Platte

Formed January 1, 1855 (16^th county)

Platte County (34,294), Columbus (24,029)

A masonry Grecian-Ionic building was erected in 1922 on 14^th Street at 26^th Avenue.  United States Highway 81 passes seven blocks west of the site.  The architect was Charles Wurdeman.  The building was enlarged in 1977.  Veteran memorials are across the street in a park.  An 1867 courthouse preceded the current building in Columbus, the only county seat.  The county was formed on January 1, 1855 as the 16^th county from parts of Greene County (which no longer exists) and Loup County.  Platte County is named for the Platte River which is French is “flat.”  The county seat is named for Columbus, Ohio.  Platte County was the birthplace of 1 Nebraska Governor, James D. Pillen. 

Platte County government consists of a sheriff, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive).  It has 7 Commissioners (legislative.)  Four District Court Judges and Four County Court Judges serve Platte, Boone, Butler, Colfax, Hamilton, Merrick, Nance, Polk, Saunders, Seward and York counties (judicial.)  The county is in eastern Nebraska.  The Platte River forms its southern border.  Omaha, Nebraska is east and Grand Island, Nebraska is southwest of the county.  The county is 17.2 miles Northwest of Columbus nearer Platte Center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Madison, Stanton, Colfax, Butler, Polk, Merrick, Nance, and Boone counties. 

The area of the county is 678 square miles.  It is 42 out of 93 in the state.  It ranks 10 out of 93 in population in the state.  It has a density of 50.6 persons per square mile making it 11 out of 93 in the state.  Platte County has 77.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 30 crosses the southern part of the county from east to west from Colfax County to Merrick County.  United States Highway 81 goes north to south from Madison County to Polk County.  The county is shaped like a triangle fighter plane with the southeast corner eaten away.  Columbus is in the southeast corner of the county.  Columbus is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 70.1% of the county population.  This county is in the Columbus Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Newnan Grove