Wyoming Officially Has Just Two Public Escalators in the Entire State
If you are looking for a fast way to go up a floor in Wyoming, your options are extremely limited. In fact, the entire state has just two public escalators. Both are located in the same city, inside two downtown bank buildings in Casper. Nowhere else in the Cowboy State will you find moving stairs, not in airports, shopping malls, government buildings, hotels, or arenas.
It sounds like trivia, but the claim has been repeatedly verified for more than a decade. As of 2026, the number still stands.
Where Wyoming’s Only Escalators Are Located
Image via Yelp/First Interstate Bank
The only two public escalators in Wyoming are both in Casper. One is inside the main branch of Hilltop National Bank, which opened in 1979. The other is located in the downtown branch of First Interstate Bank, a building that dates back to 1958.
Both escalators were installed as part of the original building designs. They still operate today, moving customers between floors during regular business hours. There are no escalators in Wyoming’s airports, including Jackson Hole International Airport.
A former third escalator once existed in a Cheyenne JCPenney building. It was removed when the store relocated, and the original structure was renovated. Since then, no new escalators have been added anywhere in the state.
Why Escalators Never Took Off in Wyoming
Image via Canva/annakhomulo
The reason comes down to how Wyoming builds.
Wyoming is the least populated state in the country, with fewer than 600,000 residents spread across nearly 98,000 square miles. The low density shapes everything from housing to infrastructure. Most buildings are short, spread out, and designed to avoid crowd congestion.
Architects and planners have noted that escalators are most effective in high-traffic, multi-story spaces where large numbers of people need to move quickly between levels. Wyoming rarely builds that kind of structure. When vertical movement is required, stairs or elevators usually handle the job.
Cost also plays a role. Escalators may be cheaper to install than elevators, but they are still far more expensive than stairs. They require regular inspections, specialized maintenance, and eventual replacement.
Estimates suggest that replacing a single escalator can cost close to $1 million. For many Wyoming projects, the expense offers little return.
Fire and building codes add another layer of complexity. Escalators create open connections between floors, which can complicate fire safety requirements. Enclosed stairwells and elevator shafts are often easier to approve and manage under local codes.
Will Wyoming Ever Get More Escalators
Wyoming has not added a new escalator in more than four decades. The most recent installation dates back to 1979. Since then, population growth has remained slow, and construction trends have mainly stayed the same. Multiple reports over the years, including follow-ups more than a decade apart, have confirmed that the count has not changed.
More escalators may come, but it is unlikely to happen anytime soon. Adding one is a choice made by architects and building owners, not the state. A future multi-story development in a denser area like Cheyenne or Laramie could include one, even though most planners remain skeptical that the cost would make sense.