Nuckolls County is a county in Nebraska, United States, on the Kansas state line in the south-central part of the state. It had a population of 4,095 at the 2020 census and covers 576 square miles (1,490 km2), of which 575 square miles are land and 0.7 square miles are water, centred near 40°11′N 98°03′W.
Nelson is the county seat, and its postal code is 68961. The county holds 2 cities, 5 villages and 7 unincorporated communities. It sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Nuckolls County
Nuckolls County has 14 named places on record: 2 incorporated cities, 5 incorporated villages, and 7 unincorporated communities that never organized as their own municipal government. The table below carries over every settlement from the county’s historical list; population figures marked — are unincorporated places or villages whose 2020 census counts could not be independently confirmed for this rewrite.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Superior | City | 1,825 | 68978 |
| Nelson | City · seat | 456 | 68961 |
| Hardy | Village | — | — |
| Lawrence | Village | — | — |
| Nora | Village | — | — |
| Oak | Village | — | — |
| Ruskin | Village | — | — |
| Angus | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bostwick | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cadams | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Clare | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Saint Stephens | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sedan | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Smyrna | Unincorp. | — | — |
The old county list also carried an entry called “Oak Mill,” a duplicate scrape of the village of Oak with no separate community on record — it has been dropped here rather than published as a second place.
ZIP Codes
- 68978 — Superior post office
- 68961 — Nelson post office
The county’s five villages and unincorporated communities share ZIP codes with these two post offices or a neighboring county’s town; the exact routing for each could not be independently confirmed for this rewrite.
Geography
Nuckolls County sits on the rolling farmland of Nebraska’s Republican River basin, on the Kansas border. The Republican River crosses the county’s southwestern corner, and most of the interior drains toward small tributary creeks that feed it. The terrain is gently rolling prairie, almost entirely under cultivation.
The county borders Clay County to the north, Fillmore County to the northeast, Thayer County to the east, Republic County, Kansas to the southeast, Jewell County, Kansas to the southwest, and Webster County to the west.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 4,095 residents, a density of roughly 7 people per square mile. Superior, with 1,825 residents, and Nelson, the county seat with 456, are the county’s two largest communities and together account for more than half the county’s population. Nuckolls County’s median household income runs well below the Nebraska median of $74,590, consistent with a farming-dependent county of its size.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture drives the county economy — corn, soybeans, wheat, and cattle on the surrounding rangeland and irrigated bottomland along the Republican River. Superior, the county’s commercial hub, hosts the annual Homestead Days celebration and serves as a regional shopping and medical center for southern Nuckolls County and the adjoining Kansas towns just across the state line.
History
Nuckolls County was formed in 1860 and organized in 1871, named for brothers Lafayette and Stephen Friel Nuckolls, early Nebraska settlers, businessmen, and bankers. Stephen Nuckolls also has a county named for him in Nebraska’s western Panhandle. Like much of south-central Nebraska, the county was settled in the 1870s and 1880s along rail lines built to move grain and cattle east, and its small-town pattern of villages a few miles apart still reflects that era’s need for a grain elevator within a farmer’s wagon-hauling distance.
Getting There
US Route 136 runs east-west through the county, and Nebraska Highway 14 runs north-south through Superior, giving the county its main road connections.
- Hastings, Nebraska — 45 miles north
- Lincoln, Nebraska — 100 miles northeast
- Beloit, Kansas — 40 miles south
- Grand Island, Nebraska — 65 miles north
The nearest commercial airport is Central Nebraska Regional Airport in Grand Island.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Nuckolls County?
It is in south-central Nebraska, on the Kansas state line, roughly 45 miles south of Hastings.
What is the population of Nuckolls County?
4,095 as of the 2020 census.
How big is Nuckolls County?
576 square miles (1,490 km2), of which 575 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Nuckolls County?
Nelson is the county seat.
How many towns are in Nuckolls County?
Two cities (Superior and Nelson) and five villages (Hardy, Lawrence, Nora, Oak, and Ruskin), plus several unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Nuckolls County?
Superior uses 68978 and Nelson uses 68961; other communities share ZIP routing with these towns or with neighboring counties.
What is Nuckolls County’s biggest town?
Superior, with a 2020 population of 1,825, is the largest community in the county.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Nebraska.