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Chugwater, Wyoming

8 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1953 and the latest in 1990. It stands in the Chugwater census division. It lies in ZIP code area 82210. It stands on Dry Creek. The Survey maps it on the Chugwater quadrangle. 175 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 5,288 feet above sea level.

Chugwater within Platte County

On record in Chugwater

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 3 records

Population over time

2 figures

Chugwater fell from 212 to 175 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

YearPeople Change
2010212
2020175-37 (-17%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

4 surveys from 8 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Fires near this place

7 since 2009

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 7 fires within 5 miles of Chugwater between 2009 and 2020, burning about 180 acres in total. 4 started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Natural4
Missing data/not specified/undetermined2
Equipment and vehicle use1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
15 August 2017Natural1.0 acresPlatte CountyHAY FIRE
12 August 2020Natural95 acresPlatte CountySOAPWEED
12 August 2020Natural40 acresPlatte CountyWINDMILL
8 July 2018Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresPlatte CountyMILE POST 52
4 July 2019Naturalunder an acrePlatte County59 TREE
13 June 2017Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresPlatte CountyRATTLESNAKE
16 March 2009Equipment and vehicle use42 acresWyoming State Forestrynot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Platte County

Storms near this place

60 of 91 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Chugwater in 91 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 67 hail, 10 tornado, 7 flash flood, 6 thunderstorm wind. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
July 2009HailChugwater$100,000Hail from 1.75 to 2 inches in diameter reported.
September 1996Flash FloodChugwater$100,000no account filed
June 2009HailChugwater$25,000Golfball to softball sized hail reported in the Chugwater, Wyoming area.
June 1999HailChugwater$25,000no account filed
September 1999HailChugwater$6,0001 1/2 inch hail damaged a roof and broke a window
May 1996HailChugwater$300no account filed
June 2025HailChugwater-Mping report of 1.25 inch hail. Changed time on report due to report being delayed until after the storm left the area.
June 2023Flash FloodChugwater-Fire Chief reported localized flash flooding in and near Chugwater.
July 2023HailChugwater-Received report of windows shattered on homes and vehicles south of Chugwater. Time estimated based on radar.
June 2023HailChugwater-Golf ball sized hail was reported 4 miles NE of Chugwater via mPING.
June 2023Flash FloodChugwater-Emergency Manager reported roads around Chugwater and southern Platte County flooded and impassable.
June 2023HailChugwater-Trained spotter reported 2 inches of dime sized hail covering roads in northern Laramie County.
June 2023Tornado (EFU)Chugwater-Public report of a tornado touchdown 8 miles south southwest of Chugwater that lasted roughly 3 minutes. No damage reported.
June 2023Tornado (EFU)Chugwater-Trained spotters reported a brief (10-second) tornado touchdown just east of the town of Chugwater. The tornado remained over open country. Confirmed by official NWS Storm Survey.
June 2023HailChugwater-A storm chaser located 4 miles N of Chugwater reported ping-pong ball sized hail.
June 2023HailChugwater-A storm chaser reported golf ball sized hail 4 miles NE of Chugwater.
June 2021HailChugwater-Fire chief of Chugwater reported heavy hail damage to northbound vehicles traveling on Interstate 25 near mile marker 57.
July 2021Flash FloodChugwater-Chugwater Fire District reported Iron Mountain Road near the Town of Chugwater was flooded.
May 2019Flash FloodChugwater-Up to a foot of water left vehicles stranded across downtown Chugwater.
June 2019HailChugwater-Photo received through social media of hail accumulation of four to six inches deep on area road.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindChugwater-Winds were an estimation given that the resident was unable to get their front door open in addition to barely being able to remain standing.
August 2019Thunderstorm WindChugwater-Estimated winds from observer using handheld anemometer.
