Harlan

Formed January 1, 1871 (50^th county)

Harlan County (3,076), Alma (1,036)

The Modern 1964 courthouse replaced an 1888 version and is on 2^nd, John, 3^rd, and Church streets.  The courthouse is four blocks south of United States Highway 136 in the town.  George E. Clatton and Associates provided the tan brick designs.  There was also an 1871 courthouse earlier all in Alma, the only county seat.  The county was created on January 1, 1871 from Kearney County as the 50^th county.  Harlan County is named for Iowa United States Senator James Harlan.  The county seat is named for the daughter of settler N. P. Cook. 

Harlan County government consists of a sheriff, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive).  It has 7 Commissioners (legislative.)  Two District Court Judges serve Harlan, Adams, Franklin, Kearney, Phelps and Webster counties and Three County Court Judges serve Harlan, Adams, Clay, Fillmore, Franklin, Kearney, Nuckolls, Phelps, and Webster counties (judicial.)  Harlan County is on the southern border with Kansas.  Grand Island, Nebraska is northeast and Scottsbluff, Nebraska is northwest of the county.  The county center is 9.6 miles Northwest of Alma nearer Orleans.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Phelps, Kearney, and Franklin counties and Kansas and Furnas and Gosper counties. 

The area of the county is 553 square miles.  It is 69 out of 93 in the state.  It ranks 65 out of 93 in population in the state.  It has a density of 5.6 persons per square mile making it 59 out of 93 in the state.  Harlan County has 62.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highways 6/34 are joined across the northwest corner of the county from Phelps County, north, to Furnas County, west.  United States Highway 136 crosses east to west from Franklin County to Furnas County.  United States Highway 183 goes north to south from Phelps County to Kansas.  The county is a rectangle.  Alma is in the southern quarter of the county.  Alma is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 33.7% of the county population.

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