Discover the Absolute Hottest Place in Wyoming

Wyoming — the Equality State — covers 97,914 square miles in the northwestern part of the country. Long known for its cowboys, wide-open spaces, and breathtaking national parks, Wyoming is also home to some of the hottest and coldest places in America. 

On average, the temperature in most of Wyoming doesn’t stray too far north of the mid-70s in most places. However, one town in the state has a daily average in the summertime nearly 10 degrees hotter than the state’s average.

Keep reading to discover what the absolute hottest place in Wyoming is, as well as the hottest temperature ever recorded.

The Hottest Place in Wyoming

Based on the daily mean temperature in the hottest months of the year, Wheatland, Wyoming is the hottest place in the state. However, it’s followed in a close second by Basin, Wyoming — only .05 of a degree separates them when looking at mean temperatures. Based on average highs, Wheatland easily takes the cake with the hottest days in its city out of every other place in Wyoming. 

Wheatland proffers a mild winter to its residents, with average temperatures in the mid-40s during the day and below freezing at night. Where Wheatland really shines is its hottest months. While most of the state has average temperatures around 72 to 76 degrees Fahrenheit, Wheatland’s average temperatures in June, July, and August are between 83 and 90 degrees.

It cools off to around 48 degrees at night, depending on elevation, which is actually the lowest nighttime temperature among Wyoming cities. 

Basin, the second-hottest city, has very hot days but much colder winters than Wheatland. 

The Hottest Temperature Ever Recorded in Wyoming

Basin, not Wheatland, holds the title for the hottest temperature ever recorded in the state of Wyoming. On July 12, 1900, at Bitter Creek, researchers cataloged a temperature of 116 degrees Fahrenheit — and anywhere in the state has yet to beat that reading. The closest temperature — 115 degrees Fahrenheit — was also recorded in Basin on August 8, 1983. 

History of Wheatland

The small town of Wheatland has grown only slightly since its initial founding in 1883. As of 2010, the last census with data on the city, the town has 3,627 residents.

In 1883, the Wyoming Development Company hoped to irrigate the flat and arid land of Wheatland into a new development that turned a healthy profit. When the developers introduced an irrigation system, two new railways followed soon after.

As lots of land got sold at auction, the town began to grow. By 1915, over 30 years after its initial founding, nearly 5,500 people lived on Wheatland’s flats. While the population dipped from the agricultural boom in 1915 to the present day, it’s plateaued out over the last 20 years.

In Wheatland’s small town, residents will see dozens of animals across the board. Most of the “nuisance” wildlife includes raccoons, bats, skunks, opossums, moles, groundhogs, and rats. However, the native wildlife in the city has a striking elegance and speaks to the fierce beauty of the western United States. 

Most often, these wildlife encounters include elk, moose, and pronghorns, as well as coyotes, snowshoe hares, and wolverines. There are dozens of species of birds in Wheatland — including chickadees, nutcrackers, and sparrows — as well as the elusive black and brown bears lumbering around the wilderness.

Things To Do in Wheatland

As a small town with a ton of heart, most of the things to do in Wheatland focus on family-friendly activities outdoors.

Lewis Park has an outdoor miniature golf course, sports courts, a horseshoe pit, and a public swimming pool. Travelers can park their RVs and enjoy the water or the walking trails nearby while camping. 

Other things to do in Wheatland include a bowling alley, a movie theater, and a museum about Laramie Peak. The museum, open between May and September, celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2023. Overall, the museum’s collection focuses on the history of the irrigation system that helped found the town. It also features antique collections of cash registers, telephones, buggies, and more.

Where Is Wheatland Located on a Map?

Wheatland sits in the eastern part of the state in Platte County. It takes up approximately 4.1 square miles of the state and sits at an elevation of 4,751 feet above sea level.  

Here it is on a map:

Would You Live in the Hottest Place in Wyoming?

With summertime temperatures in the 80s and 90s, how hot is too hot for you in Wheatland, Wyoming? As warm as this spot in the Equality State is, it still doesn’t hold a candle to Death Valley — nearly the hottest place on earth and the driest place in North America.