Sundance, Wyoming
Encyclopedia
Sundance is a town in Crook County, Wyoming
, United States
. The population was 1,161 at the 2000 census
. The town is named for the Sun Dance
ceremony practiced by several North American Indian Nations.
acquired the moniker the Sundance Kid, which entered the popular imagination in the 1969 movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
, which won several Academy Awards
including Best Original Screenplay. Robert Redford
, who portrayed Longabaugh in the movie, later named the Sundance Ski Resort, near Provo, Utah
, and the Sundance Film Festival
after this character.
A sign visible from I-90 proclaims that Sundance is "where the kid got his name."
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.2 km²), of which, 2.0 square miles (5.2 km²) of it is land and 0.50% is water.
Sundance experiences a humid continental climate
(Koppen climate classification
Dfb) with higher precipitation than the semi-arid regions surrounding it due to its location in the Black Hills
.
of 2000, there were 1,161 people, 476 households, and 318 families residing in the town. The population density
was 582.2 people per square mile (225.3/km²). There were 545 housing units at an average density of 273.3 per square mile (105.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.64% White, 1.64% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.17% from other races
, and 1.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.
There were 476 households out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% were married couples
living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.1% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 21.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $41,029, and the median income for a family was $50,598. Males had a median income of $33,750 versus $21,000 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $18,300. About 3.2% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over.
. Zoned campuses include Sundance Elementary School (grades K-6) and Sundance Secondary School (grades 7-12).
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,161 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. The town is named for the Sun Dance
Sun Dance
The Sun Dance is a religious ceremony practiced by a number of Native American and First Nations peoples, primarily those of the Plains Nations. Each tribe has its own distinct practices and ceremonial protocols...
ceremony practiced by several North American Indian Nations.
Sundance in popular culture
After his release from the Sundance Jail in 1888, Harry LongabaughHarry Longabaugh
Harry Alonzo Longabaugh , better known as the Sundance Kid, was an outlaw and member of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch, in the American Old West. Longabaugh likely met Butch Cassidy after Parker was released from prison around 1896...
acquired the moniker the Sundance Kid, which entered the popular imagination in the 1969 movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is a 1969 American Western film directed by George Roy Hill and written by William Goldman...
, which won several Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
including Best Original Screenplay. Robert Redford
Robert Redford
Charles Robert Redford, Jr. , better known as Robert Redford, is an American actor, film director, producer, businessman, environmentalist, philanthropist, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival. He has received two Oscars: one in 1981 for directing Ordinary People, and one for Lifetime...
, who portrayed Longabaugh in the movie, later named the Sundance Ski Resort, near Provo, Utah
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
, and the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
after this character.
A sign visible from I-90 proclaims that Sundance is "where the kid got his name."
Geography and climate
Sundance is located at 44°24′19"N 104°22′20"W (44.405230, -104.372131).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.2 km²), of which, 2.0 square miles (5.2 km²) of it is land and 0.50% is water.
Sundance experiences a humid continental climate
Humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
(Koppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Dfb) with higher precipitation than the semi-arid regions surrounding it due to its location in the Black Hills
Black Hills
The Black Hills are a small, isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming, USA. Set off from the main body of the Rocky Mountains, the region is something of a geological anomaly—accurately described as an "island of...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,161 people, 476 households, and 318 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 582.2 people per square mile (225.3/km²). There were 545 housing units at an average density of 273.3 per square mile (105.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.64% White, 1.64% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.17% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.
There were 476 households out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.1% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 21.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $41,029, and the median income for a family was $50,598. Males had a median income of $33,750 versus $21,000 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $18,300. About 3.2% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Public education in the town of Sundance is provided by Crook County School District #1Crook County School District Number 1
Crook County School District #1 is a public school district based in Sundance, Wyoming, United States.-Geography:Crook County School District #1 serves all of Crook County, including the following communities:*Incorporated places**Town of Hulett...
. Zoned campuses include Sundance Elementary School (grades K-6) and Sundance Secondary School (grades 7-12).