Counties of Nebraska
LocationState of Nebraska
Number93
Populations372 (McPherson) – 586,327 (Douglas)
Areas241 square miles (620 km2) (Sarpy) – 5,961 square miles (15,440 km2) (Cherry)
Government
Subdivisions

The following is a list of the 93 counties in the U.S. state of Nebraska, listed by name, FIPS code and license plate prefix.

Nebraska's postal abbreviation is NE and its FIPS state code is 31.

When many counties were formed, the bills establishing them did not state the honoree's full name; thus the namesakes of several counties, including Brown, Deuel, Dixon, and possibly Harlan, are known only by their surnames.

County list

County
FIPS code[1] County seat[2] Est.[2] Origin EtymologyLicense plate prefix
[3]
Population[4] Area[2] Map
Adams County 001 Hastings1867Unorganized territoryJohn Adams, second President of the United States14 30,970 563 sq mi
(1,458 km2)
State map highlighting Adams County
Antelope County 003 Neligh1871Unorganized territoryPronghorn, often called antelope26 6,293 857 sq mi
(2,220 km2)
State map highlighting Antelope County
Arthur County 005 Arthur1913Unorganized territoryChester A. Arthur, twenty-first president of the United States91 433 715 sq mi
(1,852 km2)
State map highlighting Arthur County
Banner County 007 Harrisburg1888Formed from Cheyenne CountyEarly settlers' goal of making it the "banner county" of the state85 660 746 sq mi
(1,932 km2)
State map highlighting Banner County
Blaine County 009 Brewster1885Unorganized territoryJames G. Blaine, national politician86 453 711 sq mi
(1,841 km2)
State map highlighting Blaine County
Boone County 011 Albion1871Unorganized territoryDaniel Boone, American pioneer and trapper23 5,385 687 sq mi
(1,779 km2)
State map highlighting Boone County
Box Butte County 013 Alliance1887Formed from Dawes CountyA box-shaped butte north of Alliance65 10,672 1,075 sq mi
(2,784 km2)
State map highlighting Box Butte County
Boyd County 015 Butte1891Holt County and unorganized territory (Indian Territory)James E. Boyd, the eighth governor of Nebraska63 1,741 540 sq mi
(1,399 km2)
State map highlighting Boyd County
Brown County 017 Ainsworth1883Unorganized territoryThe Brown family of early settlers75 2,872 1,221 sq mi
(3,162 km2)
State map highlighting Brown County
Buffalo County 019 Kearney1855Unorganized territoryThe American Bison9 50,586 968 sq mi
(2,507 km2)
State map highlighting Buffalo County
Burt County 021 Tekamah1854One of nine original countiesFrancis Burt, the first territorial governor31 6,755 493 sq mi
(1,277 km2)
State map highlighting Burt County
Butler County 023 David City1856Formed from Greene CountyWilliam O. Butler, U.S. Congressman and military leader25 8,427 584 sq mi
(1,513 km2)
State map highlighting Butler County
Cass County 025 Plattsmouth1854One of nine original countiesLewis Cass, U.S. Senator who supported the Kansas-Nebraska Act20 27,122 559 sq mi
(1,448 km2)
State map highlighting Cass County
Cedar County 027 Hartington1857Formed from Dixon and Pierce CountiesThe eastern red cedar[5]13 8,371 740 sq mi
(1,917 km2)
State map highlighting Cedar County
Chase County 029 Imperial1873Unorganized territoryChampion S. Chase, Nebraska's first attorney general72 3,772 894 sq mi
(2,315 km2)
State map highlighting Chase County
Cherry County 031 Valentine1883Unorganized territorySamuel A. Cherry, army lieutenant killed in the Indian Wars66 5,464 5,961 sq mi
(15,439 km2)
State map highlighting Cherry County
Cheyenne County 033 Sidney1867Unorganized territoryNamed for the Cheyenne Indian tribe39 9,511 1,196 sq mi
(3,098 km2)
State map highlighting Cheyenne County
Clay County 035 Clay Center1855Formed from unorganized territoryHenry Clay, national politician30 6,049 573 sq mi
(1,484 km2)
State map highlighting Clay County
