Kearney ( ) is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Buffalo County, Nebraska Buffalo County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 50,084, making it Nebraska's fifth-most populous Nebraska counties ...

, United States. The population was 33,790 in the 2020 census, making it the 5th most populous city in

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

. It is home to the

University of Nebraska at Kearney The University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) is a campus of the public University of Nebraska system and located in Kearney, Nebraska. It was founded in 1905 as the Nebraska State Normal School at Kearney. History In March 1903 the Nebraska S ...

. The westward push of the railroad as the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

ended gave new birth to the community.

History

In the late 1840s, American settlers traveling westward arrived in significant numbers along the

Mormon Trail The Mormon Trail is the route from Illinois to Utah on which Mormon pioneers (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) traveled from 1846 to 1869. Today, the Mormon Trail is a part of the United States National Trails Syst ...

and Overland Trails. This marked the beginning of Kearney's role as a crossroads on major east-west transportation arteries. In 1848, to safeguard westward migrants traveling through the region, the

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

established a military fort several miles southeast of the present city. Named after famed frontier military officer Stephen W. Kearny, Fort Kearny would become the namesake of the present city and serve as a stopping-point for gold prospectors,

Pony Express The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company. During its 18 months of opera ...

riders, and

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad is a Railroad classes, Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United Stat ...

workers until 1871. The first permanent settlement in the area was called Dobytown, located southeast of the present-day Kearney. The "e" in Kearney was added by mistake sometime afterwards by postmen who consistently misspelled the town name; eventually the spelling became

nomenclature Nomenclature (, ) is a system of names or terms, or the rules for forming these terms in a particular field of arts or sciences. (The theoretical field studying nomenclature is sometimes referred to as ''onymology'' or ''taxonymy'' ). The principl ...

. The region expanded in 1866 with the arrival of the

. The fixing of a junction point with the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad in 1871 anticipated the establishment of a townsite in the summer of that year. The city of Kearney was incorporated on December 3, 1873, the townsite being fixed a mille north of the

Platte River The Platte River () is a major American 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, w ...

. In 1874, Kearney was chosen to be the seat of Buffalo County, experiencing great population, economic, and infrastructural expansion in subsequent years that transformed the nascent city into the local business, education, and transportation center it remains to this day. This boom would be sustained through the next twenty-years, fueled by a post-Civil War period of frenzied economic expansion and wealth generation (

Gilded Age In History of the United States, United States history, the Gilded Age is the period from about the late 1870s to the late 1890s, which occurred between the Reconstruction era and the Progressive Era. It was named by 1920s historians after Mar ...

) that was transforming the whole nation. Enterprising investors poured into the burgeoning community from the East and elsewhere, hoping to enrich themselves through ambitious speculative development schemes that, more often than not, turned out to be ill-conceived and economically unsustainable. An irrigation canal, electric street railway, and a five-story

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

house were some of the projects to ultimately make it off the drawing board. These flush times would grind to a sudden halt as a result of the agricultural depression and economic crisis of the early

1890s The 1890s (pronounced "eighteen-nineties") was a decade of the Gregorian calendar that began on January 1, 1890, and ended on December 31, 1899. In American popular culture, the decade would later be nostalgically referred to as the "Gay Nineti ...

. In 1912, the Catholic diocese of Kearney was centered here. The diocese was suppressed in 1917, with the creation of the diocese of Grand Island. In 1997, the historical diocese of Kearney began to be used as a

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbi ...

by the Catholic Church.

Geography

Kearney is located on

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

with access to the major markets of

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

- Lincoln,

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

Des Moines Des Moines is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Iowa, most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, Iowa, Polk County with parts extending into Warren County, Iowa, Wa ...

, Wichita and

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. The Cheyenne comprise two Native American tribes, the Só'taeo'o or Só'taétaneo'o (more commonly spelled as Suhtai or Sutaio) and the (also spelled Tsitsistas, The term for th ...

, Kearney is at the center of a seven-state region and 20 million people. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

Demographics

: Kearney is the principal city of the Kearney, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Buffalo and Kearney counties.

