Nebraska (/nəˈbræskə/ nə-BRASS-kə) is a landlocked state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwest; and Wyoming to the west. Nebraska is the 16th-largest state by land area, with just over 77,220 square miles (200,000 km2). With a population of over 2 million as of 2024, it is the 38th-most populous state and the eighth-least densely populated. Its capital is Lincoln, and its most populous city is Omaha, which is on the Missouri River. Nebraska was admitted into the United States in 1867, two years after the end of the American Civil War. The Nebraska Legislature is unlike any other American legislature in that it is unicameral, and its members are elected without any official reference to political party affiliation. Nebraska is one of only two states that divide electoral college votes by district, and is not winner-take-all.
Nebraska | |
---|---|
Nickname: The Cornhusker State | |
Motto: Equality before the law | |
Anthem: "Beautiful Nebraska" | |
Country | United States |
Before statehood | Nebraska Territory |
Admitted to the Union | March 1, 1867 (37th) |
Capital | Lincoln |
Largest city | Omaha |
Largest county or equivalent | Douglas |
Largest metro and urban areas | Omaha–Council Bluffs |
Government | |
• Governor | Jim Pillen (R) |
• Lieutenant Governor | Joe Kelly (R) |
Legislature | Nebraska Legislature |
Judiciary | Nebraska Supreme Court |
U.S. senators | Deb Fischer (R) Pete Ricketts (R) |
U.S. House delegation | 1: Mike Flood (R) 2: Don Bacon (R) 3: Adrian Smith (R) (list) |
Area | |
• Total | 77,327 sq mi (200,356 km2) |
• Land | 76,796 sq mi (199,099 km2) |
• Water | 531 sq mi (1,247 km2) 0.7% |
• Rank | 16th |
Dimensions | |
• Length | 430 mi (690 km) |
• Width | 210 mi (340 km) |
Elevation | 2,600 ft (790 m) |
Highest elevation (Panorama Point) | 5,424 ft (1,654 m) |
Lowest elevation (Missouri River at Kansas border) | 840 ft (256 m) |
Population (2024) | |
• Total | 2,005,465 |
• Rank | 37th |
• Density | 24.94/sq mi (9.62/km2) |
• Rank | 43rd |
• Median household income | $74,600 (2023) |
• Income rank | 25th |
Demonym | Nebraskan |
Language | |
• Official language | English |
Time zones | |
most of state | UTC−06:00 (Central) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−05:00 (CDT) |
Panhandle | UTC−07:00 (Mountain) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−06:00 (MDT) |
USPS abbreviation | NE |
ISO 3166 code | US-NE |
Traditional abbreviation | Neb., Nebr. |
Latitude | 40° N to 43° N |
Longitude | 95° 19′ W to 104° 03′ W |
Website | nebraska |
List of state symbols | |
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Flag of Nebraska | |
Seal of Nebraska | |
Slogan | Welcome to NEBRASKAland where the West begins |
Living insignia | |
Bird | Western meadowlark |
Fish | Channel catfish |
Flower | Tall Goldenrod |
Grass | Little bluestem |
Insect | Western honey bee |
Mammal | White-tailed deer |
Tree | Eastern Cottonwood |
Inanimate insignia | |
Beverage | Milk Soft drink: Kool-aid |
Dance | Square dance |
Fossil | Mammoth |
Gemstone | Blue agate |
Rock | Prairie agate |
River | Platte River |
Soil | Holdrege series |
State route marker | |
Lists of United States state symbols |
Nebraska is composed of two major land regions: the Dissected Till Plains and the Great Plains. The Dissected Till Plains region consists of gently rolling hills and contains the state's largest cities, Omaha and Lincoln. The Great Plains region, occupying most of western Nebraska, is characterized by treeless prairie. Eastern Nebraska has a humid continental climate while western Nebraska is primarily semi-arid. The state has wide variations between winter and summer temperatures; the variations decrease in southern Nebraska. Violent thunderstorms and tornadoes occur primarily during spring and summer, and sometimes in autumn. The Chinook wind tends to warm the state significantly in the winter and early spring.
Indigenous peoples, including Omaha, Missouria, Ponca, Pawnee, Otoe, and various branches of the Lakota (Sioux) tribes, lived in the region for thousands of years before European discovery and exploration. The state is crossed by many historic trails, including that of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad through Nebraska and passage of the Homestead Acts led to rapid growth in the population of American settlers in the 1870s and 1880s and the development of a large agriculture sector for which the state is known to this day.
Etymology
Nebraska's name is the result of anglicization of the archaic Otoe Ñí Brásge (contemporary Otoe: Ñíbrahge; pronounced [ɲĩbɾasꜜkɛ]), or the Omaha Ní Btháska, (pronounced [nĩbɫᶞasꜜka]), meaning "flat water", after the Platte River which flows through the state.
History
Early history
Indigenous peoples lived in the region of present-day Nebraska for thousands of years before European colonization. The historic tribes in the state included the Omaha, Missouria, Ponca, Pawnee, Otoe, and various branches of the Lakota (Sioux), some of which migrated from eastern areas into the region. When European exploration, trade, and settlement began, both Spain and France sought to control the region. In the 1690s, Spain established trade connections with the Apache, whose territory then included western Nebraska. By 1703, France had developed a regular trade with native peoples along the Missouri River in Nebraska, and by 1719 had signed treaties with several of these peoples. After war broke out between the two countries, Spain dispatched an armed expedition to Nebraska under Lieutenant General Pedro de Villasur in 1720. The party was attacked and destroyed near present-day Columbus by a large force of Pawnee and Otoe, both allied with the French. The massacre ended Spanish exploration of the area for the remainder of the 18th century.
In 1762, during the Seven Years' War, France ceded the Louisiana territory to Spain. This left Britain and Spain competing for dominance along the Mississippi River; by 1773, the British were trading with the native peoples of Nebraska. Spain dispatched two trading expeditions up the Missouri River in 1794 and 1795; the second, under James Mackay, established the first European settlement in Nebraska near the mouth of the Platte River. Later that year, Mackay's party built a trading post, dubbed Fort Carlos IV (Fort Charles), near present-day Homer.
American settlement and statehood
In 1819, the United States established Fort Atkinson as the first U.S. Army post west of the Missouri River, just east of present-day Fort Calhoun. The army abandoned the fort in 1827 as migration moved further west. European-American settlement was scarce until 1848 and the California Gold Rush. On May 30, 1854, the U.S. Congress created the Kansas and the Nebraska territories, divided by the Parallel 40° North, under the Kansas–Nebraska Act. The Nebraska Territory included parts of the current states of Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana. The territorial capital of Nebraska was Omaha.
Late 19th century
In the 1860s, after the U.S. government forced many of the American Indian tribes to cede their lands and settle on reservations, it opened large tracts of land to agricultural development by European immigrants and American settlers. Under the Homestead Act, thousands of settlers migrated into Nebraska to claim free land granted by the federal government. Because so few trees grew on the prairies, many of the first farming settlers built their homes of sod, as had Native Americans such as the Omaha. The first wave of settlement gave the territory a sufficient population to apply for statehood. Nebraska became the 37th state on March 1, 1867, and the capital was moved from Omaha to the center at Lancaster, later renamed Lincoln after the recently assassinated President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. The battle of Massacre Canyon, on August 5, 1873, was the last major battle between the Pawnee and the Sioux.
During the 1870s to the 1880s, Nebraska experienced a large growth in population. Several factors contributed to attracting new residents. The first was that the vast prairie land was perfect for cattle grazing. This helped settlers to learn the unfamiliar geography of the area. The second factor was the invention of several farming technologies. New agricultural innovations such as barbed wire, windmills, and the steel plow, combined with fair weather, enabled settlers to transform Nebraska into prime farming land. By the 1880s, Nebraska's population had soared to more than 450,000 people. The Arbor Day holiday was founded in Nebraska City by territorial governor J. Sterling Morton. The National Arbor Day Foundation is still headquartered in Nebraska City, with some offices in Lincoln.
In the late 19th century, African Americans migrated from the South to Nebraska as part of the Great Migration. Eventually, they moved primarily to Omaha which offered working-class jobs in meat packing, the railroads and other industries. Omaha has a long history of civil rights activism. Blacks encountered discrimination from other Americans in Omaha and especially from recent European immigrants who were also competing for the same jobs as well.
20th century
During the early 20th century, In 1912, African Americans founded the Omaha chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to work for improved conditions in the city and state. During the Omaha Race Riots in 1919, many white rioters protested throughout Omaha due to there being an incident in which a black man was accused of sexually assaulting a white woman. The Great Depression also had greatly affected the residents of Nebraska at the time. From 1930 to 1936 the dust bowl was common in the state due to there being a drought, wind, and dirt being dug up throughout all of the Midwestern United States. Residents in Nebraska had passed an initiative in 1934, then the first session in the unicameral was held in 1937. Kay Orr was elected Nebraska's first female governor on November 4, 1986.
Geography
The state is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwest; and Wyoming to the west. The state has 93 counties and is split between two time zones, with the majority of the state observing Central Time and the Panhandle and surrounding counties observing Mountain Time. Three rivers cross the state from west to east. The Platte River, formed by the confluence of the North Platte and the South Platte, runs through the state's central portion, the Niobrara River flows through the northern part, and the Republican River runs across the southern part.
The first Constitution of Nebraska in 1866 described Nebraska's boundaries as follows (The description of the Northern border is no longer accurate, since the Keya Paha River and the Niobrara River no longer form the boundary of the state of Nebraska. Instead, Nebraska's Northern border now extends east along the forty-third degree of north latitude until it meets the Missouri River directly.):
The State of Nebraska shall consist of all the territory included within the following boundaries, to-wit: Commencing at a point formed by the intersection of the western boundary of the State of Missouri, with the fortieth degree of north latitude; extending thence due west along said fortieth degree of north latitude, to a point formed by its intersection with the twenty-fifth degree of longitude west from Washington [the Southern border]; thence north along said twenty-fifth degree of longitude, to a point formed by its intersection with the forty-first degree of north latitude; thence west along said forty-first degree of north latitude to a point formed by its intersection with the twenty-seventh degree of longitude west from Washington; thence north along said twenty-seventh degree of west longitude, to a point formed by its intersection with the forty-third degree of north latitude [the Western border, which is the Panhandle]; thence east along said forty-third degree of north latitude to the Keya Paha river; thence down the middle of the channel of said river, with its meanderings, to its junction with the Niobrara River; thence down the middle of the channel of said Niobrara River, and following the meanderings thereof to its junction with the Missouri River [the Northern border]; thence down the middle of the channel of said Missouri River, and following the meanderings thereof to the place of beginning [the Eastern border, which is the Missouri River].
Nebraska is composed of two major land regions: the Dissected Till Plains and the Great Plains. The easternmost portion of the state was scoured by Ice Age glaciers; the Dissected Till Plains were left after the glaciers retreated. The Dissected Till Plains is a region of gently rolling hills; Omaha and Lincoln are in this region. The Great Plains occupy most of western Nebraska, with the region consisting of several smaller, diverse land regions, including the Sandhills, the Pine Ridge, the Rainwater Basin, the High Plains and the Wildcat Hills. Panorama Point, at 5,424 feet (1,653 m), is Nebraska's highest point; though despite its name and elevation, it is a relatively low rise near the Colorado and Wyoming borders. A past tourism slogan for the state of Nebraska was "Where the West Begins" (it has since been changed to "Honestly, it's not for everyone"). Locations given for the beginning of the "West" in Nebraska include the Missouri River, the intersection of 13th and O Streets in Lincoln (where it is marked by a red brick star), the 100th meridian, and Chimney Rock.
