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is a town located in the Jackson Hole valley of Teton County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 8,647 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Teton County.
Jackson is the principal town of the Jackson, WY-ID Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Teton County in Wyoming and Teton County in Idaho.
Jackson is a major gateway for millions of tourists visiting nearby Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and the National Elk Refuge. Jackson is also in close proximity to several ski resorts. Directly southeast of town, there is a small but challenging area known as Snow King, Jackson's original ski hill. It has steep vertical slopes and is one of the few night-lit resorts in the nation. More famous is the Jackson Hole ski resort, 12 miles (19 km) northwest. Opened in 1966, it is has abundant steep terrain and has one of the highest vertical drops on the continent, at 4139 feet (1262 m). Grand Targhee, about an hour away to the northwest, opened in the early 1970s and is world-renowned for its high snowfall and "Heavenly powder". Located west of the Grand Tetons, it is accessed by traveling west over Teton Pass into Idaho, north to Driggs, then east (clockwise on the map).
Jackson is host to a number of world-class arts organizations, including the Congressionally-designated National Museum of Wildlife Art, the Grand Teton Music Festival, and the Center for the Arts. Tourist attractions include the world's largest ball of barbed wire, and large arches of shed elk antlers at the four entrances to the town square.
The main industries which provide employment are: Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services (24.4%), Construction (14.0%), Retail trade (12.8%), Educational, health and social services (12.2%).
The town is often mistakenly called "Jackson Hole," a name that refers to the valley (or ski resort), not the town itself.
The town also plays host to the annual Jackson Hole Writers Conference founded by author Warren Adler. Jackson and the surrounding area has long been a favorite destination for celebrities, many of whom, like Harrison Ford, Gary Shaw , former Vice President of the United States Dick Cheney, Tiger Woods, and Sandra Bullock, maintain part-time residences in and around the town of Jackson.
A strong local economy, primarily due to tourism, has allowed Jackson to develop a large shopping and eating district, centered around the town square. Within this district, all types of goods can be found with businesses embracing the strong western tradition of the region.