Saline County, Nebraska

Saline County, Nebraska

County seat: Wilber · Largest city: Crete · Created: 1855; organized February 18, 1867 · Named for: salt springs the first settlers believed were here · License plates: prefix 22 · Population: 14,292 (2020 census); peak 20,097 in 1890 · Area: 576 sq mi

About Saline County

Saline County lies in southeastern Nebraska, southwest of Lincoln, crossed from north to south by the Big Blue River. The name was a mistake that stuck: early settlers believed there were great salt springs here, but none were ever found. Czech immigrants began arriving in 1865, and by 1900 they made up most of the population of Wilber, which was named Czech Capital of Nebraska in 1963 and Czech Capital of the USA in 1987.

The county seat moved twice. Swan City, west of present DeWitt, was the first seat when the county was organized in 1867. Pleasant Hill won an election on June 3, 1871, and took the records that July. After three votes in 1877, Wilber won by 230 votes, and on January 28, 1878, about 300 people with 160 wagons drove to Pleasant Hill and carried the records away. The present courthouse in Wilber was begun in 1928 and finished in 1929.

The Burlington & Missouri River Railroad built west from Lincoln in 1870–71, naming its stations in alphabetical order: Berks, Crete, Dorchester, Exeter, Fairmont. Friend followed in 1873, a branch south along the Big Blue created Wilber and DeWitt in 1872–73, and a line west from DeWitt founded Swanton and Tobias in 1883–84. Doane University was founded at Crete in 1872, the Vise-Grip was invented at DeWitt in 1924, and Crete's meatpacking plant is now the largest employer. On February 18, 1969, a derailment at Crete released anhydrous ammonia that killed six residents; three men riding the train also died and 53 people were hurt.

Towns of Saline County

Travel Corridors

US 6 — east–west across the north through Friend and past Dorchester, toward Milford and Lincoln. US 6 Corridor →

NE 15 — north–south through the west of the county, past Western and Dorchester, from Fairbury to Seward. NE 15 Corridor →

State highways — NE 33 from Dorchester through Crete toward Lincoln; NE 103 north–south through DeWitt, Wilber and Crete; NE 41 east–west through Wilber; and NE 74 through Tobias.

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

Things to See

In Wilber, the Wilber Czech Museum, the 1895 Hotel Wilber, the Sokol Pavilion and the courthouse; in Crete, the Doane University campus and Boswell Observatory, the downtown historic district and the Crete Heritage Society; the Saline County Historical Society Museum at Dorchester; Warren's Opera House in Friend; Czech lodge halls near Dorchester and Western; and the Swan City and Pleasant Hill historical markers at the old county seats.

Outdoors

The Lower Big Blue NRD runs the public lakes: Walnut Creek Recreation Area north of Crete and the Willard L. Meyer Recreation Area (Swan Lake) near Tobias, with camping. Tuxedo Park in Crete and Legion Memorial Park in Wilber have RV sites, and hunters can use Swan Creek WMA. There is no state park or state recreation area in the county; Bluestem State Recreation Area is just east in Lancaster County.

Saline County Business Directory

Businesses within 20 miles of: Crete · Wilber · Friend · DeWitt · Dorchester · All listings →

Adjacent Counties

Seward County (north) · Lancaster County (east) · Gage County (southeast) · Jefferson County (south) · Fillmore County (west); York County (northwest) and Thayer County (southwest) touch only at the corners

Events

2026 dates: the Saline County Fair at Tuxedo Park in Crete (July 14–19); the 65th Wilber Czech Festival (July 31–August 2); DeWitt Days and Fourth of July celebrations in Friend and DeWitt; the Western Old Settlers' Picnic; and Crete's Great Pumpkin Festival on the first weekend of October.

Saline County at a Glance

Saline County, Nebraska — southwest of Lincoln along the Big Blue River. County seat Wilber, the Czech Capital of the USA; the largest city is Crete, home of Doane University.

Getting there: US 6 across the north, NE 33 and NE 103 from Lincoln and I-80, and NE 15 from Seward or Fairbury.

For visitors: the Wilber Czech Festival and Czech Museum, Doane University and historic Crete, the county museum at Dorchester, Warren's Opera House in Friend, and camping at Tuxedo Park, Legion Memorial Park and the NRD lakes. Hospitals: Crete Area Medical Center; Friend Community Healthcare System.