Federal land management
Areas under the management of the National Park Service include:
- Agate Fossil Beds National Monument near Harrison
- California National Historic Trail
- Chimney Rock National Historic Site near Bayard
- Homestead National Monument of America in Beatrice
- Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
- Missouri National Recreational River near Ponca
- Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail
- Niobrara National Scenic River near Valentine
- Oregon National Historic Trail
- Pony Express National Historic Trail
- Scotts Bluff National Monument at Gering
Areas under the management of the National Forest Service include:
- Nebraska National Forest
- Oglala National Grassland
- Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest
Climate
Two major climatic zones are represented in Nebraska. The eastern two-thirds of the state has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa), although the southwest of this region may be classed as a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) using the −3 °C or 26.6 °F near the Kansas state line, analogous to the predominantly humid subtropical climate of Kansas and Oklahoma. Western Nebraska, including The Panhandle and adjacent areas bordering Colorado have a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk). The entire state experiences wide seasonal variations in both temperature and precipitation. Average temperatures are fairly uniform across Nebraska, with hot summers and generally cold winters. However, chinook winds from the Rocky Mountains provide a temporary moderating effect on temperatures in the state's western portion during the winter. Thus, average January maximum temperatures are highest at around 43 °F or 6.1 °C in southwestern Dundy County, and lowest at about 30 °F or −1.1 °C around South Sioux City in the northeast.
Average annual precipitation decreases east to west from about 31.5 inches (800 mm) in the southeast corner of the state to about 13.8 inches (350 mm) in the Panhandle. Humidity also decreases significantly from east to west. Snowfall across the state is fairly even, with most of Nebraska receiving between 25 and 35 inches (0.64 and 0.89 m) of snow each year. Nebraska's highest-recorded temperature was 118 °F (48 °C) in Minden on July 24, 1936. The state's lowest-recorded temperature was −47 °F (−44 °C) in Camp Clarke on February 12, 1899.
Nebraska is located in Tornado Alley. Thunderstorms are common during both the spring and the summer. Violent thunderstorms and tornadoes happen primarily during those two seasons, although they also can occur occasionally during the autumn.
Location | July (°F) | July (°C) | January (°F) | January (°C) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Omaha | 87/66 | 30/19 | 33/13 | 1/−10 |
Lincoln | 89/66 | 31/19 | 35/14 | 2/−10 |
Grand Island | 87/64 | 31/17 | 36/14 | 2/−10 |
Kearney | 90/63 | 32/17 | 36/12 | 2/−11 |
North Platte | 88/60 | 31/16 | 39/11 | 4/−11 |
Papillion | 87/66 | 31/19 | 32/12 | 0/−11 |
Settlements
Eighty-nine percent of the cities in Nebraska have fewer than 3,000 people. Nebraska shares this characteristic with five other Midwestern states: Kansas, Oklahoma, North Dakota and South Dakota, and Iowa. Hundreds of towns have a population of fewer than 1,000. Regional population declines have forced many rural schools to consolidate.
Fifty-three of Nebraska's 93 counties reported declining populations between 1990 and 2000, ranging from a 0.06% loss (Frontier County) to a 17.04% loss (Hitchcock County).
More urbanized areas of the state have experienced substantial growth. In 2000, the city of Omaha had a population of 390,007; in 2005, the city's estimated population was 414,521 (427,872 including the recently annexed city of Elkhorn), a 6.3% increase over five years. The 2010 census showed that Omaha has a population of 408,958. The city of Lincoln had a 2000 population of 225,581 and a 2010 population of 258,379, a 14.5% increase.
As of the 2010 census, there were 530 cities and villages in the state of Nebraska. There are five classifications of cities and villages in Nebraska, which are based upon population. All population figures are 2017 Census Bureau estimates unless flagged by a reference number.
Metropolitan Class City (300,000 or more)
- Omaha 466,893
Primary Class City (100,000–299,999)
- Lincoln 284,736
First Class City (5,000–99,999)
- Bellevue 53,424
- Grand Island 51,390
- Kearney 33,835
- Fremont 26,457
- Hastings 24,989
- Norfolk 24,434
- North Platte 23,888
- Columbus 23,128
- Papillion 19,539
- La Vista 17,116
- Scottsbluff 14,874
- South Sioux City 12,911
- Beatrice 12,295
- Lexington 10,024
- Gering 8,319
- Alliance 8,164
- Blair 8,091
- York 7,862
- McCook 7,540
- Ralston 7,333
- Nebraska City 7,313
- Seward 7,181
- Crete 7,160
- Sidney 6,620
- Plattsmouth 6,451
- Schuyler 6,212
- Chadron 5,648
- Wayne 5,439
- Holdrege 5,494
- Gretna 5,062
Second Class Cities (800–4,999) and Villages (100–800) make up the rest of the communities in Nebraska. There are 116 second-class cities and 382 villages in the state.
Metropolitan areas 2017 estimate data
| Micropolitan areas 2012 estimate data
|
Other areas
- Grand Island, Hastings and Kearney comprise the "Tri-Cities" area, with a combined population of 174,530.
- The northeast corner of Nebraska is part of the Siouxland region.
Demographics
Population
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1860 | 28,841 | — | |
1870 | 122,993 | 326.5% | |
1880 | 452,402 | 267.8% | |
1890 | 1,062,656 | 134.9% | |
1900 | 1,066,300 | 0.3% | |
1910 | 1,192,214 | 11.8% | |
1920 | 1,296,372 | 8.7% | |
1930 | 1,377,963 | 6.3% | |
1940 | 1,315,834 | −4.5% | |
1950 | 1,325,510 | 0.7% | |
1960 | 1,411,330 | 6.5% | |
1970 | 1,483,493 | 5.1% | |
1980 | 1,569,825 | 5.8% | |
1990 | 1,578,385 | 0.5% | |
2000 | 1,711,263 | 8.4% | |
2010 | 1,826,341 | 6.7% | |
2020 | 1,961,504 | 7.4% | |
2024 (est.) | 2,005,465 | 2.2% | |
Source: 1910–2020 |
The 2020 United States census reported that the population of Nebraska was 1,961,504 on April 1, 2020, a 7.4% increase since the 2010 United States census. The center of population of Nebraska is in Polk County, in the city of Shelby.
According to HUD's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 2,246 homeless people in Nebraska.
The table below shows the racial composition of Nebraska's population as of 2022.
Race | Population (2022 est.) | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Total population | 1,967,923 | 100% |
White | 1,543,454 | 78.4% |
Black or African American | 92,208 | 4.7% |
American Indian and Alaska Native | 19,656 | 1.0% |
Asian | 49,557 | 2.5% |
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 1,239 | 0.1% |
Some other race | 87,534 | 4.4% |
Two or more races | 174,275 | 8.9% |
Racial composition | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|
White | 93.8% | 89.6% | 86.1% | 78.4% |
Black | 3.6% | 4.0% | 4.5% | 4.9% |
Asian | 0.8% | 1.3% | 1.8% | 2.7% |
Native | 0.8% | 0.9% | 1.0% | 1.2% |
Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander | – | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
Other race | 1.0% | 2.8% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
Two or more races | – | 1.4% | 2.2% | 7.3% |
According to the 2016 American Community Survey, 10.2% of Nebraska's population were of Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race): Mexican (7.8%), Puerto Rican (0.2%), Cuban (0.2%), and other Hispanic or Latino origin (2.0%). The largest ancestry groups were: German (36.1%), Irish (13.1%), English (7.8%), Czech (4.7%), Swedish (4.3%), and Polish (3.5%).
Nebraska has the largest Czech American and non-Mormon Danish American population (as a percentage of the total population) in the nation. Nebraska is also home to the largest Polish American population in the Great Plains. German Americans are the largest ancestry group in most of the state, particularly in the eastern counties. Thurston County (made up entirely of the Omaha and Winnebago reservations) has an American Indian majority, and Butler County is one of only two counties in the nation with a Czech-American plurality.
In recent years, Nebraska has become home to many refugee communities. In 2016, it welcomed more refugees per capita than any other state. Nebraska, and in particular Lincoln, is the largest home of Yazidis refugees and Yazidi Americans in the United States.
Notably, Nebraska was the last of all 50 states to maintain a ban on the issuance of driver's licenses to adults who had entered the United States illegally as children (also known as Dreamers). The state legislature lifted the ban in December 2016.
Mexico, India, China, Guatemala, and El Salvador are top countries of origin for Nebraska's immigrants.
Birth data
Non-Hispanic White 40–50%50–60%60–70%70–80%80–90%90%+Native American 60–70%
As of 2011, 31.0% of Nebraska's population younger than age one were minorities.
Race | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
White: | 22,670 (86.9%) | 23,178 (86.5%) | 23,126 (86.7%) | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
Non-Hispanic White | 19,237 (73.7%) | 19,471 (72.6%) | 19,201 (72.0%) | 18,729 (70.4%) | 17,827 (69.0%) | 17,645 (69.2%) | 16,930 (68.4%) | 16,433 (67.7%) | 16,767 (68.1%) | 16,120 (66.2%) |
Black | 1,979 (7.6%) | 2,015 (7.5%) | 2,009 (7.5%) | 1,685 (6.3%) | 1,688 (6.5%) | 1,739 (6.8%) | 1,654 (6.7%) | 1,631 (6.7%) | 1,533 (6.2%) | 1,597 (6.6%) |
Asian | 854 (3.3%) | 1,048 (3.9%) | 987 (3.7%) | 894 (3.4%) | 861 (3.3%) | 925 (3.6%) | 857 (3.5%) | 870 (3.6%) | 861 (3.5%) | 816 (3.4%) |
American Indian | 592 (2.3%) | 553 (2.1%) | 557 (2.1%) | 353 (1.3%) | 399 (1.5%) | 342 (1.3%) | 341 (1.4%) | 284 (1.2%) | 248 (1.0%) | 298 (1.2%) |
Hispanic (of any race) | 3,895 (14.9%) | 4,143 (15.6%) | 4,249 (15.9%) | 4,282 (16.1%) | 4,382 (17.0%) | 4,155 (16.3%) | 4,345 (17.6%) | 4,393 (18.1%) | 4,440 (18.0%) | 4,815 (19.8%) |
Total Nebraska | 26,095 (100%) | 26,794 (100%) | 26,679 (100%) | 26,589 (100%) | 25,821 (100%) | 25,488 (100%) | 24,755 (100%) | 24,291 (100%) | 24,609 (100%) | 24,345 (100%) |
Note: For 2013–2015, births in table don't add up, because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number. Since 2016, data for births of White Hispanic origin are not collected, but included in one Hispanic group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
Religion
The religious affiliations of the people of Nebraska are predominantly Christian, according to a 2014 survey by the Pew Research Center. At the 2020 Public Religion Research Institute survey, 73% of the population identified as Christian. At the 2014 Pew Research Center's survey, 20% of the population were religiously unaffiliated; in 2020, the Public Religion Research Institute determined 22% of the population became religiously unaffiliated.
The largest single denominations by number of adherents in 2010 were the Roman Catholic Church (372,838), the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (112,585), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (110,110) and the United Methodist Church (109,283).
Taxation
Nebraska has a progressive income tax. The portion of income from $0 to $2,400 is taxed at 2.56%; from $2,400 to $17,500, at 3.57%; from $17,500 to $27,000, at 5.12%; and income over $27,000, at 6.84%. The standard deduction for a single taxpayer is $5,700; the personal exemption is $118.
