Laramie River

Laramie River
The Laramie River, as it flows past the site of old Fort Laramie
Name origin: Named for Jacques La Ramie, French Canadian fur trapper
Country	United States
States	Colorado, Wyoming
Tributaries
- left	North Laramie River
- right	Chugwater Creek
Cities	Laramie, Wheatland, Fort Laramie
Source	Chambers Lake
- location	Larimer County, Colorado
- elevation	9,192 ft (2,802 m)
- coordinates	40°36′56″N 105°51′29″W / 40.61556°N 105.85806°W / 40.61556; -105.85806
Mouth	North Platte River
- location	Goshen County, Wyoming
- elevation	4,213 ft (1,284 m)
- coordinates	42°11′59″N 104°31′47″W / 42.19972°N 104.52972°W / 42.19972; -104.52972Coordinates: 42°11′59″N 104°31′47″W / 42.19972°N 104.52972°W / 42.19972; -104.52972
Length	280 mi (451 km)
Basin	4,564 sq mi (11,820 km2)
Discharge	for near Fort Laramie, 0.6 miles (1.0 km) from mouth
- average	129 cu ft/s (3.7 m3/s)
- max	6,260 cu ft/s (177.3 m3/s)
- min	0 cu ft/s (0.0 m3/s)
Map highlighting the Laramie River (in bright blue, below and slightly left of center)

The Laramie River is a tributary of the North Platte River, approximately 280 miles (450 km) long, in the U.S. states of Colorado and Wyoming. The river was named for Jacques La Ramie, a fur trapper who visited the area in the early 19th century. Laramie County, Wyoming, the city of Laramie, and other geographical entities in the region have "Laramie" in their names.

The river rises in northern Colorado, in the Roosevelt National Forest in the Front Range, in western Larimer County. It flows north-northwest into Wyoming, along the east side of the Medicine Bow Mountains, past Jelm and Woods Landing, then northeast emerging from the mountains 22 miles (35 km) southwest of Laramie. The river then flows north through Laramie. In the Laramie Plains it is joined by the Little Laramie River. The Laramie River then continues north through the Laramie Plains and through Wheatland Reservoir. It flows northeast through the Laramie Mountains. Emerging from the mountains, it receives the North Laramie River 5 miles (8 km) north of Wheatland and Chugwater Creek 7 mi (11 km) northeast of Wheatland. It joins the North Platte opposite the town Fort Laramie.

In its upper reaches in Colorado, the river supplies water to the Cache La Poudre River via the Laramie–Poudre Tunnel. The tunnel, which is approximately 2 miles (3 km) long, was finished in 1911 as part of a larger irrigation project for northern Colorado.