Hooper Nebraska - Nebraska Directory

City · Dodge County · Population 857 (2020 census) · ZIP 68031 · Founded 1871 · Peak population 1,014 (1920)

About Hooper

Hooper is a city of 857 beside the Elkhorn River, just off US 275 and NE 91 about 15 miles northwest of Fremont. Its downtown of brick storefronts is on the National Register. It has the Hooper Public Library, Elkhorn Valley Golf Club, Hooper Memorial Park and the Logan View schools campus north of town.

History

Hooper was established in 1871 when the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad was built up the valley, and L. D. Richards platted the station. It was named for Samuel Hooper, a congressman from Massachusetts. The post office of Jalapa, an 1855 territorial town three miles south, moved to Hooper in 1870. The population peaked at 1,014 in 1920.

Twenty-two Italianate and Romanesque commercial buildings along Main, Elk, Fulton and Myrtle streets were listed together on the National Register in 1980. Rail service ended after the 1982 floods; tourist trains ran up from Fremont from 1986 until 2003, and the tracks were pulled up in 2021 for a planned trail. A 24-foot obelisk sign went up in 2010 so bypass traffic would not miss the town. Olympic volleyball gold medalist Jordan Larson and 1920s wing-walker Lillian Boyer are from Hooper.

Highways and trails through Hooper

Route	One way	Other way
US 275 / NE 91Bypass west of town; spur S-27D leads in	Northwest to Scribner (about 8 mi) and West Point	Southeast to Fremont (about 15 mi)
US 77Interchange southeast of town	North to Logan View schools and Uehling	South to Nickerson and Fremont

Nearby towns

Winslow	about 2 mi east	County roads
Everett	about 4 mi west	County roads
Centerville	about 6 mi southwest	County roads
Nickerson	about 8 mi southeast	US 275 and US 77
Scribner	about 8 mi northwest	US 275
Uehling	about 11 mi north	US 77
Fremont	about 15 mi southeast	US 275
Jalapa	about 3 mi south	County roads

Things to see

Hooper Historic District, Main Street (National Register) · Elkhorn Valley Golf Club, 410 N. Main St. · Hooper Memorial Park (camping) · Hooper City Park

Events in Hooper

Hooper 4th of July Celebration
Hooper 4th of July Celebration is held in Hooper, Nebraska, on the Fourth of July.

Know of another event here? Tell us about it.

Schools and health care

Schools: Logan View Public Schools, 2163 County Road G (on US 77 north of town): elementary (pre-K–6) and junior-senior high (7–12)

Health care: No clinic; Scribner Area Medical Clinic (about 8 mi); nearest hospital Methodist Fremont Health (about 15 mi)

Sources: U.S. Census; Wikipedia; Andreas, History of the State of Nebraska (1882); Buss and Osterman, History of Dodge and Washington Counties (1921); History Nebraska; National Register of Historic Places; Nebraska Game and Parks; Nebraska Department of Transportation route mileposts. Distances marked "about" are estimates.