Nebraska has a state sales and use tax of 5.5%. In addition to the state tax, some Nebraska cities assess a city sales and use tax, in 0.5% increments, up to a maximum of 1.5%. Dakota County levies an additional 0.5% county sales tax. Food and ingredients that are generally for home preparation and consumption are not taxable. All real property within the state of Nebraska is taxable unless specifically exempted by statute. Since 1992, only depreciable personal property is subject to tax and all other personal property is exempt from tax. Inheritance tax is collected at the county level.
Economy
- Total employment (2016): 884,450
- Total employer establishments: 54,265
The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates of Nebraska's gross state product in 2010 was $89.8 billion.Per capita personal income in 2004 was $31,339, 25th in the nation. Nebraska has a large agriculture sector, and is a major producer of beef, pork, wheat, corn (maize), soybeans, and sorghum. Other important economic sectors include freight transport (by rail and truck), manufacturing, telecommunications, information technology, and insurance.
In October 2021, Nebraska recorded an unemployment rate of 1.9%, the lowest ever recorded for any state.
Industry
Kool-Aid was created in 1927 by Edwin Perkins in the city of Hastings, which celebrates the event the second weekend of every August with Kool-Aid Days, and Kool-Aid is the official soft drink of Nebraska.CliffsNotes were developed by Clifton Hillegass of Rising City. He adapted his pamphlets from the Canadian publications, Coles Notes.
Omaha is home to Berkshire Hathaway, whose chief executive officer (CEO), Warren Buffett, was ranked in March 2009 by Forbes magazine as the second-richest person in the world. The city is also home to Mutual of Omaha, InfoUSA, West Corporation, Valmont Industries, Woodmen of the World, Kiewit Corporation, Union Pacific Railroad, and Gallup. Ameritas Life Insurance Corp., Nelnet, Sandhills Publishing Company, Duncan Aviation, and Hudl are based in Lincoln. The Buckle is based in Kearney. Sidney is the national headquarters for Cabela's, a specialty retailer of outdoor goods now owned by Bass Pro Shops. Grand Island is the headquarters of Hornady, a manufacturer of ammunition.
The world's largest train yard, Union Pacific's Bailey Yard, is in North Platte. The Vise-Grip was invented by William Petersen in 1924, and was manufactured in De Witt until the plant was closed and moved to China in late 2008.
Lincoln's Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing is the only Kawasaki plant in the world to produce the Jet Ski, all-terrain vehicle (ATV), and MULE product lines. The facility employs more than 1,200 people.
The Spade Ranch, in the Sandhills, is one of Nebraska's oldest and largest beef cattle operations.
Energy
Nebraska has been the nation's second-largest producer of ethanol biofuels. It has few fossil-fuel resources except for crude oil from the Niobrara Formation which underlays a portion of the state's western region. It hosts one uranium leach mining operation near its northwest border with Wyoming. It has an abundance of renewable generation resources, including untapped biomass generation potential from its productive agriculture industry. It has been a top-ten state for per-capita energy consumption due in large part to its energy-intensive agriculture, meat packing, and food processing industries.
Nebraska is the only state in the US where all electric utilities are publicly owned. Half of its electricity is generated from coal and the fastest-growing source in recent years has been wind. Nebraska has no renewable portfolio standard while supporting net metering.
Transportation
Railroads
The Union Pacific Railroad, headquartered in Omaha, was incorporated on July 1, 1862, in the wake of the Pacific Railway Act of 1862.Bailey Yard, in North Platte, is the largest railroad classification yard in the world. The route of the original transcontinental railroad runs through the state.
Other major railroads with operations in the state are Amtrak; BNSF Railway; Canadian National Railway; and Iowa Interstate Railroad.
Roads and highways
The U.S. Routes in Nebraska
Public transit
- Lincoln StarTran
- Omaha Metro Transit
- Scottsbluff Tri-City Roadrunner
- Sioux City Transit
Intercity bus service
- Burlington Trailways
- Jefferson Lines
Law and government
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2024 | 564,816 | 59.32% | 369,995 | 38.86% | 17,371 | 1.82% |
2020 | 556,846 | 58.22% | 374,583 | 39.17% | 24,954 | 2.61% |
2016 | 495,961 | 58.75% | 284,494 | 33.70% | 63,777 | 7.55% |
2012 | 475,064 | 59.80% | 302,081 | 38.03% | 17,234 | 2.17% |
2008 | 452,979 | 56.53% | 333,319 | 41.60% | 14,983 | 1.87% |
2004 | 512,814 | 65.90% | 254,328 | 32.68% | 11,044 | 1.42% |
2000 | 433,862 | 62.25% | 231,780 | 33.25% | 31,377 | 4.50% |
1996 | 363,467 | 53.65% | 236,761 | 34.95% | 77,187 | 11.39% |
1992 | 344,346 | 46.58% | 217,344 | 29.40% | 177,593 | 24.02% |
1988 | 398,447 | 60.15% | 259,646 | 39.20% | 4,279 | 0.65% |
1984 | 460,054 | 70.55% | 187,866 | 28.81% | 4,170 | 0.64% |
1980 | 419,937 | 65.53% | 166,851 | 26.04% | 54,066 | 8.44% |
1976 | 359,705 | 59.19% | 233,692 | 38.46% | 14,271 | 2.35% |
1972 | 406,298 | 70.50% | 169,991 | 29.50% | 0 | 0.00% |
1968 | 321,163 | 59.82% | 170,784 | 31.81% | 44,904 | 8.36% |
1964 | 276,847 | 47.39% | 307,307 | 52.61% | 0 | 0.00% |
1960 | 380,553 | 62.07% | 232,542 | 37.93% | 0 | 0.00% |
1956 | 378,108 | 65.51% | 199,029 | 34.49% | 0 | 0.00% |
1952 | 421,603 | 69.15% | 188,057 | 30.85% | 0 | 0.00% |
1948 | 264,774 | 54.15% | 224,165 | 45.85% | 1 | 0.00% |
1944 | 329,880 | 58.58% | 233,246 | 41.42% | 0 | 0.00% |
1940 | 352,201 | 57.19% | 263,677 | 42.81% | 0 | 0.00% |
1936 | 247,731 | 40.74% | 347,445 | 57.14% | 12,847 | 2.11% |
1932 | 201,177 | 35.29% | 359,082 | 62.98% | 9,878 | 1.73% |
1928 | 345,745 | 63.19% | 197,959 | 36.18% | 3,440 | 0.63% |
1924 | 218,585 | 47.09% | 137,289 | 29.58% | 108,299 | 23.33% |
1920 | 247,498 | 64.66% | 119,608 | 31.25% | 15,637 | 4.09% |
1916 | 117,771 | 40.99% | 158,827 | 55.28% | 10,717 | 3.73% |
1912 | 54,226 | 21.74% | 109,008 | 43.69% | 86,249 | 34.57% |
1908 | 126,997 | 47.60% | 131,099 | 49.14% | 8,703 | 3.26% |
1904 | 138,558 | 61.38% | 52,921 | 23.44% | 34,253 | 15.17% |
1900 | 121,835 | 50.46% | 114,013 | 47.22% | 5,582 | 2.31% |
1896 | 103,064 | 46.18% | 115,007 | 51.53% | 5,111 | 2.29% |
1892 | 87,213 | 43.56% | 24,943 | 12.46% | 88,036 | 43.98% |
1888 | 108,425 | 53.51% | 80,552 | 39.75% | 13,655 | 6.74% |
1884 | 76,912 | 57.31% | 54,391 | 40.53% | 2,899 | 2.16% |
1880 | 54,979 | 62.87% | 28,523 | 32.62% | 3,950 | 4.52% |
1876 | 31,915 | 64.70% | 17,413 | 35.30% | 0 | 0.00% |
1872 | 18,329 | 70.68% | 7,603 | 29.32% | 0 | 0.00% |
1868 | 9,772 | 63.91% | 5,519 | 36.09% | 0 | 0.00% |
The Government of Nebraska operates under the framework of the Nebraska Constitution, adopted in 1875, and is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.
Executive branch
The head of the executive branch is Governor Jim Pillen (Republican). The Governor of Nebraska is the head of government of the U.S. state of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Constitution of Nebraska. Other elected officials in the executive branch are Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelly,Attorney General Mike Hilgers,Secretary of State Bob Evnen,State Treasurer John Murante, and State Auditor Mike Foley. All elected officials in the executive branch serve four-year terms.
Legislative branch
Nebraska is the only state in the United States with a 'single-house' unicameral legislature. Although this house is officially known simply as the "Legislature", and more commonly called the "Unicameral", its members call themselves "senators". Nebraska's Legislature is also the only state legislature in the United States that is officially nonpartisan. The senators are elected with no party affiliation next to their names on the ballot, and members of any party can be elected to the positions of speaker and committee chairs. The Nebraska Legislature can also override the governor's veto with a three-fifths majority, in contrast to the two-thirds majority required in some other states.
When Nebraska became a state in 1867, its legislature consisted of two houses: a House of Representatives and a Senate. For years, U.S. Senator George Norris (Senator 1913–1943) and other Nebraskans encouraged the idea of a unicameral legislature and demanded the issue be decided in a referendum. Norris argued:
The constitutions of our various states are built upon the idea that there is but one class. If this be true, there is no sense or reason in having the same thing done twice, especially if it is to be done by two bodies of men elected in the same way and having the same jurisdiction.
Unicameral supporters also argued that a bicameral legislature had a significant undemocratic feature in the committees that reconciled House and Senate legislation. Votes in these committees were secretive, and would sometimes add provisions to bills that neither house had approved. Nebraska's unicameral legislature today has rules that bills can contain only one subject, and must be given at least five days of consideration. In 1934, due in part to the budgetary pressure of the Great Depression, Nebraska citizens ran a state initiative to vote on a constitutional amendment creating a unicameral legislature, which was approved, which, in effect, abolished the House of Representatives (the lower house).
The Legislature meets in the third Nebraska State Capitol building, built between 1922 and 1932. It was designed by Bertram G. Goodhue. Built from Indiana limestone, the capitol's base is a cross within a square. A 400-foot (122 m) domed tower rises from this base. The Sower, a 19-foot (5.8 m) bronze statue representing agriculture, crowns the building.
Judicial branch
The judicial system in Nebraska is unified, with the Nebraska Supreme Court having administrative authority over all the courts within the state. Nebraska uses the Missouri Plan for the selection of judges at all levels, including county courts (as the lowest-level courts) and twelve district courts, which contain one or more counties. The Court of Appeals hears appeals from the district courts,juvenile courts, and workers' compensation courts.
Federal representation
Nebraska is represented in the U.S. Senate by Republican Deb Fischer, who was first elected in 2012. Nebraska's other Senate seat is currently held by Pete Ricketts, who took office on January 23, 2023.
Nebraska has three representative seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Until the next election, Nebraska's representatives are Mike Flood (R) of the 1st district,Don Bacon (R) of the 2nd district, and Adrian Smith (R) of the 3rd district.
Nebraska is one of two states (Maine is the other) that allow for a split in the state's allocation of electoral votes in presidential elections. Under a 1991 law, two of Nebraska's five votes are awarded to the winner of the statewide popular vote, while the other three go to the highest vote-getter in each of the state's three congressional districts.
