URBAN GROWTH: CHEYENNE, WYO.

In 1867, when it was granted a permanent city charter by the Dakota Territory legislature the City of Cheyenne was home to approximately 600 people. In 2010 its population was nearly 60,000 a 100-fold increase.

Data collected by Thematic Mapper sensor (on the Landsat 5 satellite) in 1985 (1980 Pop: 47,283) and 2011 (2010 Pop: 59,466) shows Cheyenne’s growth over 26 years. Highways I-80 and I-25 cross each other in southwest Cheyenne. Most of the growth has occurred in the northern and northeastern parts of the city. Green tones correspond to vegetation such as trees, shrubs, grasses, and croplands.

Ongoing construction activities are visible in the eastern side (County Fairgrounds) and southwest side (industrial complex) of the 2011 image. Change detection using imagery can help us understand the past and better plan for the future.

The Landsat 5 satellite was launched by NASA and operated by USGS for monitoring earth’s surface.

Sources: USGS (http://landsat.usgs.gov/) and Wyoming's Economic Analysis Division (http://eadiv.state.wy.us/demog_data/cntycity_hist.htm)