OTOE COUNTY WEATHER

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Otoe County, Nebraska

County seat: Nebraska City · Created: March 1855 by the first Territorial Legislature, largely from the original Pierce County proclaimed in November 1854 · Named for: the Otoe people · License plates: prefix 11 · Population: 15,912 (2020 census) · Area: 616 sq mi of land

About Otoe County

Otoe County lies on the Missouri River in southeastern Nebraska, between Cass County to the north and Nemaha and Johnson counties to the south. The Little Nemaha River crosses it from northwest to southeast. Lewis and Clark passed in July 1804, the Army built the first Fort Kearny at Table Creek in 1846, and Nebraska City grew up there as a river, ferry and freighting town; Russell, Majors & Waddell sent wagon trains west from it, and in 1864–66 about 6,500 Latter-day Saint emigrants outfitted at Wyoming to the north. J. Sterling Morton of Nebraska City founded Arbor Day in 1872. An 1856 law allowed the county to be renamed Pierce if voters agreed, but the change was never made.

The Midland Pacific (later the Burlington) opened from Nebraska City to Lincoln in 1871, placing Dunbar, Syracuse, Unadilla and Palmyra; the Missouri Pacific founded Talmage, Lorton and Otoe (first called Berlin) in 1880–82 and Douglas and Burr in 1887–88. The county reached 25,403 people in 1890. Syracuse has held the county fair since 1883. The golf-course community of Woodland Hills and the rural settlements of Camp Creek and Wyoming round out the county.

Towns of Otoe County

Cities and villages

Nebraska City

City · County seat · Pop. 7,222 · ZIP 68410
US 75 · NE 2 · NE 128

The Otoe County seat and home of Arbor Day, a city of 7,222 on the Missouri River, laid out in 1854 beside the first Fort Kearny. Arbor Lodge, Arbor Day Farm, ten museums and the AppleJack Festival each September.

Syracuse

City · Pop. 1,941 · ZIP 68446
NE 50 · NE 2 · NE 128

City of 1,941 on NE 50 at the NE 2 expressway, laid out in 1869 on the Midland Pacific and named for Syracuse, New York. Home of the Otoe County Fair, the Museum of Memories, Syracuse Area Health and GermanFest in July.

Palmyra

Village · Pop. 534 · ZIP 68418
NE 2 · NE 43

Village of 534 on NE 2 where NE 43 turns north, laid out in 1870 on the Rev. John Taggart's farm and named for the ancient city of Palmyra. Palmyra schools, St. Leo Church and the Pioneer Cemetery.

Unadilla

Village · Pop. 296 · ZIP 68454
NE 2

Village of 296 just off NE 2, platted in 1871 on the Midland Pacific and named for Unadilla, New York. The "Groundhog Capital of Nebraska," with a Main Street rebuilt after the 1911 fire and on the National Register.

Talmage

Village · Pop. 198 · ZIP 68448
NE 67 (S-66D spur)

Village of 198 just off NE 67, platted on March 7, 1882, as the Missouri Pacific arrived and named for its superintendent, Archibald Talmage. Birthplace of actor Anthony Dexter.

Douglas

Village · Pop. 166 · ZIP 68344
S-66A spur to NE 2

Village of 166 in the southwest corner of the county, laid out in 1887 on the Missouri Pacific and named for Harriet (Douglass) McKibbon. Earlier the Hendricks settlement of 1856.

Dunbar

Village · Pop. 165 · ZIP 68346
NE 67 · NE 2

Village of 165 on NE 67 at the NE 2 bypass, a stage stop of 1856 called Wilson that became a freighting and railroad town. Home of Sam Francis, the first pick in the 1937 NFL draft.

Otoe

Village · Pop. 161 · ZIP 68417
S-66C spur to NE 50

Village of 161 on a spur east of NE 50, founded in 1880 as Berlin on the Missouri Pacific and renamed Otoe in 1918. Rebuilt after the 1913 Easter tornado.

Lorton

Village · Pop. 35 · ZIP 68382
NE 67 · NE 128

Village of 35 on NE 67 and NE 128, platted in 1881 as Delta on the Missouri Pacific and renamed in 1894 for grocery salesman Robert Lorton.

Burr

Village · Pop. 52 · ZIP 68324
S-66E spur to NE 50

Village of 52 in the southwest of the county, named for a bur oak grove and platted in 1887 as the railroad came. Hometown of Outland Trophy winner Dean Steinkuhler.

