Washington County is a county in Nebraska, United States, on the Missouri River bluffs northwest of Omaha. It had a population of 20,865 at the 2020 census and covers 393 square miles (1,018 km2) centred near 41°32′N 96°13′W.
Blair is the county seat, and its postal code is 68008. The county holds 2 cities, 4 villages and several unincorporated communities, sits in the Central time zone, and is part of the Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area.
Towns & Villages in Washington County
Washington County has 6 incorporated municipalities — 2 cities and 4 villages — plus a handful of small unincorporated places along the Missouri River bottomlands and inland ridges. The table below marks incorporated places by type; unincorporated communities are labelled Unincorp.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blair | City · seat | 7,790 | 68008 |
| Fort Calhoun | City | 1,108 | 68023 |
| Arlington | Village | — | 68002 |
| Herman | Village | — | 68029 |
| Kennard | Village | — | 68034 |
| Washington | Village | — | — |
| De Soto | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fontanelle | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nashville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Orum | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Telbasta | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Country Estates MH Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
De Soto sits near the De Soto National Wildlife Refuge on the old Missouri River channel; it is a rural crossroads rather than a platted town today. Nashville, Orum and Telbasta are historic rail-era hamlets with no remaining commercial center — road maps and county records still mark the sites, but current population figures are not available.
ZIP Codes
- 68008 — Blair (also serves the surrounding rural county)
- 68023 — Fort Calhoun
- 68002 — Arlington
- 68029 — Herman
- 68034 — Kennard
De Soto, Fontanelle, Nashville, Orum, Telbasta, Country Estates MH Park and the village of Washington do not have their own post office ZIP and are served by the nearest listed office.
Geography
Washington County lies in the Loess Hills country of eastern Nebraska, where rolling, wind-deposited ridges slope east toward the Missouri River. The river forms the county’s eastern boundary with Iowa, and the De Soto Bend oxbow — a former river channel now inside the De Soto National Wildlife Refuge — marks the old floodplain. The county is bordered by Burt County to the north, Dodge County to the west, and Douglas County to the south, with Harrison County and Pottawattamie County, Iowa, across the Missouri River to the east.
Neighboring Nebraska counties: Burt County (north), Dodge County (west), and Douglas County (south).
Demographics
Washington County counted 20,865 residents at the 2020 census, making it a mid-sized Omaha-metro county. Blair, the county seat, is the largest community with 7,790 people, followed by Fort Calhoun at 1,108. The county’s median household income runs above the Nebraska median of $74,590, reflecting its position as a commuter county for the Omaha area. Density works out to roughly 53 people per square mile of land.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture — corn, soybeans and livestock — remains a major land use across the county’s rural townships, alongside commuting to jobs in Omaha and Fremont. Blair is home to a large Cargill grain-processing complex and hosts Dana College’s former campus grounds; Fort Calhoun was long identified with the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Generating Station on the Missouri River, which closed permanently in 2016 and is now in decommissioning. Washington County Fair, held annually in Arlington, is a longstanding local event.
History
Washington County was organized on November 23, 1854, one of Nebraska Territory’s original counties, and takes its name from George Washington. Fort Atkinson, established in 1820 near present-day Fort Calhoun, was the first U.S. Army post west of the Missouri River and is preserved today as Fort Atkinson State Historical Park. The county’s river-bottom farmland and bluff-top towns grew up along steamboat and later rail routes linking Omaha to Sioux City.
Getting There
US Routes 30 and 75 and Nebraska Highways 31, 91 and 133 cross the county, linking its towns to Omaha and Fremont.
- Omaha — 25 miles south
- Fremont — 20 miles west
- Council Bluffs, Iowa — 30 miles southeast
- Sioux City, Iowa — 65 miles north
Blair Municipal Airport offers general aviation service; the nearest commercial airport is Eppley Airfield in Omaha.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Washington County, Nebraska?
It is in eastern Nebraska on the Missouri River, about 25 miles north of downtown Omaha, within the Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area.
What is the population of Washington County?
20,865 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Washington County?
393 square miles (1,018 km2), making it Nebraska’s fifth-smallest county by land area.
What is the county seat of Washington County?
Blair is the county seat.
How many towns are in Washington County?
Six incorporated places — the cities of Blair and Fort Calhoun and the villages of Arlington, Herman, Kennard and Washington — plus several small unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Washington County?
68008 (Blair), 68023 (Fort Calhoun), 68002 (Arlington), 68029 (Herman) and 68034 (Kennard).
What happened to the Fort Calhoun nuclear plant?
The Fort Calhoun Nuclear Generating Station on the Missouri River shut down permanently in 2016 and is now being decommissioned.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Nebraska.