Politics
For most of its history, Nebraska has been a solidly Republican state. Republicans have carried the state in all but one presidential election since 1940: the 1964 landslide election of Lyndon B. Johnson. In the 2004 presidential election, George W. Bush won the state's five electoral votes by a margin of 33 percentage points (making Nebraska's the fourth-strongest Republican vote among states) with 65.9% of the overall vote; only Thurston County, which is majority-Native American, voted for his Democratic challenger John Kerry. In 2008, the state split its electoral votes for the first time: Republican John McCain won the popular vote in Nebraska as a whole and two of its three congressional districts; the second district, which includes the city of Omaha, went for Democrat Barack Obama. Since then, the state has split its electoral vote twice, with the second district going for the Democratic Party candidates Joe Biden in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024.
Despite the current Republican domination of Nebraska politics, the state has a long tradition of electing centrist members of both parties to state and federal office; examples include George W. Norris (who served a few years in the Senate as an independent), J. James Exon, Bob Kerrey, and Chuck Hagel. Voters have tilted to the right in recent years, a trend evidenced when Hagel retired from the Senate in 2008 and was succeeded by conservative Republican Mike Johanns to the U.S. Senate, as well as with the 2006 re-election of Ben Nelson, who was considered the most conservative Democrat in the Senate until his retirement in 2013. Johanns retired in 2015 and was succeeded by Ben Sasse, while Nelson retired in 2013 and was succeeded by Deb Fischer, both conservative Republicans.
Though its politics are generally conservative, the state also has a history of progressive reform. Nebraska was the first U.S. state to outlaw sexual assault within a marriage, in 1975. In 1980 it became the first U.S. state to divest from South Africa to protest the racist system of apartheid.
Former President Gerald Ford was born in Nebraska but moved away shortly after birth. Illinois native William Jennings Bryan represented Nebraska in Congress, served as U.S. Secretary of State under President Woodrow Wilson, and unsuccessfully ran for president three times. Former Vice President Dick Cheney was born in Lincoln but moved to Casper.
Party registration as of October 1, 2024 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Total voters | Percentage | |||
Republican | 623,229 | 49.30% | |||
Democratic | 337,289 | 26.68% | |||
Nonpartisan | 275,247 | 21.77% | |||
Libertarian | 17,963 | 1.42% | |||
Other/minor parties | 8,739 | 0.69% | |||
Total | 1,264,040 | 100.00% |
Education
Colleges and universities
University of Nebraska system
Nebraska State College System
| Community Colleges
| Private colleges/universities
|
Culture
Arts
Museums
Performing arts
- Lied Center for Performing Arts, in Lincoln
- Orpheum Theatre, in Omaha
- Holland Performing Arts Center, in Omaha
- Omaha Community Playhouse, in Omaha
- Rose Blumkin Performing Arts Center, in Omaha
- Blue Barn Theatre, in Omaha
- Omaha Symphony
Sports
Professional sports
Team | Home | First game | Sport | League |
---|---|---|---|---|
Omaha Supernovas | Omaha | January 24, 2024 | Volleyball | Pro Volleyball Federation |
Union Omaha | Omaha | July 25, 2020 | Soccer | USL League One |
Omaha Storm Chasers | Omaha | 1969 | Baseball (minor league) (Triple-A) | International League |
Ralston | April 10, 2010 | Football (women's) | Women's Football Alliance | |
Lincoln Saltdogs | Lincoln | May 2001 | Baseball (independent) | American Association |
Omaha Beef | Omaha | May 2000 | Football (indoor) | Champions Indoor Football |
Junior-level sports
Club | Sport | League | Founded |
---|---|---|---|
Lincoln Stars | Ice hockey | United States Hockey League | 1996 |
Omaha Lancers | 1986 | ||
Tri-City Storm | 2000 | ||
No Coast Derby Girls | Roller derby | Women's Flat Track Derby Association | 2005 |
Omaha Rollergirls | 2006 |
College sports
Nebraska is currently home to seven member schools of the NCAA, eight of the NAIA, seven of the NJCAA, one of the NCCAA, and one independent school.
The College World Series has been held in Omaha since 1950. It was held at Rosenblatt Stadium from 1950 through 2010, and has been domiciled at Charles Schwab Field Omaha since 2011.
See also
- Index of Nebraska-related articles
- Outline of Nebraska
- Nebraska portal
Notes
- Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988.
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Bibliography
Surveys
- Andreas, Alfred T., History of the State of Nebraska (1882) (a highly detailed history)
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- Chokecherry Places, Essays from the High Plains, Merrill Gilfillan, Johnson Press, Boulder, Colorado, trade paperback, ISBN 1-55566-227-7.
- Hickey, Donald R. Nebraska Moments: Glimpses of Nebraska's Past (1992).
- Miewald, Robert D., Nebraska Government & Politics Archived May 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine (1984)
- Luebke Frederick C. Nebraska: An Illustrated History (1995)
- Naugle, Ronald C., John J. Montag, and James C. Olson. History of Nebraska (4th ed. U of Nebraska Press, 2015). 568 pp. online review Archived March 8, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
- ed. Encyclopedia of the Great Plains, University of Nebraska Press, 2004, ISBN 0-8032-4787-7. complete text online Archived November 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine; 900 pages of scholarly articles
- Nebraska: A Guide to the Cornhusker State, WPA Guide, 1939; scanned online edition Archived August 6, 2020, at the Wayback Machine
Scholarly special studies
- Barnhart, John D. "Rainfall and the Populist Party in Nebraska". American Political Science Review 19 (1925): 527–40. in JSTOR
- Beezley, William H. "Homesteading in Nebraska, 1862–1872", Nebraska History 53 (spring 1972): 59–75
- Bentley, Arthur F. "The Condition of the Western Farmer as Illustrated by the Economic History of a Nebraska Township". Johns Hopkins University Studies in Historical and Political Science 11 (1893): 285–370
- Cherny, Robert W. Populism, Progressivism, and the Transformation of Nebraska Politics, 1885–1915 (1981) Archived May 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- Bogue Allen G. Money at Interest: The Farm Mortgage on the Middle Border (1955)
- Brunner, Edmund de S. Immigrant Farmers and Their Children (1929)
- Chudacoff, Howard P. Mobile Americans: Residential and Social Mobility in Omaha, 1880–1920 (1972)
- Chudacoff, Howard P. "A New Look at Ethnic Neighborhoods: Residential Dispersion and the Concept of Visibility in a Medium-sized City". Journal of American History 60 (1973): 76–93. about Omaha; in JSTOR
- Coletta, Paolo E. William Jennings Bryan. Archived May 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine 3 vols. (1964–69)
- Dick, Everett. The Sod-House Frontier: 1854–1890 (1937)
- Farragher, John Mack. Women and Men on the Overland Trail (1979)
- Fuller, Wayne E. The Old Country School: The Story of Rural Education in the Midwest (1982)
- Grant, Michael Johnston. "Down and Out on the Family Farm" (2002)
- Harper, Ivy. Walzing Matilda: Life and Times of Nebraska Senator Robert Kerrey (1992)
- Holter, Don W. Flames on the Plains: A History of United Methodism in Nebraska (1983)
- Jeffrey, Julie Roy. Frontier Women: The Trans-Mississippi West, 1840–1880 (1979)
- Klein, Maury. Union Pacific: The Birth of a Railroad, 1862–1893 (1986)
- Klein, Maury (2006) [1989]. Union Pacific: Volume II, 1894-1969. Minneapolis, Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-4460-5.
- Larsen, Lawrence H. The Gate City: A History of Omaha (1982)
- Lowitt, Richard. George W. Norris 3 vols. (1971)
- Luebke, Frederick C. Immigrants and Politics: The Germans of Nebraska, 1880–1900 (1969)
- Luebke, Frederick C. "The German-American Alliance in Nebraska, 1910–1917". Nebraska History 49 (1969): 165–85
- Olson, James C. J. Sterling Morton (1942)
- Overton, Richard C. Burlington West: A Colonization History of the Burlington Railroad (1941)
- Parsons Stanley B. "Who Were the Nebraska Populists?" Nebraska History 44 (1963): 83–99
- Pierce, Neal. The Great Plains States (1973)
- Pederson, James F., and Kenneth D. Wald. Shall the People Rule? A History of the Democratic Party in Nebraska Politics (1972)
- Riley, Glenda. The Female Frontier. A Comparative View of Women on the Prairie and the Plains (1978)
- Wenger, Robert W. "The Anti-Saloon League in Nebraska Politics, 1898–1910". Nebraska History 52 (1971): 267–92
External links
- Nebraska state government Archived February 22, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- Nebraska Division of Travel and Tourism Archived December 27, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
- Energy Profile for Nebraska
- USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Nebraska Archived December 30, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- Nebraska State Facts from USDA Archived July 14, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- Nebraska Frequently Asked Questions Archived October 16, 2020, at the Wayback Machine
- Nebraska State Publications Online Archived May 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- Nebraska city-data Archived July 19, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- nebraskastudies.org Archived August 19, 2001, at the Wayback Machine History of Nebraska from Nebraska Department of Education, Nebraska State Historical Society, and NET
- Nebraska State Databases Annotated list of searchable databases produced by Nebraska state agencies and compiled by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association.
