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Incorporated in 1901, Cody, Wyoming is located 52 miles from the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Cody was founded in 1896 by Colonel William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, who passed through the region in the 1870s. He was so impressed by the development possibilities of irrigation, rich soil, grand scenery, hunting, and proximity to Yellowstone National Park that he returned in the mid-1890s to start a town. He brought with him men whose names still adorn street signs in Cody's downtown area: Beck, Alger, Rumsey, Bleistein, and Salsbury.
Today, Cody serves as the county seat for Park County. Cody's residential population of over 10,000 receives services from the City of Cody, including electricity, sanitation, water, wastewater, parks, recreation, and law enforcement. Cody has a total area of 10.43 square miles and an elevation of 4,997 feet above sea level.
The Shoshone River flows through Cody's city limits in a moderately deep canyon. Erected in 1910 to foster agriculture by irrigation, the Buffalo Bill Dam and reservoir lie adjacent to Cody toward the east entrance of Yellowstone National Park.
Served by Yellowstone Regional Airport, Cody is a thriving community focused on serving the needs of the stable population base as well as the hundreds of thousands of annual visitors who travel from around the world to experience the beauty and culture of this mountainous area.
Cody was ranked by the National Council for Home Safety and Security as the fourth safest city in Wyoming in the year 2017.