[5] The town was established in the 1880s by settlers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and was initially known as Youngtown, after John Willard Young.

[6] The town is generally held to be named after Jay L. Torrey from Pittsfield, Illinois.

Torrey was a member of the Wyoming legislature, who, upon the advent of the Spanish–American War, achieved national attention by proposing the creation of what became three volunteer cavalry regiments, made up of cowboys and stockmen.

[7] Torrey is located on the north bank of the Fremont River between Boulder Mountain to the southwest and Capitol Reef National Park to the east.

[8] According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.50 square miles (1.3 km2), all land.