Odessa Nebraska 68861

Odessa, Nebraska

Odessa is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Buffalo County, in south-central Nebraska, about 9 miles west of Kearney along U.S. Highway 30. As of the 2020 census, Odessa had a population of 132 residents.

History

The area was first settled in 1871-1872 as a Union Pacific Railroad stop known as Stevenson's Siding, later renamed Crowellton after early homesteaders Dan A. and B. Allen Crowell. A post office was established under the Crowellton name in December 1872, and was renamed Odessa in February 1876. Early settlers included the Grant, Gould, Brown, and Christianson families, and by the 1880s the community supported a schoolhouse, a Sunday school, and an Evangelical church founded in 1885. Several early residents went on to serve in county and state government, including a state senator and a county court clerk.

Location & Access

Odessa sits along U.S. Highway 30 in southwestern Buffalo County, with access to Interstate 80 at Exit 263 just to the south. Kearney, the county seat, lies about 9 miles to the east.

Nearby Towns

Odessa is close to Kearney to the east and Elm Creek about 6 miles to the west along US-30.

Economy & Community

As part of the Kearney Micropolitan Statistical Area, Odessa's economy is closely tied to agriculture and to nearby Kearney. Many residents commute into Kearney for work, shopping, and services.

Odessa, Nebraska (68861)

Unincorporated community in Buffalo County on US-30 near I-80 (Exit 263), settled in the early 1870s as Crowellton and renamed Odessa in 1876. Population ~132.

ZIP: 68861  |  Pop: ~132  |  Highways: US-30, I-80  |  Designation: Unincorporated Community

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