Plattsmouth, Nebraska

Plattsmouth is a city in Cass County, Nebraska, and serves as the county seat. It was founded in 1854 as a trading post known as "the Barracks," incorporated on March 15, 1855, and had a population of 6,544 at the 2020 census. Its name comes from its location at the mouth of the Platte River, where it meets the Missouri River.

History

Plattsmouth’s history runs deep even by Nebraska standards: Lewis and Clark passed near the site on July 21, 1804, and a Mormon ferry crossing operated there from 1848 during the westward migration. The city grew as a steamboat-era river town before the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad arrived in 1869, making Plattsmouth a major shipping terminus, followed by Missouri Pacific routes in 1891. From roughly 1890 to 1940, the Burlington’s Plattsmouth repair shops employed up to 800 men, and the city’s population neared 10,000 before the shops closed in the mid-1960s, which explains the town’s later population decline. Today, Plattsmouth’s downtown holds 45 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, anchored by the Romanesque-style Cass County Courthouse, built in 1891. Notable natives and residents include U.S. Senator Hazel Abel, novelist Raymond Chandler, and illustrator John Philip Falter.

Location & Geography

Plattsmouth sits at the confluence of the Platte and Missouri Rivers in eastern Cass County.

Today

As the Cass County seat, Plattsmouth anchors local government and services for the surrounding area, with a well-preserved historic downtown reflecting its railroad and riverboat past. Visitors and residents can browse local businesses and services through the categories below or the full Cass County directory.

Plattsmouth, Nebraska

City in Cass County, and the county seat. Population 6,544 (2020). Founded 1854, incorporated 1855. Historic railroad and riverboat town at the mouth of the Platte River; downtown has 45 NRHP-listed buildings.

Designation: City, County Seat

Plattsmouth Town Page · Cameras