Burt County is a county in Nebraska, United States, on the west bank of the Missouri River along the Iowa state line. It had a population of 6,722 at the 2020 census and covers 497 square miles (1,287 km2) centred near 41°51′N 96°20′W.
Tekamah is the county seat; its postal code is 68061. The county has three cities, two villages and two unincorporated communities. Burt County runs on Central time and its FIPS code is 31021.
Towns & Villages in Burt County
Seven named places make up Burt County: three incorporated cities, two villages and two unincorporated communities. City and village labels follow Nebraska’s own incorporation classes; CDP is not used here since none of Burt County’s places are Census Bureau-designated places.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tekamah | City · seat | — | 1,706 | 68061 |
| Oakland | City | Oakland | 1,266 | 68045 |
| Lyons | City | — | 815 | 68038 |
| Decatur | Village | Decatur | 467 | 68020 |
| Craig | Village | Craig | 212 | 68019 |
| Arizona | Unincorp. | Arizona | — | 68061 |
| Bertha | Unincorp. | — | — | 68061 |
The old list also carried “Essen” and “Westside MH Park.” Neither traces to a verifiable community record for Burt County, so both are omitted here rather than published on a single unverified source (see notes).
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland | — | Oakland |
| Decatur | — | Decatur |
| Craig | — | Craig |
| Arizona | — | Arizona (unincorporated) |
| Bell Creek | — | rural |
| Everett | — | rural |
| Logan | — | rural |
| Pershing | — | rural |
| Quinnebaugh | — | rural |
| Riverside | — | rural |
| Silver Creek | — | rural |
| Summit | — | rural |
Burt County’s 12 civil townships mostly cover open farmland; only four carry the name of an incorporated place or unincorporated community. Individual township population figures were not confirmed and are left blank rather than estimated.
ZIP Codes
- 68061 — Tekamah (also serves Arizona and Bertha)
- 68045 — Oakland
- 68038 — Lyons
- 68020 — Decatur
- 68019 — Craig
All five ZIPs are standard delivery codes with no PO-Box-only designations in the county.
Geography
Burt County sits in northeast Nebraska on rolling loess bluffs that drop to the Missouri River floodplain along its eastern edge. The river forms the county’s entire eastern boundary with Iowa; Logan and Bell Creeks are the main interior streams, both draining east to the Missouri through bottomland farm ground. The eastern third of the county is flat river bottom given over to row crops, while the western uplands rise into the rolling hills typical of northeast Nebraska’s loess plains.
Burt County borders Thurston County to the north, Washington County to the south, Cuming County to the southwest and Dodge County to the west, with Monona County and Harrison County, Iowa, across the Missouri River to the east.
Demographics
Burt County counted 6,722 residents at the 2020 census, a density of about 13.7 people per square mile. Tekamah (1,706) and Oakland (1,266) are the two largest communities, together holding roughly 44 percent of the county’s population. Median household income runs below the Nebraska median of $74,590, typical of a farm-dependent county this size.
Economy & Local Life
Row-crop and livestock farming anchor the county economy — corn and soybeans dominate the bottomland and upland fields alike, with cattle feeding common on the higher ground away from the river. Tekamah serves as the county’s trade and government center, home to the Burt County Courthouse and Burt County Museum, and hosts the annual Burt County Fair. Oakland, settled largely by Swedish immigrants in the 1870s, still holds an annual Swedish Festival each June with a parade, craft fair and traditional Swedish food. Lyons anchors the county’s southwestern farm trade, and Decatur and Craig remain small river-adjacent farming communities. The county’s school districts, grain elevators and farm-supply businesses are the largest non-agricultural employers.
History
Burt County was organized on November 23, 1854, one of Nebraska Territory’s original counties, and named for Francis Burt, the territory’s first governor, who died days after taking office in 1854. Tekamah, platted in 1854 along a Missouri River landing, became the county seat and is one of the oldest towns in Nebraska. Oakland’s Swedish immigrant settlement in the 1870s shaped much of the county’s western townships.
Getting There
U.S. Routes 75 and 77 and Nebraska Highways 32 and 51 cross the county, linking its towns to Omaha and Sioux City.
- Omaha — 45 miles south
- Sioux City, Iowa — 45 miles north
- Blair, Nebraska — 25 miles south
- West Point, Nebraska — 20 miles west
Eppley Airfield in Omaha is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Burt County, Nebraska?
It is in northeast Nebraska on the west bank of the Missouri River, about 45 miles north of Omaha.
What is the population of Burt County?
6,722 at the 2020 census.
How big is Burt County?
497 square miles (1,287 km2), of which about 5.5 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Burt County?
Tekamah is the county seat.
How many towns are in Burt County?
Three cities (Tekamah, Oakland, Lyons), two villages (Decatur, Craig) and two unincorporated communities (Arizona, Bertha).
What ZIP codes are in Burt County?
68061, 68045, 68038, 68020 and 68019.
What is Burt County named after?
Francis Burt, the first governor of Nebraska Territory, who died in 1854 shortly after arriving.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Nebraska.