List of counties in Nebraska facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Counties of Nebraska |
|
---|---|
Location | State of Nebraska |
Number | 93 |
Populations | 383 (McPherson) – 589,540 (Douglas) |
Areas | 241 square miles (620 km2) (Sarpy) – 5,961 square miles (15,440 km2) (Cherry) |
Government | County government |
Subdivisions | cities, towns, townships, unincorporated communities, Indian reservations, census designated place |
Welcome to the world of Nebraska's counties! A county is a special area within a state. It helps organize local government and services. Nebraska, a state in the central United States, has 93 different counties. Each one has its own unique history and features.
These counties are like smaller puzzle pieces that make up the whole state. They help manage things like schools, roads, and local laws. You can identify them by their names, special codes, and even the numbers on their license plates!
Many counties were named after important people or places. Sometimes, the original records didn't include the full names of those honored. This means for some counties, like Brown or Dixon, we only know the last name of the person they were named after.
Nebraska's official postal abbreviation is NE. Its special state code, used for things like data and statistics, is 31.
Discover Nebraska's Counties
Nebraska has 93 counties, each with its own story. Below is a list showing each county. You'll find out when it was created, where its name came from, and even its special license plate number.
The "County seat" is like the main town or capital of that county. It's usually where the county government offices are located.
County |
FIPS code | County seat | Est. | Origin | Etymology | License plate prefix |
Population | Area | Map |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adams County | 001 | Hastings | 1867 | Unorganized territory | John Adams, second President of the United States | 14 | 30,899 | ( 1,458 km2) |
563 sq mi![]() |
Antelope County | 003 | Neligh | 1871 | Unorganized territory | Pronghorn, often called antelope | 26 | 6,302 | ( 2,220 km2) |
857 sq mi![]() |
Arthur County | 005 | Arthur | 1913 | Unorganized territory | Chester A. Arthur, twenty-first president of the United States | 91 | 412 | ( 1,852 km2) |
715 sq mi![]() |
Banner County | 007 | Harrisburg | 1888 | Formed from Cheyenne County | Early settlers' goal of making it the "banner county" of the state | 85 | 674 | ( 1,932 km2) |
746 sq mi![]() |
Blaine County | 009 | Brewster | 1885 | Unorganized territory | James G. Blaine, national politician | 86 | 436 | ( 1,841 km2) |
711 sq mi![]() |
Boone County | 011 | Albion | 1871 | Unorganized territory | Daniel Boone, American pioneer and trapper | 23 | 5,310 | ( 1,779 km2) |
687 sq mi![]() |
Box Butte County | 013 | Alliance | 1887 | Formed from Dawes County | A box-shaped butte north of Alliance | 65 | 10,692 | ( 2,784 km2) |
1,075 sq mi![]() |
Boyd County | 015 | Butte | 1891 | Holt County and unorganized territory (Indian Territory) | James E. Boyd, the eighth governor of Nebraska | 63 | 1,725 | ( 1,399 km2) |
540 sq mi![]() |
Brown County | 017 | Ainsworth | 1883 | Unorganized territory | The Brown family of early settlers | 75 | 2,853 | ( 3,162 km2) |
1,221 sq mi![]() |
Buffalo County | 019 | Kearney | 1855 | Unorganized territory | The American Bison | 9 | 50,697 | ( 2,507 km2) |
968 sq mi![]() |
Burt County | 021 | Tekamah | 1854 | One of nine original counties | Francis Burt, the first territorial governor | 31 | 6,727 | ( 1,277 km2) |
493 sq mi![]() |
Butler County | 023 | David City | 1856 | Formed from Greene County | William O. Butler, U.S. Congressman and military leader | 25 | 8,459 | ( 1,513 km2) |
584 sq mi![]() |
Cass County | 025 | Plattsmouth | 1854 | One of nine original counties | Lewis Cass, U.S. Senator who supported the Kansas-Nebraska Act | 20 | 27,446 | ( 1,448 km2) |