Colfax County 037 Schuyler1869Formed from Platte CountySchuyler Colfax, Vice President of the United States43 10,444 413 sq mi
(1,070 km2)
State map highlighting Colfax County
Cuming County 039 West Point1855Formed from Burt CountyThomas B. Cuming, first territorial secretary24 8,929 572 sq mi
(1,481 km2)
State map highlighting Cuming County
Custer County 041 Broken Bow1877Unorganized territoryGeorge Armstrong Custer, U.S. Army general4 10,476 2,576 sq mi
(6,672 km2)
State map highlighting Custer County
Dakota County 043 Dakota City1855Formed from Burt CountyDakota branch of the Sioux Indian tribe70 21,042 264 sq mi
(684 km2)
State map highlighting Dakota County
Dawes County 045 Chadron1885Formed from Sioux CountyJames W. Dawes, the sixth governor of Nebraska69 8,241 1,396 sq mi
(3,616 km2)
State map highlighting Dawes County
Dawson County 047 Lexington1860Unorganized territoryJacob Dawson, first postmaster for Lincoln18 23,884 1,013 sq mi
(2,624 km2)
State map highlighting Dawson County
Deuel County 049 Chappell1888Formed from Cheyenne CountyThe Deuel family of early settlers78 1,902 440 sq mi
(1,140 km2)
State map highlighting Deuel County
Dixon County 051 Ponca1856Formed from Blackbird County, Izard County, and unorganized territoryThe Dixon family of early settlers35 5,464 476 sq mi
(1,233 km2)
State map highlighting Dixon County
Dodge County 053 Fremont1854One of nine original countiesAugustus Caesar Dodge, U.S. Senator who supported the Kansas-Nebraska Act5 36,997 534 sq mi
(1,383 km2)
State map highlighting Dodge County
Douglas County 055 Omaha1854One of nine original countiesStephen Arnold Douglas, national politician1 586,327 331 sq mi
(857 km2)
State map highlighting Douglas County
Dundy County 057 Benkelman1873Unorganized territoryElmer Scipio Dundy, U.S. Circuit Court judge76 1,590 920 sq mi
(2,383 km2)
State map highlighting Dundy County
Fillmore County 059 Geneva1856Formed from Jackson County and unorganized territoryMillard Fillmore, thirteenth president of the United States34 5,553 576 sq mi
(1,492 km2)
State map highlighting Fillmore County
Franklin County 061 Franklin1867Formed from Kearney CountyBenjamin Franklin, Founding Father50 2,873 576 sq mi
(1,492 km2)
State map highlighting Franklin County
Frontier County 063 Stockville1872Unorganized territoryIts location60 2,633 975 sq mi
(2,525 km2)
State map highlighting Frontier County
Furnas County 065 Beaver City1873Unorganized territoryRobert Wilkinson Furnas, third governor of Nebraska38 4,575 718 sq mi
(1,860 km2)
State map highlighting Furnas County
Gage County 067 Beatrice1855Unorganized territoryWilliam D. Gage, contemporary chaplain of the state legislature3 21,583 855 sq mi
(2,214 km2)
State map highlighting Gage County
Garden County 069 Oshkosh1910Formed from Deuel CountyEarly settlers' hopes for it to become the "garden spot of the west"77 1,837 1,705 sq mi
(4,416 km2)
State map highlighting Garden County
Garfield County 071 Burwell1884Formed from Wheeler CountyJames Abram Garfield, twentieth president of the United States83 1,801 570 sq mi
(1,476 km2)
State map highlighting Garfield County
Gosper County 073 Elwood1873Unorganized territoryJohn J. Gosper, contemporary Nebraska secretary of state73 1,808 458 sq mi
(1,186 km2)
State map highlighting Gosper County
Grant County 075 Hyannis1887Unorganized territoryUlysses S. Grant, eighteenth president of the United States92 576 776 sq mi
(2,010 km2)
State map highlighting Grant County
Greeley County 077 Greeley1871Unorganized territoryHorace Greeley, journalist62 2,227 570 sq mi
(1,476 km2)
State map highlighting Greeley County
Hall County 079 Grand Island1858Unorganized territoryAugustus Hall, contemporary chief justice of the Territorial Supreme Court8 62,097 546 sq mi
(1,414 km2)
State map highlighting Hall County
