Nebraska at a Glance Fun Facts

FUN FACTS

Topography

Located in the Great Plains region of the United States, Nebraska is bordered by South Dakota on the north, Iowa and Missouri on the east, Kansas on the south, and Colorado and Wyoming on the west. Eastern Nebraska is covered with rugged bluffs, rolling hills and picturesque valleys. The Great Plains stretch westward across 75 percent of the state, featuring rock formations, eroded hills and deep canyons. The Sandhills, North America’s largest grass-stabilized sand dune formation, cover sections of western and central Nebraska and include the Nebraska National Forest, the world’s largest handplanted forest. The High Plains are to the west of the Sandhills. Within this 12,000-square-mile (31,080 sq. km) area, you’ll find the Wildcat Hills, the Pine Ridge and the North Platte River Valley. A small portion of South Dakota’s Badlands also extends into northwest Nebraska. Time Zones

Nebraska spans two time zones. The eastern two-thirds of the state is in the Central Time Zone and the western third is in the Mountain Time Zone. When traveling on Interstate 80, the time change occurs between the Sutherland and Paxton exits.

Population & Five Largest Cities

In 2020, Nebraska had a population of 1.92 million residents, making it the 37th largest state in the U.S. by population. Nebraska is predominantly a rural state, with the majority of its communities having populations less than 5,000. The state’s smallest incorporated town is Monowi (pop. 1) in north central Nebraska. The five largest cities by population are: Omaha (pop: 486,051), Lincoln (pop: 291,082), Bellevue (pop: 64,176), Grand Island (pop: 53,131) and Kearney (pop: 33,761).