Rawlins, Carbon County, Wyoming is the County Seat of Carbon County. It is located in the South Central part of the State, along Interstate 80. It is a small town, with a small town atmosphere, where people are neighborly and friendly. The population is right around 9300 people. It sits on the Red Desert Platueau, bordered to the South by the Sierra Madre Mountains and the Medicine Bow Mountains. To the North, the Seminoe Mountains, the Haystack Mountains, the Shirley Mountains, and the Rattle Snake Mountains stand sentinal. The elevation of Rawlins is 6755 feet above sea level. The climate is semi-arid and desert like. The average mean temperature in Rawlins 42.5 degrees, with the average high temperature in the summer around 82 degrees, and the average low temperature in the winter of around 27 degrees. It rarely gets above 90 degrees, and often will dip to the minus fahrenheit temperatures in January and February. Winters can be very harsh, with strong winds, blowing snow, and sub zero wind chill factors.
The average snowfall in Rawlins is 54 inches, so for the snow mobile enthusiast, the skier, and for people who like winter sports (and driving on I-80 in the winter can be a "sport"..I-80 is affectionately called the "Snow-Chi Mihn Trail" by locals), Rawlins provides an excellent arena of winter "entertainment".
Mule Deer, are common sights in and around the City limits especially during the winter.
The main industry in Rawlins is the oil business. Located just six miles to the East, is the small community of Sinclair, Wyoming, home of the Sinclair Refinery..which boasts to be "The West's Most Modern Refinery", according to a sign along Interstate 80 just East of Sinclair. There are several Pipelines in the Rawlins area, most notably Amoco, Pioneer (Conoco), and CIG (Colorado Interstate Gas).
In downtown Rawlins, today, a visitor will see a mural, painted on the side of the old F.W. Woolworth Building. It was painted by an artist from Lander, Wyoming, and depicts life in Carbon County. It is a must see if you come to town.
Housing Cost
Estimated median house or condo value in 2007: $123,854
Demographics
Population in July 2007: 8,485. Rawlins covers 7.40 square miles. It sits at an elevation of 6,769 feet above sea level.
Zip codes: 82301 - Area code: 307
Information provided by idcide.com and city data.com