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 33,790 people, 13,361 households, and 7,772 families in Kearney. The population density was 2,270.8 per square mile (877.0/km). There were 14,370 housing units at an average density of 965.7 per square mile (373.0/km). The racial makeup was 85.04% (28,734)

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.63% (551) black or African-American, 0.58% (196) Native American, 1.88% (634) Asian, 0.09% (30)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 4.63% (1,563) from other races, and 6.16% (2,082) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race was 9.0% (3,200) of the population. Of the 13,361 households, 26.6% had children under the age of 18; 44.2% were married couples living together; 29.2% had a female householder with no husband present. 32.3% of households consisted of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.4 and the average family size was 2.9. 20.9% of the population was under the age of 18, 19.4% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 97.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 94.1 males. The 2016-2020 5-year

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimates show that the median household income was $60,755 (with a margin of error of +/- $4,444) and the median family income $85,444 (+/- $4,564). Males had a median income of $36,227 (+/- $3,446) versus $23,904 (+/- $2,231) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $29,317 (+/- $3,191). Approximately, 7.5% of families and 14.7% 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 ...

, including 13.6% of those under the age of 18 and 10.1% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 30,787 people, 12,201 households, and 7,015 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 12,738 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.3%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.0%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.3% Native American, 1.8% Asian, 3.1% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 7.3% of the population. There were 12,201 households, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.5% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.96 . The median age in the city was 29 years. 22.2% of residents were under age 18; 20.5% were between ages 18 and 24; 25.6% were aged 25 to 44; 20.6% were aged 45 to 64; and 11.1% were aged 65 years or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 29,952 people, 10,549 households, and 6,160 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 11,099 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.18%

, 0.63%

, 0.38% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.04%

, 1.68% from other races, and 1.17% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 4.08% of the population. There were 10,549 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were

living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.96 . In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.2% under age 18, 23.9% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 89.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $34,829, and the median income for a family was $46,650. Males had a median income of $30,150 versus $22,366 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $17,713. About 7.4% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the

, including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Companies headquartered in Kearney include Citizens Telecommunications Company of Nebraska and The Buckle. According to Buffalo County Economic Development, the top non-manufacturing employers in the city are: : The top manufacturing employers are: :

Arts and culture

Kearney is home to several museums, many of which reflect its location on the

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

, and

trails, and the

Lincoln Highway The Lincoln Highway is one of the first transcontinental highways in the United States and one of the first highways designed expressly for automobiles. Conceived in 1912 by Indiana entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, and formally dedicated Octob ...

. * The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument spans Interstate 80 at mile marker 274 and contains exhibits that trace the history of the Great Platte River Road from the Oregon Trail days to the present. President Bill Clinton toured the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument on December 8, 2000, while on a visit to Kearney. Jack Nicholson was filmed in a scene at the Archway for the movie ''

About Schmidt ''About Schmidt'' is a 2002 American comedy drama film co-written and directed by Alexander Payne and starring Jack Nicholson in the title role. The film also stars Hope Davis, Dermot Mulroney, and Kathy Bates. It is loosely based on the 1996 no ...

''. * The Museum of Nebraska Art, the state's official art collection, houses artworks spanning 175 years, from the 19th century to the present. * The George W. Frank House is an 1890s historic mansion located at the

. The Robert M. Merryman Performing Arts Center, located in the city's Central Elementary School, is a 750 seat theater completed in 2006. * The Trails & Rails Museum is home to many of the county's historic structures from the late 1800s-through the mid-1900s. * The 5,500 seat Viaero Event Center hosts concerts, events, and performances, and is home to the

Tri-City Storm The Tri-City Storm is a Tier I junior ice hockey team based in Kearney, Nebraska, that plays in the Western Conference of the United States Hockey League (USHL). Its name refers to the three central Nebraskan cities of Kearney, Hastings, and ...

, a

United States Hockey League The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the Midwestern United States and Great Plains, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. Th ...

team. *In 2013, the Shrine Bowl State High School All-Star Football Game was moved from Lincoln to Kearney. *Two microbreweries, Thunderhead Brewing and the Platte Valley Brewery, are located in downtown Kearney. * The Classic Car Collection is an automotive museum containing over 210 automobiles.

