Wyoming
F.E. Warren Air Force Base
📍 Cheyenne, Wyoming
Home to the 90th Missile Wing, managing 150 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles as part of the nation's nuclear deterrent triad.
BAH Rates
MHA: WY001 Rates as of 2026
E-1 with Dependents$1,332/mo
E-5 with Dependents$1,536/mo
E-5 without Dependents$1,236/mo
O-3 with Dependents$1,899/mo
O-3 without Dependents$1,563/mo
Housing
View full housing guide →- On-base: Privatized housing through Balfour Beatty Communities — single-family homes and townhomes; wait lists 0-4 months; a mix of historic (some dating to the fort's cavalry days in the 1800s) and modern construction; the historic brick homes in the 'Parade Field' neighborhood are some of the most charming in the Air Force
- Off-base (Cheyenne): Most families live off-base; rentals $900-$1,600/month; BAH provides excellent coverage; wide range of options from historic downtown homes to new subdivisions
- Off-base (Fort Collins, CO): 45-50 min south, much larger city with university-town amenities, higher home prices but top-rated Colorado schools, popular with families prioritizing education and amenities
- Top pick: East Cheyenne / Sun Valley area — 10-15 min to gate, newer construction, Laramie County School District #1, convenient to shopping and I-25
- Note: Wyoming has no state income tax and low property taxes; the housing market is very affordable; wind is constant — 15-25 mph is a normal day, gusts to 60+ mph are common; homes with good windbreaks, sturdy fences, and attached garages are worth prioritizing
Neighborhoods
View full neighborhoods guide →- East Cheyenne / Sun Valley — 10-15 min commute, newest residential area, LCSD1 schools, near shopping along Dell Range Boulevard, popular with base families, modern homes with attached garages
- Historic downtown Cheyenne — 15-20 min, stunning Victorian and Craftsman homes from the railroad era, walkable to downtown restaurants and shops, Cheyenne Depot Museum and Depot Plaza, loads of character
- South Cheyenne / South Greeley Highway area — 10-15 min, more affordable options, older homes, good access to base via I-25, mix of residential and light commercial
- Ranchette areas (north of Cheyenne / Archer area) — 15-25 min, 5-40 acre parcels, the Wyoming 'ranch style' living, more privacy and space, wind exposure is more extreme — this is for those embracing the Wyoming lifestyle fully
- Fort Collins, CO (45-50 min) — Colorado State University town, excellent Poudre School District, vibrant Old Town dining and shopping, higher home prices ($400K-$700K+), longer commute but dramatically different quality-of-life options
Schools
View full schools guide →🏫 Elementary Schools
Anderson Elementary⭐ 5/10
Cheyenne, close to base
Buffalo Ridge Elementary⭐ 7/10
Cheyenne, top-rated in district
Bain Elementary⭐ 6/10
Cheyenne, strong community
Hobbs Elementary⭐ 5/10
Cheyenne, near base housing
🏫 Middle Schools
McCormick Junior High⭐ 5/10
Cheyenne, largest middle school
Carey Junior High⭐ 5/10
Cheyenne, near base area
Johnson Junior High⭐ 6/10
Cheyenne, strong academics
🏫 High Schools
Central High School⭐ 6/10
Cheyenne, most central location
East High School⭐ 6/10
Cheyenne, strong academics and athletics
South High School⭐ 5/10
Cheyenne, closer to base area
Gates & Commute
- Main Gate (Randall Avenue / I-25 Exit 11) — Primary entry from Cheyenne, 24/7, 0-5 min peak waits (6:30-8:00 AM), direct access from I-25 and central Cheyenne
- Missile Gate — Access to missile-related facilities, restricted access
- Tip: Traffic is essentially non-existent at F.E. Warren — gate waits are measured in seconds, not minutes; winter weather (snow, ice, wind) is the main commute challenge
- Note: F.E. Warren is a historic post — established in 1867 as Fort D.A. Russell, it's one of the oldest continuously active military installations in the U.S.; the parade ground and historic brick buildings are a National Historic Landmark District
Internet Providers
- Spectrum — Primary cable provider in Cheyenne; speeds up to 1 Gbps; widely available and reliable
- CenturyLink — DSL and limited fiber in Cheyenne; fiber expanding, check availability by address
- T-Mobile 5G Home Internet — Good coverage in Cheyenne; $50/month unlimited
- Starlink — Excellent option for ranchette/rural areas north of Cheyenne; strong speeds with low latency
- Top pick: Spectrum cable in Cheyenne proper; Starlink for rural properties where wired options are limited
Shopping & Dining
- On-base: AAFES Exchange and commissary — well-stocked for base size; shoppette and Class Six
- Dell Range Boulevard (East Cheyenne, 10-15 min): The city's retail spine — Walmart Supercenter, Target, Sam's Club, Kohl's, and chain restaurants
- Downtown Cheyenne (15 min): Historic Depot Plaza, locally-owned boutiques, Western wear stores (The Wrangler, Lou Taubert Ranch Outfitters — a Cheyenne institution since 1919), and the Cheyenne Farmers Market (summer)
- Groceries: On-base commissary; off-base King Soopers (Kroger), Safeway, Walmart, and Natural Grocers
