North Bend Nebraska - Nebraska Directory

City · Dodge County · Population 1,279 (2020 census) · ZIP 68649 · Founded 1856 · Peak population 1,368 (1980)

About North Bend

North Bend is a city of 1,279 on the north bank of the Platte River in southwestern Dodge County, where US 30 meets NE 79. It has North Bend Central schools, North Bend Family Care, the North Bend Public Library, the North Bend Golf Course, the city park and pool, and the weekly North Bend Eagle, published since 1897.

History

Scottish settlers bound from Illinois for Kansas stopped here instead; George Young and Robert Millar arrived on July 4, 1856, and the first election held within the present county lines took place that November at George Turton's log house. The combined settlements took the name North Bend in 1864, for the point where the Platte, and the Union Pacific line beside it, bend farthest north. The first train came in 1866, and the railroad platted the town in 1867. North Bend had the county's first steam mill and, in the 1860s, a pontoon bridge over the Platte.

The Carnegie library of 1913 and St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church are on the National Register; the church was added in November 2025. A fire destroyed part of downtown on December 28, 2009. The population peaked at 1,368 in 1980. Actress Marg Helgenberger grew up in North Bend, and Charles H. Purcell, chief engineer of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, was born here.

Highways and trails through North Bend

Route	One way	Other way
US 30Lincoln Highway, through town	East past Ames to Fremont (about 19 mi)	West to Rogers and Schuyler (about 17 mi)
NE 79Meets US 30 at 6th Street	North past Webster to Snyder (about 20 mi)	South across the Platte to Morse Bluff

Nearby towns

Purple Cane	about 7 mi northwest	County roads
Ames	about 8 mi east	US 30
Webster	about 9 mi north	NE 79
Schuyler	about 17 mi west	US 30
Scribner	about 18 mi northeast	County roads
Fremont	about 19 mi east	US 30
Leavitt	about 7 mi east	US 30

Things to see

North Bend Carnegie Library, 140 E. 8th St. (1913; National Register) · St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, 740 Locust St. (National Register) · Mormon Trail and Military Road marker on Old Lincoln Highway east of town · the Lincoln Highway marker replica at Main Street and US 30 · North Bend Golf Course, 400 Cottonwood St.

Events in North Bend

North Bend Old Settlers
North Bend Old Settlers is held in North Bend, Nebraska, on the last weekend of June.

Know of another event here? Tell us about it.

Schools and health care

Schools: North Bend Central Public Schools, 1320 Walnut St.: elementary, middle and high school

Health care: North Bend Family Care clinic; nearest hospital Methodist Fremont Health (about 19 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.