Town of Jackson

Jackson Hole is a 50 mile long valley - or flat "hole" in the mountains - that runs North and South along the eastern side of the Teton Mountain Range.  Jackson Hole got its famous name from the legacy of the fur trappers and explorers who discovered this valley nestled beneath the grandeur of the Tetons. One trapper in particular, a man named David E. Jackson, named this area as his favorite trapping ground. Soon after, in about 1829, this area was named for him.

Town of Jackson Size:
Approximately 1,801 acres

Population:
8,647 As of the 2000 Census

Elevation:
Town of Jackson - 6,237 ft

Highest Point (Teton County):
Grand Teton - 13,770 ft

Lowest Point (Teton County):
Where the Snake River leaves southern Teton County - 5,800 ft

Perched more than 1.2 miles above sea level, the Town of Jackson was at once cowboy and cosmopolitan. On Town Square, log cabins from the 19th century share the boardwalk with prime examples of contemporary Western architecture.  Locally-owned boutiques with runway fashions rub elbows with Western shops stocking t-shirts and lariats. Galleries abound with artwork as diverse as downtown itself, from historic scenes of Mountain Men to abstractions by blue-chip masters. A plethora of restaurants plates a commensurate array of culinary adventures, from choice meats sourced locally to culinary creativity rivaling most metropolises.

Small in size but not personality, the town spans 2.9 square miles. Tucked in the northwest corner of Wyoming, Jackson sits 15 miles from Idaho border, 12 miles south of Grand Teton National Park, 12 miles southeast of Teton Village, and 60 miles south of Yellowstone National Park.

Jackson prides itself on its trailblazing heritage. In 1920, residents elected the U.S.'s first all-female city council. Snow King Resort, known as the Town Hill, was established in 1930 - the first ski area in Wyoming and one of the first in the country.

Nature has nurtured Jackson. Less than 3% of the land in Teton County is privately owned, which means the remaining 97% - some 2.6 million acres - is under the state or federal government. The ratio of pristine to pavement cultivates an abiding devotion to the land and its inhabitants - human and wild alike. Generosity and gratitude course through the community, expressed in the more than 200 non-profit organizations that address everything from the arts to conservation and human services.

While juxtapositions make Jackson an ever-interesting patch of the West, its true heart is the harmony of people and place.