Cairo Nebraska - Nebraska Directory

Cairo Area Cameras

Village · Hall County · Population 822 (2020 census) · ZIP 68824 · Founded 1886

About Cairo

Cairo (KAIR-oh) is a village of 822 people (2020), the most it has had, in northwestern Hall County, at 1,952 feet about 14 miles northwest of Grand Island on NE 2 at NE 11. It calls itself the “Oasis of the Prairie.” Centura Public Schools has its elementary and secondary schools here, and Centura Hills Golf Club is at the edge of town. Cairo is on Central Time.

History

Lumber yards opened here late in 1885, and the town was established in the spring of 1886 on the Grand Island & Wyoming Central Railroad, later part of the Burlington, 18 miles northwest of Grand Island. It was named for Cairo, Egypt, and many of its streets follow the Egyptian theme. George W. Wingert was the first postmaster. Cairo incorporated on November 18, 1892; voters approved $8,000 in water bonds on May 18, 1909, and telephone service began in 1912. The population has grown at most censuses since and reached its peak of 822 in 2020.

Highways and trails through Cairo

Route	One way	Other way
NE 2Through the village	Southeast to Grand Island	Northwest to Ravenna
NE 11North–south at the edge of town	North to Boelus	South toward Wood River

Nearby towns

Boelus	about 8 mi northwest	NE 11
Dannebrog	about 8 mi north-northeast	County roads
Alda	about 12 mi southeast	County roads
Wood River	about 13 mi south	County roads
Grand Island	about 14 mi east-southeast	NE 2
St. Paul	about 16 mi north-northeast	County roads
Ravenna	about 16 mi west	NE 2

Things to see

Centura Hills Golf Club, 312 Centura Hills Dr. · the Cornstalk Festival each June

Schools and health care

Schools: Centura Public Schools, 201 N. Hwy 11: elementary (PreK–6) and secondary (7–12), (308) 485-4258; New Hope Christian School (K–8), 311 Said St.

Health care: Hospitals: CHI Health St. Francis and Grand Island Regional Medical Center, Grand Island, about 14 mi

Sources: U.S. Census; Wikipedia; Buechler, Barr & Stough, History of Hall County (1920); History Nebraska and its markers; National Register; Nebraska Department of Transportation; Nebraska Game and Parks; Central Platte NRD; Crane Trust; City of Grand Island; City of Wood River; Tourism Grand Island visitor guides (2024, 2025); Central Nebraska Regional Airport; school districts. Distances marked "about" are straight-line estimates.