Howard County is a county in Nebraska, United States, in the central part of the state along the Loup River valley. It had a population of 6,475 at the 2020 census and covers 576 square miles (1,490 km2) centred near 41°13′N 98°31′W.
St. Paul is the county seat, and its postal code is 68873. The county has one city, five incorporated villages, one census-designated place and two unincorporated communities. It observes Central Time.
Towns & Villages in Howard County
Howard County has nine populated places: one city (St. Paul, the seat), five villages, one census-designated place, and two unincorporated communities without their own municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Paul | City · seat | — | 68873 |
| Dannebrog | Village | — | 68831 |
| Elba | Village | — | 68835 |
| Farwell | Village | — | 68838 |
| Boelus | Village | — | 68820 |
| Cotesfield | Village | — | 68820 |
| Cushing | Village | — | 68838 |
| St. Libory | CDP | — | 68872 |
| Dannevirke | Unincorp. | — | 68831 |
| Nysted | Unincorp. | — | 68831 |
Dannevirke and Nysted are unincorporated Danish settlement-era communities near Dannebrog and are usually reached via that village’s ZIP code. Cotesfield and Cushing are small unincorporated villages without confirmed 2020 census figures.
ZIP Codes
- 68873 — St. Paul
- 68872 — St. Libory
- 68831 — Dannebrog (also serves Dannevirke and Nysted)
- 68835 — Elba
- 68820 — Boelus (also serves Cotesfield)
- 68838 — Farwell (also serves Cushing)
Geography
Howard County sits in a belt of low rolling hills across the central Nebraska Sandhills’ southern edge, with much of the higher ground leveled for row-crop farming. The Middle Loup and North Loup Rivers cross the county and join near St. Paul to form the Loup River, which continues east through Merrick County. Of the county’s 576 square miles, 569 are land and 6.3 are water.
Howard County borders Greeley County to the north, Merrick County to the east, Hall County and Buffalo County to the south, and Sherman County to the west.
Most of the county’s population lives in the river valleys, where irrigated corn and soybean fields line the Middle Loup and North Loup Rivers. The higher ground between the rivers is drier, given over to wheat and cattle pasture in a landscape typical of the transition zone between Nebraska’s eastern farm belt and the Sandhills to the northwest.
Demographics
Howard County’s population was 6,475 at the 2020 census, spread across a mostly rural landscape at roughly 11 people per square mile. St. Paul, the county seat, is by far the largest community, followed by Dannebrog, the county’s second-largest village and the center of its Danish heritage. Median household income runs below the Nebraska median of $74,590, typical of the state’s smaller farm counties.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture drives the county’s economy — corn, soybeans and cattle on the irrigated bottomland along the Loup Rivers, with dryland wheat on the higher ground. St. Paul serves as the county’s retail and services hub, home to Howard County Medical Center and the county courthouse. Dannebrog leans on its Danish heritage for tourism, including the annual Danish Grundlovsfest celebration. Grain elevators and farm-supply dealers anchor the smaller villages, while many residents commute to St. Paul or nearby Grand Island for larger retail and medical services.
History
Howard County was organized in 1871 and named for Union Civil War general Oliver Otis Howard. Danish, Polish and Czech settlers arrived in waves through the late 1800s, giving Dannebrog and Nysted their Danish names and civic character; Dannebrog in particular still markets itself as “Nebraska’s Danish Capital.” A railroad’s arrival in the 1880s turned the county into a shipping point for wheat, corn and livestock, cementing St. Paul’s role as the trade center. The county has voted heavily Republican in nearly every presidential election since the mid-20th century, a pattern consistent with rural central Nebraska generally.
Getting There
U.S. Highway 281 runs north–south through St. Paul, and Nebraska Highway 58 crosses the county east–west. Central Nebraska Regional Airport in Grand Island is the nearest commercial airport.
- Grand Island — 20 miles south
- Kearney — 40 miles southwest
- Ord — 35 miles north
- Central City — 20 miles east
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Howard County, Nebraska?
It lies in central Nebraska, north of Grand Island, in the valley where the Middle Loup and North Loup Rivers join to form the Loup River.
What is the population of Howard County?
6,475, per the 2020 census.
How big is Howard County?
576 square miles (1,490 km2), of which 569 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Howard County?
St. Paul is the county seat.
How many towns are in Howard County?
One city and five villages, plus a census-designated place and two unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Howard County?
68873, 68872, 68831, 68835, 68820 and 68838.
Why is Dannebrog known as Nebraska’s “Danish Capital”?
Danish immigrants founded the village in the 1870s and it still holds an annual Grundlovsfest marking Denmark’s 1849 constitution.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Nebraska.