Jefferson County is a county in Nebraska, United States, on the state’s southern border with Kansas. It had a population of 7,240 at the 2020 census and covers 576 square miles (1,490 km2), of which 570 square miles are land and 5.5 square miles are water, centred near 40°10′N 97°09′W.
Fairbury is the county seat and its postal code is 68352. The county has one city, eight villages and four unincorporated communities; there are no organized civil townships tracked here. Jefferson County sits in the Central time zone. Nebraska highway crews and county surveyors also note it as the most landlocked county in the United States — reaching any ocean or the Great Lakes requires crossing 21 other counties or states first.
Towns & Villages in Jefferson County
Fairbury is the only incorporated city; the county’s eight villages are legally incorporated but smaller, and its four unincorporated communities (marked “Unincorp.” below) have no municipal government of their own.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairbury | City · seat | 3,970 | 68352 |
| Daykin | Village | — | 68338 |
| Diller | Village | — | 68342 |
| Endicott | Village | — | 68350 |
| Harbine | Village | — | — |
| Jansen | Village | — | 68377 |
| Plymouth | Village | — | 68424 |
| Reynolds | Village | — | — |
| Steele City | Village | — | 68440 |
| Gladstone | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Helvey | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Powell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Thompson | Unincorp. | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 68352 — Fairbury (also serves Harbine)
- 68338 — Daykin
- 68342 — Diller
- 68350 — Endicott
- 68377 — Jansen
- 68424 — Plymouth (also serves Reynolds)
- 68440 — Steele City
The four unincorporated communities and the villages of Harbine and Reynolds do not have their own dedicated post office and use the ZIP code of the nearest larger town.
Geography
Jefferson County lies in the rolling farmland of southeast Nebraska, drained by the Little Blue River, which crosses the county roughly west to east past Fairbury. The terrain is mostly cropland and pasture, with the river valley cutting the county’s most visible relief. Rock Creek Station State Historical Park, southeast of Fairbury, preserves a stretch of the Oregon-California Trail and a former Pony Express stop.
Jefferson County borders Saline County to the north, Gage County to the east, Thayer County to the west, Fillmore County to the northwest, and Washington County, Kansas, to the south, with Republic County, Kansas, touching the southwest corner.
Demographics
Jefferson County had 7,240 residents at the 2020 census. Fairbury, with 3,970 people, is by far the largest community, followed at a distance by the county’s eight villages. Nebraska’s 2023 median household income was the Nebraska median of $74,590; Jefferson County, a sparsely populated farm county, typically runs below that state figure. Population density works out to roughly 12.7 people per square mile of land.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture, especially corn and soybean farming and cattle feeding, underpins the county economy. In Fairbury, the largest employers are Jefferson Community Health Center, Fairbury Public Schools, the City of Fairbury, Farmers Co-op Elevator Co., and Heritage Nursing Home. The Rock Island Railroad Depot Museum and the Fairbury City Museum document the county’s railroad and settlement history, and the Fairbury Commercial Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
History
Jefferson County was created on January 26, 1856, and its county government was organized in 1864. It was named for Thomas Jefferson, the third U.S. president. Rock Creek Station, in the county’s southeast, was the site of an 1861 killing involving Wild Bill Hickok, one of the events that built his early reputation, and the station later served as a Pony Express relay post before the rail era reshaped the county’s towns.
Getting There
U.S. Route 136 crosses Jefferson County east-west through Fairbury, and Nebraska Highway 15 runs north-south through the county, meeting Route 136 at Fairbury. Several county and township roads link the smaller villages back to these two main routes, and most of the county’s farm-to-market grain traffic still moves along them toward Fairbury’s elevators.
- Beatrice, Nebraska — 30 miles northeast
- Hebron, Nebraska — 20 miles west
- Belleville, Kansas — 25 miles south
- Lincoln, Nebraska — 65 miles northeast
The nearest commercial airport is Lincoln Airport, roughly an hour’s drive northeast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Jefferson County, Nebraska?
It is in southeast Nebraska on the Kansas state line, about 65 miles southwest of Lincoln.
What is the population of Jefferson County?
7,240 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Jefferson County?
576 square miles (1,490 km2), including 5.5 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of Jefferson County?
Fairbury is the county seat.
How many towns and villages are in Jefferson County?
One city, eight villages and four unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Jefferson County?
68338, 68342, 68350, 68352, 68377, 68424 and 68440.
What historic site is near Fairbury?
Rock Creek Station State Historical Park, a former Oregon-California Trail crossing and Pony Express stop southeast of town.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Nebraska.