Powell’s agricultural community keeps an outdoor lifestyle
The city of Powell is defined by its surrounding scenery, with the Big Horn Mountains to the east and the Absaroka range to the west. “Powell is a small town. People move and live here for the lifestyle, and outdoor recreation is a big part of that,” says Realtor Rachel Vardiman with Eagle Real Estate, who has almost 10 years of experience and lives in the area. “We have a lot of agriculture and a lot of open space. This whole area is all about the outdoors and wildlife.”
Originally established as a cattle ranching community, Powell’s primary employment opportunities are in agriculture and beef production. When oil reserves were found nearby in the late 1900s, mineral extraction became another major industry. Community events and attractions pay homage to the area’s homesteading roots, and Downtown Powell’s local shops and restaurants provide essentials. Additionally, the city of Cody is roughly 24 miles northeast.
Exploring Powell’s history and culture
The community often celebrates Powell’s history of homesteading. The Homesteader Museum has both permanent and rotating exhibits of its agricultural roots. Every year in September, the museum hosts a Homesteader Days Festival with live music, demonstrations and a vintage truck and tractor show. “People will bring their old farming equipment and have them threshing wheat or baling hay. There will be people spinning wool or using an apple press too, giving samples so you can see how it tastes,” Vardiman says.
Another popular event is the Park County Fair, which takes place in July at the Park County Fairgrounds. In addition to the opening parade and carnival rides, patrons can participate in livestock competitions, horse shows and pig mud wrestling.
Local shops and restaurants in downtown Powell
Downtown Powell is the city’s commercial hub, with dozens of shops and restaurants lined along Bent Street. There are gift shops, novelty stores and clothing stores like Back Alley Boutique. “There’s a decent variety, and some specialty stores sell items made from local products. There’s a place downtown where you can buy alpaca meat or wool socks,” Vardiman says. When it comes to food, El Tapatio Mexican Restaurant serves traditional cuisine, and Legend Pizza & Co has both gourmet pizzas and breakfast dishes. A handful of bars like K-Saloon offer nighttime entertainment. For additional options, Coulter Avenue’s commercial corridor has fast-food restaurants like Domino’s and Taco John’s. Grocery stores in the area include Blair’s Supermarket and Albertson’s.
A wide selection of single-family homes
Most homes in Powell are lined along gridded residential streets with sidewalks. Properties are adorned with well-kept grassy lawns decorated with trees and shrubbery. Some have driveways, while others have alleyway access – street parking is also allowed throughout the city. Bungalows with front porches and traditional single-story homes are common. Some have a minimalistic design, while others have contemporary features such as pointed roofs and stone accents. Ranch-style homes are found with both brick and vinyl siding, and there are also a handful of split-level homes. Multi-story homes are not as common but come with a New Traditional design and Craftsman features such as front gables, stone accents and a front porch. “Most of the housing in the city is smaller, older homes that get updated over time. We also have fancy houses on acreage outside of town and some new construction,” Vardiman says.
Some properties in Powell were built as early as the 1920s, while others are as recent as the 2020s. Prices range between $190,000 and $580,000, depending on the property size, age and condition. The median sales price for a home in Powell in 2025 was $255,000. Townhouses and manufactured homes are rarely found on the market but exist in the area.
City parks and easy access to national parks and forests
Surrounded by public lands, giving the community ample access to outdoor recreation. “We sit right between the mountain ranges, so there’s just a lot to do. We live outside,” Vardiman says. In addition to being right at Yellowstone National Park’s doorstep, the city sits between the Bighorn and Shoshone national forests. The surrounding landscape of mountains, evergreen forests, grasslands and canyonlands create a variety of easily accessible activities, such as hiking, horseback riding, hunting, camping, skiing, fishing and more.
Powell has 10 maintained parks. Homesteader Park has a playground, walking path and athletic fields for softball, baseball and soccer. There’s also a fishing pond and an ice-skating rink that’s open during the winter months. The Powell Aquatic Center is located in Homesteader Park and has a leisure pool outfitted with a splash pad and lazy river. Children learning to swim can take lessons at the center. Washington Park has a playground and a stage for live music performances. There’s also a skate park in the city and the Wiggly Field Off-Leash Dog Park. Powell Golf Club is a public, 18-hole course about 6 miles from downtown Powell.
Park County public schools and Northwest College
Powell is served by the Park County School District, which enrolls roughly 1,860 students across four elementary, one middle, one high school and one alternative school. The district earns an A-minus grade from Niche. Powell High School receives a B-plus grade and offers JROTC and Skills USA programs. Students can earn dual credit through the high school’s partnership with Northwest College — a public community college in Powell that awards associate and bachelor’s degrees. “The learning and the atmosphere of the schools are all just amazing. Anyone in the community that has something they want to teach, can teach it at the college as a non-credit option,” Vardiman says.
Navigating Powell’s commuter routes, hospital and airport
While downtown Powell is pedestrian friendly with sidewalks and crosswalks, getting around the rest of the city requires a vehicle. U.S. Highway 14, known as Coulter Avenue, is the area’s main thoroughfare traveling east and west. Commuters can use U.S. 14 to reach Cody, about 24 miles away. “There’s pretty steady travel between Powell and Cody for things like shopping and jobs,” Vardiman says.
Powell Municipal Airport provides general aviation services to the area, but those looking for commercial flights will have to use Yellowstone Regional Airport in Cody. Powell Valley Healthcare is the city’s general hospital, located off Avenue G.
