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Dawson County, Nebraska facts for kids

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Not to be confused with Dawson, Nebraska.
Quick facts for kids
Dawson County
U.S. county
Dawson County Courthouse in Lexington
Dawson County Courthouse in Lexington
Map of Nebraska highlighting Dawson County
Location within the U.S. state of Nebraska
Map of the United States highlighting Nebraska
Nebraska's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Nebraska
Founded 1860 (authorized by Territorial Legislature)
1871 (authorized by proclamation of Acting Governor)
Named for Jacob Dawson
Seat Lexington
Largest city Lexington
Area
 • Total 1,019 sq mi (2,640 km2)
 • Land 1,013 sq mi (2,620 km2)
 • Water 6.3 sq mi (16 km2)  0.6%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 24,111
 • Density 23.661/sq mi (9.136/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 3rd

Dawson County is a county located in the state of Nebraska in the United States. In 2020, about 24,111 people lived here. The main city and county seat is Lexington.

Dawson County is part of the Lexington, NE Micropolitan Statistical Area. This means it's a smaller city area with a central city and nearby communities that are closely connected.

If you look at Nebraska license plates, cars from Dawson County have the number 18. This is because Dawson County had the 18th largest number of registered vehicles when the license plate system started in 1922.

History of Dawson County

Dawson County was first created by the state's government in 1860. It officially became a county in 1871. This happened when the acting Governor, William James, made an official announcement.

There are a couple of ideas about how the county got its name. The county's own website says it was named after Jacob Dawson. He was the first postmaster in a settlement called Lancaster County, Nebraska. However, other sources suggest it was named after John Littleton Dawson. He was a Congressman from Pennsylvania.

Geography and Nature in Dawson County

Dawson County is located near the middle of Nebraska. It is in the part of the state that uses the Central Time Zone.

According to official records, the county covers an area of about 1,019 square miles. Most of this area, about 1,013 square miles, is land. The rest, about 6.3 square miles, is water.

Main Roads in Dawson County

You can travel through Dawson County using several important roads:

  • I-80.svg Interstate 80
  • US 30.svg U.S. Highway 30
  • US 283.svg U.S. Highway 283
  • N-21.svg Nebraska Highway 21
  • N-23.svg Nebraska Highway 23
  • N-40.svg Nebraska Highway 40
  • N-47.svg Nebraska Highway 47

Public Transportation

If you need to travel by bus, you can use:

  • Burlington Trailways
  • Express Arrow

Parks and Wildlife Areas

Dawson County has several protected areas where you can enjoy nature:

  • Bitterns Call State Wildlife Management Area
  • Dogwood State Wildlife Management Area
  • East Willow Island State Wildlife Management Area
  • Gallagher Canyon State Recreation Area

Neighboring Counties

Dawson County shares its borders with these other counties:

People in Dawson County

The number of people living in Dawson County has changed over the years. Here's how the population has grown:

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1860 16 —
1870 103 543.8%
1880 2,909 2,724.3%
1890 10,129 248.2%
1900 12,264 21.1%
1910 15,961 30.1%
1920 16,004 0.3%
1930 17,875 11.7%
1940 17,890 0.1%
1950 19,393 8.4%
1960 19,405 0.1%
1970 19,771 1.9%
1980 22,304 12.8%
1990 19,940 −10.6%
2000 24,365 22.2%
2010 24,326 −0.2%
2020 24,111 −0.9%
US Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010 2020

In 2020, there were 24,111 people living in Dawson County. The county had about 24 people per square mile. Most people (72.7%) were White. Other groups included Black or African American (5.5%), Native American (2.5%), and Asian (1.1%). About 35.8% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

There were about 8,965 households in the county. About 27.1% of these households had children under 18 living with them. Many households (58.8%) were married couples. The average household had 2.71 people.

The median age in the county was 34 years old. This means half the people were younger than 34, and half were older. About 29.2% of the population was under 18 years old.

Communities in Dawson County

Dawson County has several towns and villages where people live.

Cities

Villages

Other Communities

Images for kids

  • I-80

    Interstate 80 sign

  • US 30

    U.S. Route 30 sign

  • US 283

    U.S. Route 283 sign

  • N-21

    Nebraska Highway 21 sign

  • N-23

    Nebraska Highway 23 sign

  • N-40

    Nebraska Highway 40 sign

  • N-47

    Nebraska Highway 47 sign

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Dawson County, Nebraska Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.