Big Springs, Nebraska facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Big Springs, Nebraska
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Village
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Downtown Big Springs, looking north up Pine Street
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Location of Big Springs, Nebraska
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| Country | United States |
| State | Nebraska |
| County | Deuel |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.44 sq mi (1.15 km2) |
| • Land | 0.44 sq mi (1.15 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,370 ft (1,030 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 394 |
| • Density | 889.39/sq mi (343.38/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
69122
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| Area code(s) | 308 |
| FIPS code | 31-04895 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2398119 |
Big Springs is a small village located in Deuel County, Nebraska, United States. In 2020, about 394 people lived there. It's a quiet place with a rich history tied to early American travel and the railroad.
Contents
History of Big Springs
Big Springs was first known as "Lone Tree." This name came from a very old cottonwood tree. This tree stood alone on the wide-open prairie. It was thought to be over 100 years old when the first settlers arrived. Travelers on the Pony Express and the Oregon Trail could easily see it.
The railroad gave the town its current name, "Big Springs," in 1867. Steam trains used spring water from near the tracks until 1950.
The village was officially mapped out in 1884. It was named after a stream that flows through the area. The Big Springs post office opened in 1884. The village of Big Springs became an official town in 1917.
From 1889 to 1932, the county fair was held in Big Springs. Later, Chappell, the only other town in the county, became the main county seat.
The first church services in Big Springs took place in 1884. They were held by Reverend E. E. Mount in the Phelps Hotel. The first church building in the county was called Prospect Church. It was a sod building built about 9 miles north of town in 1887.
Geography of Big Springs
Big Springs covers a total area of about 0.44 square miles (1.15 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Major highways meet near the village. Interstate 76 connects with Interstate 80 close to Big Springs. Also, U.S. Route 30, once called the Lincoln Highway, crosses U.S. Route 138 about three miles north of town.
Climate in Big Springs
Big Springs has a continental semi-arid climate. This means it gets hot summers and cold winters. The weather can change a lot between day and night. This is called high diurnal temperature variation.
On average, between 1991 and 2020, the coldest day of the year had a high temperature of 15°F (-9°C). The warmest night had a low temperature of 69°F (21°C). The area usually has about 173 days with frost each year.
| Climate data for Big Springs, Nebraska (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1918–1919 & 1940–present) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 76 (24) |
78 (26) |
88 (31) |
95 (35) |
100 (38) |
111 (44) |
112 (44) |
107 (42) |
107 (42) |
98 (37) |
85 (29) |
73 (23) |
112 (44) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 62 (17) |
67 (19) |
78 (26) |
84 (29) |
92 (33) |
98 (37) |
101 (38) |
99 (37) |
96 (36) |
87 (31) |
75 (24) |
64 (18) |
103 (39) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 41.9 (5.5) |
44.9 (7.2) |
55.3 (12.9) |
63.0 (17.2) |
72.4 (22.4) |
83.8 (28.8) |
89.5 (31.9) |
87.6 (30.9) |
80.2 (26.8) |
66.8 (19.3) |
53.5 (11.9) |
42.5 (5.8) |
65.1 (18.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 27.1 (−2.7) |
30.2 (−1.0) |
39.5 (4.2) |
47.4 (8.6) |
57.6 (14.2) |
68.9 (20.5) |
74.6 (23.7) |
72.4 (22.4) |
63.4 (17.4) |
50.0 (10.0) |
37.4 (3.0) |
27.8 (−2.3) |
49.7 (9.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 12.4 (−10.9) |
15.6 (−9.1) |
23.6 (−4.7) |
31.8 (−0.1) |
42.8 (6.0) |
54.0 (12.2) |
59.6 (15.3) |
57.1 (13.9) |
46.7 (8.2) |
33.1 (0.6) |
21.3 (−5.9) |
13.1 (−10.5) |
34.3 (1.3) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −7 (−22) |
−2 (−19) |
8 (−13) |
20 (−7) |
29 (−2) |
43 (6) |
52 (11) |
48 (9) |
34 (1) |
18 (−8) |
6 (−14) |
−9 (−23) |
−13 (−25) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −33 (−36) |
−28 (−33) |
−22 (−30) |
−10 (−23) |
19 (−7) |
31 (−1) |
38 (3) |
35 (2) |
22 (−6) |
5 (−15) |
−13 (−25) |
−37 (−38) |
−37 (−38) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.31 (7.9) |
0.42 (11) |
0.88 (22) |
2.04 (52) |
2.52 (64) |
2.83 (72) |
2.72 (69) |
2.16 (55) |
1.58 (40) |
1.25 (32) |
0.48 (12) |
0.37 (9.4) |
17.56 (446) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 4.0 (10) |
7.0 (18) |
3.9 (9.9) |
3.5 (8.9) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.6 (4.1) |
2.1 (5.3) |
5.4 (14) |
27.7 (70) |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 408 | — | |
| 1930 | 595 | 45.8% | |
| 1940 | 569 | −4.4% | |
| 1950 | 527 | −7.4% | |
| 1960 | 506 | −4.0% | |
| 1970 | 472 | −6.7% | |
| 1980 | 505 | 7.0% | |
| 1990 | 495 | −2.0% | |
| 2000 | 418 | −15.6% | |
| 2010 | 400 | −4.3% | |
| 2020 | 394 | −1.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 Census Details
In 2010, the census counted 400 people living in Big Springs. There were 186 households, and 119 of these were families. The village had about 909 people per square mile.
Most people in the village were White (94.5%). A small number were Native American (0.8%) or from other backgrounds. About 8% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.
Out of the 186 households, nearly 20% had children under 18 living there. More than half (53.8%) were married couples. About 36% of households were not families. Many people (17.2%) lived alone, especially those aged 65 or older.
The average age in the village was 50.1 years. About 18.7% of residents were under 18. About 22% were 65 years old or older. The population was almost evenly split between males (48.8%) and females (51.3%).
See also
In Spanish: Big Springs (Nebraska) para niños
