Arthur County, Nebraska facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arthur County
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Arthur County Courthouse in Arthur
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Location within the U.S. state of Nebraska
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 Nebraska's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Nebraska |
| Founded | 1913 |
| Named for | Chester A. Arthur |
| Seat | Arthur |
| Largest Community | Arthur |
| Area | |
| • Total | 718 sq mi (1,860 km2) |
| • Land | 715 sq mi (1,850 km2) |
| • Water | 3.0 sq mi (8 km2) 0.4%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 430  |
| • Density | 0.6/sq mi (0.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
Arthur County is a county located in the state of Nebraska. It's known for being one of the least populated counties in the United States. In 2020, only 434 people lived here. This makes it Nebraska's third smallest county by population.
The main town and county seat (the place where the county government is) is Arthur. It's the only official community in the whole county!
If you look at Nebraska's license plates, cars from Arthur County have the number 91. This number was given in 1922 based on how many vehicles were registered there.
Arthur County is also home to the historic First Arthur County Courthouse and Jail. Many people believe it's the smallest courthouse in the entire United States!
Contents
History of Arthur County
Arthur County was created in 1913. Before that, it was part of McPherson County. People wanted to move the county seat of McPherson County to a more central spot. Instead, they decided to split the county in half. This new western half became Arthur County.
Ranchers started settling this area around 1884. They were looking for open land for their cattle. A post office opened in Lena in 1894. Then, in 1904, the Kinkaid Act made it easier for people to claim larger areas of land (640 acres instead of 160 acres). These changes helped the new county get started quickly.
The county was named after President Chester A. Arthur. The village of Arthur was also named after him and became the county seat. In 1914, the main post office moved to Arthur. The village grew to include schools, a general store, a bank, churches, and a newspaper. All these services helped support the county's rural, ranching way of life.
In 1920, about 1,412 people lived in Arthur County. It has always been a rural area, mainly focused on ranching. The village of Arthur got electricity in the 1920s. However, most of the county didn't get power or phone service until 1950–1951.
Around that time, roads also got better. Nebraska Highway 61 (running north-south) and Nebraska Highway 92 (running east-west) became very important for travel. Cars were the only way to get around, as Arthur County never had a railroad or canal. Farmers also started irrigating the land around 1900. This continued, with "center-pivot irrigation" becoming common.
The county's population was highest around 1930, with 1,344 people. But it dropped during the Great Depression. By 1950, only 803 people lived there, and by 1980, it was down to 513.
Geography of Arthur County
Arthur County covers about 718 square miles. Most of this area (715 square miles) is land. Only a small part (3.0 square miles) is water.
Main Roads
Nebraska Highway 61
Nebraska Highway 92
Neighboring Counties
- Grant County - to the north
- Hooker County - to the northeast
- McPherson County - to the east
- Keith County - to the south
- Garden County - to the west
Population Information
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 1,412 | — | |
| 1930 | 1,344 | −4.8% | |
| 1940 | 1,045 | −22.2% | |
| 1950 | 803 | −23.2% | |
| 1960 | 680 | −15.3% | |
| 1970 | 606 | −10.9% | |
| 1980 | 513 | −15.3% | |
| 1990 | 462 | −9.9% | |
| 2000 | 444 | −3.9% | |
| 2010 | 460 | 3.6% | |
| 2020 | 434 | −5.7% | |
| US Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013 |
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In 2020, there were 430 people living in Arthur County. There were 178 households. The county has a very low population density, meaning there are not many people per square mile.
Most of the people in the county (96.1%) are White. A small number are Native American (0.9%) or Asian (0.2%). About 2.8% of the population are from two or more races. Also, 4.2% of the people are Hispanic or Latino.
In 2000, there were 185 households. About 27.6% of these households had children under 18 living with them. Most households (63.2%) were married couples. The average household had 2.4 people. The average family had 2.8 people.
The median age in the county was 40 years old. This means half the people were older than 40 and half were younger.
Religion
More than half of the people living in Arthur County are Baptists. This makes it the northernmost county in the United States where Baptists are the majority.
Communities
Village
- Arthur (county seat)
Unincorporated communities
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Arthur (Nebraska) para niños
