Douglas County, Nebraska facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Douglas County
County
Douglas County Courthouse in Omaha
Seal Logo
Location within the U.S. state of Nebraska
Nebraska's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Nebraska
Founded	November 23, 1854
Named for	Stephen A. Douglas
Seat	Omaha
Largest city	Omaha
Area
• Total	339 sq mi (880 km2)
• Land	328 sq mi (850 km2)
• Water	11 sq mi (30 km2)  3.2%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	584,526
• Estimate  (2023)	589,540
• Density	1,724.3/sq mi (665.7/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	2nd

Douglas County is a special area called a county in the state of Nebraska, USA. In 2020, about 584,526 people lived here. It's the county with the most people in Nebraska, home to almost 30% of everyone in the state! The main city, called the county seat, is Omaha. Omaha is also the biggest city in Nebraska.

Douglas County was started in 1854. It was named after Stephen A. Douglas, who was a very important US Senator from Illinois.

This county is part of a larger area called the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Statistical Area. This means it's connected to nearby cities in both Nebraska and Iowa.

For a long time, Nebraska used a special system for license plates. Douglas County had the number "1" because it had the most cars registered in 1922. This system changed in 2002 for Douglas and two other big counties.

Where is Douglas County Located?

Douglas County is on the eastern side of Nebraska. Its eastern border is right next to the state of Iowa, across the Missouri River. The Elkhorn River flows through the western-central part of the county. The Platte River forms part of its western border.

The U.S. Census Bureau says the county covers about 339 square miles. Most of this (328 square miles) is land, and about 11 square miles (3.2%) is water.

Main Roads in Douglas County

Many important roads help people travel through Douglas County. These include major interstate highways and US routes.

• Interstate 80
• Interstate 480
• Interstate 680
• U.S. Highway 6
• U.S. Highway 75
• U.S. Highway 275
• Nebraska Highway 31
• Nebraska Highway 36
• Nebraska Highway 50
• Nebraska Highway 64
• Nebraska Highway 85
• Nebraska Highway 92
• Nebraska Highway 133

Public Transportation Options

You can travel in and out of Douglas County using different types of public transport.

• Amtrak California Zephyr (train service at Omaha station)
• Burlington Trailways (bus service at Omaha Bus Station)
• Express Arrow (bus service at Omaha Bus Station)
• Jefferson Lines (bus service at Omaha Bus Station)
• Metro Transit (local bus service in Omaha)

Neighboring Counties

Douglas County shares its borders with several other counties:

• Dodge County – to the northwest
• Washington County – to the north
• Pottawattamie County, Iowa – to the east (across the river)
• Sarpy County – to the south
• Saunders County – to the west

Nature and Parks

Douglas County has some beautiful natural areas where people can enjoy the outdoors.

• Bluestem Prairie Preserve
• Two Rivers State Recreation Area

How Many People Live Here?

The number of people living in Douglas County has grown a lot over the years.

What the 2020 Census Showed

In 2020, the census counted 584,526 people in Douglas County. This means there were about 1,724 people living in each square mile.

The census also looked at the different backgrounds of people.

• About 68.8% of people were White.
• About 11.5% were Black or African American.
• About 1.2% were Native American.
• About 4.3% were Asian.
• A small number (0.1%) were Pacific Islander.
• About 2.8% were from two or more races.
• About 12.9% of the people were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

What the 2010 Census Showed

The 2010 census counted 517,110 people. The population density was about 1,574 people per square mile.

The racial makeup in 2010 was:

• 76.4% White
• 11.6% Black or African American
• 0.7% Native American
• 2.7% Asian
• 0.1% Pacific Islander
• 5.7% from other races
• 2.8% from two or more races
• 11.2% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Many people in Douglas County have ancestors from different countries.

• About 30% had German ancestry.
• About 15% had Irish ancestry.
• About 8.0% had English ancestry.
• About 4.9% had Italian ancestry.

The average income for a household in 2010 was $51,878. For families, it was $67,666. The average income per person was $28,092. About 13.1% of all people, and 9.4% of families, lived below the poverty line.

Cities and Towns in Douglas County

Douglas County has several cities and smaller communities.

Cities

• Bennington
• Omaha (This is the county seat, where the main county government offices are.)
  • East Omaha
  • Elkhorn (Omaha)
  • Millard (Omaha)
  • North Omaha
  • South Omaha
  • West Omaha
• Ralston
• Valley

Villages

• Boys Town
• Waterloo

Census-Designated Places

These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated as cities or villages.

• King Lake
• Venice

Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller communities that are not part of any city or village.

• Briggs
• Debolt
• Elk City
• Irvington
• Lane

Schools in Douglas County

Many different school districts serve the students in Douglas County.

• Arlington Public Schools
• Bennington Public Schools
• Douglas County West Community Schools
• Elkhorn Public Schools
• Fort Calhoun Community Schools
• Fremont Public Schools
• Gretna Public Schools
• Millard Public Schools
• Omaha Public Schools
• Ralston Public Schools
• Westside Community Schools
• Yutan Public Schools

The Nebraska School for the Deaf used to be in Douglas County.

Images for kids

• 

  The official seal of Douglas County.

• 

  The wordmark logo for Douglas County.