Alliance, Nebraska facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alliance, Nebraska
City
Downtown Alliance: Box Butte Avenue
Location of Alliance within Nebraska and Box Butte County
Country	United States
State	Nebraska
County	Box Butte
Area
• Total	4.91 sq mi (12.71 km2)
• Land	4.89 sq mi (12.68 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Elevation	3,970 ft (1,210 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	8,151
• Density	1,665.51/sq mi (643.05/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
ZIP code	69301
Area code(s)	308
FIPS code	31-00905
GNIS feature ID	2393923
Website	cityofalliance.net

Alliance is a city in the western part of Nebraska, a state in the Great Plains region of the United States. It is the main city and the county seat of Box Butte County. In 2020, about 8,151 people lived there.

Alliance is famous for Carhenge, a unique art display made from old cars. It looks like the ancient stone monument called Stonehenge. The city also has the Alliance Municipal Airport, which is one of the least-used airports in the mainland United States.

History of Alliance

The town was first called Grand Lake. In 1888, when the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad arrived, a railroad manager named G.W. Holdrege wanted a new name. He thought a shorter name, earlier in the alphabet, would be better for business.

The U.S. Post Office agreed. Holdrege chose "Alliance" as the new name. Alliance officially became a city in 1891.

Alliance During World War II

In 1942, the Alliance Army Airfield was built. It was finished in August 1943. The Army Air Corps used it as a training base during World War II. After the war, in 1953, the facility was given to the City of Alliance. Today, it is the Alliance Municipal Airport.

In the Lakota language, Alliance is known as čhasmú okáȟmi. This means "Sand River Bend."

Geography and Climate

Alliance is located on the western edge of Nebraska's Sand Hills. The city covers about 4.73 square miles (12.25 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a very small amount of water.

Alliance's Climate Type

Alliance is in the High Plains region. It has a "Cold Steppe" climate, which means it's semi-arid. This type of climate has dry conditions, but not as dry as a desert.

Winters in Alliance are cold, and summers are warm. The hottest temperature ever recorded was 110°F (43°C) in 1983. The coldest was -42°F (-41°C) in 1989. Most of the rain falls in the summer, especially in June.

Population of Alliance

What the 2020 Census Shows

The 2020 United States census counted 8,151 people living in Alliance. There were 3,445 households. About 29.9% of these households had children under 18.

The average household size was 2.3 people. The average family size was 2.9 people. About 25.9% of the population was under 18 years old. The median age in the city was 38.4 years.

Education in Alliance

Alliance Public Schools runs five different schools for students of all ages:

• Early Childhood Center (for children from birth to age 5)
• Emerson Elementary (kindergarten to grade 2)
• Grandview Elementary (grades 3–5)
• Alliance Middle School (grades 6–8)
• Alliance High School (grades 9–12)

St. Agnes Academy is a local private school. It is connected with Holy Rosary and St. Bridget Catholic Churches. The school building is historic and was designed by a famous architect named William L. Steele.

Transportation in Alliance

Alliance Municipal Airport

The Alliance Municipal Airport is located three miles southeast of the city. The city owns and operates this airport. In the year leading up to January 2021, only about 2,882 passengers used the airport. This means it served about 8 passengers per day, making it the least-used airport in the mainland United States.

Railway Connections

Alliance is an important hub for the BNSF railway. A large number of coal trains travel through Alliance every day. These trains come from the Powder River Basin, which is one of the world's biggest coal-mining areas. The coal is transported to power plants in the Midwest and Southern United States.

There is a large train yard in the southern part of Alliance. Many of these coal trains stop there.

Things to See and Do in Alliance

One of the most famous attractions in Alliance is Carhenge. This unique sculpture was built in 1987 by Jim Reinders and his family. It is made from 38 old cars arranged to look like Stonehenge, the ancient monument in England. Carhenge is located just north of Alliance. Other art pieces have also been added around the sculpture.

In August 2017, Alliance was a great place to see a total solar eclipse. The path of the eclipse went directly over the city. This made Alliance one of the best cities in Nebraska to watch this amazing event.

Notable People from Alliance

• Jimmy Abegg – a visual artist and musician.
• Moon Bloodgood – an actress and model, born in Alliance.
• David Bunnell – a publisher and writer.
• Helen Duhamel – a businesswoman and broadcaster, who attended St. Agnes Academy.
• James Emanuel – a poet and critic.
• Jordan Hooper – a basketball player for the WNBA's Chicago Sky; born in Alliance.
• LeRoy J. Louden – a Nebraska politician.
• Luke Redfield – a singer/songwriter who spent part of his youth in Alliance.
• Peary Rader – an American bodybuilder and magazine publisher. He founded Iron Man magazine. He died in Alliance.
• Tim Walz – the current governor of Minnesota and a 2024 vice presidential candidate. He used to be a high school football coach and geography teacher in Alliance.
• Tony Wilbrand – an American basketball player.

Alliance in Books

The second half of the 1997 novel The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett takes place entirely in Alliance.

See also

In Spanish: Alliance (Nebraska) para niños