- Geographic data related to Nebraska at OpenStreetMap
Nebraska n e ˈ b r ae s k e ne BRASS ke is a landlocked state in the Midwestern region of the United States It borders South Dakota to the north Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast both across the Missouri River Kansas to the south Colorado to the southwest and Wyoming to the west Nebraska is the 16th largest state by land area with just over 77 220 square miles 200 000 km2 With a population of over 2 million as of 2024 it is the 38th most populous state and the eighth least densely populated Its capital is Lincoln and its most populous city is Omaha which is on the Missouri River Nebraska was admitted into the United States in 1867 two years after the end of the American Civil War The Nebraska Legislature is unlike any other American legislature in that it is unicameral and its members are elected without any official reference to political party affiliation Nebraska is one of only two states that divide electoral college votes by district and is not winner take all NebraskaStateFlagSealNickname The Cornhusker StateMotto Equality before the lawAnthem Beautiful Nebraska source source track Location of Nebraska within the United StatesCountryUnited StatesBefore statehoodNebraska TerritoryAdmitted to the UnionMarch 1 1867 37th CapitalLincolnLargest cityOmahaLargest county or equivalentDouglasLargest metro and urban areasOmaha Council BluffsGovernment GovernorJim Pillen R Lieutenant GovernorJoe Kelly R LegislatureNebraska LegislatureJudiciaryNebraska Supreme CourtU S senatorsDeb Fischer R Pete Ricketts R U S House delegation1 Mike Flood R 2 Don Bacon R 3 Adrian Smith R list Area Total77 327 sq mi 200 356 km2 Land76 796 sq mi 199 099 km2 Water531 sq mi 1 247 km2 0 7 Rank16thDimensions Length430 mi 690 km Width210 mi 340 km Elevation2 600 ft 790 m Highest elevation Panorama Point 5 424 ft 1 654 m Lowest elevation Missouri River at Kansas border 840 ft 256 m Population 2024 Total2 005 465 Rank37th Density24 94 sq mi 9 62 km2 Rank43rd Median household income 74 600 20 23 Income rank25thDemonymNebraskanLanguage Official languageEnglishTime zonesmost of stateUTC 06 00 Central Summer DST UTC 05 00 CDT PanhandleUTC 07 00 Mountain Summer DST UTC 06 00 MDT USPS abbreviationNEISO 3166 codeUS NETraditional abbreviationNeb Nebr Latitude40 N to 43 NLongitude95 19 W to 104 03 WWebsitenebraska wbr govState symbols of NebraskaList of state symbolsFlag of NebraskaSeal of NebraskaSloganWelcome to NEBRASKAland where the West beginsLiving insigniaBirdWestern meadowlarkFishChannel catfishFlowerTall GoldenrodGrassLittle bluestemInsectWestern honey beeMammalWhite tailed deerTreeEastern CottonwoodInanimate insigniaBeverageMilk Soft drink Kool aidDanceSquare danceFossilMammothGemstoneBlue agateRockPrairie agateRiverPlatte RiverSoilHoldrege seriesState route markerLists of United States state symbols Nebraska is composed of two major land regions the Dissected Till Plains and the Great Plains The Dissected Till Plains region consists of gently rolling hills and contains the state s largest cities Omaha and Lincoln The Great Plains region occupying most of western Nebraska is characterized by treeless prairie Eastern Nebraska has a humid continental climate while western Nebraska is primarily semi arid The state has wide variations between winter and summer temperatures the variations decrease in southern Nebraska Violent thunderstorms and tornadoes occur primarily during spring and summer and sometimes in autumn The Chinook wind tends to warm the state significantly in the winter and early spring Indigenous peoples including Omaha Missouria Ponca Pawnee Otoe and various branches of the Lakota Sioux tribes lived in the region for thousands of years before European discovery and exploration The state is crossed by many historic trails including that of the Lewis and Clark Expedition The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad through Nebraska and passage of the Homestead Acts led to rapid growth in the population of American settlers in the 1870s and 1880s and the development of a large agriculture sector for which the state is known to this day EtymologyNebraska s name is the result of anglicization of the archaic Otoe Ni Brasge contemporary Otoe Nibrahge pronounced ɲĩbɾasꜜkɛ or the Omaha Ni Bthaska pronounced nĩbɫᶞasꜜka meaning flat water after the Platte River which flows through the state HistoryNebraska in 1718 Guillaume de L Isle map with the approximate area of the future state highlightedEarly history Indigenous peoples lived in the region of present day Nebraska for thousands of years before European colonization The historic tribes in the state included the Omaha Missouria Ponca Pawnee Otoe and various branches of the Lakota Sioux some of which migrated from eastern areas into the region When European exploration trade and settlement began both Spain and France sought to control the region In the 1690s Spain established trade connections with the Apache whose territory then included western Nebraska By 1703 France had developed a regular trade with native peoples along the Missouri River in Nebraska and by 1719 had signed treaties with several of these peoples After war broke out between the two countries Spain dispatched an armed expedition to Nebraska under Lieutenant General Pedro de Villasur in 1720 The party was attacked and destroyed near present day Columbus by a large force of Pawnee and Otoe both allied with the French The massacre ended Spanish exploration of the area for the remainder of the 18th century In 1762 during the Seven Years War France ceded the Louisiana territory to Spain This left Britain and Spain competing for dominance along the Mississippi River by 1773 the British were trading with the native peoples of Nebraska Spain dispatched two trading expeditions up the Missouri River in 1794 and 1795 the second under James Mackay established the first European settlement in Nebraska near the mouth of the Platte River Later that year Mackay s party built a trading post dubbed Fort Carlos IV Fort Charles near present day Homer American settlement and statehood In 1819 the United States established Fort Atkinson as the first U S Army post west of the Missouri River just east of present day Fort Calhoun The army abandoned the fort in 1827 as migration moved further west European American settlement was scarce until 1848 and the California Gold Rush On May 30 1854 the U S Congress created the Kansas and the Nebraska territories divided by the Parallel 40 North under the Kansas Nebraska Act The Nebraska Territory included parts of the current states of Colorado North Dakota South Dakota Wyoming and Montana The territorial capital of Nebraska was Omaha Homesteaders in central Nebraska in 1888 Late 19th century In the 1860s after the U S government forced many of the American Indian tribes to cede their lands and settle on reservations it opened large tracts of land to agricultural development by European immigrants and American settlers Under the Homestead Act thousands of settlers migrated into Nebraska to claim free land granted by the federal government Because so few trees grew on the prairies many of the first farming settlers built their homes of sod as had Native Americans such as the Omaha The first wave of settlement gave the territory a sufficient population to apply for statehood Nebraska became the 37th state on March 1 1867 and the capital was moved from Omaha to the center at Lancaster later renamed Lincoln after the recently assassinated President of the United States Abraham Lincoln The battle of Massacre Canyon on August 5 1873 was the last major battle between the Pawnee and the Sioux During the 1870s to the 1880s Nebraska experienced a large growth in population Several factors contributed to attracting new residents The first was that the vast prairie land was perfect for cattle grazing This helped settlers to learn the unfamiliar geography of the area The second factor was the invention of several farming technologies New agricultural innovations such as barbed wire windmills and the steel plow combined with fair weather enabled settlers to transform Nebraska into prime farming land By the 1880s Nebraska s population had soared to more than 450 000 people The Arbor Day holiday was founded in Nebraska City by territorial governor J Sterling Morton The National Arbor Day Foundation is still headquartered in Nebraska City with some offices in Lincoln In the late 19th century African Americans migrated from the South to Nebraska as part of the Great Migration Eventually they moved primarily to Omaha which offered working class jobs in meat packing the railroads and other industries Omaha has a long history of civil rights activism Blacks encountered discrimination from other Americans in Omaha and especially from recent European immigrants who were also competing for the same jobs as well 20th century During the early 20th century In 1912 African Americans founded the Omaha chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to work for improved conditions in the city and state During the Omaha Race Riots in 1919 many white rioters protested throughout Omaha due to there being an incident in which a black man was accused of sexually assaulting a white woman The Great Depression also had greatly affected the residents of Nebraska at the time From 1930 to 1936 the dust bowl was common in the state due to there being a drought wind and dirt being dug up throughout all of the Midwestern United States Residents in Nebraska had passed an initiative in 1934 then the first session in the unicameral was held in 1937 Kay Orr was elected Nebraska s first female governor on November 4 1986 GeographyA map of Nebraska The state is bordered by South Dakota to the north Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast across the Missouri River Kansas to the south Colorado to the southwest and Wyoming to the west The state has 93 counties and is split between two time zones with the majority of the state observing Central Time and the Panhandle and surrounding counties observing Mountain Time Three rivers cross the state from west to east The Platte River formed by the confluence of the North Platte and the South Platte runs through the state s central portion the Niobrara River flows through the northern part and the Republican River runs across the southern part The first Constitution of Nebraska in 1866 described Nebraska s boundaries as follows The description of the Northern border is no longer accurate since the Keya Paha River and the Niobrara River no longer form the boundary of the state of Nebraska Instead Nebraska s Northern border now extends east along the forty third degree of north latitude until it meets the Missouri River directly The State of Nebraska shall consist of all the territory included within the following boundaries to wit Commencing at a point formed by the intersection of the western boundary of the State of Missouri with the fortieth degree of north latitude extending thence due west along said fortieth degree of north latitude to a point formed by its intersection with the twenty fifth degree of longitude west from Washington the Southern border thence north along said twenty fifth degree of longitude to a point formed by its intersection with the forty first degree of north latitude thence west along said forty first degree of north latitude to a point formed by its intersection with the twenty seventh degree of longitude west from Washington thence north along said twenty seventh degree of west longitude to a point formed by its intersection with the forty third degree of north latitude the Western border which is the Panhandle thence east along said forty third degree of north latitude to the Keya Paha river thence down the middle of the channel of said river with its meanderings to its junction with the Niobrara River thence down the middle of the channel of said Niobrara River and following the meanderings thereof to its junction with the Missouri River the Northern border thence down the middle of the channel of said Missouri River and following the meanderings thereof to the place of beginning the Eastern border which is the Missouri River Nebraska is composed of two major land regions the Dissected Till Plains and the Great Plains The easternmost portion of the state was scoured by Ice Age glaciers the Dissected Till Plains were left after the glaciers retreated The Dissected Till Plains is a region of gently rolling hills Omaha and Lincoln are in this region The Great Plains occupy most of western Nebraska with the region consisting of several smaller diverse land regions including the Sandhills the Pine Ridge the Rainwater Basin the High Plains and the Wildcat Hills Panorama Point at 5 424 feet 1 653 m is Nebraska s highest point though despite its name and elevation it is a relatively low rise near the Colorado and Wyoming borders A past tourism slogan for the state of Nebraska was Where the West Begins it has since been changed to Honestly it s not for everyone Locations given for the beginning of the West in Nebraska include the Missouri River the intersection of 13th and O Streets in Lincoln where it is marked by a red brick star the 100th meridian and