Dawson County is a county in Nebraska, United States, along the Platte River in the south-central part of the state. It had a population of 24,111 at the 2020 census and covers 1,019 square miles (2,640 km2), centred near 40°52′N 99°49′W.
Lexington is the county seat, and its postal code is 68850. The county has three cities, four villages, one census-designated place, and several unincorporated communities, and it lies within the Lexington, NE Micropolitan Statistical Area. Dawson County observes Central Time.
Towns & Villages in Dawson County
Sixteen named places are recorded across the county: three incorporated cities (one of them the county seat), four incorporated villages, one census-designated place, and eight unincorporated communities or mobile-home-park settlements mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey. The table below carries the type, township-free listing (Nebraska counties do not group settlements by civil township for this purpose), and ZIP code where one is assigned.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington | City · seat | — | 68850 |
| Cozad | City | — | 69130 |
| Gothenburg | City | — | 69138 |
| Eddyville | Village | — | 68834 |
| Farnam | Village | — | 69029 |
| Overton | Village | — | 68863 |
| Sumner | Village | — | 68878 |
| Willow Island | CDP | — | 69171 |
| Area Mobile Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Buffalo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Darr | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Donald Price MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Horizon MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Josselyn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Northside Village MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Trued | Unincorp. | — | — |
Buffalo, an unincorporated crossroads community in eastern Dawson County, shares its name with neighboring Buffalo County to the east; the two are administratively unrelated. Willow Island, the county’s only census-designated place, sits along the Platte between Cozad and Lexington and had no resident population recorded at the 2020 census.
ZIP Codes
- 68850 — Lexington
- 69130 — Cozad
- 69138 — Gothenburg
- 68863 — Overton
- 68878 — Sumner
- 69029 — Farnam
- 68834 — Eddyville
- 69171 — Willow Island
The county’s unincorporated communities and mobile-home-park settlements — Area Mobile Park, Buffalo, Darr, Donald Price MH Park, Horizon MH Park, Josselyn, Northside Village MH Park, and Trued — have no ZIP code of their own and are served by the nearest listed post office town.
Geography
The Platte River crosses Dawson County west to east, running past Cozad, Overton, Lexington, and Gothenburg and carrying most of the county’s 5.6 square miles of water. The river valley is flat, irrigated farmland fed by center-pivot systems; ground rises into sandier prairie south and north of the valley floor. The county covers 1,019 square miles (2,640 km2) in total, of which 1,014 square miles is land.
Dawson County borders six other Nebraska counties: Custer County to the north, Buffalo County to the east, Phelps County to the southeast, Gosper County to the south, Frontier County to the southwest, and Lincoln County to the west.
Demographics
Dawson County’s population was 24,111 at the 2020 census, roughly stable over the prior decade. Lexington is the largest community, followed by Cozad and then Gothenburg. Household income in the county has historically run below the Nebraska median of $74,590, reflecting a wage base weighted toward meatpacking and farm labor rather than the state’s metro economies. Population density is about 24 people per square mile.
The county’s demographic makeup has shifted markedly since 2000: recent estimates put the population at roughly 40% Hispanic or Latino and just over half non-Hispanic White, a change driven largely by labor migration into Lexington’s meatpacking industry.
Economy & Local Life
Meatpacking anchors the county economy: a large Tyson Fresh Meats beef-processing plant in Lexington is one of the area’s biggest employers and has drawn decades of immigrant labor to the city. Irrigated corn, soybeans, and cattle feeding dominate the surrounding countryside. Gothenburg, on the historic Oregon and Mormon trails, trades on that history with its Sod House Museum and a restored Pony Express station relocated to the town’s park; Cozad markets itself as sitting directly on the 100th meridian, the traditional dividing line between the humid East and the arid West.
History
Dawson County was created by the Nebraska territorial legislature on January 11, 1860, and organized on July 11, 1871, once settlement along the new transcontinental railroad line was established. The county’s name honors either Jacob Dawson, an early Lancaster County postmaster, or Pennsylvania congressman John Littleton Dawson; sources differ. The Union Pacific Railroad, built through the Platte Valley in the late 1860s, founded and spaced the towns of Cozad, Overton, Lexington, and Gothenburg along its line, a pattern still visible in their layout along present-day U.S. Route 30 and Interstate 80.
Getting There
Interstate 80 runs the length of Dawson County west to east, paralleled by U.S. Route 30 (the historic Lincoln Highway); U.S. Route 283 crosses north-south through Cozad. Nearby cities:
- Kearney, Nebraska — about 30 miles east
- North Platte, Nebraska — about 40 miles west
- Grand Island, Nebraska — about 65 miles east
- Lincoln, Nebraska — about 180 miles east
The nearest commercial airport is Central Nebraska Regional Airport in Grand Island; North Platte Regional Airport is a closer option to the west for smaller flights.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Dawson County, Nebraska?
It lies in the south-central part of the state, along the Platte River and Interstate 80, between North Platte and Kearney.
What is the population of Dawson County?
Dawson County had a population of 24,111 at the 2020 census.
How big is Dawson County?
The county covers 1,019 square miles (2,640 km2), of which about 1,014 square miles is land.
What is the county seat of Dawson County?
Lexington is the county seat and the county’s largest city.
How many towns are in Dawson County?
The county has three cities, four villages, one census-designated place, and several unincorporated communities — sixteen named places in all.
What ZIP codes are in Dawson County?
Dawson County’s ZIP codes are 68850 (Lexington), 69130 (Cozad), 69138 (Gothenburg), 68863 (Overton), 68878 (Sumner), 69029 (Farnam), 68834 (Eddyville), and 69171 (Willow Island).
What is Dawson County known for?
Its Tyson Fresh Meats beef plant in Lexington, irrigated Platte Valley farmland, and its stretch of the historic Oregon, Mormon, and Lincoln Highway trails through Gothenburg and Cozad.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Nebraska.