559 sq mi![]() |
Cedar County | 027 | Hartington | 1857 | Formed from Dixon and Pierce Counties | The eastern red cedar | 13 | 8,262 | ( 1,917 km2) |
740 sq mi![]() |
Chase County | 029 | Imperial | 1873 | Unorganized territory | Champion S. Chase, Nebraska's first attorney general | 72 | 3,724 | ( 2,315 km2) |
894 sq mi![]() |
Cherry County | 031 | Valentine | 1883 | Unorganized territory | Samuel A. Cherry, army lieutenant killed in the Indian Wars | 66 | 5,492 | ( 15,439 km2) |
5,961 sq mi![]() |
Cheyenne County | 033 | Sidney | 1867 | Unorganized territory | Named for the Cheyenne Indian tribe | 39 | 9,541 | ( 3,098 km2) |
1,196 sq mi![]() |
Clay County | 035 | Clay Center | 1855 | Formed from unorganized territory | Henry Clay, national politician | 30 | 6,116 | ( 1,484 km2) |
573 sq mi![]() |
Colfax County | 037 | Schuyler | 1869 | Formed from Platte County | Schuyler Colfax, Vice President of the United States | 43 | 10,566 | ( 1,070 km2) |
413 sq mi![]() |
Cuming County | 039 | West Point | 1855 | Formed from Burt County | Thomas B. Cuming, first territorial secretary | 24 | 8,918 | ( 1,481 km2) |
572 sq mi![]() |
Custer County | 041 | Broken Bow | 1877 | Unorganized territory | George Armstrong Custer, U.S. Army general | 4 | 10,581 | ( 6,672 km2) |
2,576 sq mi![]() |
Dakota County | 043 | Dakota City | 1855 | Formed from Burt County | Dakota branch of the Sioux Indian tribe | 70 | 21,268 | ( 684 km2) |
264 sq mi![]() |
Dawes County | 045 | Chadron | 1885 | Formed from Sioux County | James W. Dawes, the sixth governor of Nebraska | 69 | 8,133 | ( 3,616 km2) |
1,396 sq mi![]() |
Dawson County | 047 | Lexington | 1860 | Unorganized territory | Jacob Dawson, first postmaster for Lincoln | 18 | 24,085 | ( 2,624 km2) |
1,013 sq mi![]() |
Deuel County | 049 | Chappell | 1888 | Formed from Cheyenne County | The Deuel family of early settlers | 78 | 1,871 | ( 1,140 km2) |
440 sq mi![]() |
Dixon County | 051 | Ponca | 1856 | Formed from Blackbird County, Izard County, and unorganized territory | The Dixon family of early settlers | 35 | 5,491 | ( 1,233 km2) |
476 sq mi![]() |
Dodge County | 053 | Fremont | 1854 | One of nine original counties | Augustus Caesar Dodge, U.S. Senator who supported the Kansas-Nebraska Act | 5 | 37,187 | ( 1,383 km2) |
534 sq mi![]() |
Douglas County | 055 | Omaha | 1854 | One of nine original counties | Stephen Arnold Douglas, national politician | 1 | 589,540 | ( 857 km2) |
331 sq mi![]() |
Dundy County | 057 | Benkelman | 1873 | Unorganized territory | Elmer Scipio Dundy, U.S. Circuit Court judge | 76 | 1,561 | ( 2,383 km2) |
920 sq mi![]() |
Fillmore County | 059 | Geneva | 1856 | Formed from Jackson County and unorganized territory | Millard Fillmore, thirteenth president of the United States | 34 | 5,548 | ( 1,492 km2) |
576 sq mi![]() |
Franklin County | 061 | Franklin | 1867 | Formed from Kearney County | Benjamin Franklin, Founding Father | 50 | 2,825 | ( 1,492 km2) |
576 sq mi![]() |
Frontier County | 063 | Stockville | 1872 | Unorganized territory | Its location | 60 | 2,585 | ( 2,525 km2) |
975 sq mi![]() |
Furnas County | 065 | Beaver City | 1873 | Unorganized territory | Robert Wilkinson Furnas, third governor of Nebraska | 38 | 4,556 | ( 1,860 km2) |
718 sq mi![]() |
Gage County | 067 | Beatrice | 1855 | Unorganized territory | William D. Gage, contemporary chaplain of the state legislature | 3 | 21,634 | ( 2,214 km2) |
855 sq mi![]() |
Garden County | 069 | Oshkosh | 1910 | Formed from Deuel County | Early settlers' hopes for it to become the "garden spot of the west" | 77 | 1,794 | ( 4,416 km2) |
1,705 sq mi![]() |
Garfield County | 071 | Burwell | 1884 | Formed from Wheeler County | James Abram Garfield, twentieth president of the United States | 83 | 1,763 | ( 1,476 km2) |
570 sq mi![]() |