Hamilton County 081 Aurora1867Unorganized territoryAlexander Hamilton, first United States Secretary of the Treasury28 9,429 544 sq mi
(1,409 km2)
State map highlighting Hamilton County
Harlan County 083 Alma1871Formed from Kearney CountyDisputed; either James Harlan, national politician, or a local revenue collector51 3,054 553 sq mi
(1,432 km2)
State map highlighting Harlan County
Hayes County 085 Hayes Center1877Unorganized territoryRutherford B. Hayes, nineteenth president of the United States79 849 713 sq mi
(1,847 km2)
State map highlighting Hayes County
Hitchcock County 087 Trenton1873Unorganized territoryPhineas Warren Hitchcock, Nebraska U.S. Senator67 2,598 710 sq mi
(1,839 km2)
State map highlighting Hitchcock County
Holt County 089 O'Neill1860Unorganized territoryJoseph Holt, U.S. Postmaster General and Secretary of War36 10,043 2,413 sq mi
(6,250 km2)
State map highlighting Holt County
Hooker County 091 Mullen1889Unorganized territoryJoseph Hooker, U.S. Army general93 686 721 sq mi
(1,867 km2)
State map highlighting Hooker County
Howard County 093 Saint Paul1871Formed from Hall CountyOliver O. Howard, U.S. Army general49 6,515 570 sq mi
(1,476 km2)
State map highlighting Howard County
Jefferson County 095 Fairbury1856Unorganized territoryThomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States33 7,154 573 sq mi
(1,484 km2)
State map highlighting Jefferson County
Johnson County 097 Tecumseh1857Formed from Nemaha and Otoe CountiesRichard Mentor Johnson, ninth vice president of the United States57 5,287 376 sq mi
(974 km2)
State map highlighting Johnson County
Kearney County 099 Minden1860Unorganized territoryFort Kearny, with a misspelling52 6,690 516 sq mi
(1,336 km2)
State map highlighting Kearney County
Keith County 101 Ogallala1873Unorganized territoryM.C. Keith, rancher with wide holdings68 8,269 1,061 sq mi
(2,748 km2)
State map highlighting Keith County
Keya Paha County 103 Springview1884Formed from Brown County and unorganized Indian territoryDakota words Ké-ya Pa-há Wa-kpá (turtle hill river)82 787 773 sq mi
(2,002 km2)
State map highlighting Keya Paha County
Kimball County 105 Kimball1888Formed from Cheyenne CountyThomas L. Kimball, Union Pacific Railroad official71 3,315 952 sq mi
(2,466 km2)
State map highlighting Kimball County
Knox County 107 Center1857Formed 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 War12 8,336 1,108 sq mi
(2,870 km2)
State map highlighting Knox County
Lancaster County 109 Lincoln1855Formed from Cass and Pierce CountiesLancaster, Pennsylvania and Lancaster, England2 324,756 839 sq mi
(2,173 km2)
State map highlighting Lancaster County
Lincoln County 111 North Platte1860Unorganized territoryAbraham Lincoln, sixteenth president of the United States15 33,685 2,564 sq mi
(6,641 km2)
State map highlighting Lincoln County
Logan County 113 Stapleton1885Unorganized territoryJohn A. Logan, U.S. Army general87 675 571 sq mi
(1,479 km2)
State map highlighting Logan County
Loup County 115 Taylor1883Unorganized territoryLoup River88 599 570 sq mi
(1,476 km2)
State map highlighting Loup County
Madison County 119 Madison1856Formed from Loup County, and McNeale County, and unorganized territoryEither James Madison, fourth president of the United States, or local settlers' native Madison, Wisconsin7 35,368 573 sq mi
(1,484 km2)
State map highlighting Madison County
McPherson County 117 Tryon1887Unorganized territoryJames B. McPherson, U.S. Army general90 372 859 sq mi
(2,225 km2)
State map highlighting McPherson County
Merrick County 121 Central City1858Formed from Polk County and unorganized territoryElvira Merrick, wife of legislator Henry W. DePuy46 7,721 485 sq mi
(1,256 km2)
State map highlighting Merrick County
