Cherry County, Nebraska

County in Nebraska, United States

U.S. county in Nebraska

Cherry County

U.S. county

Cherry County Courthouse in Valentine

Location within the U.S. state of Nebraska

Nebraska's location within the U.S.

Country|  United States
State|  Nebraska
Founded| 1883
Named for| Samuel A. Cherry
Seat| Valentine
Largest city| Valentine
Area

• Total| 6,009 sq mi (15,560 km2)
• Land| 5,960 sq mi (15,400 km2)
• Water| 49 sq mi (130 km2)  0.8%%
Population

• Estimate

(2018)

| 5,761
• Density| 0.98/sq mi (0.38/km2)
Time zones
Eastern part of county| UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−5 (CDT)
Western part of county| UTC−7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district| 3rd
Website| www.co.cherry.ne.us
Map of 1885, with subdivision into:
*Boiling Springs
*Sharp's Ranch
*Valentine
*Seven Creeks Map of 1919, with subdivision into precincts precincts of 2010 (Cherry County in upper part of map)

Cherry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 5,713.[1] Its county seat is Valentine.[2] The county was named for Lt. Samuel A. Cherry, an Army officer who was stationed at Fort Niobrara and who had been killed in South Dakota in 1881.[3] Cherry County is in the Nebraska Sandhills. It is the largest county in the state at nearly 6,000 square miles (15,500 sq km), larger than the state of Connecticut.

In the Nebraska license plate system, Cherry County is represented by the prefix 66 (it had the 66th-largest number of vehicles registered in the state when the license plate system was established in 1922).

## Contents

* 1 Geography
* 1.1 Major highways
* 1.2 National protected areas
* 1.3 State protected areas
* 1.4 Adjacent counties
* 2 Demographics
* 3 Communities
* 3.1 City
* 3.2 Villages
* 3.3 Census-designated place
* 3.4 Other unincorporated communities
* 3.5 Notable ranches
* 4 Time zones
* 5 Politics
* 6 See also
* 7 References
* 8 External links

## Geography

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Cherry County lies on the north side of Nebraska. Its north boundary line abuts the south boundary line of the state of South Dakota. According to the US Census Bureau, the county has an area of 6,009 square miles (15,560 km2), of which 5,960 square miles (15,400 km2) is land and 49 square miles (130 km2) (0.8%) is water.[4] It is by far Nebraska's largest county in land area and larger than the state of Connecticut, or the states of Delaware and Rhode Island combined.[5] The county is in Nebraska's Sandhills region; the dunes that give the region its name are a result of the most recent glacial period, the Pinedale glaciation. During the Holocene glacial retreat the sand dunes, which had been deposited in their current location by the vast continental glaciers, were exposed and grasses eventually took over.

### Major highways

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* U.S. Highway 20
* U.S. Highway 83
* Nebraska Highway 12
* Nebraska Highway 61
* Nebraska Highway 97

### National protected areas

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* Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge
* Fort Niobrara Wilderness
* Niobrara National Scenic River (part)
* Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest
* Valentine National Wildlife Refuge

### State protected areas

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* Bowring Ranch State Historical Park
* Cottonwood Lake State Recreation Area
* Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area
* Smith Falls State Park

### Adjacent counties

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Owing to its size as Nebraska's largest county by area, Cherry County borders 11 counties, more than any other county in Nebraska. Seven of them are in Nebraska and four are in South Dakota. The adjacent counties are:

* Bennett County, South Dakota \- north
* Todd County, South Dakota \- north
* Tripp County, South Dakota \- northeast
* Brown County \- east
* Keya Paha County \- east
* Blaine County \- southeast
* Grant County \- south
* Thomas County \- south
* Hooker County \- south
* Sheridan County \- west
* Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota \- northwest

## Demographics

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Historical population

Census | Pop. |  | %±
1890| 6,428| | —
1900| 6,541| | 1.8%
1910| 10,414| | 59.2%
1920| 11,753| | 12.9%
1930| 10,898| | −7.3%
1940| 9,637| | −11.6%
1950| 8,397| | −12.9%
1960| 8,218| | −2.1%
1970| 6,846| | −16.7%
1980| 6,758| | −1.3%
1990| 6,307| | −6.7%
2000| 6,148| | −2.5%
2010| 5,713| | −7.1%
2018 (est.)| 5,761| [6]| 0.8%
US Decennial Census[7]
1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9]
1990-2000[10] 2010-2013[1]

As of the 2000 United States Census,[11] of 2000, there were 6,148 people, 2,508 households, and 1,710 families in the county. The population density was 1.02 people per square mile (0.39/km2). There were 3,220 housing units at an average density of 0 per square mile (0/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.19% White, 0.07% Black or African American, 3.25% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 1.72% from two or more races. 0.93% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 38.5% were of German, 12.6% English, 11.1% Irish and 7.3% American ancestry.