Gosper County | 073 | Elwood | 1873 | Unorganized territory | John J. Gosper, contemporary Nebraska secretary of state | 73 | 1,847 | ( 1,186 km2) |
458 sq mi![]() |
Grant County | 075 | Hyannis | 1887 | Unorganized territory | Ulysses S. Grant, eighteenth president of the United States | 92 | 565 | ( 2,010 km2) |
776 sq mi![]() |
Greeley County | 077 | Greeley | 1871 | Unorganized territory | Horace Greeley, journalist | 62 | 2,219 | ( 1,476 km2) |
570 sq mi![]() |
Hall County | 079 | Grand Island | 1858 | Unorganized territory | Augustus Hall, contemporary chief justice of the Territorial Supreme Court | 8 | 62,197 | ( 1,414 km2) |
546 sq mi![]() |
Hamilton County | 081 | Aurora | 1867 | Unorganized territory | Alexander Hamilton, first United States Secretary of the Treasury | 28 | 9,537 | ( 1,409 km2) |
544 sq mi![]() |
Harlan County | 083 | Alma | 1871 | Formed from Kearney County | Disputed; either James Harlan, national politician, or a local revenue collector | 51 | 3,045 | ( 1,432 km2) |
553 sq mi![]() |
Hayes County | 085 | Hayes Center | 1877 | Unorganized territory | Rutherford B. Hayes, nineteenth president of the United States | 79 | 846 | ( 1,847 km2) |
713 sq mi![]() |
Hitchcock County | 087 | Trenton | 1873 | Unorganized territory | Phineas Warren Hitchcock, Nebraska U.S. Senator | 67 | 2,552 | ( 1,839 km2) |
710 sq mi![]() |
Holt County | 089 | O'Neill | 1860 | Unorganized territory | Joseph Holt, U.S. Postmaster General and Secretary of War | 36 | 10,093 | ( 6,250 km2) |
2,413 sq mi![]() |
Hooker County | 091 | Mullen | 1889 | Unorganized territory | Joseph Hooker, U.S. Army general | 93 | 679 | ( 1,867 km2) |
721 sq mi![]() |
Howard County | 093 | Saint Paul | 1871 | Formed from Hall County | Oliver O. Howard, U.S. Army general | 49 | 6,527 | ( 1,476 km2) |
570 sq mi![]() |
Jefferson County | 095 | Fairbury | 1856 | Unorganized territory | Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States | 33 | 7,054 | ( 1,484 km2) |
573 sq mi![]() |
Johnson County | 097 | Tecumseh | 1857 | Formed from Nemaha and Otoe Counties | Richard Mentor Johnson, ninth vice president of the United States | 57 | 5,198 | ( 974 km2) |
376 sq mi![]() |
Kearney County | 099 | Minden | 1860 | Unorganized territory | Fort Kearny, with a misspelling | 52 | 6,770 | ( 1,336 km2) |
516 sq mi![]() |
Keith County | 101 | Ogallala | 1873 | Unorganized territory | M.C. Keith, rancher with wide holdings | 68 | 8,113 | ( 2,748 km2) |
1,061 sq mi![]() |
Keya Paha County | 103 | Springview | 1884 | Formed from Brown County and unorganized Indian territory | Dakota words Ké-ya Pa-há Wa-kpá (turtle hill river) | 82 | 805 | ( 2,002 km2) |
773 sq mi![]() |
Kimball County | 105 | Kimball | 1888 | Formed from Cheyenne County | Thomas L. Kimball, Union Pacific Railroad official | 71 | 3,289 | ( 2,466 km2) |
952 sq mi![]() |
Knox County | 107 | Center | 1857 | Formed from Pierce County and unorganized territory (Former names-L'Eau Qui Court (1857-1867) and Emmet (1867-1873)) | Henry Knox, first U.S. Secretary of War | 12 | 8,298 | ( 2,870 km2) |
1,108 sq mi![]() |
Lancaster County | 109 | Lincoln | 1855 | Formed from Cass and Pierce Counties | Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Lancaster, England | 2 | 326,716 | ( 2,173 km2) |
839 sq mi![]() |
Lincoln County | 111 | North Platte | 1860 | Unorganized territory | Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth president of the United States | 15 | 33,365 | ( 6,641 km2) |
2,564 sq mi![]() |
Logan County | 113 | Stapleton | 1885 | Unorganized territory | John A. Logan, U.S. Army general | 87 | 655 | ( 1,479 km2) |
571 sq mi![]() |
Loup County | 115 | Taylor | 1883 | Unorganized territory | Loup River | 88 | 592 | ( 1,476 km2) |
570 sq mi![]() |
Madison County | 119 | Madison | 1856 | Formed from Loup County, and McNeale County, and unorganized territory | Either James Madison, fourth president of the United States, or local settlers' native Madison, Wisconsin | 7 | 35,627 | ( 1,484 km2) |
