Douglas County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

. As of the

2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, the population is 584,526. It is the state's most populous county, home to well over one-fourth of Nebraska's residents. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

is Omaha, the state's largest

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

. The county was established in 1854 and named after

Stephen A. Douglas Stephen Arnold Douglas (April 23, 1813 – June 3, 1861) was an American politician and lawyer from Illinois. A senator, he was one of two nominees of the badly split Democratic Party for president in the 1860 presidential election, which wa ...

(1813–1861), who was then serving as Senator from Illinois. Douglas County is part of the Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA Metropolitan Statistical Area. In the Nebraska license plate system, Douglas County was represented by the

prefix A prefix is an affix which is placed before the Word stem, stem of a word. Adding it to the beginning of one word changes it into another word. For example, when the prefix ''un-'' is added to the word ''happy'', it creates the word ''unhappy'' ...

"1" (as it had the largest number of vehicles registered in the state when the license plate system was established in 1922). In 2002, the state discontinued the 1922 system in the three most populous counties: Douglas, Lancaster, and Sarpy counties.

Geography

Douglas County is on the east side of Nebraska. Its east boundary line abuts the west boundary line of the state of

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

, across the Missouri River. The

Elkhorn River The Elkhorn River is a river in northeastern Nebraska, United States, that originates in the eastern Sandhills and is one of the largest tributaries of the Platte River, flowing and joining the Platte just southwest of Omaha, approximately s ...

runs southward through the west-central part of Douglas County, and it is bordered on east ( Missouri River) and west (

Platte River The Platte River () is a major river in the State of Nebraska. It is about long; measured to its farthest source via its tributary, the North Platte River, it flows for over . The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, which itself ...

) by rivers. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (3.2%) is water.

Major highways

Interstate 80 Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one o ...

Interstate 480 * I-680

Interstate 680 * US 6

U.S. Highway 6 U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War Grand Army of the Republic, veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast fr ...

U.S. Highway 75 U.S. Route 75 is a major north–south U.S. Highway that extends in the central United States. The highway's northern terminus is in Noyes, Minnesota, at the Canadian border, where it once continued as Manitoba Highway 75 on the other sid ...

U.S. Highway 275 U.S. Route 275 (US 275) is a north–south United States highway that is a branch of US 75. It originally terminated at US 75 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The highway's northern terminus is in O'Neill, Nebraska, at an intersection with U.S. Highw ...

Nebraska Highway 31 Nebraska Highway 31 is a highway in Nebraska. The southern terminus is near Louisville at an intersection with Nebraska Highway 50. The northern terminus is near Kennard at an intersection with U.S. Highway 30. The highway serves as a main no ...

Nebraska Highway 36 Nebraska Highway 36 is a highway in Nebraska. Its western terminus is southwest of U.S. Highway 275 near Fremont, and its eastern terminus is at U.S. Highway 75 in Omaha. Route description Nebraska Highway 36 begins in far northwestern Dougla ...

Nebraska Highway 50 Nebraska Highway 50 (N-50) is a north–south highway in the state of Nebraska. The southern terminus is at the Nebraska-Kansas border near Du Bois. The northern terminus is in the Millard neighborhood of Omaha at an intersection with U.S. Hi ...

Nebraska Highway 64 Nebraska Highway 64 is a highway in Nebraska. There are two segments to the highway. The western segment lies in Butler County between U.S. Highway 81 and Nebraska Highway 15. The eastern segment goes through Saunders and Douglas counties betw ...

Nebraska Highway 85 Nebraska Highway 85 (N-85) was a highway in the Omaha Metro Area. It began at Nebraska Highway 370 in Papillion and ended at U.S. Highway 275 and Nebraska Highway 92 Nebraska Highway 92 is a highway that enters the state from Nebraska's western ...

Nebraska Highway 92 Nebraska Highway 92 is a highway that enters the state from Nebraska's western border at the Wyoming state line west of Lyman, Nebraska, to the state's eastern border on the South Omaha Veterans Memorial Bridge over the Missouri River in Omaha, ...

