Lincoln County, Nebraska (Plate 15)

Lincoln County, Nebraska

County Seat: North Platte
Founded: 1866
Named For: President Abraham Lincoln
License Plate Prefix: 15
Population: 34,914 (2020 census)
Area: 2,575 sq mi

History

Lincoln County was established in 1866 and named in honor of President Abraham Lincoln. The county’s early development was shaped by the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad, which selected North Platte as a major division point. The city quickly grew into one of the most important railroad hubs in the Great Plains.

The region played a significant role in westward expansion, serving as a key stop along the Oregon Trail, Pony Express route, and later the transcontinental railroad. North Platte is also known for the World War II North Platte Canteen, where volunteers served more than six million service members traveling by train. Agriculture, transportation, and military history continue to define the county’s identity.

Geography

Location: West‑central Nebraska along the Platte River
Landscape: River valleys, sandhills, prairie grasslands, and irrigated farmland

Adjacent Counties:

• Custer County (north)
• Dawson County (east)
• Frontier County (southeast)
• Hayes County (south)
• Perkins County (southwest)
• Keith County (west)
• McPherson County (northwest)

Culture & Landmarks

• Golden Spike Tower – Overlooks Union Pacific’s Bailey Yard, the world’s largest rail yard.
• Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park – Home of William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody.
• Lake Maloney & Sutherland Reservoir – Popular recreation areas for boating, fishing, and camping.

Notable Communities

• North Platte – County seat and major regional center.
• Sutherland – Community near the reservoir and historic Lincoln Highway.
• Hershey – Small town with strong agricultural roots.
• Brady – Village along the Platte River corridor.
• Wallace – Rural community in southern Lincoln County.
• Maxwell – Village east of North Platte along the Platte River.
• Wellfleet – Small village in the south of the county.

Events & Attractions

• Nebraskaland Days – One of Nebraska’s largest festivals, featuring concerts, rodeos, and parades.
• Railroad Heritage Tours – Explore Bailey Yard, Golden Spike Tower, and historic rail sites.
• Outdoor Recreation – Fishing, boating, and camping at Lake Maloney, Sutherland Reservoir, and nearby state parks.

Living in Lincoln County

Lincoln County offers a blend of small‑town living, transportation heritage, and outdoor recreation. North Platte provides schools, healthcare, and commercial services, while surrounding communities maintain strong agricultural traditions. Residents value the county’s history, open landscapes, and access to both rural and urban amenities.

Lincoln County at a Glance

Lincoln County, Nebraska — created 7 January 1860, and this is the part most accounts leave out: it was originally called SHORTER COUNTY. Its 1860 organisation failed when most elected officers never qualified, and it was reorganised and renamed for Abraham Lincoln in 1866, the year after his assassination. The seat sat at Cottonwood Springs until it moved to North Platte in 1867. North Platte itself was founded in 1866 and was the Union Pacific’s western terminus that winter, until the line reached Ogallala. At 2,575 square miles this is Nebraska’s third-largest county. Population peaked at 36,455 in 1980. 378 listings across 7 towns.

Getting there: Interstate 80, US-30 and US-83 through North Platte, plus NE-23, 25 and 97. Union Pacific’s Overland Route main line runs through, and the railroad is still the county’s largest employer at more than 1,700 people. Lincoln is the westernmost Nebraska county entirely in Central Time.

The geography that defines it: the North Platte and South Platte rivers both enter from the west and join just east of the city to form the Platte. Emigrants called the river below the forks “a mile wide at the mouth but only six inches deep”, and “too thick to drink, too thin to plow”.

Bailey Yard at North Platte is the largest railroad classification yard in the world, and the Golden Spike Tower exists to let visitors look down on it. Buffalo Bill Cody bought 160 acres north of the tracks in 1878 and grew Scout’s Rest Ranch to nearly 4,000 acres, building the Second Empire mansion in 1886 and the great barn, with the ranch name painted across its roof, the year after. He sold up in 1911 for $100,000; Game and Parks took it on in 1964, and it is now a National Historic Landmark, designated in 2021.

The county’s best story is the North Platte Canteen. From 1941 to 1946, volunteers met troop trains around the clock with coffee, sandwiches, cake and welcome, and served nearly seven million servicemen and women — one of the largest volunteer efforts of the Second World War, run by a small railroad town. The downtown Canteen District went on the National Register in 2020.

Born here: Keith Neville, born at North Platte in 1884 and elected Governor of Nebraska at thirty-two — the “Boy Governor”. Buffalo Bill is the classic North Platte misattribution: this was his home and his ranch, but he was born at Le Claire, Iowa. Ben Kuroki grew up at Hershey and graduated from its high school, but was born over the line at Gothenburg in Dawson County.

Lincoln County · Central · Highway 83 Corridor · Explore Nebraska