Former towns and post office communities

Woodland Hills

Census-designated place · Pop. 232 · golf-course community; census-designated place
Woodland Hills Dr., west of NE 43 between Palmyra and Eagle

Golf-course community of 232 in northwest Otoe County, built around Woodland Hills Golf Course (1990). It uses the Eagle mailing address.

Wyoming

Former town · laid out 1855; Mormon outfitting point 1864–1866
County Rd. B2 east of US 75, about 1.5 mi south of the Cass County line

Missouri River town of 1855 north of Nebraska City and the main Mormon emigrant outfitting point in 1864–66, when about 6,500 Latter-day Saints started west from here. A marker and cemetery remain on a private farm.

Camp Creek

Rural community · church from 1857; post office 1875–1879
County Rd. P and S. 70th Rd., about 8 mi south of Nebraska City

Rural settlement south of Nebraska City with a Congregational church from 1857. Its cemetery and 1917 chapel and two one-room schools are on the National Register.

Travel Corridors

NE 2 — a four-lane expressway across the county from Lincoln past Palmyra, Unadilla, Syracuse and Dunbar to Nebraska City, where it crosses the Missouri to Iowa and I-29. NE 2 Corridor →

US 75 — north–south past Nebraska City on the J. Sterling Morton Beltway, toward Plattsmouth and Omaha to the north and Auburn to the south. US 75 Corridor →

NE 50 — north–south through Syracuse, from Tecumseh toward Louisville and Omaha, with spurs to Burr and Otoe. NE 50 Corridor →

State highways — NE 128 runs along N Road from Syracuse through Lorton and Paul to US 75; NE 67 runs from Talmage through Lorton to Dunbar; NE 43 turns north from Palmyra to Eagle.

Cameras: View Otoe County cameras → · Road conditions: Nebraska 511

Things to See

In Nebraska City: Arbor Lodge, Arbor Day Farm and Tree Adventure, Kimmel Orchard, the Mayhew Cabin, the Kregel Windmill Factory Museum, the Old Freighters Museum, Wildwood, the Lewis & Clark Visitor Center and the 1864–65 courthouse, the oldest public building in Nebraska. In Syracuse: the Otoe County Museum of Memories and two wineries. Also the Unadilla Main Street Historic District, the Palmyra Pioneer Cemetery, the Talmage marker, the Camp Creek Cemetery and Chapel and the Old Wyoming Mormon outfitting site.

Outdoors

Riverview Marina State Recreation Area at Nebraska City has boat ramps and camping on the Missouri. Triple Creek WMA near Palmyra and Wilson Creek WMA near Otoe are open for hunting, and the Nemaha NRD's Wilson Creek lakes near Otoe and Dunbar have fishing. Campers can also use Syracuse Campground and Little Rivers Edge RV Park. Golfers have Wildwood in Nebraska City, the Syracuse Country Club and Woodland Hills.

Otoe County Business Directory

Businesses within 20 miles of: Nebraska City · Syracuse · Palmyra · Unadilla · Talmage · All listings →

Adjacent Counties

Cass County (north) · Fremont County, Iowa (northeast, across the Missouri) · Atchison County, Missouri (east, across the Missouri) · Nemaha County (southeast) · Johnson County (south) · Gage County (southwest corner) · Lancaster County (west)

Events

2026 dates: Unadilla's Groundhog Day Celebration (February 2 and 7); the Arbor Day Celebration in Nebraska City (April 24–26); Syracuse GermanFest (usually the second Saturday in July); the Otoe County Fair in Syracuse (July 30–August 2); and the AppleJack Festival in Nebraska City (September 18–20 and 25–27; 2027 dates September 17–19 and 25–26).

Events in Otoe County

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Otoe County at a Glance

Otoe County, Nebraska — on the Missouri River in southeastern Nebraska. County seat Nebraska City, the home of Arbor Day; the other city is Syracuse.

Getting there: NE 2 from Lincoln, US 75 from Omaha and Auburn, NE 50 from Louisville and Tecumseh, and the Nebraska City Bridge from I-29 in Iowa.

For visitors: Arbor Lodge and Arbor Day Farm, Nebraska City's museums, the AppleJack Festival, the Otoe County Fair in Syracuse and Unadilla's Groundhog Day. Hospitals: CHI Health St. Mary's in Nebraska City and Syracuse Area Health in Syracuse.

Vehicles registered in Otoe County carry license plate number 11. See what every Nebraska county number means.

Otoe County Businesses & Places

414 listings in Otoe County.

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