Box Butte County is a county in Nebraska, United States, in the Panhandle region near the Wyoming border. It had a population of 10,842 at the 2020 census and covers 1,077.91 square miles (2,791.77 km2) centred near 42°12′37″N 103°04′54″W.
Alliance is the county seat, and its postal code is 69301. The county has one city, one village, one census-designated place and two unincorporated communities. It observes Mountain Time and its area code is 308.
Towns & Villages in Box Butte County
Box Butte County has five named places on the map: one city, one incorporated village, one census-designated place (CDP), and two small unincorporated communities. Alliance, the county seat, is by far the largest.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alliance | City · seat | 8,491 | 69301 |
| Hemingford | Village | 780 | 69348 |
| Berea | CDP | — | — |
| Nonpareil | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Letan | Unincorp. | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 69301 — Alliance (also serves Nonpareil)
- 69348 — Hemingford (also serves Berea and Letan)
Berea, Nonpareil and Letan are unincorporated and share their nearest post office’s ZIP code rather than having their own.
Geography
Box Butte County sits on the high plains of the Nebraska Panhandle, an area of rolling tableland and grazing country cut by shallow draws. The county’s name comes from a large, box-shaped butte north of Alliance that served as a landmark for early surveyors. Water covers only about a quarter of one percent of the county’s area, mostly in small creeks and stock ponds; there is no major river or natural lake.
Box Butte County borders Sheridan County to the east, Sioux County to the west, Dawes County to the north, Morrill County to the south, and Scotts Bluff County to the southwest.
Demographics
The county’s population was 10,842 at the 2020 census. Alliance is by far the largest community, followed by Hemingford. The county’s median household income runs below the Nebraska median of $74,590, typical of a sparsely populated Panhandle county built around agriculture and rail freight rather than higher-wage metro industries. Population density works out to roughly 10 people per square mile, among the lower densities in the state.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture drives the county economy, chiefly cattle ranching and dryland and irrigated crops such as wheat, corn and dry beans. Alliance is a division point on the BNSF Railway’s line through the Panhandle, and rail employment has long been a mainstay of the town alongside agribusiness and county-seat services such as the Box Butte General Hospital. Alliance is also known regionally for Carhenge, a Stonehenge replica built from vintage American automobiles just north of town, which draws visitors off U.S. Highway 385.
History
Box Butte County was organized on November 2, 1886, carved from the vast unorganized Panhandle territory to give settlers a county seat closer to home. It takes its name from a large, box-shaped butte that rises north of Alliance. Alliance grew rapidly after the arrival of the railroad in the late 1880s and became a division point, which shaped the town’s layout and economy for more than a century.
Getting There
U.S. Highway 385 and U.S. Highway 2 both pass through Alliance, meeting at the town’s center; Nebraska Highway 87 runs south toward Hemingford and beyond.
- Scottsbluff, Nebraska — 60 miles southwest
- Chadron, Nebraska — 45 miles north
- Rapid City, South Dakota — 120 miles north
- Cheyenne, Wyoming — 165 miles southwest
The nearest commercial airport is Western Nebraska Regional Airport in Scottsbluff; Alliance Municipal Airport offers general-aviation service only.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Box Butte County, Nebraska?
It is in the Nebraska Panhandle, in the west-central part of the state, bordering Wyoming to the west via Sioux County.
What is the population of Box Butte County?
10,842 as of the 2020 census.
How big is Box Butte County?
1,077.91 square miles (2,791.77 km2), almost entirely land.
What is the county seat of Box Butte County?
Alliance is the county seat and the county’s largest city.
How many towns are in Box Butte County?
One city (Alliance), one village (Hemingford), one CDP (Berea) and two small unincorporated communities (Nonpareil and Letan).
What ZIP codes are in Box Butte County?
69301 for Alliance and 69348 for Hemingford; the smaller communities use one of these two.
What is Box Butte County known for?
Carhenge, the car-built Stonehenge replica near Alliance, and its role as a BNSF Railway division point.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Nebraska.