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Laramie is a city located in Albany County, Wyoming, and is the county seat of that county. According to the 2000 U.S. census, the city had a total population of 27,204. Laramie, located in southeast Wyoming, on the Laramie River, is northwest of Cheyenne, on the junction of Interstate 80 and US 287. It was first settled in 1868 with the coming of the Union Pacific Railroad, which crosses the Laramie River at Laramie. It is home to the University of Wyoming, Wyoming Technical Institute, and a branch of Laramie County Community College. Laramie Regional Airport serves Laramie. The ruins of Fort Sanders, an Army fort predating Laramie, lie just south of the city along route 287.
History
Laramie was an important stop on the Overland Trail and transcontinental railroad in the late 19th century. It now lies along U.S. Highway 30 and Interstate 80, and remains an important junction on the Union Pacific Railroad line.
The city gained national prominence in 1998 after the murder of Matthew Shepard, a homosexual student at the University of Wyoming. Shepard was robbed, severely beaten, tied to a fence and left to die by Aaron James McKinney and Russell Arthur Henderson. Although it is not clear Shepard's murder was necessarily related to his sexuality, his murder caused a national outcry and was the subject of the award-winning play and movie The Laramie Project.
In 2004, Laramie became the first city in Wyoming to prohibit smoking in enclosed workplaces, including bars, restaurants and private clubs. Opponents of the clean indoor air ordinance, funded in part by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, immediately petitioned to have the ordinance repealed. However, the voters upheld the ordinance in a citywide referendum which was conducted concurrently with the 2004 general election. The opponents then challenged the validity of the election in court, claiming various irregularities. However, the judge ruled that the opponents had failed to meet their burden of showing significant problems with the election, and the ordinance — which had become effective in April 2005 — remained in effect. In August 2005, Laramie's City Council defeated an attempt to amend the ordinance to allow smoking in bars and private clubs.
Geography
Laramie is located at 41°18'47" North, 105°35'14" West (41.312927, -105.587251)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 28.9 km² (11.2 mi²). 28.9 km² (11.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.18% water.
Laramie is situated on a high plain between two mountain ranges: The Medicine Bow Range (known locally as the Snowy Range) 30 miles to the west, and the Laramie Range five miles to the east. The city is approximately 7,200 feet above sea level.
Due to the altitude, winters are long, and summers are short and relatively cool. There is no month of the year during which snow hasn't fallen in Laramie.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 27,204 people, 11,336 households, and 5,611 families residing in the city. The population density is 942.9/km² (2,442.5/mi²). There are 11,994 housing units at an average density of 415.7/km² (1,076.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 90.81% White, 1.24% African American, 0.89% Native American, 1.92% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 2.89% from other races, and 2.19% from two or more races. 7.94% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 11,336 households out of which 23.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.3% are married couples living together, 8.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 50.5% are non-families. 33.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.19 and the average family size is 2.83.
In the city the population is spread out with 17.5% under the age of 18, 31.8% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 25 years. For every 100 females there are 107.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 106.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $27,319, and the median income for a family is $43,395. Males have a median income of $30,888 versus $22,009 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,036. 22.6% of the population and 11.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 15.7% of those under the age of 18 and 8.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Schools in Laramie include University of Wyoming and Laramie High School.
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