Lusk, Wyoming
7 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1982. It stands in the West Niobrara census division. It lies in ZIP code area 82225. It stands on Quinn Creek. The Survey maps it on the Lusk quadrangle. 1,541 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 5,020 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Lusk
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 2 records
C and H Refinery Historic Districtlisted 2001
Lusk Water Towerlisted 1991
Population over time
2 figuresLusk fell from 1,567 to 1,541 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.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1,567 | |
| 2020 | 1,541 | -26 (-2%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
4 surveys from 7 printed sheetsMatched 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.
- 1954 USGS Torrington quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1958 USGS Torrington quadrangle1:250000
- 1981 USGS Lusk quadrangle1:24000
- 1982 USGS Lusk quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
8 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 8 fires within 5 miles of Lusk between 1992 and 2020, burning about 536 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 |
|---|---|
| Natural | 4 |
| Debris and open burning | 1 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 August 2020 | Natural | 1.0 acres | Niobrara County | JOHNSON FIRE |
| 16 July 2003 | Natural | 420 acres | New Castle Field Office | DOUGLAS |
| 5 June 2020 | Natural | 100 acres | Niobrara County | 43 FIRE |
| 28 June 2020 | Natural | 14 acres | Wyoming State Forestry | 4-3 FIRE |
| 24 June 2020 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Niobrara County | BONE FIRE |
| 1 June 2020 | Power generation/transmission/distribution | under an acre | Niobrara County | JORDAN FIRE |
| 12 February 1992 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Wyoming State Forestry | not named |
| 18 January 2009 | Railroad operations and maintenance | under an acre | Wyoming State Forestry | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
5 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 5 workings within 5 miles of Lusk: 2 occurrences, 1 past producer, 1 unknown, 1 prospect. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Uranium, Uranium, Silver, Radium, Gold, Copper, Copper. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Cliff Mine | Uranium, Silver, Radium, Gold, Copper | Past Producer | 1879, 1880, 1953 | |
| Unknown | Copper | Unknown | ||
| N. Edge of Town Cemetery | Uranium | Prospect | ||
| Unknown-No.1 | Uranium | Occurrence | ||
| Unknown-No.2 | Uranium | Occurrence |
Storms near this place
60 of 70 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Lusk in 70 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 58 hail, 6 thunderstorm wind, 3 tornado, 1 funnel cloud. 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.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lusk | $10,000 | no account filed |
| August 1996 | Hail | Lusk | $10,000 | no account filed |
| August 1996 | Hail | Lusk | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Hail | Lusk | $4,000 | A storm produced quarter size hail in Lusk. |
| June 2025 | Tornado (EFU) | Lusk | - | Numerous spotter reports of funnels and occasional touchdowns. |
| July 2023 | Hail | Lusk | - | Emergency manager reported quarter size hail along US-18 north of Lusk between mile markers 153 and 155. |
| July 2023 | Hail | Lusk | - | Hail reports ranged from pea to ping pong ball size. |
| July 2023 | Hail | Lusk | - | Quarter sized hail. Visibility 50 yards in mostly hail. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lusk | - | Emergency manager estimated winds of 70 to 80 mph across the town of Lusk. Cedar tree (80 feet tall) reported broken in half. |
| June 2023 | Flash Flood | Lusk | - | Niobrara County Emergency Manager reported 3 inches of rain in Manville that flowed east into the Niobrara River that runs into Lusk. Niobrara River in Lusk was out of its banks. |
| September 2023 | Hail | Lusk | - | Local Emergency Management reported nickel to quarter sized hail along US Highway 85, 10 miles NNE of Lusk. |
| September 2023 | Hail | Lusk | - | The public reported tennis ball sized hail 15 miles NE of Lusk. |
| September 2023 | Hail | Lusk | - | The public reported racquetball sized hail 12 miles NE of Lusk. |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lusk | - | Received report of strong winds causing a parked camper to move. |