Morrill County 123 Bridgeport1908Formed from Cheyenne CountyCharles Henry Morrill, president of the Lincoln Land Company64 4,527 1,424 sq mi
(3,688 km2)
State map highlighting Morrill County
Nance County 125 Fullerton1879Formed from a Pawnee Indian reservationAlbinus Nance, fourth governor of Nebraska58 3,326 441 sq mi
(1,142 km2)
State map highlighting Nance County
Nemaha County 127 Auburn1854One of nine original countiesNimaha, the Otoe name meaning miry water for a local stream44 7,035 409 sq mi
(1,059 km2)
State map highlighting Nemaha County
Nuckolls County 129 Nelson1860Unorganized territoryLafayette Nuckolls, a member of the first Nebraska territorial legislature; and his brother, Stephen Nuckolls, a pioneering Nebraska settler, businessman and banker42 4,041 575 sq mi
(1,489 km2)
State map highlighting Nuckolls County
Otoe County 131 Nebraska City1854One of nine original countiesOto (also Otoe) Native American tribe11 16,198 616 sq mi
(1,595 km2)
State map highlighting Otoe County
Pawnee County 133 Pawnee City1855Formed from Richardson CountyPawnee Native American tribe54 2,528 432 sq mi
(1,119 km2)
State map highlighting Pawnee County
Perkins County 135 Grant1887Formed from Keith CountyCharles E. Perkins, a president of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad74 2,829 883 sq mi
(2,287 km2)
State map highlighting Perkins County
Phelps County 137 Holdrege1873Formed from Kearney CountyWilliam Phelps, an early settler[5]37 8,988 540 sq mi
(1,399 km2)
State map highlighting Phelps County
Pierce County 139 Pierce1856Formed from Izard County, McNeale County, and unorganized territoryFranklin Pierce, the fourteenth president of the United States40 7,332 574 sq mi
(1,487 km2)
State map highlighting Pierce County
Platte County 141 Columbus1856Formed from Greene and Loup CountiesPlatte River which is in turn named for the French word for flat10 34,296 678 sq mi
(1,756 km2)
State map highlighting Platte County
Polk County 143 Osceola1856Formed from York County and unorganized territoryJames Knox Polk, the eleventh president of the United States41 5,166 439 sq mi
(1,137 km2)
State map highlighting Polk County
Red Willow County 145 McCook1873Unorganized territoryRed Willow Creek, which runs through the area48 10,573 717 sq mi
(1,857 km2)
State map highlighting Red Willow County
Richardson County 147 Falls City1854One of nine original countiesWilliam A. Richardson, a governor of the Nebraska Territory19 7,705 554 sq mi
(1,435 km2)
State map highlighting Richardson County
Rock County 149 Bassett1885Formed from Brown CountyEither Rock Creek, which flows in the county; or the rocky condition of the soil in the area81 1,245 1,008 sq mi
(2,611 km2)
State map highlighting Rock County
Saline County 151 Wilber1867Unorganized territoryNamed 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 false22 14,116 575 sq mi
(1,489 km2)
State map highlighting Saline County
Sarpy County 153 Papillion1857Formed from Cass and Douglas CountiesPeter A. Sarpy, a commander of a trading post in the future county59 196,553 241 sq mi
(624 km2)
State map highlighting Sarpy County
Saunders County 155 Wahoo1856Formed from Douglas and Lancaster CountiesAlvin Saunders, a governor of the Nebraska Territory6 23,118 754 sq mi
(1,953 km2)
State map highlighting Saunders County
Scotts Bluff County 157 Gering1888Formed from Cheyenne CountyNamed 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 formation21 35,603 739 sq mi
(1,914 km2)
State map highlighting Scotts Bluff County
Seward County 159 Seward1855Formed from Cass and Pierce CountiesWilliam Henry Seward, the United States Secretary of State during the 1860s16 17,692 575 sq mi
(1,489 km2)
State map highlighting Seward County
Sheridan County 161 Rushville1885Formed from Sioux CountyPhilip Henry Sheridan, a general in the American Civil War61 4,996 2,441 sq mi