Sports

* Kearney Yankees, 1956–1959, minor league baseball team affiliated with the New York Yankees *

, Tier I junior ice hockey team in the West Division of the

(USHL)

Government

The council-manager form is used in Kearney. The City Council makes legislative and policy-making decisions. There are five members elected citywide to serve four-year terms which are staggered. The council manager form of government was adopted in 1950. Michael W. Morgan retired as city manager January 1, 2024 and Brenda Jensen took over as interim manager until she was appointed and made official city manager on May 1, 2024. The council appoints a city manager to implement policies, prepare a budget, appoints department heads, and recommends areas that the council needs to attend. There are five members elected citywide serving staggered four-year terms. One member of the City Council is chosen by the council to be Mayor. Stanley Clouse served as Mayor from 2006-2024, with Jonathan Nikkila assuming the role in December 2024.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

* Kearney Public Schools operates 3 preschools, 10 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and Kearney High School
Zion Lutheran School
* Faith Christian School of Kearney * Kearney West High School, at the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center * Kearney Catholic High School

Post-Secondary Schools

Central Community College Central Community College is a Community colleges in the United States, two-year Nebraska public college with three campuses, in Columbus, Nebraska, Columbus, Grand Island, Nebraska, Grand Island, and Hastings, Nebraska, Hastings. In addition the ...

has a branch campus in Kearney. *

(UNK) is located in the city. The campus is a residential campus with more than 37 buildings. It was founded in 1905 as Nebraska State Normal School at Kearney and became Nebraska State Teachers College in 1921. Between 1963 and 1991 the school was known as Kearney State College. The college's name was changed to University of Nebraska at Kearney in 1991, when it joined the

University of Nebraska A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

system.

Media

;Newspaper *'' Kearney Hub'' ;Radio * KGFW AM 1340 * KXPN (AM) 1460 * KGFW FM 96.1 * KKPR-FM 98.9 * KRNY FM 102.3 * KQKY FM 105.9 ;Television *

KHGI-TV The Nebraska Television Network (NTV) is the American Broadcasting Company, ABC affiliate for most of central and western Nebraska. It consists of two full-power stations—KHGI-TV (channel 13) in Kearney, Nebraska, Kearney, with its transmi ...

Transportation

The city operates Kearney Regional Airport located east of the city. Commercial air service is available via

United Express United Express is a regional airline network that supports United Airlines operations, primarily by serving smaller cities and connecting traffic to United's main hubs. Representing six percent of United's total capacity for 2024, United Express ...

with twice-daily service to

Denver International Airport Denver International Airport , often referred to by locals as DIA, is an international airport in the Western United States, primarily serving metropolitan Denver, Colorado, as well as the greater Front Range Urban Corridor. At , Effective Ju ...

, as well as a daily non-stop flight to

O'Hare Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport is the primary international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, United States, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Loop business district. The airport is operated by the ...

in Chicago, IL. The

east-west main line runs through Kearney. Greyhound Bus Lines stops to pick up or discharge passengers in Kearney at 112 W. Talmadge Rd.

Notable people

* Drew Anderson, MLB player * George A. Beecher (1868–1951), bishop of Western Nebraska * Jon Bokenkamp, writer and producer * Cyrus Allen Black, taxidermist, decoy-maker and amateur baseball player * Solomon Butcher, photographer of the Homestead era in Nebraska, lived in Kearney for about a decade, beginning in 1902 * Alexander H. Conner, politician *

Leslie Easterbrook Leslie Easterbrook is an American actress and producer. She played Sgt./Lt./Capt. Debbie Callahan in the '' Police Academy'' films and Rhonda Lee on the television series ''Laverne & Shirley''. Early life Easterbrook was adopted when she was nin ...

, actress * Tom Kropp, professional basketball player * James A. Lake, evolutionary biologist * Lorraine Langford, Nebraska politician * Kyle Larson, NFL player * Stephen R. Lawhead, author * Brett Maher, NFL player * David Martin, congressman * Bill Milldyke, journalist and foreign correspondent * Andy Pessoa, actor * Peter George Peterson, U.S. Secretary of Commerce 1972–73, co-founder of the Blackstone Group * Ryan Quincy, Emmy-winning animator, producer, and voice actor * Tim Schlattmann, screenwriter * Dan Schlissel, record producer and label founder ( Stand Up! Records, -ismist Recordings) * Kathy Lou Schultz, poet and scholar * Charlie Tuna, radio personality * Elizabeth T. Uldall, linguist * Chuck Welch, artist * Don Welch, American poet and academic, professor at the

* Dale E. Wolf, businessman and politician

In popular culture

* ''Dexter'' (season 6), episode 7 ("Nebraska", airdate November 13, 2011) was set in Kearney, Nebraska. *'' The Echo Maker'', book by

Richard Powers Richard Powers (born June 18, 1957) is an American novelist whose works explore the effects of modern science and technology. His novel ''The Echo Maker'' won the 2006 National Book Award for Fiction. Cities in Buffalo County, Nebraska Cities in Nebraska Kearney Micropolitan Statistical Area County seats in Nebraska Catholic titular sees in North America