Nebraska Highway 133 Nebraska Highway 133 is a highway in eastern Nebraska. Its southern terminus is at an intersection with U.S. Highway 6 in Omaha. Its northern terminus is at an intersection with U.S. Highway 30 in Blair. Route description Nebraska Highway 1 ...

Adjacent counties

* Dodge County – northwest * Washington County – north * Pottawattamie County,

– east * Sarpy County – south * Saunders County – west

Protected areas

* Bluestem Prairie Preserve * Two Rivers State Recreation Area

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

, there were 584,526 people in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 1,724 people per square mile (664/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 68.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 11.5%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 1.2% Native American, 4.3%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, and 2.8% from two or more races. 12.9% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race.

2010 census

As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

, there were 517,110 people and 206,522 households in the county. The

was 1,574 people per square mile (978/km²). There were 219,580 housing units at an average density of 669 per square mile (415/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 76.4%

, 11.6%

, 0.7% Native American, 2.7%

, 0.1%

, 5.7% from some other race, and 2.8% from two or more races. 11.2% of the population were

of any race. 30% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 15%

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, 8.0%

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, and 4.9%

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

ancestry. The median income for a household in the county was $51,878, and the median income for a family was $67,666. Males had a median income of $44,542 versus $35,801 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $28,092. About 9.4% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 17.6% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the

2000 United States Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...

, there were 463,585 people, 182,194 households, and 115,146 families in the county. The

was 1,401 people per square mile (541/km²). There were 192,672 housing units at an average density of 582 per square mile (225/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 80.96%

, 11.50%

, 0.61% Native American, 1.71%

, 0.05%

, 3.40% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.76% from two or more races. 6.67% of the population were

of any race. 26.3% were of

, 11.5%

and 6.2%

ancestry. There were 182,194 households, out of which 32.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.50% were married couples living together, 12.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.80% were non-families. 29.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.12. The county population contained 26.60% under the age of 18, 10.30% from 18 to 24, 31.20% from 25 to 44, 21.00% from 45 to 64, and 11.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 95.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.90 males. The median income for a household in the county was $43,209, and the median income for a family was $54,651. Males had a median income of $36,577 versus $27,265 for females. The

for the county was $22,879. About 6.70% of families and 9.80% of the population were below the

, including 13.00% of those under age 18 and 7.20% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Douglas County is governed by a board of seven county commissioners, elected to staggered four–year terms. County courthouse positions are also elected on a partisan basis. Most of the county's offices are located at the Douglas County Courthouse. For much of the time after World War II, Douglas County was one of the more conservative urban counties in the United States. It supported the Republican candidate for president in all but one election from 1952 to 2004. However, it has become a far more competitive county in national elections compared to the rest of the state in the last ten years.

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

won a majority of the county's votes in 2008, becoming the first Democrat to do so since 1964. He also narrowly carried the 2nd congressional district as well, garnering him one electoral vote statewide. It swung back to the Republican column in 2012 with Mitt Romney winning the county by an even closer majority. The county swung back to Democratic hands in 2016 with

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

winning a plurality of its votes, but unlike Obama eight years prior she failed to carry the 2nd congressional district. In 2020, Joe Biden won the county by 11 points, a 56-year high for Democrats, and flipped the 2nd district back into the Democratic column. Congressman

Don Bacon Donald John Bacon (born August 16, 1963) is an American politician and former military officer serving as the U.S. representative for Nebraska's 2nd congressional district since 2017. Before holding public office, he was a United States Air For ...

, a Republican won Douglas County in his race. As of December 2020, Douglas County is one of three counties in Nebraska (alongside Thurston and

Dakota Dakota may refer to: * Dakota people, a sub-tribe of the Sioux ** Dakota language, their language Dakota may also refer to: Places United States * Dakota, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Dakota, Illinois, a town * Dakota, Minnesota, ...

) to have a plurality of registered Democrats.

Communities

Cities

* Bennington * Omaha (county seat) **

East Omaha East Omaha is a geographically designated community located in Omaha, Nebraska. Located three miles (5 km) from downtown Omaha, East Omaha is the site of Eppley Omaha International Airport, Omaha's main airport, and Carter Lake. This area was ...