Chimney Rock Federal land management Nebraska National Forest Areas under the management of the National Park Service include Agate Fossil Beds National Monument near Harrison California National Historic Trail Chimney Rock National Historic Site near Bayard Homestead National Monument of America in Beatrice Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Missouri National Recreational River near Ponca Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail Niobrara National Scenic River near Valentine Oregon National Historic Trail Pony Express National Historic Trail Scotts Bluff National Monument at Gering Areas under the management of the National Forest Service include Nebraska National Forest Oglala National Grassland Samuel R McKelvie National ForestClimate Koppen climate types of Nebraska using 1991 2020 climate normalsWinter at Scotts Bluff National Monument Two major climatic zones are represented in Nebraska The eastern two thirds of the state has a humid continental climate Koppen Dfa although the southwest of this region may be classed as a humid subtropical climate Cfa using the 3 C or 26 6 F near the Kansas state line analogous to the predominantly humid subtropical climate of Kansas and Oklahoma Western Nebraska including The Panhandle and adjacent areas bordering Colorado have a semi arid climate Koppen BSk The entire state experiences wide seasonal variations in both temperature and precipitation Average temperatures are fairly uniform across Nebraska with hot summers and generally cold winters However chinook winds from the Rocky Mountains provide a temporary moderating effect on temperatures in the state s western portion during the winter Thus average January maximum temperatures are highest at around 43 F or 6 1 C in southwestern Dundy County and lowest at about 30 F or 1 1 C around South Sioux City in the northeast Average annual precipitation decreases east to west from about 31 5 inches 800 mm in the southeast corner of the state to about 13 8 inches 350 mm in the Panhandle Humidity also decreases significantly from east to west Snowfall across the state is fairly even with most of Nebraska receiving between 25 and 35 inches 0 64 and 0 89 m of snow each year Nebraska s highest recorded temperature was 118 F 48 C in Minden on July 24 1936 The state s lowest recorded temperature was 47 F 44 C in Camp Clarke on February 12 1899 Nebraska is located in Tornado Alley Thunderstorms are common during both the spring and the summer Violent thunderstorms and tornadoes happen primarily during those two seasons although they also can occur occasionally during the autumn Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures for selected cities in Nebraska Location July F July C January F January C Omaha 87 66 30 19 33 13 1 10Lincoln 89 66 31 19 35 14 2 10Grand Island 87 64 31 17 36 14 2 10Kearney 90 63 32 17 36 12 2 11North Platte 88 60 31 16 39 11 4 11Papillion 87 66 31 19 32 12 0 11Settlements Population density in Nebraska Eighty nine percent of the cities in Nebraska have fewer than 3 000 people Nebraska shares this characteristic with five other Midwestern states Kansas Oklahoma North Dakota and South Dakota and Iowa Hundreds of towns have a population of fewer than 1 000 Regional population declines have forced many rural schools to consolidate Fifty three of Nebraska s 93 counties reported declining populations between 1990 and 2000 ranging from a 0 06 loss Frontier County to a 17 04 loss Hitchcock County Omaha Nebraska s largest city More urbanized areas of the state have experienced substantial growth In 2000 the city of Omaha had a population of 390 007 in 2005 the city s estimated population was 414 521 427 872 including the recently annexed city of Elkhorn a 6 3 increase over five years The 2010 census showed that Omaha has a population of 408 958 The city of Lincoln had a 2000 population of 225 581 and a 2010 population of 258 379 a 14 5 increase Lincoln Nebraska s capital city As of the 2010 census there were 530 cities and villages in the state of Nebraska There are five classifications of cities and villages in Nebraska which are based upon population All population figures are 2017 Census Bureau estimates unless flagged by a reference number Metropolitan Class City 300 000 or more Omaha 466 893 Primary Class City 100 000 299 999 Lincoln 284 736 First Class City 5 000 99 999 Bellevue 53 424 Grand Island 51 390 Kearney 33 835 Fremont 26 457 Hastings 24 989 Norfolk 24 434 North Platte 23 888 Columbus 23 128 Papillion 19 539 La Vista 17 116 Scottsbluff 14 874 South Sioux City 12 911 Beatrice 12 295 Lexington 10 024 Gering 8 319 Alliance 8 164 Blair 8 091 York 7 862 McCook 7 540 Ralston 7 333 Nebraska City 7 313 Seward 7 181 Crete 7 160 Sidney 6 620 Plattsmouth 6 451 Schuyler 6 212 Chadron 5 648 Wayne 5 439 Holdrege 5 494 Gretna 5 062 Second Class Cities 800 4 999 and Villages 100 800 make up the rest of the communities in Nebraska There are 116 second class cities and 382 villages in the state Metropolitan areas 2017 estimate data Omaha Council Bluffs 763 326 Nebraska portion 933 316 total for Nebraska and Iowa Lincoln 331 519 Sioux City Iowa 26 836 Nebraska portion 168 618 total for Nebraska Iowa and South Dakota Grand Island 85 045 Micropolitan areas 2012 estimate data Kearney 53 948 Norfolk 48 286 Scottsbluff 39 039 North Platte 37 373 Fremont 36 427 Columbus 32 681 Hastings 31 364 Lexington 26 249 Beatrice 21 806 Other areas Grand Island Hastings and Kearney comprise the Tri Cities area with a combined population of 174 530 The northeast corner of Nebraska is part of the Siouxland region DemographicsPopulation Historical population CensusPop Note 186028 841 1870122 993326 5 1880452 402267 8 18901 062 656134 9 19001 066 3000 3 19101 192 21411 8 19201 296 3728 7 19301 377 9636 3 19401 315 834 4 5 19501 325 5100 7 19601 411 3306 5 19701 483 4935 1 19801 569 8255 8 19901 578 3850 5 20001 711 2638 4 20101 826 3416 7 20201 961 5047 4 2024 est 2 005 4652 2 Source 1910 2020Ethnic origins in Nebraska The 2020 United States census reported that the population of Nebraska was 1 961 504 on April 1 2020 a 7 4 increase since the 2010 United States census The center of population of Nebraska is in Polk County in the city of Shelby According to HUD s 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report there were an estimated 2 246 homeless people in Nebraska The table below shows the racial composition of Nebraska s population as of 2022 Nebraska racial composition of population Race Population 2022 est PercentageTotal population 1 967 923 100 White 1 543 454 78 4 Black or African American 92 208 4 7 American Indian and Alaska Native 19 656 1 0 Asian 49 557 2 5 Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 1 239 0 1 Some other race 87 534 4 4 Two or more races 174 275 8 9 Nebraska historical racial composition Racial composition 1990 2000 2010 2020White 93 8 89 6 86 1 78 4 Black 3 6 4 0 4 5 4 9 Asian 0 8 1 3 1 8 2 7 Native 0 8 0 9 1 0 1 2 Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander 0 1 0 1 0 1 Other race 1 0 2 8 4 3 5 4 Two or more races 1 4 2 2 7 3 According to the 2016 American Community Survey 10 2 of Nebraska s population were of Hispanic or Latino origin of any race Mexican 7 8 Puerto Rican 0 2 Cuban 0 2 and other Hispanic or Latino origin 2 0 The largest ancestry groups were German 36 1 Irish 13 1 English 7 8 Czech 4 7 Swedish 4 3 and Polish 3 5 Nebraska has the largest Czech American and non Mormon Danish American population as a percentage of the total population in the nation Nebraska is also home to the largest Polish American population in the Great Plains German Americans are the largest ancestry group in most of the state particularly in the eastern counties Thurston County made up entirely of the Omaha and Winnebago reservations has an American Indian majority and Butler County is one of only two counties in the nation with a Czech American plurality In recent years Nebraska has become home to many refugee communities In 2016 it welcomed more refugees per capita than any other state Nebraska and in particular Lincoln is the largest home of Yazidis refugees and Yazidi Americans in the United States Notably Nebraska was the last of all 50 states to maintain a ban on the issuance of driver s licenses to adults who had entered the United States illegally as children also known as Dreamers The state legislature lifted the ban in December 2016 Mexico India China Guatemala and El Salvador are top countries of origin for Nebraska s immigrants Birth data Map of counties in Nebraska by racial plurality per the 2020 U S censusLegend Non Hispanic White 40 50 50 60 60 70 70 80 80 90 90 Native American 60 70 As of 2011 31 0 of Nebraska s population younger than age one were minorities Live Births by Single Race Ethnicity of Mother Race 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022White 22 670 86 9 23 178 86 5 23 126 86 7 Non Hispanic White 19 237 73 7 19 471 72 6 19 201 72 0 18 729 70 4 17 827 69 0 17 645 69 2 16 930 68 4 16 433 67 7 16 767 68 1 16 120 66 2 Black 1 979 7 6 2 015 7 5 2 009 7 5 1 685 6 3 1 688 6 5 1 739 6 8 1 654 6 7 1 631 6 7 1 533 6 2 1 597 6 6 Asian 854 3 3 1 048 3 9 987 3 7 894 3 4 861 3 3 925 3 6 857 3 5 870 3 6 861 3 5 816 3 4 American Indian 592 2 3 553 2 1 557 2 1 353 1 3 399 1 5 342 1 3 341 1 4 284 1 2 248 1 0 298 1 2 Hispanic of any race 3 895 14 9 4 143 15 6 4 249 15 9 4 282 16 1 4 382 17 0 4 155 16 3 4 345 17 6 4 393 18 1 4 440 18 0 4 815 19 8 Total Nebraska 26 095 100 26 794 100 26 679 100 26 589 100 25 821 100 25 488 100 24 755 100 24 291 100 24 609 100 24 345 100 Note For 2013 2015 births in table don t add up because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race giving a higher overall number Since 2016 data for births of White Hispanic origin are not collected but included in oneHispanicgroup persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race Religion Religion in Nebraska 2014 religion percentProtestant 51 Catholic 23 Unaffiliated 20 Mormon 1 Hindu 1 Buddhist 1 Other faith 2 Don t know 1 The religious affiliations of the people of Nebraska are predominantly Christian according to a 2014 survey by the Pew Research Center At the 2020 Public Religion Research Institute survey 73 of the population identified as Christian At the 2014 Pew Research Center s survey 20 of the population were religiously unaffiliated in 2020 the Public Religion Research Institute determined 22 of the population became religiously unaffiliated The largest single denominations by number of adherents in 2010 were the Roman Catholic Church 372 838 the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod 112 585 the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 110 110 and the United Methodist Church 109 283 TaxationNebraska has a progressive income tax The portion of income from 0 to 2 400 is taxed at 2 56 from 2 400 to 17 500 at 3 57 from 17 500 to 27 000 at 5 12 and income over 27 000 at 6 84 The standard deduction for a single taxpayer is 5 700 the personal exemption is 118 Nebraska has a state sales and use tax of 5 5 In addition to the state tax some Nebraska cities assess a city sales and use tax in 0 5 increments up to a maximum of 1 5 Dakota County levies an additional 0 5 county sales tax Food and ingredients that are generally for home preparation and consumption are not taxable All real property within the state of Nebraska is taxable unless specifically exempted by statute Since 1992 only depreciable personal property is subject to tax and all other personal property is exempt from tax Inheritance tax is collected at the county level EconomyNebraska grain bins and elevatorA cropduster in agrarian Nebraska far west of OmahaTotal employment 2016 884 450 Total employer establishments 54 265 The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates of Nebraska s gross state product in 2010 was 89 8 billion Per capita personal income in 2004 was 31 339 25th in the nation Nebraska has a large agriculture sector and is a major producer of beef pork wheat corn maize soybeans and sorghum Other important economic sectors include freight transport by rail and truck manufacturing telecommunications information technology and insurance In October 2021 Nebraska recorded an unemployment rate of 1 9 the lowest ever recorded for any state Industry Kool Aid was created in 1927 by Edwin Perkins in the city of Hastings which celebrates the event the second weekend of every August with Kool Aid Days and Kool Aid is the official soft drink of Nebraska CliffsNotes were developed by Clifton Hillegass of Rising City He adapted his pamphlets from the Canadian publications Coles Notes Omaha is home to Berkshire Hathaway whose chief executive officer CEO Warren Buffett was ranked in March 2009 by Forbes magazine as the second richest person in the world The city is also home to Mutual of Omaha InfoUSA West Corporation Valmont Industries Woodmen of the World Kiewit Corporation Union Pacific Railroad and Gallup Ameritas Life Insurance Corp Nelnet Sandhills Publishing Company Duncan Aviation and Hudl are based in Lincoln The Buckle is based in Kearney Sidney is the national headquarters for Cabela s a specialty retailer of outdoor goods now owned by Bass Pro Shops Grand Island is the headquarters of Hornady a