August 2019Flash FloodChugwater-Heavy rain and hail accumulation contributed to rapid water rise on area waterways with the flash flood waters washing out a portion of Highway 313 east of the town of Chugwater.
September 2019HailChugwater-Observer noted up to four inches of hail accumulation was on the ground at mile marker 116.
September 2019Tornado (EFU)Chugwater-Platte County official observed the tornado over the open plains east of the town of Chugwater and as it lifted east of the shared county line with Goshen. No discernible damage was reported with the rope-shaped tornado to rate any higher than unknown. Given the limited access and no visible damage, path length and width should be considered as an estimated value.
October 2018Thunderstorm WindChugwater-Estimated wind gusts of 60 mph were observed at Chugwater.
July 2018HailChugwater-Quarter size hail was observed west of Chugwater.
July 2018HailChugwater-Ping pong ball size hail was observed east of Chugwater.
July 2018HailChugwater-Nickel to golf ball size hail was observed just east of Chugwater.
July 2018HailChugwater-Penny to quarter size hail was observed at Chugwater.
June 2016HailChugwater-Quarter size hail was reported 11 miles west of Chugwater.
June 2016Thunderstorm WindChugwater-Estimated wind gusts of 60 to 65 mph were reported at Chugwater.
August 2016HailChugwater-Nickel to quarter size hail was reported 11 miles west of Chugwater.
June 2015HailChugwater-Golf ball size hail was observed eight miles north-northwest of Chugwater.
June 2015HailChugwater-Golf ball size hail was observed at Chugwater.
June 2015HailChugwater-Half dollar to ping pong ball size hail was reported four miles east of Chugwater.
September 2014Heavy RainChugwater-An observer measured 1.96 inches of rain.
June 2014HailChugwater-Quarter size hail was observed southeast of Bordeaux.
July 2013HailChugwater-Quarter size hail was reported north of Chugwater.
July 2013HailChugwater-Quarter size hail was reported on Interstate 25 between mile markers 59 and 65 north of Chugwater.
July 2013HailChugwater-Marble to quarter size hail was reported southeast of Chugwater.
June 2013HailChugwater-Quarter to half dollar size hail was reported north of Chugwater.
June 2010Tornado (EF0)Chugwater-Estimated path width due to no storm survey being conducted. No damage was reported.
June 2010HailChugwater-Also reported 1.75 inch hail at 1525MST.
July 2010Tornado (EF0)Chugwater-Law enforcement reported a brief touchdown of a tornado east of Chugwater. Tornado touched down in open range land and no damage was reported.
July 2009HailChugwater-Hail from 3/4 to 1.25 inches in diameter reported around Chugwater, WY.
July 2009Flash FloodChugwater-Draws in the Chugwater area flooded due to large hail and short duration but very heavy rainfall.
June 2009HailChugwater-Hail reported to be from 1 to 1.75 inches in diameter.
June 2009Tornado (EF0)Chugwater-Rope tornado touched down and lifted multiple times along track over open country.
May 2008Tornado (EF0)Chugwater-Tornado remained over open country.
July 2007HailChugwater-Reported on Interstate 25 near mile marker 58.
April 2007HailChugwater-Hail up to 3/4 inch reported on state highway 313.
July 2006Thunderstorm WindChugwater-Strong wind blew an 8-10 inch diameter tree down.
June 2005HailChugwater-Penny to nickel sized hail reported.
August 2002Tornado (F0)Chugwater-Brief tornado reported over open country.
August 1999Thunderstorm WindChugwater-60-70 mph wind gusts reported in Chugwater, WY
June 1999HailChugwater-1 inch hail fell 8 miles east of Chugwater, WY
June 1998Tornado (F0)Chugwater-A tornado moved across open country south of Chugwater and dissipated. The sheriffs office said that the tornado only churned up some grass and dirt. A pilot who was flying 25 miles northwest of Cheyenne also observed the tornado on the ground.
May 1994Tornado (F0)Chugwater-A possible small tornado destroyed a small barn 14 miles west of Chugwater. Ranch wranglers saw a funnel just after the barn was destroyed.
June 2021HailChugwater-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Platte County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Brinton4.9 miles8
Slater8.0 miles8
Diamond11.3 miles8
Bordeaux12.4 miles8
Ferguson Corner16.3 miles8
Natwick18.8 miles8
Whiting19.1 miles13
Gibson19.5 miles13

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on ChugwaterAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q1011402The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1609180. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.