Scottsbluff is a city in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska, United States, in the

Great Plains The Great Plains is a broad expanse of plain, flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include th ...

region. The population was 14,436 at the 2020 census. Scottsbluff is the largest city in the Nebraska Panhandle, and the 13th-most-populous city in Nebraska. Scottsbluff was founded in 1899 across the

North Platte River The North Platte River is a major tributary of the Platte River and is approximately long, counting its many curves.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 21, 2011 I ...

from its namesake, a bluff that is now protected by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

as Scotts Bluff National Monument. The monument was named after Hiram Scott, a fur trader with the Rocky Mountain Fur Company who was found dead in the vicinity on the return trip from a fur expedition. The smaller town of Gering had been founded south of the river in 1887. The two cities have since grown together to form the 7th-largest urban area (the Scottsbluff Micropolitan Statistical Area) in Nebraska.

History

Scottsbluff was founded in 1899 by the Lincoln Land Company, a subsidiary of the Burlington Railroad. By 1900, the Burlington Railroad laid tracks into the town and placed a discarded boxcar next to the tracks as a temporary depot. Scottsbluff was the first town in the region to be located along a railroad line, resulting in some older businesses relocating from Gering to Scottsbluff.

Other names

In the

Lakota language Lakota ( ), also referred to as Lakhota, Teton or Teton Sioux, is a Siouan languages, Siouan language spoken by the Lakota people of the Sioux tribes. Lakota is mutually intelligible with the two dialects of the Dakota language, especially Dakot ...

, Scottsbluff is called ''pȟaŋkéska wakpá otȟúŋwahe'' ("

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 ...

City", lit. "

abalone Abalone ( or ; via Spanish , from Rumsen language, Rumsen ''aulón'') is a common name for any small to very large marine life, marine gastropod mollusc in the family (biology), family Haliotidae, which once contained six genera but now cont ...

river city").

Geography and climate

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. Scottsbluff has a

cold semi-arid climate Cold is the presence of low temperature, especially in the atmosphere. In common usage, cold is often a subjective perception. A lower bound to temperature is absolute zero, defined as 0.00K on the Kelvin scale, an absolute thermodynamic ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''BSk''), bordering on a hot-summer

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(''Dfa'') with wide seasonal and

diurnal temperature variation In meteorology, diurnal temperature variation is the variation between a high air temperature and a low temperature that occurs during the same day. Temperature lag Temperature lag, also known as thermal inertia, is an important factor in diur ...

s, and is located in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 5a. Summers are hot, and winters dry and cold, though

chinook wind Chinook winds, or simply Chinooks, are two types of prevailing warm, generally westerly winds in western North America: Coastal Chinooks and interior Chinooks. The coastal Chinooks are persistent seasonal, wet, southwesterly winds blowing in from ...

s can loosen the cold's grip, often bringing temperatures above . The monthly daily average temperature ranges from in December to in July. Over the course of a year, there is an average six afternoons with maxima or above, 49.1 afternoons with maxima reaching at least , 27.4 afternoons with a maximum at or below the freezing mark, and 11.6 mornings with minima at or below . Extremes in temperature have ranged from on July 11, 1939, down to on February 6, 1899, which held the record low for Nebraska for a mere week until

Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnock River on Long Is ...

recorded . In 1989, extremes reached and, during the December 1989 United States cold wave, . The month of February 1962 saw temperatures as hot as on the 11th and as cold as on the 28th. Precipitation is heavily concentrated in the spring and summer months, with only May and June averaging over . The wettest single day has been June 7, 1953, with of rain, while the wettest calendar month on record has been June 1947 with and the wettest calendar year 1915 with . The months of November 1939 and March 2012 did not see even a trace of precipitation, while nineteen other months since 1893 have seen only a trace. The driest calendar year has been 2012 with . Snow typically falls in light amounts, with a 1991−2020 seasonal average of ; the most snow in one month has been in October 2009, and the greatest depth of snow on the ground on April 14, 1927. The most snowfall in a season is between July 2009 and June 2010; the least snow being between July 1933 and June 1934.

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 census counted 14,436 people, 6,011 households, and 3,450 families in Scottsbluff. The population density was 2,177.4 per square mile (840.3/km). There were 6,573 housing units at an average density of 991.4 per square mile (382.6/km). The racial makeup was 71.54% (10,328)

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 ...

, 1.18% (171) black or African-American, 3.18% (459) Native American, 1.11% (160) Asian, 0.1% (15)

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 ...

, 10.27% (1,483) from other races, and 12.61% (1,820) 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 29.0% (4,294) of the population. Of the 6,011 households, 29.6% had children under the age of 18; 37.8% were married couples living together; 34.0% had a female householder with no husband present. 35.2% of households consisted of individuals and 17.2% 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 3.0. 27.0% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.2 years. For every 100 females, the population had 85.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 80.6 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 $49,182 (with a margin of error of +/- $4,570) and the median family income $61,381 (+/- $7,457). Males had a median income of $34,432 (+/- $4,668) versus $28,093 (+/- $2,212) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $30,336 (+/- $1,820). Approximately, 12.4% of families and 15.9% 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 18.3% of those under the age of 18 and 13.5% 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 15,039 people, 6,168 households, and 3,672 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 6,712 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 83.0%

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 ...