| July 2020 | Hail | Lusk | - | Observer noted shredded leaves with property damage to home and car from falling hail. Damage included car dents, shingles loosened and broken house windows. |
| July 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lusk | - | Wind gusts estimated between 65 and 70 mph blew out a 16-foot section of a wooden wind break barrier. |
| June 2018 | Hail | Lusk | - | Ping pong ball size hail was observed south of Lusk. |
| May 2018 | Hail | Lusk | - | Quarter size hail covered the ground southwest of Lusk. |
| August 2017 | Hail | Lusk | - | Quarter size hail was observed 12 miles southeast of Lusk. |
| July 2017 | Hail | Lusk | - | Quarter to ping pong ball size hail was observed northeast of Lusk. |
| June 2016 | Hail | Lusk | - | Quarter size hail was reported west of Lusk. |
| May 2016 | Hail | Lusk | - | Half dollar size hail was reported six miles east of Lusk. |
| May 2016 | Hail | Lusk | - | Quarter size hail was reported northeast of Lusk. |
| September 2016 | Hail | Lusk | - | Quarter size hail was reported at Lusk. |
| June 2016 | Hail | Lusk | - | Nickel to quarter size hail was reported west of Lance Creek. |
| July 2015 | Hail | Lusk | - | Golf ball size hail was observed ten miles northwest of Lusk. |
| June 2015 | Hail | Lusk | - | Quarter size hail was reported at Lusk. |
| July 2015 | Hail | Lusk | - | Quarter size hail was reported at Lusk. |
| June 2015 | Hail | Lusk | - | Quarter size hail was observed 17 miles northeast of Lusk. |
| September 2014 | Heavy Rain | Lusk | - | An observer in Lusk measured 2.12 inches of rain. |
| July 2013 | Hail | Lusk | - | Penny to quarter size hail was reported. |
| May 2013 | Funnel Cloud | Lusk | - | A brief funnel cloud was reported six miles east of Lusk. |
| May 2013 | Hail | Lusk | - | Penny to quarter size hail was observed 10 miles east of Lusk. |
| June 2013 | Hail | Lusk | - | Quarter size hail was observed west of Lusk. |
| June 2013 | Hail | Lusk | - | Quarter size hail was reported northwest of Lusk. |
| June 2013 | Hail | Lusk | - | Nickel to ping pong ball size hail was reported north of Lusk. |
| June 2012 | Hail | Lusk | - | Golf ball sized hail was reported in Lusk. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lusk | - | A trained spotter estimated thunderstorm wind gusts of 60 mph along with pea size hail. |
| May 2010 | Hail | Lusk | - | Law enforcement estimated 1 inch hail fell in town. |
| June 2010 | Hail | Lusk | - | Some hail as large as 2.25 inches on 28 mile road. |
| May 2009 | Hail | Lusk | - | Hail reported from 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter. |
| June 1999 | Tornado (F0) | Lusk | - | Tornado reported on U.S. Highway 85 at mile marker 174, just outside of Lusk, WY |
| May 1998 | Tornado (F0) | Lusk | - | A brief tornado was reported by local area law enforcement, 50 miles north of Lusk. |
| July 2024 | Hail | Lusk | - | no account filed |
| May 2023 | Hail | Lusk | - | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Hail | Lusk | - | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Hail | Lusk | - | no account filed |
| June 2023 | Hail | Lusk | - | no account filed |
| July 2020 | Hail | Lusk | - | no account filed |
| July 2020 | Hail | Lusk | - | no account filed |
| August 2019 | Hail | Lusk | - | no account filed |
| July 2018 | Hail | Lusk | - | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Hail | Lusk | - | no account filed |
| July 2008 | Hail | Lusk | - | no account filed |
| May 2007 | Hail | Lusk | - | no account filed |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lusk | - | no account filed |
| May 2006 | Hail | Lusk | - | no account filed |
| July 2006 | Hail | Lusk | - | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Hail | Lusk | - | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Hail | Lusk | - | no account filed |
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 | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manville | 8.9 miles | 7 | |
| Hat Creek (historical) | 13.0 miles | 7 | |
| Keeline | 16.1 miles | 7 | |
| Kirtley | 18.1 miles | 7 | |
| Whitman | 19.9 miles | 7 | |
| Van Tassell | 20.5 miles | 7 | |
| Lance Creek | 21.2 miles | 5 | |
| West Lance Creek | 23.3 miles | 5 |
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 Lusk | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1002438 | The 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 1591129. 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.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
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.



