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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Cody
Cody, Wyoming
Give Cody 2 nights: one full day for the Buffalo Bill museums and one evening at the Nite Rodeo, then drive into Yellowstone's east entrance 1 h away.
Cody sits 50 miles east of Yellowstone's east gate and runs a rodeo every night from June 1 to August 31. It is a car town: the museums, the rodeo grounds and the reservoir are spread along Sheridan Avenue and the North Fork highway, and there is no useful public transport. Two nights covers the town; add nights only if you are using it as a Yellowstone base.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Cody, Wyoming
- Best months
- Jun–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (many attractions close or run weekends only)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $90–140 excl. bed · Mid $150–230 excl. bed · High $250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Cody police non-emergency 307-527-8700
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Breakfast diner plate | $10–16 |
| Burger and fries | $14–20 |
| Steak dinner | $28–50 |
| Draft beer | $6–9 |
| Gallon of fuel | $3.20–3.80 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- COD · Yellowstone Regional Airport
- 2 miles from downtown; seasonal flights from Denver and Salt Lake City — check the current schedule
Typical fares
- Buffalo Bill Center of the West, adult
- about $23 (check)
- Cody Nite Rodeo, adult
- about $25 (check)
- Downtown to rodeo grounds taxi
- $10–15 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
You need a car. Downtown is walkable end to end in about 20 minutes, but the rodeo grounds, Old Trail Town and Buffalo Bill State Park are 2–6 miles out and there is no bus. Fill up in town before the North Fork drive: services thin out toward the park.
See and do
Known for
- Buffalo Bill Center of the West
- Cody Nite Rodeo (June–August)
- Old Trail Town
- Gateway to Yellowstone's east entrance
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Yellowstone east entrance and the North Fork | US-14/16/20 west through Wapiti, about 50 miles to the gate | About 1 h to the gate; 2 h+ to the geyser basins |
| Buffalo Bill State Park and dam | US-14/16/20 west, about 6 miles | About 15 min |
| Thermopolis hot springs | WY-120 south via Meeteetse, about 90 miles | About 1 h 45 min |
| Powell and Lovell | US-14A east, about 25 miles to Powell | About 30 min |
| Jackson | WY-120 south then US-191 via Moran, about 170 miles | 3.5–4 h |
Sleep
- Downtown Sheridan Avenue
- Walk to the museums, restaurants and bars; the best choice for a car-free evening.
- West Yellowstone Avenue / rodeo grounds
- Closer to the Nite Rodeo and Old Trail Town; a 20–25 min walk or 5 min drive from downtown.
- Wapiti and the North Fork
- Motels and campgrounds 20–30 miles west toward the park; quieter, but you need a car for everything.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the restroom? | Where is the restroom? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| One ticket, please | One ticket, please |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Summer afternoons reach 30 °C+ with strong sun; carry water on any hike.
- Beartooth Highway (US-212) and US-14A over the Bighorns close in winter — check road status before committing.
- Wildlife on the North Fork road at dawn and dusk: elk and deer cross without warning.
- Do not walk onto the Smith Mansion property in Wapiti; the structure is unsafe and it is private land.
Cody is a small, low-crime town and safe to walk at night. The real risks are driving: long empty highways, winter ice, and wildlife on the road at dawn and dusk.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Cody yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Buffalo Bill Center of the West
- Cody Nite Rodeo (June–August)
- Old Trail Town
- Gateway to Yellowstone's east entrance
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Cody: www.cityofcody-wy.gov/
- Buffalo Bill Center of the West: centerofthewest.org/
- Wikivoyage: Cody, revision 5237528 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5237528
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
CodyCody, Wyoming
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Cody police non-emergency307-527-8700
No embassies in Cody; nearest consulates are in Denver. US visitors: your own embassy is in Washington, DC.
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% for taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/cody). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.