Cedar County Nebraska 13
Cedar County, Nebraska
Cedar County occupies the northeastern corner of Nebraska, bounded by Knox County to the west, Wayne County to the south, Dixon County to the northeast, and the Missouri River forming the northern border with South Dakota. The county seat, Hartington, anchors the southern half, while the Lewis and Clark National Scenic Byway (Nebraska Highway 12) traces the northern bluffs above the Missouri River through Wynot, Saint Helena, and other historic communities.
The county was organized in 1857, making it one of Nebraska's earliest. Czech and German immigrant families shaped Cedar County's cultural landscape through the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, establishing the parishes, schools, and cooperative traditions that still define the region. US-20, the historic Lincoln Highway–era route, runs through the northern tier of the county at Randolph, Belden, and Laurel. The Gavins Point Dam and Lewis and Clark Lake, just across the Knox County border near Crofton, draw travelers to the broader region.
Agriculture — primarily grain and livestock — defines Cedar County's economy. The Missouri River bluffs of the northern county offer some of the most scenic terrain in northeastern Nebraska, attracting visitors exploring the Lewis and Clark corridor.
Towns in Cedar County
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Hartington, Nebraska (68739)
Hartington is the Cedar County seat, a city of approximately 1,500 in the central county. It serves as the commercial and government hub for the region, with Mary Lanning–area healthcare, local schools, and a lively downtown.
Pop: ~1,500 | Highways: NE-57 area | Designation: City
Laurel, Nebraska (68745)
Laurel is a village on US-20 (MM 392) in northern Cedar County, one of the county's larger communities. It sits along the historic US-20 corridor with agricultural services and local commerce.
Pop: ~1,000 | Highways: US-20 MM 392 | Designation: Village
Randolph, Nebraska (68771)
Randolph is a village on US-20 (MM 371) in northern Cedar County. The community anchors the western end of Cedar County's US-20 corridor.
Pop: ~950 | Highways: US-20 MM 371 | Designation: Village
Coleridge, Nebraska (68727)
Coleridge is a village in southern Cedar County, serving the farming communities of the county's lower half. It provides local services to surrounding rural neighborhoods.
Pop: ~450 | Highways: NE-57 area | Designation: Village
Wynot, Nebraska (68774)
Wynot is a village in northern Cedar County along NE-12, perched above the Missouri River bluffs with sweeping views into South Dakota. Its famously quirky name comes from a community meeting where settlers kept asking "why not here?"
Pop: ~260 | Highways: NE-12 | Designation: Village
Belden, Nebraska (68717)
Belden is a small village on US-20 (MM 386) between Randolph and Laurel in northern Cedar County. It sits along the historic east–west US-20 corridor.
Pop: ~150 | Highways: US-20 MM 386 | Designation: Village
Obert, Nebraska (68757)
Obert is a village along the NE-12 corridor in northeastern Cedar County, near the Missouri River bluffs. It connects the northern Cedar County communities along the Lewis and Clark route.
Pop: ~80 | Highways: NE-12 | Designation: Village
Fordyce, Nebraska (68736)
Fordyce is a small village in eastern Cedar County near the Missouri River. It sits along the NE-12 corridor in the bluff country of the county's northeastern corner.
Pop: ~80 | Highways: NE-12 | Designation: Village
Saint Helena, Nebraska (68774)
Saint Helena is a small village in northern Cedar County along NE-12, named for the Catholic heritage of the region. It connects Wynot to the communities of eastern Cedar County.
Pop: ~70 | Highways: NE-12 | Designation: Village
Magnet, Nebraska (68749)
Magnet is a small village in southeastern Cedar County, serving area farm families in the southern agricultural districts of the county.
Pop: ~60 | Highways: NE-15 area | Designation: Village
Menominee, Nebraska (68774)
Menominee is a small village in eastern Cedar County near the Missouri River, part of the NE-12 corridor communities of the county's northeastern edge.
Pop: ~60 | Highways: NE-12 | Designation: Village
Aten, Nebraska (68730)
Aten is an unincorporated community in western Cedar County near the Knox County border, using Crofton's ZIP code area. It sits in the hill country west of Hartington.
Pop: ~30 | Designation: Unincorporated
South Yankton, Nebraska
South Yankton is an unincorporated community in northern Cedar County near the South Dakota border, opposite Yankton, SD across the Missouri River.
Pop: ~25 | Designation: Unincorporated
Additional unincorporated communities: Bow Valley · Constance · Pleasant Valley · Saint James
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Cedar County Business Directory
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Adjacent Counties
Knox County (west) · Wayne County (south) · Dixon County (northeast) · South Dakota (north, across Missouri River)
