Wright, Wyoming
7 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1955 and the latest in 1974. It stands in the Gillette South census division. It lies in ZIP code area 82718. The Survey maps it on the Little Thunder Reservoir quadrangle. 1,644 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 5,121 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresWright fell from 1,807 to 1,644 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 | 1,807 | |
| 2020 | 1,644 | -163 (-9%) |
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.
- 1955 USGS Newcastle quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1958 USGS Newcastle quadrangle1:250000
- 1971 USGS Little Thunder Reservoir quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1974 USGS Reno Junction quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
42 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 42 fires within 5 miles of Wright between 1992 and 2020, burning about 1,136 acres in total. 11 started naturally. 1 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 | 11 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 7 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 7 |
| Debris and open burning | 5 |
| Fireworks | 4 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 2 |
| Smoking | 2 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 2 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 September 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Wyoming State Forestry | not named |
| 5 September 2010 | Smoking | 10 acres | Wyoming State Forestry | not named |
| 4 September 2017 | Fireworks | 1.0 acres | Campbell County | 508 SUNDANCE CT. |
| 15 September 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 12 acres | Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests, Thunder Basin National Grassland | DURHAM 2 FIRE |
| 3 August 2020 | Natural | under an acre | Campbell County | DRY FORK |
| 27 August 2012 | Equipment and vehicle use | 33 acres | Wyoming State Forestry | not named |
| 25 August 2020 | Power generation/transmission/distribution | under an acre | Campbell County | HIGHWAY 387 |
| 17 August 2016 | Natural | 1.0 acres | Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests, Thunder Basin National Grassland | LITTLE THUNDER FIRE |
Mines and quarries near this place
3 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 3 workings within 5 miles of Wright: 2 producers, 1 past producer. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham Neat Co. | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Meadowlark No. 6 Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Wright Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 157 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Wright in 157 storm reports between 1996 and 2025: 84 hail, 51 thunderstorm wind, 9 tornado, 6 flash flood. The reports record 2 deaths and 22 injuries. 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 2005 | Tornado (F2) | Wright | 2 killed, 13 hurt, $5,000,000 | A tornado touched down 1 mile north of Wright and traveled southeast into the town. It crossed Wyoming Highway 387, slammed into a mobile home park, and dissipated a half mile from the highway before reaching the elementary school and Wright Blvd on the southeast edge of the park. It damaged 120 of the approximately 250 homes in the park; 91 were completely destroyed. Roofs, porches, siding, and trees sustained light damage from the strong wind gusts. Two people were killed and 13 injured; all were in mobile homes. |
| June 2023 | Tornado (EF2) | Wright | 8 hurt | A tornado developed near the Campbell-Converse County line southeast of Wright, where it snapped wooden power poles and tipped over several empty train cars. It struck the operations area of the North Antelope Rochelle Coal Mine, ripping metal roofs and wall panels from shop buildings; moving and flipping cars, buses, and shipping containers; and overturning empty railroad cars. Damage severity indicated wind gusts were as high as 120 to 130 mph. No track was visible across the vegetation. Seven people sustained mostly minor injuries at the mine. The tornado continued into southwestern Weston County. |
| June 2010 | Lightning | Wright | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| August 2013 | Hail | Wright | $10,000,000 | Large amounts of ping pong to golf ball size hail fell around Wright. Portions of town had hail drifts three to five feet high. The wind-driven hail caused extensive damage to homes and vehicles. |
| August 2013 | Flash Flood | Wright | $150,000 | Heavy rain flooded road, yards, and basements in Wright after drainage systems became clogged with hail. A dam on Panther Pond was overtopped; the Wright Golf Course was flooded; and some roads, including Wright Boulevard and rural roads on the south side of Wright; were covered with as much as two feet of water. |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | $100,000 | The combination of hail and wind damaged automobiles. |
| June 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 2015 | Hail | Wright | $2,000 | Windows were cracked from the large hail. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | Confirmed wind gust report. |
