WYOMING — Over 200 cameras are positioned around the Cowboy State providing real-time information on weather and traffic, and for others it’s just a chance to check in with one of their favorite destinations.
Turns out that it’s not just Teton commuters who eye the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) webcams — they’re an international phenomenon, according to Vince Garcia, who manages WYDOT’s Geographic Information Systems and Intelligent Transportation Systems Program.
“We see IP hits from all around the world for the Teton Pass cam,” Garcia told Buckrail in 2024. He also added there are millions of hits each year.
The first webcam was installed in 1997 or 1998, Garcia recalled, and it wasn’t intended for public use. It was originally installed to provide assistance for the winter maintenance crews, but WYDOT quickly realized that the technology would be good information for the public, too.
“To be clear, the value/necessity of webcams was questioned by other engineers within WYDOT at first,” he said. “Once the first camera was active and available to the public, it did not take long for most doubters to see the value both to our maintainers and as an important travel safety tool for the motoring public.”
Traffic patterns and projections are handled by WYDOT’s traffic engineers.
“They have traffic monitoring equipment that is unrelated to our ITS devices,” Garcia said. “Web camera images are used to assist in determining the need for maintenance activities such as plowing, sanding or applying other ice-fighting materials. For the public, the web cameras are a valuable tool in making safe travel decisions.”
There are 226 webcams in Wyoming providing real-time conditions throughout the state as of Oct. 2025. Occasionally they catch some wildlife on the lens, but for the most part, the mostly satellite-based cameras are catching traffic and weather conditions for travelers.
Garcia said the occasional curious winged visitor or even the abundance of snowfall usually don’t impose on the devices, but Wyoming’s remote and complex terrain can affect camera performance and make installation difficult.
“Communications challenges are a challenge of electricity and power,” Garcia said. “Where we can use AC power like a commercial power source, we do, but when we can’t, cameras can be operated using solar power,” he said, noting that Wyoming’s often cloudy weather can present a challenge. “They can struggle in December when there hasn’t been good light for a few days.”
Garcia said in a typical year, the GIS/ITS team replaces about $25k worth of equipment to keep the 8-pound cameras hung at 25 to 30 feet above the road productive.
“This can be due to obsolescence or damage,” he said. “It costs us about $87k per year to maintain the WYDOT-owned cameras. The contracted web cameras cost $183k per year.”
The majority of the cameras in use are AXIS Q6075-E PTZ Network Cameras, which offer HDTV 1080p and 40x optical zoom. Garcia said the model provides great overviews and excellent details.
The high-performance outdoor camera comes with auto-tracking functionality, as well as an orientation aid for active object tracking and quick orientation. The highly durable outdoor camera is also capable of delivering low-light images with more saturated colors and sharper images of moving objects.
Those kinds of specs are critical if it’s going to be useful in a Wyoming winter, where conditions can often resemble an Ingmar Bergman film. Some older cameras of other makes are still operating in various locations, but those are scheduled for replacement within the next couple of years, another WYDOT spokesperson shared with Buckrail in 2025.
Electronic message boards help a team of about five WYDOT employees keep the Intelligent Transportation Systems Program up to date. The department also oversees the weather stations and speed sensors around the state in addition to the interstate and non-interstate web cameras.
Take a peek at www.wyoroad.info.
This story runs annually.