- Dining: The Albany (downtown Cheyenne, historic 1940s restaurant with a legendary prime rib), Sanford's Grub & Pub (quirky, massive portions, wall-to-wall memorabilia), Little Bear Inn (steakhouse institution 10 min north of Cheyenne), and the Bunkhouse Bar & Grill (classic Wyoming roadside bar/steakhouse)
- Fort Collins, CO (45 min): Major shopping upgrade — Foothills Mall, Old Town boutiques, Costco, REI, Whole Foods, and one of the best food/drink scenes in the Mountain West
Gyms & Recreation
- F.E. Warren AFB Fitness Center — 24/7 with cardio, free weights, functional fitness, indoor basketball, and group classes; modern facility in a historic setting
- Outdoor Recreation (ODR) — Winter: ski/snowboard packages, snowshoes, ice fishing gear; Summer: camping, hiking, mountain biking, climbing, kayaking; organized trips to Rocky Mountain National Park, Steamboat Springs, Jackson Hole, and Yellowstone
- On-base: Bowling alley, auto hobby shop, community center, sports fields, library, and the F.E. Warren AFB Museum (excellent ICBM and base history exhibits)
- Curt Gowdy State Park (25 min west) — Granite and limestone reservoirs with excellent trout fishing, 35+ miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, rock climbing, and camping — Cheyenne's local outdoor playground
- Vedauwoo Recreation Area (35 min west, Medicine Bow NF) — World-class granite rock climbing (hundreds of routes), hiking among the Sherman Granite formations, mountain biking, and stunning high-plains-mountain scenery
- Snowy Range / Medicine Bow Peak (1.5 hrs west) — 12,000-ft peaks, alpine lakes, summer wildflower meadows, and the Snowy Range Ski Area (small, family-friendly, affordable) for winter recreation
Jobs & Spouse Employment
- On-base: AAFES, commissary, MWR, CDC — primary local employers; USAJobs for GS/WG positions supporting the 90th MW missile mission — federal civilian positions are significant given the size and complexity of the missile complex
- Defense contractors: Northrop Grumman (ICBM support), Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and multiple smaller defense firms supporting the Minuteman III modernization and sustainment — strong demand for cleared engineering, IT, and logistics professionals
- Cheyenne economy: State of Wyoming government (Cheyenne is the state capital — extensive state employment across all agencies), healthcare (Cheyenne Regional Medical Center), railroads (Union Pacific and BNSF have major yards in Cheyenne), and the growing data center/tech sector (Microsoft, Green House Data)
- Fort Collins economy (45 min): Colorado State University (major employer), tech (HP, Broadcom, Intel, dozens of startups), healthcare (UCHealth, Banner Health), and craft brewing (New Belgium, Odell — Fort Collins is one of America's best beer cities)
- Remote work: Exceptional for F.E. Warren spouses — Mountain time zone works well for West and Central time roles; no state income tax; excellent internet infrastructure; Denver International Airport (1.5 hrs) for occasional office visits
- Employment Readiness: Airman & Family Readiness Center provides job search support; the Cheyenne-Fort Collins-Northern Colorado corridor has a dynamic and growing economy
Local Attractions
- Rocky Mountain National Park (1.5-2 hrs southwest) — Trail Ridge Road (highest continuous paved road in the U.S. at 12,183 ft), alpine tundra hiking, elk herds in Moraine Park, and 355 miles of hiking trails in one of America's crown-jewel national parks
- Cheyenne Frontier Days (late July) — The world's largest outdoor rodeo and Western celebration since 1897; 10 days of PRCA rodeo, concerts (past headliners include Garth Brooks, George Strait, KISS), parades, and the carnival — a bucket-list Wyoming experience
- Vedauwoo (35 min west) — Surreal Sherman Granite formations rising from the Medicine Bow National Forest; world-class rock climbing, hiking, mountain biking, and fall aspen colors that rival Colorado
- Fort Collins (45 min) — Vibrant college town with the CSU campus, Old Town's historic storefronts, 20+ craft breweries (New Belgium, Odell, Funkwerks, Equinox), and the Cache La Poudre River for tubing and fly fishing
- Yellowstone National Park (7 hrs) — Doable as a long weekend trip; Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring, bison herds, and the Lamar Valley wolf watching — one of the world's great wilderness experiences
- Wyoming State Museum (Cheyenne) — Free museum covering Wyoming's history from dinosaurs to the frontier, Native American cultures, the railroad, and the modern energy/mining economy; excellent for new arrivals to understand Wyoming
Area Maps
Photo Gallery
base
Air Force and Space Force parade at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming
base
Minuteman III ICBM in its silo — the nuclear deterrent mission at F.E. Warren
neighborhood
Historic downtown Cheyenne — the state capital and host city for F.E. Warren
nature
Vedauwoo Recreation Area — world-class granite climbing near Cheyenne
downtown
Cheyenne Frontier Days — the world's largest outdoor rodeo
restaurant
The Albany Restaurant — legendary prime rib in downtown Cheyenne