There were 2,508 households, out of which 31.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.90% were married couples living together, 6.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.80% were non-families. 28.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.98.

The county population contained 27.00% under the age of 18, 6.20% from 18 to 24, 25.50% from 25 to 44, 24.00% from 45 to 64, and 17.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 98.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,268, and the median income for a family was $36,500. Males had a median income of $23,705 versus $17,277 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,943. About 9.60% of families and 12.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.40% of those under age 18 and 14.20% of those age 65 or over.

## Communities

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### City

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* Valentine (county seat)

### Villages

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* Cody
* Crookston
* Kilgore
* Merriman
* Nenzel
* Wood Lake

### Census-designated place

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* Brownlee

### Other unincorporated communities

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* DeWitty
* Elsmere
* Sparks
* Thatcher[12]
* Barley

### Notable ranches

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* Abbott Ranch[13]
* Bowring Ranch
* Spade Ranch
* Sunny Slope Ranch

## Time zones

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Further information: Time in Nebraska

Cherry County residents observe two zones, the Central and Mountain time zones. The eastern third of the county, including county seat Valentine, is in the Central Time Zone, while the western two thirds, including Merriman, are in the Mountain Time Zone.[14]

## Politics

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Cherry County voters are reliably Republican. In no national election since 1936 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate. Republicans also hold a massive advantage in voter registration in the county, with 3,035 registered Republicans vs. just 407 registered Democrats.[15]

United States presidential election results for Cherry County, Nebraska[16] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2020 | 2,844  | 87.00% | 373  | 11.41%  | 52  | 1.59%
2016 | 2,623  | 84.12% | 317  | 10.17%  | 178  | 5.71%
2012 | 2,557  | 83.45% | 436  | 14.23%  | 71  | 2.32%
2008 | 2,360  | 77.15% | 599  | 19.58%  | 100  | 3.27%
2004 | 2,509  | 82.48% | 483  | 15.88%  | 50  | 1.64%
2000 | 2,322  | 81.56% | 446  | 15.67%  | 79  | 2.77%
1996 | 1,905  | 68.04% | 551  | 19.68%  | 344  | 12.29%
1992 | 1,707  | 56.75% | 563  | 18.72%  | 738  | 24.53%
1988 | 2,240  | 77.35% | 642  | 22.17%  | 14  | 0.48%
1984 | 2,720  | 85.05% | 463  | 14.48%  | 15  | 0.47%
1980 | 2,517  | 79.78% | 489  | 15.50%  | 149  | 4.72%
1976 | 2,197  | 68.83% | 906  | 28.38%  | 89  | 2.79%
1972 | 2,610  | 84.93% | 463  | 15.07%  | 0  | 0.00%
1968 | 2,199  | 73.23% | 582  | 19.38%  | 222  | 7.39%
1964 | 2,244  | 61.11% | 1,428  | 38.89%  | 0  | 0.00%
1960 | 2,695  | 72.08% | 1,044  | 27.92%  | 0  | 0.00%
1956 | 2,414  | 73.20% | 884  | 26.80%  | 0  | 0.00%
1952 | 3,148  | 76.63% | 960  | 23.37%  | 0  | 0.00%
1948 | 2,141  | 58.93% | 1,492  | 41.07%  | 0  | 0.00%
1944 | 2,314  | 62.80% | 1,371  | 37.20%  | 0  | 0.00%
1940 | 2,705  | 60.30% | 1,781  | 39.70%  | 0  | 0.00%
1936 | 1,874  | 47.58%  | 2,010  | 51.03% | 55  | 1.40%
1932 | 1,754  | 37.30%  | 2,912  | 61.92% | 37  | 0.79%
1928 | 2,905  | 69.04% | 1,285  | 30.54%  | 18  | 0.43%
1924 | 1,663  | 43.69% | 1,169  | 30.71%  | 974  | 25.59%
1920 | 1,636  | 66.37% | 711  | 28.84%  | 118  | 4.79%
1916 | 1,091  | 36.44%  | 1,734  | 57.92% | 169  | 5.64%
1912 | 679  | 25.90%  | 1,047  | 39.93% | 896  | 34.17%
1908 | 1,048  | 48.34% | 1,021  | 47.09%  | 99  | 4.57%
1904 | 978  | 66.94% | 325  | 22.25%  | 158  | 10.81%
1900 | 922  | 55.24% | 698  | 41.82%  | 49  | 2.94%

