Sheridan County is a county in Nebraska, United States, on the state’s border with South Dakota in the Panhandle’s Sandhills region. It had a population of 5,127 at the 2020 census and covers 2,470 square miles (6,397 km2) centred near 42°31′N 102°22′W.
Rushville is the county seat, and its postal code is 69360. The county has two cities, two villages, one census-designated place and several unincorporated communities. Sheridan County observes Mountain time and carries FIPS code 31161.
Towns & Villages in Sheridan County
Sheridan County has nine named places, split between two incorporated cities, two villages, one CDP and four unincorporated communities. “CDP” marks a Census Bureau statistical area with no city government; “Unincorp.” marks a place with no municipal government at all.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rushville | City · seat | 903 | 69360 |
| Gordon | City | 1,589 | 69343 |
| Hay Springs | Village | 556 | 69347 |
| Clinton | Village | — | 69360 |
| Whiteclay | CDP | 10 | 69365 |
| Bingham | Unincorp. | — | 69335 |
| Ellsworth | Unincorp. | — | 69340 |
| Hoffland | Unincorp. | — | 69360 |
| Lakeside | Unincorp. | — | 69351 |
Antioch, once a potash-boom town of several thousand during World War I, is now a ghost town off U.S. Route 20 and is not counted as an active place. The old body’s three trailer-court listings (Clark, Kellers and Shedeeds) and the “Otis Motel and Trailer Court” entry are individual mobile-home and motel properties near Gordon and Rushville rather than distinct settlements, so they are omitted here; see notes.md. Pine Ridge is a Sandhills landform and hunting-access area in the county’s northeast, not a populated place, and is also omitted from the table.
ZIP Codes
- 69360 — Rushville (also serves Clinton and Hoffland)
- 69343 — Gordon
- 69347 — Hay Springs
- 69335 — Bingham
- 69340 — Ellsworth
- 69351 — Lakeside
- 69365 — Whiteclay (PO Box delivery only)
Geography
Sheridan County lies in the western Sandhills, a landscape of grass-stabilized dunes dotted with shallow lakes across its eastern and southern reaches. The Niobrara River crosses the upper-central part of the county, and Walgren Lake near Hay Springs is a popular local recreation spot. Elevation and terrain shift from rolling sand hills in the south and east to rougher pine-covered breaks along the Pine Ridge escarpment in the northwest, near the South Dakota line.
Sheridan County borders Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota to the north; Cherry County to the east; Grant County to the southeast; Garden County to the south; Morrill County to the southwest; Box Butte County to the west; and Dawes County to the northwest.
Demographics
The county’s population was 5,127 at the 2020 census. Gordon is the largest community at 1,589 residents, followed by the county seat, Rushville, at 903. Sheridan County’s density works out to about 2.1 people per square mile, reflecting the sparsely populated Sandhills. Median household income in the county trails the Nebraska median of $74,590; ranching and farm-dependent counties in this part of the state typically run well below the statewide figure.
Economy & Local Life
Cattle ranching and hay production drive Sheridan County’s economy, taking advantage of the Sandhills’ natural grassland. Gordon serves as the county’s commercial hub, with Rushville anchoring county government and rail-era grain and livestock shipping along the BNSF line. The Sheridan County Fair, held in Rushville, is a longstanding late-summer event drawing the county’s ranching community.
History
Sheridan County was organized on February 25, 1885, and named for Union Army general Philip H. Sheridan, who commanded U.S. forces on the northern Plains after the Civil War. Antioch grew rapidly during World War I as a potash-processing boomtown, supplying fertilizer and munitions inputs when German potash imports were cut off; the industry collapsed after the war and the town emptied out. Whiteclay, just south of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation border, drew national attention in past decades over its role in reservation alcohol sales, an issue that led to the closure of its last stores in 2017.
Getting There
U.S. Route 20 runs east-west through Rushville and Gordon, and U.S. Route 385/State Highway 87 links Rushville north-south toward the South Dakota line and south toward Alliance.
- Alliance, Nebraska — 45 miles southwest
- Chadron, Nebraska — 40 miles northwest
- Valentine, Nebraska — 90 miles east
- Rapid City, South Dakota — 100 miles north
The nearest commercial airport is Chadron Municipal Airport, with fuller service available at Rapid City Regional Airport in South Dakota.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Sheridan County, Nebraska?
It sits in the northern Nebraska Panhandle, bordering South Dakota, in the western Sandhills region.
What is the population of Sheridan County?
Sheridan County had a population of 5,127 at the 2020 census.
How big is Sheridan County?
The county covers 2,470 square miles (6,397 km2), making it Nebraska’s fourth-largest county by land area.
What is the county seat of Sheridan County?
Rushville is the county seat.
How many towns are in Sheridan County?
The county has two cities (Gordon and Rushville), two villages (Hay Springs and Clinton), one census-designated place (Whiteclay) and several unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Sheridan County?
ZIP codes include 69360 (Rushville), 69343 (Gordon), 69347 (Hay Springs), 69335 (Bingham), 69340 (Ellsworth), 69351 (Lakeside) and 69365 (Whiteclay).
What happened to Antioch?
Antioch was a potash-mining boomtown during World War I; the industry collapsed after the war and the town is now a ghost site along U.S. Route 20.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Nebraska.