Morrill County, Nebraska

Morrill County, Nebraska

County seat: Bridgeport · Created: November 3, 1908, by vote of Cheyenne County; separated March 9, 1909 · Named for: Charles Henry Morrill, president of the Lincoln Land Company · License plates: prefix 64 · Population: 4,555 (2020 census); peak 9,950 in 1930 · Area: 1,430 sq mi (1,424 land) · Time zone: Mountain

About Morrill County

Morrill County is trail country in the North Platte valley of the Panhandle, where Chimney Rock and Courthouse and Jail Rocks stand off the south rim of the valley. Its cities are Bridgeport, the county seat, and Bayard; Broadwater is a village, and Angora, Northport and Redington are smaller places. It borders Box Butte County on the north, Sheridan on the northeast, Garden on the east, Cheyenne on the south, Banner on the southwest and Scotts Bluff on the west. (The village of Morrill is in Scotts Bluff County.) Its eight National Register listings include Chimney Rock, Courthouse and Jail Rocks, the courthouse, the Camp Clarke Bridge site, Mud Springs and the Rush Creek battlefield.

The Oregon–California and Mormon trails, the Pony Express and the Sidney–Black Hills road all crossed the county. In February 1865 Cheyenne and Lakota warriors attacked the Mud Springs station and fought soldiers at Rush Creek near Broadwater. Henry T. Clarke’s toll bridge of 1875–76 carried gold seekers over the river west of present Bridgeport, and the Burlington laid out Bridgeport, moved Bayard and founded Angora in 1899–1900. Cheyenne County voters split off the northern part as Morrill County on November 3, 1908; Bridgeport won the seat over Bayard, 575 to 375. Sugar beets and irrigation brought the county to 9,950 people in 1930. On March 12, 2026, wind gusts of 70–80 mph snapped a power pole northeast of Bridgeport and started the Morrill Fire, which burned about 643,000 acres across five counties, the largest wildfire in Nebraska history.

Towns of Morrill County

Travel Corridors

US 26 follows the North Platte through Bayard, Bridgeport and Broadwater. US 385, the Gold Rush Byway, runs north through Angora to Alliance and south to Sidney, crossing the river with US 26 at Bridgeport. NE 92 runs west from Bridgeport past Chimney Rock to Gering and east along the south side of the valley to Broadwater. Highway 92 Corridor → NE 88 starts in Bridgeport and runs south past Courthouse and Jail Rocks into Banner County. No Interstate enters the county.

Cameras: View Morrill County cameras → · Road conditions: Nebraska 511

Landmarks and Outdoors

Chimney Rock National Historic Site, 9822 County Road 75, about 4 miles south of Bayard, (308) 586-2581, is a National Park Service affiliated site run by History Nebraska; the rock stands about 300 feet above the valley, and the Abbott Visitor Center has the trail exhibits. Admission $5 for adults and $3 for ages 5–18; from October through April it is open Tuesday–Saturday 9–4 Mountain. Courthouse and Jail Rocks, about 5 miles south of Bridgeport on NE 88, rise some 400 feet above the valley on 917 acres and are open without a fee.

Bridgeport State Recreation Area, 100 Recreation Road, (308) 783-2911, has about 326 acres with five sandpit lakes and 80 basic campsites, first come, first served, paid by cash or check, with an RV dump station and a swimming area on Center Lake; a park entry permit is required. Chimney Rock Pioneer Crossing near Bayard has 16 full-hookup pull-through sites. For hunting, the Faucus Springs wetlands of the Fliesbach WMA (433 acres, east of Chimney Rock) and Arnold Trupp WMA (6 miles north of Bayard) are open to the public.

Things to See

In Bridgeport: the 1909–10 courthouse and the Pioneer Trails Museum. In Bayard: the Bayard Depot Museum. Near Broadwater: the Ancient Bluff Ruins. On US 385 south of Bridgeport: Mud Springs Station.

Morrill County Business Directory

Businesses within 20 miles of: Bridgeport · Bayard · All listings →

Adjacent Counties

Box Butte County (north) · Sheridan County (northeast) · Garden County (east) · Cheyenne County (south) · Banner County (southwest) · Scotts Bluff County (west).

Events

Camp Clarke Days in Bridgeport at the end of May; Broadwater Days in June; the Camp Clarke Stampede rodeo on July 3–4; the Morrill County Fair in Bridgeport (July 18–25 in 2026); a Greek Festival in August; and Chimney Rock Pioneer Days in Bayard in September.

Morrill County at a Glance

Morrill County, Nebraska — 1,430 square miles of North Platte valley and tableland with 4,555 people, county seat Bridgeport. 146 listings across 19 towns. Mountain Time.

Getting there: US 26 up the North Platte from Ogallala or down from Scottsbluff; US 385, the Gold Rush Byway, from Sidney or Alliance; NE 92 from Gering past Chimney Rock.

For visitors: Chimney Rock and Courthouse and Jail Rocks on the Oregon Trail, camping and fishing at Bridgeport State Recreation Area, and a hospital in Bridgeport.