573 sq mi![]() |
McPherson County | 117 | Tryon | 1887 | Unorganized territory | James B. McPherson, U.S. Army general | 90 | 383 | ( 2,225 km2) |
859 sq mi![]() |
Merrick County | 121 | Central City | 1858 | Formed from Polk County and unorganized territory | Elvira Merrick, wife of legislator Henry W. DePuy | 46 | 7,755 | ( 1,256 km2) |
485 sq mi![]() |
Morrill County | 123 | Bridgeport | 1908 | Formed from Cheyenne County | Charles Henry Morrill, president of the Lincoln Land Company | 64 | 4,504 | ( 3,688 km2) |
1,424 sq mi![]() |
Nance County | 125 | Fullerton | 1879 | Formed from a Pawnee Indian reservation | Albinus Nance, fourth governor of Nebraska | 58 | 3,274 | ( 1,142 km2) |
441 sq mi![]() |
Nemaha County | 127 | Auburn | 1854 | One of nine original counties | Nimaha, the Otoe name meaning miry water for a local stream | 44 | 7,076 | ( 1,059 km2) |
409 sq mi![]() |
Nuckolls County | 129 | Nelson | 1860 | Unorganized territory | Lafayette Nuckolls, a member of the first Nebraska territorial legislature; and his brother, Stephen Nuckolls, a pioneering Nebraska settler, businessman and banker | 42 | 4,095 | ( 1,489 km2) |
575 sq mi![]() |
Otoe County | 131 | Nebraska City | 1854 | One of nine original counties | Oto (also Otoe) Native American tribe | 11 | 16,335 | ( 1,595 km2) |
616 sq mi![]() |
Pawnee County | 133 | Pawnee City | 1855 | Formed from Richardson County | Pawnee Native American tribe | 54 | 2,512 | ( 1,119 km2) |
432 sq mi![]() |
Perkins County | 135 | Grant | 1887 | Formed from Keith County | Charles E. Perkins, a president of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad | 74 | 2,795 | ( 2,287 km2) |
883 sq mi![]() |
Phelps County | 137 | Holdrege | 1873 | Formed from Kearney County | William Phelps, an early settler | 37 | 9,057 | ( 1,399 km2) |
540 sq mi![]() |
Pierce County | 139 | Pierce | 1856 | Formed from Izard County, McNeale County, and unorganized territory | Franklin Pierce, the fourteenth president of the United States | 40 | 7,299 | ( 1,487 km2) |
574 sq mi![]() |
Platte County | 141 | Columbus | 1856 | Formed from Greene and Loup Counties | Platte River which is in turn named for the French word for flat | 10 | 34,609 | ( 1,756 km2) |
678 sq mi![]() |
Polk County | 143 | Osceola | 1856 | Formed from York County and unorganized territory | James Knox Polk, the eleventh president of the United States | 41 | 5,228 | ( 1,137 km2) |
439 sq mi![]() |
Red Willow County | 145 | McCook | 1873 | Unorganized territory | Red Willow Creek, which runs through the area | 48 | 10,457 | ( 1,857 km2) |
717 sq mi![]() |
Richardson County | 147 | Falls City | 1854 | One of nine original counties | William A. Richardson, a governor of the Nebraska Territory | 19 | 7,689 | ( 1,435 km2) |
554 sq mi![]() |
Rock County | 149 | Bassett | 1885 | Formed from Brown County | Either Rock Creek, which flows in the county; or the rocky condition of the soil in the area | 81 | 1,271 | ( 2,611 km2) |
1,008 sq mi![]() |
Saline County | 151 | Wilber | 1867 | Unorganized territory | Named for a belief held by the early pioneers that great salt springs and deposits could be found in the area, a hope found to be false | 22 | 14,555 | ( 1,489 km2) |
575 sq mi![]() |
Sarpy County | 153 | Papillion | 1857 | Formed from Cass and Douglas Counties | Peter A. Sarpy, a commander of a trading post in the future county | 59 | 199,886 | ( 624 km2) |
241 sq mi![]() |
Saunders County | 155 | Wahoo | 1856 | Formed from Douglas and Lancaster Counties | Alvin Saunders, a governor of the Nebraska Territory | 6 | 23,463 | ( 1,953 km2) |
754 sq mi![]() |