| September 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | WY Mesonet Site measured wind gust. |
| August 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | WY mesonet recorded wind gust. |
| July 2023 | Hail | Wright | - | Wind gusts to 50 mph accompanied the storm. |
| June 2023 | Hail | Wright | - | Large hail broke through a bedroom window. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | The combination of hail and wind damaged some homes, vehicles, and property in the area. Broken windows, damaged siding, and downed fences were reported. |
| May 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph. |
| July 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph. |
| July 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph. |
| July 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph. |
| July 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | The spotter estimated wind gusts at 60 mph. |
| June 2017 | Hail | Wright | - | Wind gusts reached 50 mph with a thunderstorm. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | The spotter estimated wind gusts around 60 mph. |
| May 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | Wind gusts estimated at 60 mph blew over a propane tank. |
| August 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph. |
| May 2014 | Lightning | Wright | - | Lightning struck a truck at a coal mine, causing a tire to explode. The tire smashed through the wall of a nearby building and struck three people inside the building. |
| August 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | Wind gusts were estimated at 65 to 70 mph. |
| August 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph. |
| August 2013 | Flash Flood | Wright | - | Porcupine Creek, Spring Creek, and their tributaries flooded WY Highway 59 in several locations when runoff from heavy rain overwhelmed culverts. The highway was closed from seven miles south of Wright to the Converse County line. |
| July 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph. |
| June 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | Wind gusts to 60 mph were reported. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | Branches six inches in diameter broke off trees. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | Wind gusts were estimated at 65 mph. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | A 60 mph wind gust was measured at the highway weather station on WY Highway 59 at the Belle Fourche River. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | Estimated wind gusts at 60 mph. |
| July 2009 | Hail | Wright | - | Wind gusts reached 50 mph. |
| June 2008 | Tornado (EF0) | Wright | - | A small tornado briefly touched down near the southern edge of the Pumpkin Buttes. |
| July 2008 | Hail | Wright | - | Hail accumulated 6 inches deep in ditches at the intersection of Reno and Payne Roads. |
| May 2007 | Tornado (EF0) | Wright | - | A small tornado touched down in sagebrush and did no damage. Path length and width were estimated. |
| July 2004 | Flash Flood | Wright | - | Flooding at Hilight Road and Breene Road. Breene Road flooded in 5 places. |
| July 2004 | Flash Flood | Wright | - | Highway 50 was under water. |
| June 1999 | Tornado (F0) | Wright | - | Moved over open rangeland. Spotters watched the tornado for nearly 40 minutes before it dissipated. |
| June 1999 | Tornado (F0) | Wright | - | Tornado reformed and moved southeast into Converse County. |
| June 1999 | Tornado (F0) | Wright | - | Brief touchdown. Tornado width and length estimated. |
| June 1999 | Funnel Cloud | Wright | - | 3 Funnel Clouds sighted. Short lived. |
| June 1999 | Tornado (F0) | Wright | - | Brief touchdown. Tornado width and length estimated. |
| July 1998 | Flash Flood | Wright | - | HEAVY RAINS CAUSED A STOCK DAM TO BREACH ON THE IBERLAND RANCH, FLOODING HIGHWAY #387. |
| July 1998 | Flash Flood | Wright | - | HEAVY RAINS OF SIX INCHES IN AN HOUR CAUSED FLOODING ALONG HIGHWAY #387. |
| May 1997 | Hail | Wright | - | HAIL FELL AT JACOB'S RANCH MINE |
| August 2024 | Hail | Wright | - | no account filed |
| July 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | no account filed |
| May 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Hail | Wright | - | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wright | - | no account filed |
| June 2023 | Hail | Wright | - | no account filed |
| June 2023 | Hail | Wright | - | no account filed |
| June 2023 | Hail | Wright | - | no account filed |
| September 2023 | Hail | Wright | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teckla | 14.5 miles | 6 | |
| Turnercrest | 16.5 miles | 8 | |
| Savageton | 18.7 miles | 10 | |
| Pleasantdale | 26.3 miles | 8 | |
| Antelope Valley | 33.2 miles | 9 | |
| Crestview | 33.6 miles | 9 | |
| Sleepy Hollow | 34.2 miles | 9 | |
| Sunburst | 35.1 miles | 10 |
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 Wright | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1029861 | 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 1605008. 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.