, 0.8%

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 ...

, 3.4% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 9.8% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 29.1% of the population. There were 6,168 households, of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% 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, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.5% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.04. The median age in the city was 36 years. 24.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.8% were from 25 to 44; 23.7% were from 45 to 64; and 16.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female. According to a 2008 article in ''Quality Health'' entitled ''10 Fattest Cities in America'', 31% of Scottsbluff's population is obese, making it the 7th fattest city in America.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 14,732 people, 6,088 households, and 3,841 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 6,559 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 81.88%

, 0.44%

, 3.20% Native American, 0.75% Asian, 0.04%

, 11.60% from other races, and 2.10% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 23.59% of the population. There were 6,088 households, out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were

living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% 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 2.99. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.1 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $29,938, and the median income for a family was $37,778. Males had a median income of $30,307 versus $20,854 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 $17,065. About 14.5% of families and 18.3% of the population were below the

, including 28.5% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Scottsbluff is home to the main campus of Western Nebraska Community College. In addition, several other Nebraska institutions maintain centers and offer select courses or programs in the city, including the

University of Nebraska Medical Center The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) is a Public university, public Academic health science centre, academic health science center in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1869 and chartered as a private medical college in 1881, UNMC became p ...

College of Nursing, Chadron State College, and 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 ...

(Panhandle Research and Extension Center). The now-defunct Hiram Scott College was located a few miles north of the city.

Points of interest

* Grave of Rebecca Winters (Mormon Pioneer) * Lake Minatare State Recreation Area * Riverside Discovery Center * Western Nebraska Community College * Fort Mitchell * Cedar Canyon * Carter Canyon * Robidoux Pass * Uptown Scotsbluff (formerly the Monument Mall)

Landmark buildings

* Old Post Office * Midwest Theater * Lincoln Hotel * Great Western Sugar Factory * Lake Minatare Lighthouse * Bluffs Middle School * Scottsbluff High School * Scottsbluff County Courthouse * Scottsbluff Carnegie Library

Media

Transportation

Public transit

Tri-City Roadrunner is the

public transit Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of wh ...

bus system in Scottsbluff,

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 ...

, United States. It operates two regular

bus route A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used i ...

s on weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. There is no service on weekends. Two deviated fixed-route services are provided, allowing for deviations from the normal route. Fixed-route services began on January 10, 2018, with four buses and 14 drivers. The Blue Route and the Orange Route operate north–south between Scottsbluff and Gering, but utilize different alignments to maximize coverage of the cities. In addition to the two deviated fixed routes, there is demand response service available to anywhere in any of the cities served or rural Scotts Bluff County.

Fixed-route ridership

The ridership and service statistics shown here are of fixed-route services only and do not include demand response.

Major highways

* U.S. Route 26 - east–west route through Scottsbluff * Nebraska Route 71 - north–south route through Scottsbluff * Nebraska Route 92 - route going west from Scottsbluff to

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

border.

Airport

The Scottsbluff area is served by Western Nebraska Regional Airport.

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 ...

serves the airport 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 ...

Notable people

* Hank Bauer, former American football running back, professional television and radio broadcaster * Brook Berringer, the former University of Nebraska quarterback was born in Scottsbluff in 1973. (His family moved to Goodland, Kansas, after his father's death.) * Terry Carpenter, American politician * Walt Conley, folk singer, musician and actor * Kip Gross, retired

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

for the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

, and

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

. * Nik Ingersöll, American entrepreneur and designer. * Galen B. Jackman, U.S. Army major general (retired),

Nancy Reagan Nancy Davis Reagan (; born Anne Frances Robbins; July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016) was an American film actress who was the first lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989, as the second wife of President Ronald Reagan. Reagan was born in ...

's escort throughout the state funeral proceedings of former U.S. President

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

, first commanding general of Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region * Nate Lashley (b. 1982), professional golfer on the PGA tour * Jacqueline Logan, silent film actress; spent her childhood in Scottsbluff. * Vic Marker, three-time Midwest Golden Glove boxer, who beat Archie Moore in the Golden Glove Finals in the late 1930s *

Randy Meisner Randall Herman Meisner (March 8, 1946 – July 26, 2023) was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and founding member of both Eagles and Poco. Throughout his professional musical career, both as group member and session musician, his main r ...

, former bassist of the rock band the

Eagles Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

* Adrian Smith,

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

* Jack Todd,

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, organization, a ...

and

sports columnist Sports journalism is a form of writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and competitions. Sports journalism has its roots in coverage of horse racing and boxing in the early 1800s, mainly targeted towards elites, and into t ...

Sister city

* Bamiyan, Afghanistan

References

External links

{{Authority control 1900 establishments in Nebraska Cities in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska Cities in Nebraska Populated places established in 1900 Scottsbluff Micropolitan Statistical Area