Blair, Nebraska facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Blair, Nebraska
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Washington Street in Blair, November 2010
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Location of Blair within Washington County and Nebraska
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| Country | United States |
| State | Nebraska |
| County | Washington |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-council government |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.53 sq mi (14.32 km2) |
| • Land | 5.51 sq mi (14.27 km2) |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,089 ft (332 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 7,790 |
| • Density | 1,413.54/sq mi (545.78/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
68008-68009
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| Area code(s) | 402 |
| FIPS code | 31-05350 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2394184 |
Blair is a city in Washington County, Nebraska, United States. It is also the county seat, which means it's where the main government offices for the county are located.
In 2020, about 7,790 people lived in Blair. The city is part of the larger Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area.
Contents
History of Blair
Blair was founded in 1869. This happened when the Sioux City and Pacific Railroad built tracks to the area. The city was named after John Insley Blair, a powerful railroad leader. He was important for bringing the railroad to the town.
Blair officially became a city in 1872. It was chosen as the county seat in its first year.
In 1874, a huge swarm of grasshoppers covered the region. This caused many people in Nebraska to face starvation. An organization called the Nebraska Relief and Aid Society was created to help. The U.S. Congress even passed a law to give $100,000 in aid. Many Blair citizens received this help. Local newspapers and railroads helped by moving supplies for free. The Nebraska State Guard and the United States Army also helped give out food and clothes.
Building Bridges
A large railroad bridge was built across the Missouri River. Congress approved its construction on June 27, 1882. Work on the bridge started in September 1882. It was ready for trains by November 1883. The bridge cost about $1.13 million back then. This would be around $34.2 million today!
Later, the first bridge for cars, known as the automobile bridge, opened in 1929.
Carnegie Library and Tornadoes
In 1916, Blair received $10,000 to build a Carnegie Library. Libraries like this were built all over the country with money from Andrew Carnegie. Sadly, an electrical fire destroyed this historic library on July 23, 1973.
More recently, on April 26, 2024, a strong EF4 tornado hit parts of Blair. It damaged or destroyed many homes.
Geography and Climate
Blair covers a total area of about 5.51 square miles (14.27 square kilometers) of land. Only a small part, about 0.02 square miles (0.05 square kilometers), is water.
The city is located in the Loess Hills. It is surrounded by rolling hills and the Missouri River valley.
Blair's Weather
Blair has a changing climate throughout the year.
| Climate data for Blair, NE (1991-2020, coordinates:41°33′13″N 96°08′26″W / 41.5536°N 96.1406°W) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 31.3 (−0.4) |
36.5 (2.5) |
50.4 (10.2) |
61.9 (16.6) |
72.7 (22.6) |
81.8 (27.7) |
85.6 (29.8) |
83.4 (28.6) |
77.2 (25.1) |
65.4 (18.6) |
49.3 (9.6) |
36.2 (2.3) |
61.0 (16.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 22.2 (−5.4) |
26.7 (−2.9) |
38.8 (3.8) |
49.8 (9.9) |
61.4 (16.3) |
71.1 (21.7) |
75.1 (23.9) |
73.1 (22.8) |
65.4 (18.6) |
53.4 (11.9) |
38.6 (3.7) |
27.1 (−2.7) |
50.2 (10.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 13.0 (−10.6) |
16.9 (−8.4) |
27.2 (−2.7) |
37.7 (3.2) |
50.2 (10.1) |
60.4 (15.8) |
64.7 (18.2) |
62.8 (17.1) |
53.5 (11.9) |
41.4 (5.2) |
28.0 (−2.2) |
18.1 (−7.7) |
39.5 (4.2) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.76 (19) |
0.94 (24) |
1.86 (47) |
3.21 (82) |
4.77 (121) |
4.94 (125) |
3.34 (85) |
3.92 (100) |
3.30 (84) |
2.45 (62) |
1.36 (35) |
1.26 (32) |
32.11 (816) |
| Average dew point °F (°C) | 15.9 (−8.9) |
19.8 (−6.8) |
28.5 (−1.9) |
37.4 (3.0) |
49.4 (9.7) |
60.5 (15.8) |
66.5 (19.2) |
65.0 (18.3) |
55.4 (13.0) |
41.2 (5.1) |
29.7 (−1.3) |
20.9 (−6.2) |
40.8 (4.9) |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: PRISM Climate Group (precipitation-dew point) | |||||||||||||
People of Blair: Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 494 | — | |
| 1880 | 1,317 | 166.6% | |
| 1890 | 2,069 | 57.1% | |
| 1900 | 2,970 | 43.5% | |
| 1910 | 2,584 | −13.0% | |
| 1920 | 2,702 | 4.6% | |
| 1930 | 2,791 | 3.3% | |
| 1940 | 3,289 | 17.8% | |
| 1950 | 3,815 | 16.0% | |
| 1960 | 4,931 | 29.3% | |
| 1970 | 6,106 | 23.8% | |
| 1980 | 6,418 | 5.1% | |
| 1990 | 6,860 | 6.9% | |
| 2000 | 7,512 | 9.5% | |
| 2010 | 7,990 | 6.4% | |
| 2020 | 7,790 | −2.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2013 Estimate |
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2020 Census Information
The 2020 United States census counted 7,790 people living in Blair. Most residents, about 92.6%, were white. About 2% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
The census also showed that about 27.6% of the people were under 18 years old. The average age in Blair was 39.2 years.
Local Media
Blair has its own local weekly newspaper called Pilot-Tribune & Enterprise. You can also listen to local radio stations like 97.3 KOBM-FM and FM 94.7 KYTF-LP Blair Radio.
Interesting Places to Visit
- Part of the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum collection, where you can see many different plants.
- Blair is located along the historic Lincoln Highway. This was one of the first roads to cross the United States.
- The Tower of the Four Winds is in Black Elk-Neihardt Park. It honors John G. Neihardt and Black Elk, a famous Lakota Sioux holy man.
Education in Blair
The city is part of the Blair Community Schools district. This district operates Blair High School.
Blair was also home to Dana College from 1884 to 2010. This college is no longer open.
Famous People from Blair
Many notable people have connections to Blair:
- Kent Bellows - a well-known artist.
- Clete Blakeman - a professional football official.
- Bob Cerv - a baseball player.
- Bill Danenhauer - a professional wrestler.
- Mike Hollingshead - a photographer.
- Megan Hunt - a Nebraska State Senator.
- Mick Mines - a Nebraska state senator.
- Otto Schmidt - a US Navy Medal of Honor recipient.
- Tom Seaton - a baseball player.
- Paul Simon - a Democratic Congressman, Senator, and presidential candidate.
- Rod Whitaker - a novelist.
Images for kids
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Blair and the Blair Bridge on June 20, 2011, during the 2011 Missouri River floods
See also
In Spanish: Blair (Nebraska) para niños
