Butler County, Nebraska

Butler County is a county in Nebraska, United States, in the east-central part of the state. It had a population of 8,369 at the 2020 census and covers 590.8 square miles (1,530.2 km2) centred near 41°14′N 97°08′W.

David City is the county seat, and its postal code is 68632. The county has one city, 11 villages and five unincorporated communities, plus the abandoned townsite of Savannah. Butler County observes Central time and carries FIPS code 31023.

Towns & Villages in Butler County

Seventeen named places are spread across Butler County: one city (David City, the seat), 11 incorporated villages and five unincorporated communities. None reach CDP status in Census Bureau data.

Savannah, a onetime rail siding in the county’s north, no longer has any residents and survives only as a name on county maps.

ZIP Codes

• 68632 — David City
• 68001 — Abie
• 68624 — Bellwood
• 68626 — Brainard
• 68014 — Bruno
• 68635 — Dwight
• 68036 — Linwood
• 68658 — Rising City
• 68667 — Surprise
• 68669 — Ulysses

Octavia, Garrison and the unincorporated communities of Appleton, Edholm, Loma, Millerton and Nimburg have no post office of their own and are served by a neighboring town’s ZIP code.

Geography

Butler County sits on the gently rolling loess plains of east-central Nebraska, land given over almost entirely to corn and soybean farming. The Big Blue River crosses the county, with smaller streams including Skull Creek and Rawhide Creek draining toward it.

Butler County borders six other Nebraska counties: Colfax County and Platte County to the north, Saunders County to the east, Seward County and York County to the south, and Polk County to the west.

Demographics

Butler County’s population was 8,369 at the 2020 census, giving a density of about 14 people per square mile. David City, at 2,995 residents, and Bellwood, at 407, are the county’s two largest communities. County-level median household income has not been independently verified for this page; Nebraska’s statewide 2023 median was $74,590, and Butler County’s mostly agricultural, small-town economy places it in a comparable range rather than far above or below that figure.

Economy & Local Life

Agriculture drives Butler County’s economy — corn and soybeans dominate the cropland, with cattle and hog operations on many farms. David City functions as the county’s commercial and government center, home to the county courthouse, the local hospital and the county’s public schools. Grain elevators anchor the smaller villages along the county’s rail lines and highways, and most of the county’s small businesses — implement dealers, co-ops, cafes — serve the surrounding farm trade.

David City hosts an annual county fair, a fixture of summer life across rural Nebraska, along with smaller village festivals in communities such as Brainard and Bruno that draw on the county’s Czech heritage.

History

Butler County was created on January 26, 1856, and formally organized on October 21, 1868. It was named for William Orlando Butler, a U.S. congressman and Army major general from Kentucky. Nineteenth-century settlement brought large numbers of German and Czech immigrants, whose descendants still make up close to a third and a fifth of the county’s population, respectively — a heritage still visible in local church and community traditions. David City itself grew up around the railroad and became the seat of county government soon after the county’s organization, eclipsing several smaller rival townsites that never developed beyond a store and a post office.

Getting There

U.S. Highway 81 runs north-south through David City, crossed by Nebraska Highways 15, 64, 66 and 92.

• Columbus — about 20 miles north
• York — about 30 miles southwest
• Lincoln — about 55 miles south
• Omaha — about 65 miles east

The nearest commercial airport is Lincoln Airport, roughly an hour’s drive south.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Butler County, Nebraska?
It is in east-central Nebraska, about an hour’s drive northwest of Lincoln.

What is the population of Butler County?
Butler County had a population of 8,369 at the 2020 census.

How big is Butler County?
The county covers 590.8 square miles (1,530.2 km2), of which about 6 square miles is water.

What is the county seat of Butler County?
David City is the county seat and largest community.

How many towns are in Butler County?
One city, David City, and 11 villages, plus five unincorporated communities.

What ZIP codes are in Butler County?
Ten ZIP codes serve the county, from 68632 (David City) to 68001 (Abie); several small communities share a neighboring town’s ZIP code.

What is Butler County named after?
It is named for William Orlando Butler, a Kentucky congressman and Army major general.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Nebraska.