manufacturer of ammunition The world s largest train yard Union Pacific s Bailey Yard is in North Platte The Vise Grip was invented by William Petersen in 1924 and was manufactured in De Witt until the plant was closed and moved to China in late 2008 Lincoln s Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing is the only Kawasaki plant in the world to produce the Jet Ski all terrain vehicle ATV and MULE product lines The facility employs more than 1 200 people The Spade Ranch in the Sandhills is one of Nebraska s oldest and largest beef cattle operations Energy Nebraska has been the nation s second largest producer of ethanol biofuels It has few fossil fuel resources except for crude oil from the Niobrara Formation which underlays a portion of the state s western region It hosts one uranium leach mining operation near its northwest border with Wyoming It has an abundance of renewable generation resources including untapped biomass generation potential from its productive agriculture industry It has been a top ten state for per capita energy consumption due in large part to its energy intensive agriculture meat packing and food processing industries Nebraska is the only state in the US where all electric utilities are publicly owned Half of its electricity is generated from coal and the fastest growing source in recent years has been wind Nebraska has no renewable portfolio standard while supporting net metering TransportationRailroads The Union Pacific Railroad headquartered in Omaha was incorporated on July 1 1862 in the wake of the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 Bailey Yard in North Platte is the largest railroad classification yard in the world The route of the original transcontinental railroad runs through the state Other major railroads with operations in the state are Amtrak BNSF Railway Canadian National Railway and Iowa Interstate Railroad Roads and highways Interstate Highways through the State of Nebraska The U S Routes in Nebraska Public transit Lincoln StarTran Omaha Metro Transit Scottsbluff Tri City Roadrunner Sioux City TransitIntercity bus service Burlington Trailways Jefferson LinesLaw and governmentUnited States presidential election results for Nebraska Year Republican Democratic Third party ies No No No 2024 564 816 59 32 369 995 38 86 17 371 1 82 2020 556 846 58 22 374 583 39 17 24 954 2 61 2016 495 961 58 75 284 494 33 70 63 777 7 55 2012 475 064 59 80 302 081 38 03 17 234 2 17 2008 452 979 56 53 333 319 41 60 14 983 1 87 2004 512 814 65 90 254 328 32 68 11 044 1 42 2000 433 862 62 25 231 780 33 25 31 377 4 50 1996 363 467 53 65 236 761 34 95 77 187 11 39 1992 344 346 46 58 217 344 29 40 177 593 24 02 1988 398 447 60 15 259 646 39 20 4 279 0 65 1984 460 054 70 55 187 866 28 81 4 170 0 64 1980 419 937 65 53 166 851 26 04 54 066 8 44 1976 359 705 59 19 233 692 38 46 14 271 2 35 1972 406 298 70 50 169 991 29 50 0 0 00 1968 321 163 59 82 170 784 31 81 44 904 8 36 1964 276 847 47 39 307 307 52 61 0 0 00 1960 380 553 62 07 232 542 37 93 0 0 00 1956 378 108 65 51 199 029 34 49 0 0 00 1952 421 603 69 15 188 057 30 85 0 0 00 1948 264 774 54 15 224 165 45 85 1 0 00 1944 329 880 58 58 233 246 41 42 0 0 00 1940 352 201 57 19 263 677 42 81 0 0 00 1936 247 731 40 74 347 445 57 14 12 847 2 11 1932 201 177 35 29 359 082 62 98 9 878 1 73 1928 345 745 63 19 197 959 36 18 3 440 0 63 1924 218 585 47 09 137 289 29 58 108 299 23 33 1920 247 498 64 66 119 608 31 25 15 637 4 09 1916 117 771 40 99 158 827 55 28 10 717 3 73 1912 54 226 21 74 109 008 43 69 86 249 34 57 1908 126 997 47 60 131 099 49 14 8 703 3 26 1904 138 558 61 38 52 921 23 44 34 253 15 17 1900 121 835 50 46 114 013 47 22 5 582 2 31 1896 103 064 46 18 115 007 51 53 5 111 2 29 1892 87 213 43 56 24 943 12 46 88 036 43 98 1888 108 425 53 51 80 552 39 75 13 655 6 74 1884 76 912 57 31 54 391 40 53 2 899 2 16 1880 54 979 62 87 28 523 32 62 3 950 4 52 1876 31 915 64 70 17 413 35 30 0 0 00 1872 18 329 70 68 7 603 29 32 0 0 00 1868 9 772 63 91 5 519 36 09 0 0 00 Treemap of the popular vote by county 2016 presidential election The Government of Nebraska operates under the framework of the Nebraska Constitution adopted in 1875 and is divided into three branches executive legislative and judicial Executive branch The head of the executive branch is Governor Jim Pillen Republican The Governor of Nebraska is the head of government of the U S state of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Constitution of Nebraska Other elected officials in the executive branch are Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelly Attorney General Mike Hilgers Secretary of State Bob Evnen State Treasurer John Murante and State Auditor Mike Foley All elected officials in the executive branch serve four year terms Legislative branch Nebraska is the only state in the United States with a single house unicameral legislature Although this house is officially known simply as the Legislature and more commonly called the Unicameral its members call themselves senators Nebraska s Legislature is also the only state legislature in the United States that is officially nonpartisan The senators are elected with no party affiliation next to their names on the ballot and members of any party can be elected to the positions of speaker and committee chairs The Nebraska Legislature can also override the governor s veto with a three fifths majority in contrast to the two thirds majority required in some other states When Nebraska became a state in 1867 its legislature consisted of two houses a House of Representatives and a Senate For years U S Senator George Norris Senator 1913 1943 and other Nebraskans encouraged the idea of a unicameral legislature and demanded the issue be decided in a referendum Norris argued The constitutions of our various states are built upon the idea that there is but one class If this be true there is no sense or reason in having the same thing done twice especially if it is to be done by two bodies of men elected in the same way and having the same jurisdiction Unicameral supporters also argued that a bicameral legislature had a significant undemocratic feature in the committees that reconciled House and Senate legislation Votes in these committees were secretive and would sometimes add provisions to bills that neither house had approved Nebraska s unicameral legislature today has rules that bills can contain only one subject and must be given at least five days of consideration In 1934 due in part to the budgetary pressure of the Great Depression Nebraska citizens ran a state initiative to vote on a constitutional amendment creating a unicameral legislature which was approved which in effect abolished the House of Representatives the lower house The Legislature meets in the third Nebraska State Capitol building built between 1922 and 1932 It was designed by Bertram G Goodhue Built from Indiana limestone the capitol s base is a cross within a square A 400 foot 122 m domed tower rises from this base The Sower a 19 foot 5 8 m bronze statue representing agriculture crowns the building Judicial branch The judicial system in Nebraska is unified with the Nebraska Supreme Court having administrative authority over all the courts within the state Nebraska uses the Missouri Plan for the selection of judges at all levels including county courts as the lowest level courts and twelve district courts which contain one or more counties The Court of Appeals hears appeals from the district courts juvenile courts and workers compensation courts Federal representation The Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln Nebraska is represented in the U S Senate by Republican Deb Fischer who was first elected in 2012 Nebraska s other Senate seat is currently held by Pete Ricketts who took office on January 23 2023 Nebraska has three representative seats in the U S House of Representatives Until the next election Nebraska s representatives are Mike Flood R of the 1st district Don Bacon R of the 2nd district and Adrian Smith R of the 3rd district Nebraska is one of two states Maine is the other that allow for a split in the state s allocation of electoral votes in presidential elections Under a 1991 law two of Nebraska s five votes are awarded to the winner of the statewide popular vote while the other three go to the highest vote getter in each of the state s three congressional districts Politics For most of its history Nebraska has been a solidly Republican state Republicans have carried the state in all but one presidential election since 1940 the 1964 landslide election of Lyndon B Johnson In the 2004 presidential election George W Bush won the state s five electoral votes by a margin of 33 percentage points making Nebraska s the fourth strongest Republican vote among states with 65 9 of the overall vote only Thurston County which is majority Native American voted for his Democratic challenger John Kerry In 2008 the state split its electoral votes for the first time Republican John McCain won the popular vote in Nebraska as a whole and two of its three congressional districts the second district which includes the city of Omaha went for Democrat Barack Obama Since then the state has split its electoral vote twice with the second district going for the Democratic Party candidates Joe Biden in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024 Despite the current Republican domination of Nebraska politics the state has a long tradition of electing centrist members of both parties to state and federal office examples include George W Norris who served a few years in the Senate as an independent J James Exon Bob Kerrey and Chuck Hagel Voters have tilted to the right in recent years a trend evidenced when Hagel retired from the Senate in 2008 and was succeeded by conservative Republican Mike Johanns to the U S Senate as well as with the 2006 re election of Ben Nelson who was considered the most conservative Democrat in the Senate until his retirement in 2013 Johanns retired in 2015 and was succeeded by Ben Sasse while Nelson retired in 2013 and was succeeded by Deb Fischer both conservative Republicans Though its politics are generally conservative the state also has a history of progressive reform Nebraska was the first U S state to outlaw sexual assault within a marriage in 1975 In 1980 it became the first U S state to divest from South Africa to protest the racist system of apartheid Former President Gerald Ford was born in Nebraska but moved away shortly after birth Illinois native William Jennings Bryan represented Nebraska in Congress served as U S Secretary of State under President Woodrow Wilson and unsuccessfully ran for president three times Former Vice President Dick Cheney was born in Lincoln but moved to Casper Party registration as of October 1 2024Party Total voters PercentageRepublican 623 229 49 30 Democratic 337 289 26 68 Nonpartisan 275 247 21 77 Libertarian 17 963 1 42 Other minor parties 8 739 0 69 Total 1 264 040 100 00 EducationColleges and universities University of Nebraska system University of Nebraska Lincoln University of Nebraska at Kearney University of Nebraska at Omaha University of Nebraska Medical Center Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture Nebraska State College System Chadron State College Peru State College Wayne State College Community Colleges Central Community College Little Priest Tribal College Metropolitan Community College Mid Plains Community College Nebraska Indian Community College Northeast Community College Southeast Community College Western Nebraska Community College Private colleges universities Bellevue University Clarkson College College of Saint Mary Concordia University Creighton University Doane University Grace University Hastings College Midland University Nebraska Christian College Nebraska Methodist College Nebraska Wesleyan University Summit Christian College Union College York CollegeCultureArts Museums Performing arts Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln Orpheum Theatre in Omaha Holland Performing Arts Center in Omaha Omaha Community Playhouse in Omaha Rose Blumkin Performing Arts Center in Omaha Blue Barn Theatre in Omaha Omaha SymphonySports Football game at the University of Nebraska on September 6 2008Professional sports Team Home First game Sport LeagueOmaha Supernovas Omaha January 24 2024 Volleyball Pro Volleyball FederationUnion Omaha Omaha July 25 2020 Soccer USL League OneOmaha Storm Chasers Omaha 1969 Baseball minor league Triple A International LeagueRalston April 10 2010 Football women s Women s Football AllianceLincoln Saltdogs Lincoln May 2001 Baseball independent American AssociationOmaha Beef Omaha May 2000 Football indoor Champions Indoor FootballJunior level sports Club Sport League FoundedLincoln Stars Ice hockey United States Hockey League 1996Omaha Lancers 1986Tri City Storm 2000No Coast Derby Girls Roller derby Women s Flat Track Derby Association 2005Omaha Rollergirls 2006College sports Nebraska is currently home to seven member schools of the NCAA eight of the NAIA seven of the NJCAA one of the NCCAA and one independent school The College World Series has been held in Omaha since 1950 It was held at Rosenblatt Stadium from 1950 through 2010 and has been domiciled at Charles Schwab Field