Laurel Nebraska

LAUREL WEATHER

Navigate & Explore Laurel

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Road conditions: Nebraska 511 — 511.nebraska.gov

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Travel corridors: US 20 Corridor → · NE 15 Corridor →

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Listings in Laurel Nebraska

Current Weather in Laurel

City · Cedar County · Population 972 (2020 census) · ZIP 68745 · Founded 1884 · Peak population 1,031 (1980)

About Laurel

Laurel is a city of 972 in southeastern Cedar County, where US 20 and NE 15 run together for about three miles and NE 59 joins them just north of town. It is the main campus of Laurel-Concord-Coleridge Public Schools and has a Faith Regional clinic, Main Street Apothecary, the Big Red Inn & Suites, a golf course and two park campgrounds.

History

The Claramont post office opened on June 12, 1884; settler Louis Tolles named it for Claremont, New Hampshire, and a clerk misspelled it. The town that grew where the Omaha Road's Hartington branch met the Pacific Short Line (later the Great Northern) was platted on William Martin's land and named for his daughter Laura, and the post office became Laurel on May 28, 1892.

A monument with a flag on the east side of US 20 at the edge of town honors the 17 men killed on August 5, 1944, when two B-17 bombers collided above Laurel. Golfer Mark Calcavecchia and actor James Coburn were born here. The city rebuilt its downtown and city hall and built a new fire hall in 2021, and a new school building opened in 2024. The population peaked at 1,031 in 1980.

Highways and trails through Laurel

Route	One way	Other way
US 20Runs together with NE 15 for about 3 mi through Laurel	West to Belden (5 mi) and Randolph (about 13 mi)	East toward Dixon County
NE 15North–south through Laurel	South to Wayne (about 15 mi)	North to NE 12 (about 17 mi) and the Vermillion–Newcastle Bridge
NE 59Eastern section meets NE 15 just north of town	West to NE 57 south of Coleridge	Ends at US 20

Nearby towns

Belden	5 mi west	US 20
Coleridge	about 12 mi northwest	US 20 and NE 57
Randolph	about 13 mi west	US 20
Wayne	about 15 mi south	NE 15
Hartington	about 20 mi northwest	US 20 and NE 57

Things to see

Cedar View Country Club, 101 Calcavecchia Dr. (9 holes) · Laurel City Park, 302 Cedar St. (5 campsites with electric) · Lions Club Park (camper hookups) · Laurel Public Library, 502 Wakefield St. · the B-17 memorial on US 20

Schools and health care

Schools: Laurel-Concord-Coleridge Public Schools: elementary and high school, 502 Wakefield St.; the middle school is in Coleridge

Health care: Faith Health Laurel Family Medicine, 218 E. 2nd St.; Main Street Apothecary, 201 E. 2nd St.; nearest hospital Providence Medical Center, Wayne (about 15 mi)

Sources: U.S. Census; Wikipedia; NEGenWeb Cedar County post offices; Andreas, History of the State of Nebraska (1882); National Register of Historic Places; Nebraska Department of Transportation route mileposts. Distances marked "about" are estimates.