Dixon

Formed January 26, 1856 (20^th county)

Dixon County (5,598), Ponca (904), Wakefield (1,525)

The original 1883 brown brick Federalist courthouse was increased in 1940.  The courthouse is on 3^rd Street at Iowa Street.  Nebraska State Highway 26E is one block East of the courthouse.  The building architect is unknown.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  The county was formed on January 26, 1856 as the 20^th county from parts of Blackbird and Izard counties, which no longer exist, and from Native American Territory.  Ponca has always been the county seat.  Dixon County is named for a settler’s family.  The county seat is named for the Native American tribe. 

Dixon County government consists of a sheriff, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive).  It has 7 Commissioners (legislative.)  Three District Court Judges and Four County Court Judges serve Dixon, Burt, Cedar, Dakota, Dodge, Thurston and Washington counties (judicial.)  Dixon County is on the northeast border with South Dakota.  The Missouri River forms the northern border.  Sioux City, Iowa is east and Omaha, Nebraska is southeast of the county.  The county center is 14.7 miles Southwest of Ponca nearer Allen.  The county is surrounded clockwise by South Dakota and Dakota, Thurston, Wayne, and Cedar counties. 

The area of the county is 476 square miles.  It is 78 out of 93 in the state.  It ranks 49 out of 93 in population in the state.  It has a density of 11.8 persons per square mile making it 40 out of 93 in the state.  Dixon County has 62.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 20 crosses through the county east to west from Dakota County to Cedar County.  The county looks like a bird’s head.  Ponca is located in the northeast corner of the county.  Wakefield is on the southern border of the county and extends into Wayne County.  Ponca is the county seat and Wakefield is the largest city.  Ponca is 16.2% of the county population while Wakefield is 20.3% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced PON-KA.  This county is in the Sioux City Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Wakefield