Scotts Bluff County | 157 | Gering | 1888 | Formed from Cheyenne County | Named for a towering bluff located in the Scotts Bluff National Monument; the bluffs themselves are named for Hiram Scott, a fur trapper who is alleged to have crawled 75 miles with a broken leg before collapsing and dying at the foot of the formation | 21 | 35,699 | ( 1,914 km2) |
739 sq mi![]() |
Seward County | 159 | Seward | 1855 | Formed from Cass and Pierce Counties | William Henry Seward, the United States Secretary of State during the 1860s | 16 | 17,671 | ( 1,489 km2) |
575 sq mi![]() |
Sheridan County | 161 | Rushville | 1885 | Formed from Sioux County | Philip Henry Sheridan, a general in the American Civil War | 61 | 4,928 | ( 6,322 km2) |
2,441 sq mi![]() |
Sherman County | 163 | Loup City | 1871 | Formed from Buffalo County and unorganized territory | William Tecumseh Sherman, the American Civil War general | 56 | 2,983 | ( 1,466 km2) |
566 sq mi![]() |
Sioux County | 165 | Harrison | 1877 | Unorganized territory | Sioux Native American tribe | 80 | 1,154 | ( 3,401 km2) |
1,313 sq mi![]() |
Stanton County | 167 | Stanton | 1855 | Formed from Burt County | Edwin M. Stanton, the United States Secretary of War during most of the American Civil War | 53 | 5,856 | ( 1,114 km2) |
430 sq mi![]() |
Thayer County | 169 | Hebron | 1871 | Formed from Jefferson County | John Milton Thayer, the seventh governor of Nebraska | 32 | 4,829 | ( 1,489 km2) |
575 sq mi![]() |
Thomas County | 171 | Thedford | 1887 | Unorganized territory | George Henry Thomas, a general in the American Civil War | 89 | 677 | ( 1,847 km2) |
713 sq mi![]() |
Thurston County | 173 | Pender | 1889 | Formed from Blackbird County and an Omaha Indian reservation | John Mellen Thurston, a U. S. senator from Nebraska | 55 | 6,557 | ( 1,020 km2) |
394 sq mi![]() |
Valley County | 175 | Ord | 1871 | Unorganized territory | Named for the many valleys in the area | 47 | 4,012 | ( 1,471 km2) |
568 sq mi![]() |
Washington County | 177 | Blair | 1854 | One of nine original counties | George Washington, the first president of the United States | 29 | 21,152 | ( 1,010 km2) |
390 sq mi![]() |
Wayne County | 179 | Wayne | 1867 | Unorganized territory | Anthony Wayne, the American Revolutionary War general nicknamed "Mad Anthony" by his troops | 27 | 9,874 | ( 1,150 km2) |
444 sq mi![]() |
Webster County | 181 | Red Cloud | 1867 | Unorganized territory | Daniel Webster, the statesman and U.S. Senator from Massachusetts | 45 | 3,351 | ( 1,489 km2) |
575 sq mi![]() |
Wheeler County | 183 | Bartlett | 1877 | Unorganized territory | Daniel H. Wheeler, a secretary of the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture | 84 | 775 | ( 1,489 km2) |
575 sq mi![]() |
York County | 185 | York | 1855 | Formed from Cass County, Pierce County, and unorganized territory | Named for either York, England, or York County, Pennsylvania | 17 | 14,356 | ( 1,492 km2) |
576 sq mi![]() |
Counties That No Longer Exist
Over time, some county boundaries in Nebraska have changed. A few counties that once existed are no longer on the map today. Their land was used to create new counties or added to existing ones.
- Clay (1855-1864): This county was formed from unorganized land. It later became part of Gage and Lancaster Counties.
- Jackson (1855-1856): Formed from unorganized land, it was later added to Fillmore County.
- Johnson (1855-1856): This county was also formed from unorganized land and later became unorganized territory again.
- Blackbird (1855-1888): Formed from Burt County, it later became Thurston County.
- Loup (1855-1856): This early county was formed from Burt and unorganized land. It was later divided into Madison, Monroe, and Platte Counties.
- Jones (1856-1866): Formed from unorganized territory, it later became part of Jefferson County.
- West (1860-1862): Formed from unorganized territory, it later became part of Holt County.
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Condados de Nebraska para niños