Town Overview

Sprague is one of Nebraska's smallest incorporated villages — 136 residents on a tenth of a square mile at an elevation of about 1,289 feet, roughly 13 miles south of Lincoln. Its population has barely moved in a generation: 146 in 2000, 142 in 2010, 136 in 2020.

The village was established in 1888 when the Missouri Pacific Railroad was extended to the point, and named for William Sprague, a Civil War veteran, and his wife Amy. It incorporated in 1913. Downtown, such as it is, sits at the corner of Second and Market Streets.

Adjacent Counties & Nearby Towns

Lancaster County is Nebraska's second most populous county, with 322,608 residents in 2020 across 846 square miles, and its seat is Lincoln, the state capital. It borders Saunders County to the north, Cass County to the northeast, Otoe County and Johnson County to the southeast, Gage County to the south, Saline County to the southwest, and Seward County and Butler County to the northwest.

Nearest towns. Martell is barely a mile northwest — the two are effectively neighbours. Roca is about 6 miles east-northeast, Hickman about 6 miles east and Hallam about 7 miles south-southwest. Downtown Lincoln is about 13 miles north. Distances given here are straight-line measurements.

Points of Interest & Events

Bluestem Lake — The Bluestem Conservation Dam was built in 1963 just outside the village, creating a 325-acre lake inside a 742-acre recreation area. It is one of the Salt Valley chain of reservoirs south and west of Lincoln, and it is the reason most visitors come to Sprague: fishing, boating and camping within a half-hour drive of the capital.

Events. No recurring town-wide celebration could be independently verified for Sprague at the time of writing, so none is claimed here.

No businesses in Sprague are currently listed in this directory.

Education & Health

Schools. There is no school in Sprague. This corner of Lancaster County lies between two districts — Norris School District 160 to the east, whose campus is about 12 miles south of Lincoln, and Crete Public Schools to the west. Because district boundaries here do not follow village lines, families should confirm theirs with the county superintendent.

Health care. There is no hospital in Sprague. Lincoln, about 13 miles north, has the region's full range of hospital care.

Highway Access

Sprague sits on the county road network south of Lincoln, off the numbered-highway system. The usual way in is from U.S. Route 77, which runs north–south a few miles east, or across from Roca, where Nebraska Highway 33 has its eastern terminus.

The nearest interstate is Interstate 80 on the north side of Lincoln. The Missouri Pacific line that created the village in 1888 is long gone as a passenger route.

Sprague is a village of 136 about 13 miles south of Lincoln, established in 1888 when the Missouri Pacific Railroad reached the point and named for Civil War veteran William Sprague and his wife Amy. It incorporated in 1913. Bluestem Lake — a 325-acre reservoir inside a 742-acre recreation area, created by the Bluestem Conservation Dam in 1963 — lies just outside the village.

Navigate & Explore Sprague

Get directions to Sprague: Waze → · Google Maps → · Apple Maps →

Road Conditions: Nebraska 511 — 511.nebraska.gov

Cameras: View Lancaster County Cameras →

Lancaster County → · Nebraska Town Directory →