(6,322 km2)
State map highlighting Sheridan County
Sherman County 163 Loup City1871Formed from Buffalo County and unorganized territoryWilliam Tecumseh Sherman, the American Civil War general56 2,980 566 sq mi
(1,466 km2)
State map highlighting Sherman County
Sioux County 165 Harrison1877Unorganized territorySioux Native American tribe80 1,127 1,313 sq mi
(3,401 km2)
State map highlighting Sioux County
Stanton County 167 Stanton1855Formed from Burt CountyEdwin M. Stanton, the United States Secretary of War during most of the American Civil War53 5,717 430 sq mi
(1,114 km2)
State map highlighting Stanton County
Thayer County 169 Hebron1871Formed from Jefferson CountyJohn Milton Thayer, the seventh governor of Nebraska32 4,885 575 sq mi
(1,489 km2)
State map highlighting Thayer County
Thomas County 171 Thedford1887Unorganized territoryGeorge Henry Thomas, a general in the American Civil War89 671 713 sq mi
(1,847 km2)
State map highlighting Thomas County
Thurston County 173 Pender1889Formed from Blackbird County and an Omaha Indian reservationJohn Mellen Thurston, a U. S. senator from Nebraska55 6,507 394 sq mi
(1,020 km2)
State map highlighting Thurston County
Valley County 175 Ord1871Unorganized territoryNamed for the many valleys in the area47 4,073 568 sq mi
(1,471 km2)
State map highlighting Valley County
Washington County 177 Blair1854One of nine original countiesGeorge Washington, the first president of the United States29 21,167 390 sq mi
(1,010 km2)
State map highlighting Washington County
Wayne County 179 Wayne1867Unorganized territoryAnthony Wayne, the American Revolutionary War general nicknamed "Mad Anthony" by his troops27 9,871 444 sq mi
(1,150 km2)
State map highlighting Wayne County
Webster County 181 Red Cloud1867Unorganized territoryDaniel Webster, the statesman and U.S. Senator from Massachusetts45 3,336 575 sq mi
(1,489 km2)
State map highlighting Webster County
Wheeler County 183 Bartlett1877Unorganized territoryDaniel H. Wheeler, a secretary of the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture84 785 575 sq mi
(1,489 km2)
State map highlighting Wheeler County
York County 185 York1855Formed from Cass County, Pierce County, and unorganized territoryNamed for either York, England, or York County, Pennsylvania17 14,354 576 sq mi
(1,492 km2)
State map highlighting York County

Former counties

  • Clay (1855-1864) Formed from unorganized territory and dissolved into Gage and Lancaster County.
  • Jackson (1855-1856) Formed from unorganized territory and dissolved to Fillmore County and unorganized territory
  • Johnson (1855-1856) Formed from unorganized territory and dissolved to unorganized territory
  • Blackbird (1855-1888) Formed from Burt County and dissolved to Thurston County
  • Loup (1855-1856) Formed from Burt and Un-Organized and then dissolved Madison, Monroe and Platte Counties
  • Jones (1856-1866) Formed from unorganized territory and dissolved into Jefferson County.
  • Grant, Harrison, Jackson, Lynn, Monroe and Taylor counties listed in 1870 - see map
  • West (1860-1862) Formed from unorganized territory and dissolved into Holt County

References

  1. "EPA County FIPS Code Listing". EPA.gov. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  2. 1 2 3 National Association of Counties. "NACo County Explorer". Retrieved 2015-10-25.
  3. The license plate prefix sequence is derived from the number of vehicles registered in each county in 1922.
  4. U.S. Census Bureau. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Nebraska". Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  5. 1 2 Fitzpatrick, Lilian Linder (1925). "Nebraska Place-Names". University of Nebraska Department of English. Retrieved 2010-09-02.
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