## See also

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* National Register of Historic Places listings in Cherry County, Nebraska
* Lt. Samuel A. Cherry

## References

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1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 17, 2013.
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 3, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. ^ Cherry County Archived March 8, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, Nebraska Association of County Officials, 2004. Accessed April 30, 2008.
4. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
5. ^ Federal Writers Project (1939). Nebraska, a Guide to the Cornhusker State. WPA. p. 313\. ISBN 9781623760267.
6. ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved December 28, 2019.
7. ^ "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
8. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
9. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
10. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
11. ^ "U.S. Census website". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
12. ^ Thatcher NE Google Maps (accessed 17 January 2019)
13. ^ Abbott Ranch NE Google Maps (accessed 17 January 2019)
14. ^ "Nebraska Time Zone". www.timetemperature.com. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
15. ^ "2021 Eligible Voter Statistics" (PDF). Nebraska Secretary of State. January 8, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
16. ^ Election Results

## External links

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* County website

Places adjacent to Cherry County, Nebraska

| Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota | Bennett County, South Dakota and Todd County, South Dakota | Tripp County, South Dakota

|
|

|  |
Sheridan County |

Cherry County, Nebraska

| Brown County and Keya Paha County
|  |
| Grant County, Thomas County, and Hooker County | Blaine County

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Cherry County, Nebraska, United States

County seat: Valentine

City|

* Valentine

Map of Nebraska highlighting Cherry County

Villages|

* Cody
* Crookston
* Kilgore
* Merriman
* Nenzel
* Wood Lake

CDP|

* Brownlee

Other
unincorporated
communities|

* Arabia
* Cascade
* Conterra
* Doughboy
* Eli
* Elsmere
* Georgia
* Hire
* Irwin
* Kennedy
* Leat
* Simeon
* Sparks
* Thatcher

Ghost towns|

* Bayonne
* DeWitty

* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

State of Nebraska

Lincoln (capital)

Topics|

* Index
* Geography
* Government
* Governors
* Lt. Governors
* Legislature
* Speakers of the Legislature
* State Senators
* Congressional districts maps
* History
* People
* Symbols
* Tourist attractions

Society|

* Crime
* Culture
* Demographics
* Economy
* Education
* Elections
* Politics

Regions|

* Dissected Till Plains
* Grand Island metropolitan area
* Kearney Micropolitan Statistical Area
* Lincoln metropolitan area
* Omaha metropolitan area
* Panhandle
* Pine Ridge
* Rainwater Basin
* Sandhills
* Siouxland
* Wildcat Hills

Largest cities|

* Alliance
* Beatrice
* Bellevue
* Columbus
* Fremont
* Gering
* Grand Island
* Hastings
* Kearney
* La Vista
* Lexington
* Lincoln
* McCook
* Norfolk
* North Platte
* Omaha
* Papillion
* Scottsbluff
* South Sioux City
* York

Counties|

* Adams
* Antelope
* Arthur
* Banner
* Blaine
* Boone
* Box Butte
* Boyd
* Brown
* Buffalo
* Burt
* Butler
* Cass
* Cedar
* Chase
* Cherry
* Cheyenne
* Clay
* Colfax
* Cuming
* Custer
* Dakota
* Dawes
* Dawson
* Deuel
* Dixon
* Dodge
* Douglas
* Dundy
* Fillmore
* Franklin
* Frontier
* Furnas
* Gage
* Garden
* Garfield
* Gosper
* Grant
* Greeley
* Hall
* Hamilton
* Harlan
* Hayes
* Hitchcock
* Holt
* Hooker
* Howard
* Jefferson
* Johnson
* Kearney
* Keith
* Keya Paha
* Kimball
* Knox
* Lancaster
* Lincoln
* Logan
* Loup
* Madison
* McPherson
* Merrick
* Morrill
* Nance
* Nemaha
* Nuckolls
* Otoe
* Pawnee
* Perkins
* Phelps
* Pierce
* Platte
* Polk
* Red Willow
* Richardson
* Rock
* Saline
* Sarpy
* Saunders
* Scotts Bluff
* Seward
* Sheridan
* Sherman
* Sioux
* Stanton
* Thayer
* Thomas
* Thurston
* Valley
* Washington
* Wayne
* Webster
* Wheeler
* York

Coordinates: 42°32′N 101°07′W﻿ / ﻿42.54°N 101.12°W﻿ / 42.54; -101.12
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*[%±]: Percent change
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