Douglas

Formed December 23, 1854 (3^rd county)

Douglas County (584,522), Omaha (491,743)

The masonry building was built in 1912 to replace an outstanding 1885 courthouse.  It is located at Farnam and 17^th streets.  United States Highway 6 is one block north of the site.  John W. Latenser, Sr. was the architect of this French Renaissance Revival courthouse.  The building features faux columns.  Douglas County was organized on December 23, 1854 as the 3^rd county with Omaha as the only county seat.  It is named for American statesman Stephen A. Douglas.  The county seat name is Native American for “dwellers on the bluff.” 

Douglas County government consists of a sheriff and 7 Commissioners.  Fifteen District Court Judges, Twelve County Court Judges, and Four Juvenile Court Judges serve Douglas County.  Douglas County is on the eastern border with Iowa.  The Missouri River forms its eastern border and the Platte River forms its western border.  Lincoln, Nebraska is southwest and Sioux City, Iowa is north of the county.  The county center is 13.5 miles West-Northwest of Omaha nearer Elkhorn.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Washington County and Iowa and Sarpy, Saunders, and Dodge counties. 

The area of the county is 331 square miles.  It is 91 out of 93 in the state.  It ranks 1 out of 93 in population in the state.  It has a density of 1765.9 persons per square mile making it 1 out of 93 in the state.  Douglas County has 86.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 80 travels east to southwest in the county from Iowa to Sarpy County.  United States Highway 6 parallels Interstate Highway 80 from Iowa to Sarpy County.  United States Highway 75 passes north to south from Washington County to Sarpy County.  United States Highway 275 enters joined with Interstate Highway 80 from Iowa, splits and exits northwest into Dodge County.  Gerald R. Ford, the 38^th President, was born in this county.  The county resembles a coffee mug.  Omaha dominates the southeast quarter of the county.  Omaha is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 84.1% of the county population.  This county is in the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Statistical Area.