** Elkhorn (Omaha) ** Millard (Omaha) **

North Omaha North Omaha is a community area in Omaha, Nebraska, in the United States. It is bordered by Cuming and Dodge Streets on the south, Interstate 680 on the north, North 72nd Street on the west and the Missouri River and Carter Lake, Iowa on the ...

South Omaha South Omaha is a former city and current district of Omaha, Nebraska, United States. During its initial development phase the town's nickname was "The Magic City" because of the seemingly overnight growth, due to the rapid development of the Union S ...

West Omaha West Omaha is a geographic area of Omaha, Nebraska, that comprises all points within the Omaha metropolitan area Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern Un ...

* Ralston *

Valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between Hill, hills or Mountain, mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers ...

Villages

* Boys Town * Waterloo

Census-designated places

* King Lake *

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

Unincorporated communities

* Briggs *

Debolt DeBolt is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada within the Municipal District of Greenview No. 16. A variant name is Debolt. H. E. Debolt, an early postmaster, gave the community his last name. The hamlet is located in census division No. 18. ...

* Elk City * Irvington *

Lane In road transport, a lane is part of a roadway that is designated to be used by a single line of vehicles to control and guide drivers and reduce traffic conflicts. Most public roads (highways) have at least two lanes, one for traffic in each ...

Education

School districts include:
Text list
/ref> *

Arlington Public Schools Arlington Public Schools is a public school division in Arlington County, Virginia. In 2019, student enrollment was 28,020 students, with students coming from more than 146 countries. In 2015, there were 2,166 teachers. There are 24 elementary ...

* Bennington Public Schools *

Douglas County West Community Schools Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals *Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking *Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...

Elkhorn Public Schools Elkhorn Public Schools is a school district headquartered in Elkhorn, Omaha, Nebraska. History In 2006 a $96 million bond referendum was given to the voters. In 2014 a $63.1 million bond was approved by voters. Steve Baker served as the super ...

* Fort Calhoun Community Schools *

Fremont Public Schools Fremont may refer to: Places In the United States: *Fremont, California - largest city with the name **Fremont station **Fremont station (BART) **Fremont Central Park *Fremont, Yolo County, California * Fremont, Illinois *Fremont Center, Illinoi ...

Gretna Public Schools Gretna may refer to: Places Australia *Gretna, Tasmania Canada *Gretna, Manitoba Scotland *Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway *Gretna Green, Dumfries and Galloway United States *Gretna, Florida *Gretna, Kansas *Gretna, Louisiana * Gretna, ...

Millard Public Schools The Millard Public Schools is a school district in the southwest part of Omaha, Nebraska, United States. The first school in Millard was established in the fall of 1870. The school district is named for Ezra Millard (1833-1886), who platted Milla ...

Omaha Public Schools Omaha Public Schools (OPS) is the largest school district in the state of Nebraska, United States. This public school district serves a diverse community of about 52,000 students at over 80 elementary and secondary schools in Omaha. Its district ...

Ralston Public Schools Ralston Public Schools (RPS, a.k.a. Douglas County School District 0054) is a school district headquartered in Ralston, Nebraska. It also serves southwestern sections of Omaha. the district has over 270 teachers with full-time status and about 3, ...

Westside Community Schools Westside Community Schools, also known locally as District 66, is the third largest school district in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. The district has one high school, one middle school, ten elementary schools, and one alternative high school. Th ...

Yutan Public Schools Yutan may refer to: *Yutan, Nebraska, a city in Saunders County, Nebraska, United States *Yutan Subdistrict (玉谭街道), a subdistrict in Ningxiang County, Hunan, China *Yutan, Jilin (玉谭镇), a town in Nanguan District, Changchun, Jilin, Chi ...

A state-operated school, Nebraska School for the Deaf, was formerly in the county.

References

External links

* {{Coord, 41.29535, -96.15448, format=dms, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-NE_source:wikidata 1854 establishments in Nebraska Territory Nebraska counties on the Missouri River Populated places established in 1854

Geography

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Protected areas

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

2000 census

Government

Communities

Cities

Villages

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Education

See also

References

External links