Greeley County is a county in Nebraska, United States, in the central part of the state, along the Cedar and North Loup rivers. It had a population of 2,188 at the 2020 census and covers 571 square miles (1,480 km2), centred near 41°34′N 98°31′W.
Greeley is the county seat, and its postal code is 68842. The county contains four incorporated villages, including the seat, and five unincorporated communities, and lies entirely in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Greeley County
Greeley County has nine named places: four incorporated villages and five unincorporated communities. Nebraska law reserves “city” status for places above 800 residents, so every incorporated place here is a village. Wolbach’s village limits cross the county line into neighboring Howard County. Place-level 2020 census counts were not confirmed for this profile and are marked with a dash below.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greeley | Village · seat | — | 68842 |
| Spalding | Village | — | 68665 |
| Scotia | Village | — | 68875 |
| Wolbach | Village | — | 68882 |
| Belfast | Unincorp. | — | 68842 |
| Brayton | Unincorp. | — | 68842 |
| Horace | Unincorp. | — | 68842 |
| O’Connor | Unincorp. | — | 68842 |
| Scotia Junction | Unincorp. | — | 68875 |
ZIP Codes
- 68842 — Greeley (also serves Belfast, Brayton, Horace and O’Connor)
- 68665 — Spalding
- 68875 — Scotia (also serves Scotia Junction)
- 68882 — Wolbach
Every incorporated village in Greeley County has its own ZIP code, and the county’s small unincorporated communities use the ZIP of their nearest post office town.
Geography
Greeley County sits in the loess plains of central Nebraska, a gently rolling landscape of cropland and pasture with no urban population at all — every resident lives in a village or in the open country. The Cedar River crosses the northeastern corner of the county, and the North Loup River runs through its southwestern part, both feeding into the wider Loup River system downstream. Farmland and grazing land cover nearly all of the county’s 570 square miles of land area.
Greeley County is bordered by Wheeler County to the north, Boone County to the east, Nance County to the southeast, Howard County to the south, Valley County to the west, and Garfield County to the northwest.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 2,188 residents in Greeley County, a density of roughly 3.8 people per square mile — one of the more sparsely populated counties in Nebraska. Spalding and Greeley are the county’s two largest communities. The county’s median household income runs below the Nebraska median of $74,590, typical of the state’s small agricultural counties. The population is overwhelmingly white and has aged and declined gradually for decades, a pattern common across rural Nebraska’s Sandhills-fringe counties.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture drives Greeley County’s economy: corn, soybeans and cattle ranching dominate the land, supported by grain elevators, farm-supply dealers and small-town retail in Greeley and Spalding. Public schools in Greeley and Spalding serve as community anchors, and the county fair each summer draws residents from across the county. Most jobs in the county are tied directly or indirectly to farming and ranching, from equipment dealers to the cooperative elevators that buy and ship the county’s grain.
History
Greeley County was created in 1871 and organized in 1872, four years after Nebraska statehood, and named for Horace Greeley, the New York newspaper editor and 1872 presidential candidate best remembered for the phrase “Go West, young man.” Early settlement followed the river valleys of the Cedar and North Loup, and branch rail lines later reached Greeley and Spalding, anchoring the county’s two largest villages as local shipping points for grain and livestock. Like most of rural Nebraska, Greeley County has voted Republican in every presidential election for decades.
Getting There
U.S. Highway 281 runs north–south through Greeley County, crossing Nebraska Highways 11, 22, 56 and 91, which link its villages to neighboring counties.
- Ord — about 20 miles west
- Albion — about 25 miles east
- St. Paul — about 35 miles south
- Grand Island — about 60 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is Central Nebraska Regional Airport in Grand Island.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Greeley County located?
Greeley County is in central Nebraska, along the Cedar and North Loup rivers, roughly 60 miles northwest of Grand Island.
What is the population of Greeley County?
Greeley County had 2,188 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Greeley County?
The county covers 571 square miles (1,480 km2), almost all of it land.
What is the county seat of Greeley County?
Greeley is the county seat.
How many towns are in Greeley County?
The county has four incorporated villages — Greeley, Scotia, Spalding and Wolbach — plus five unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Greeley County?
Greeley County’s ZIP codes are 68842 (Greeley), 68665 (Spalding), 68875 (Scotia) and 68882 (Wolbach).
What river runs through Greeley County?
The Cedar River crosses the northeastern corner of the county, and the North Loup River flows through its southwestern part.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Nebraska.