5 in | 6.1 in |
| Feb | 38°F | 15°F | 0.4 in | 5.8 in |
| Mar | 49°F | 23°F | 0.6 in | 4.4 in |
| Apr | 57°F | 30°F | 1.1 in | 1.9 in |
| May | 67°F | 37°F | 1.9 in | 0.5 in |
| Jun | 79°F | 45°F | 0.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 52°F | 0.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 51°F | 0.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 75°F | 41°F | 1.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 61°F | 31°F | 1.0 in | 2.3 in |
| Nov | 45°F | 21°F | 0.7 in | 3.8 in |
| Dec | 33°F | 12°F | 0.5 in | 6.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Rock Springs Fire Dept (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Sweetwater County has had 3 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2020-04-11: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2011-07-22: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport (RKS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 8 miles away.
- Reliance 5 mi north, about 8 min by car
- North Rock Springs 6 mi northwest, about 10 min by car
- Purple Sage 6 mi southwest, about 10 min by car
- Green River 14 mi southwest, about 23 min by car
- James Town 16 mi west, about 26 min by car
- Eden 34 mi north, about 55 min by car
- Manila 49 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- DowntownRS, Milonica at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- TALIAFERRO HOUSE, ROCK SPRINGS, SWEETWATER COUNTY, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- OurLadyOfSorrows, UltraSparky, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Slovenski Dom in Rock Springs Wyoming, Yurivict, CC BY-SA 3.0
- GRAS HOUSE, ROCK SPRINGS, SWEETWATER COUNTYT, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- RSCoal, Milonica at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- FirstNationalBankRockSprings, UltraSparky, CC BY-SA 3.0
- WardellCourt, UltraSparky, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Rock Springs Elks' Lodge No. 624, Ijon, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Reliance, WY Tipple (looking East) from South Street, Realwyo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Reliance School (Front - South Entrance off Main St.), Realwyo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- RockSpringsWY SaintsCyrilAndMethodiusChurch, Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
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