Hall

Formed January 1, 1858 (30^th county)

Hall County (62,893), Grand Island (53,130)

The outstanding Beaux Arts courthouse was erected in 1904.  The facility is at Locust and 3^rd streets.  Third Street is United States Highway 30 passing through the town.  Thomas Rogers Kimball is the architect of this dark red brick facility.  A County Administration building was added in 1980.  The courthouse features a tower, columns, and working clock on the front.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  There was an 1873 courthouse previously.  The county was organized on January 1, 1858 from Native American Territory as the 30^th county with Grand Island as the only county seat.  It is named for Territorial Judge Augustus Hall.  Grand Island is named for an island in the Platte River. 

Hall County government consists of a sheriff, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive).  It has 7 Commissioners (legislative.)  One District Court Judge and Four County Court Judges serve Hall and Buffalo counties (judicial.)  The county is in south central Nebraska.  The Platte River flows through the county.  Lincoln, Nebraska is east and Omaha, Nebraska is northeast of the county.  The county center is 4.9 miles Southwest of Grand Island nearer Alda.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Howard, Merrick, Hamilton, Clay, Adams, Kearney, and Buffalo counties. 

The area of the county is 546 square miles.  It is 70 out of 93 in the state.  It ranks 4 out of 93 in population in the state.  It has a density of 115.2 persons per square mile making it 4 out of 93 in the state.  Hall County has 90.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 80 crosses east to west in the county from Hamilton County to Buffalo County.  United States Highway 30 enters from the northeast, Merrick County, and exits to the west, Buffalo County.  United States Highway 34 comes from Hamilton County, east, and goes to Adams County, south.  United States Highway 281 passes north to south from Howard County and joins United States Highway 34 into Adams County.  The county is a rectangle.  Grand Island is located in the northeast quarter of the county.  Grand Island is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 84.5% of the county population.  This county is in the Grand Island Micropolitan Statistical Area.