Omaha since 2011 See alsoUnited States portalIndex of Nebraska related articles Outline of Nebraska Nebraska portalNotesElevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988 References Explore Census Data data census gov Archived from the original on February 5 2024 Retrieved February 5 2024 Elevations and Distances in the United States United States Geological Survey 2001 Archived from the original on October 15 2011 Retrieved October 24 2011 QuickFacts Nebraska Census gov United States Census Bureau Retrieved December 21 2024 Household Income in States and Metropolitan Areas 2023 PDF Retrieved January 12 2025 Neb Const art I sec 27 Archived November 18 2022 at the Wayback Machine 1920 Porter Rosalie Pedalino 1996 Forked Tongue The Politics of Bilingual Education 2nd ed New Brunswick N J Transaction Publishers p 211 ISBN 1 351 51952 2 OCLC 1007231949 Archived from the original on April 15 2023 Retrieved March 19 2023 Nebraska Legislature statute 90 105 nebraskalegislature gov Archived from the original on September 4 2017 Retrieved September 4 2017 Nebraska Legislature statute 90 107 nebraskalegislature gov Archived from the original on February 21 2019 Retrieved February 20 2019 Nebraska Legislature statute 1 101 nebraskalegislature gov Archived from the original on February 21 2019 Retrieved February 20 2019 Nebraska Legislature statute 90 112 nebraskalegislature gov Archived from the original on February 21 2019 Retrieved February 20 2019 Nebraska Legislature statute 90 114 nebraskalegislature gov Archived from the original on February 21 2019 Retrieved February 20 2019 Nebraska Legislature statute 90 117 nebraskalegislature gov Archived from the original on February 21 2019 Retrieved February 20 2019 Nebraska Legislature statute 90 113 nebraskalegislature gov Archived from the original on February 21 2019 Retrieved February 20 2019 Nebraska Legislature statute 90 109 nebraskalegislature gov Archived from the original on February 21 2019 Retrieved February 20 2019 Nebraska Legislature statute 90 108 nebraskalegislature gov Archived from the original on February 21 2019 Retrieved February 20 2019 Nebraska Legislature statute 90 110 nebraskalegislature gov Archived from the 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76 Spring 1995 pp 2 9 Retrieved January 4 2015 Interactive Media Group Nebraska Educational Telecommunications 1854 Kansas Nebraska Act signed Nebraskastudies unl edu Archived from the original on April 26 2012 Retrieved May 22 2012 The Handybook for Genealogists United States of America 10th ed Draper Utah Everton Publishers 2002 Omaha Media Group LLC History of the Fort History Fort Atkinson State Historical Park Archived from the original on April 29 2024 Retrieved April 10 2024 Marsha Hoffman and Dwight A Radford Nebraska Redbook American State County and Town Sources 3rd ed Provo Ancestry 2004 408 The Nebraska Indian Wars Reader 1865 1877 By R Eli Paul p 88 Publisher University of Nebraska Press April 1 1998 ISBN 0 8032 8749 6 U S Senate States in the Senate Nebraska Timeline www senate gov Archived from the original on May 25 2024 Retrieved April 10 2024 Redbook Making Invisible Histories Visible African American Migration to Omaha www ops org Retrieved April 10 2024 permanent dead link Timeline of 20th century Nebraska Timetoast timelines July 28 1914 Retrieved April 10 2024 The Nebraska Constitution 1866 2016 PDF Nebraska Legislature Legislative Research Office February 2017 Archived PDF from the original on October 17 2020 Retrieved June 22 2020 Honestly it s not for everyone says Nebraska s self deprecating new tourism campaign The Washington Post Archived from the original on October 18 2019 Retrieved October 18 2019 Nebraska Climate Office Applied Climate Science SNR UNL Nebraskaclimateoffice unl edu July 23 2009 Archived from the original on December 7 2008 Retrieved April 17 2010 Climate Twin Cities Development Association Inc Nebraska Scottsbluff Gering TerryTown Mitchell Bayard Tcdne org Archived from the original on June 4 2009 Retrieved February 24 2009 1 Archived October 7 2008 at the Wayback Machine Nebraska climate averages Weatherbase Archived from the original on October 9 2015 Retrieved November 9 2015 City and Town Population Totals 2010 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Nebraska Census 2010 and 2000 Interactive Map Demographics Statistics Quick Facts Censusviewer com Retrieved September 4 2017 permanent dead link 2010 Census Data Census gov Archived from the original on May 22 2017 Retrieved September 4 2017 Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the United States 2010 Census and 2020 Census U S Census Bureau August 12 2021 Archived from the original on August 29 2021 Retrieved August 12 2021 2016 American Community Survey Demographic and Housing Estimates United States Census Bureau Archived from the original on February 13 2020 Retrieved November 21 2018 2016 American Community Survey Selected Social Characteristics United States Census Bureau Archived from the original on February 13 2020 Retrieved November 21 2018 Terrorized by ISIS Yazidi refugees find welcoming community in Nebraska PBS January 15 2018 Archived from the original on September 20 2019 Retrieved September 20 2019 Lincoln provides safe space for Yazidi refugee community November 9 2018 Archived from the original on September 20 2019 Retrieved September 20 2019 Smith Mitch September 8 2015 Yazidis Settle in Nebraska but Roots Run Deep in Iraq The New York Times Archived from the original on October 27 2015 Retrieved September 20 2019 Editorial Nebraska provides a welcoming new home for Yazidis fleeing Iraq August 5 2019 Archived from the original on September 20 2019 Retrieved September 20 2019 Last state to ban drivers licenses for Dreamers Nebraska passes bill to allow them Fox News December 6 2016 Archived from the original on December 7 2022 Retrieved December 7 2022 Immigrants in Nebraska PDF Archived PDF from the original on August 11 2023 Retrieved August 11 2023 Americans under age 1 now mostly minorities but not in Ohio Statistical Snapshot Archived July 14 2016 at the Wayback Machine The Plain Dealer June 3 2012 Births Final Data for 2013 PDF Cdc gov Archived PDF from the original on September 11 2017 Retrieved September 4 2017 Births Final Data for 2014 PDF 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United States Department of Agriculture Archived from the original PDF on October 25 2007 Retrieved October 17 2007 Nebraska s 1 9 unemployment rate the lowest on record in US AP NEWS November 19 2021 Archived from the original on December 23 2022 Retrieved December 23 2022 Kool Aid Days Archived from the original on July 1 2019 Retrieved December 2 2019 It s National Kool Aid Day Checkiday com Archived from the original on August 13 2021 Retrieved August 13 2021 Nebraska takes sweet turn names Kool Aid state drink Deseret News May 22 1998 Archived from the original on August 13 2021 Retrieved August 13 2021 History Kool Aid Hastings Museum Hastings Museum Archived from the original on February 5 2009 Retrieved February 24 2009 Jirovsky Kristin Owner of Nail Jack Tools wants to share former Vise Grip plant Archived February 20 2021 at the Wayback Machine Lincoln Journal Star January 8 2009 Nebraska Electricity Profile Analysis U S EIA Archived from the original on March 20 2021 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house gov December 3 2012 Archived from the original on April 27 2022 Retrieved April 26 2022 National Archives archives gov September 19 2019 Archived from the original on December 10 2020 Retrieved April 26 2022 Johnston Polisi Caroline July 1 2009 Spousal Rape Laws Continue to Evolve Women s eNews Archived from the original on June 25 2021 Retrieved June 6 2021 Lansing Paul 1981 The Divestment of United States Companies in South Africa and Apartheid Nebraska Law Review 60 2 301 Archived from the original on June 6 2021 Retrieved June 6 2021 Registration Statistics March 1 2023 Archived from the original on June 3 2021 Retrieved March 3 2023 BibliographySurveys Andreas Alfred T History of the State of Nebraska 1882 a highly detailed history Archer J Clark et al Atlas of Nebraska U of Nebraska Press 2017 Pp xxii 214 color maps illustrations photographs charts graphs bibliography online review Archived March 8 2021 at the Wayback Machine Creigh Dorothy Weyers Nebraska A Bicentennial History 1977 Faulkner Virginia ed Roundup A Nebraska Reader 1957 Chokecherry Places Essays from the High Plains Merrill Gilfillan Johnson Press Boulder Colorado trade paperback ISBN 1 55566 227 7 Hickey Donald R Nebraska Moments Glimpses of Nebraska s Past 1992 Miewald Robert D Nebraska Government amp Politics Archived May 25 2012 at the Wayback Machine 1984 Luebke Frederick C Nebraska An Illustrated History 1995 Naugle Ronald C John J Montag and James C Olson History of Nebraska 4th ed U of Nebraska Press 2015 568 pp online review Archived March 8 2021 at the Wayback Machine ed Encyclopedia of the Great Plains University of Nebraska Press 2004 ISBN 0 8032 4787 7 complete text online Archived November 6 2011 at the Wayback Machine 900 pages of scholarly articles Nebraska A Guide to the Cornhusker State WPA Guide 1939 scanned online edition Archived August 6 2020 at the Wayback Machine Scholarly special studies Barnhart John D Rainfall and the Populist Party in Nebraska American Political Science Review 19 1925 527 40 in JSTOR Beezley William H Homesteading in Nebraska 1862 1872 Nebraska History 53 spring 1972 59 75 Bentley Arthur F The Condition of the Western Farmer as Illustrated by the Economic History of a Nebraska Township Johns Hopkins University Studies in Historical and Political Science 11 1893 285 370 Cherny Robert W Populism Progressivism and the Transformation of Nebraska Politics 1885 1915 1981 Archived May 25 2012 at the Wayback Machine Bogue Allen G Money at Interest The Farm Mortgage on the Middle Border 1955 Brunner Edmund de S Immigrant Farmers and Their Children 1929 Chudacoff Howard P Mobile Americans Residential and Social Mobility in Omaha 1880 1920 1972 Chudacoff Howard P A New Look at Ethnic Neighborhoods Residential Dispersion and the Concept of Visibility in a Medium sized City Journal of American History 60 1973 76 93 about Omaha in JSTOR Coletta Paolo E William Jennings Bryan Archived May 25 2012 at the Wayback Machine 3 vols 1964 69 Dick Everett The Sod House Frontier 1854 1890 1937 Farragher John Mack Women and Men on the Overland Trail 1979 Fuller Wayne E The Old Country School The Story of Rural Education in the Midwest 1982 Grant Michael Johnston Down and Out on the Family Farm 2002 Harper Ivy Walzing Matilda Life and Times of Nebraska Senator Robert Kerrey 1992 Holter Don W Flames on the Plains A History of United Methodism in Nebraska 1983 Jeffrey Julie Roy Frontier Women The Trans Mississippi West 1840 1880 1979 Klein Maury Union Pacific The Birth of a Railroad 1862 1893 1986 Klein Maury 2006 1989 Union Pacific Volume II 1894 1969 Minneapolis Minnesota University of Minnesota Press ISBN 978 0 8166 4460 5 Larsen Lawrence H The Gate City A History of Omaha 1982 Lowitt Richard George W Norris 3 vols 1971 Luebke Frederick C Immigrants and Politics The Germans of Nebraska 1880 1900 1969 Luebke Frederick C The German American Alliance in Nebraska 1910 1917 Nebraska History 49 1969 165 85 Olson James C J Sterling Morton 1942 Overton Richard C Burlington West A Colonization History of the Burlington Railroad 1941 Parsons Stanley B Who Were the Nebraska Populists Nebraska History 44 1963 83 99 Pierce Neal The Great Plains States 1973 Pederson James F and Kenneth D Wald Shall the People Rule A History of the Democratic Party in Nebraska Politics 1972 Riley Glenda The Female Frontier A Comparative View of Women on the Prairie and the Plains 1978 Wenger Robert W The Anti Saloon League in Nebraska Politics 1898 1910 Nebraska History 52 1971 267 92External linksNebraska at Wikipedia s sister projects Definitions from WiktionaryMedia from CommonsNews from WikinewsQuotations from WikiquoteTexts from WikisourceTextbooks from WikibooksResources from WikiversityTravel information from Wikivoyage Nebraska state government Archived February 22 2011 at the Wayback Machine Nebraska Division of Travel and Tourism Archived December 27 2021 at the Wayback Machine Energy Profile for Nebraska USGS real time geographic and other scientific resources of Nebraska Archived December 30 2006 at the Wayback Machine Nebraska State Facts from USDA Archived July 14 2014 at the Wayback Machine Nebraska Frequently Asked Questions Archived October 16 2020 at the Wayback Machine Nebraska State Publications Online Archived May 11 2011 at the Wayback Machine Nebraska city data Archived July 19 2006 at the Wayback Machine nebraskastudies org Archived August 19 2001 at the Wayback Machine History of Nebraska from Nebraska Department of Education Nebraska State Historical Society and NET Nebraska State Databases Annotated list of searchable databases produced by Nebraska state agencies and compiled by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association Geographic data related to Nebraska at OpenStreetMapPreceded byNevada List of U S states by date of statehood Admitted on March 1 1867 37th Succeeded byColorado