Town Overview

Creston is a village of 181 on 0.21 square miles in northern Platte County, and at 1,624 feet it is named for exactly what you would guess — its elevation, high ground by the standards of this part of Nebraska.

It was established in 1886 when the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad extended into the area, and much of the early town was built up by German settlers. Creston incorporated as a village in 1890. Population has eased downward: 215 in 2000, 203 in 2010, 181 in 2020.

Adjacent Counties & Nearby Towns

Platte County covers 685 square miles of low rolling hills sloping east-southeast, with 34,296 residents in 2020 and Columbus as its seat and largest city. The Platte River runs along its southern edge and the Loup River crosses the lower part of the county eastward. It borders Madison County to the north, Stanton County to the northeast, Colfax County to the east, Butler County to the southeast, Polk County and Merrick County to the south, Nance County to the southwest and Boone County to the west.

Nearest towns. Humphrey is about 7 miles west-southwest, Tarnov about 10 miles southwest and Cornlea about 12 miles west-southwest. Platte Center lies about 14 miles south-southwest and Columbus, the county seat, about 19 miles south. Newman Grove, on the Madison County line, is a similar distance northwest. Distances given here are straight-line measurements.

Points of Interest & Events

The name says it. Creston sits on the crest of the high ground in northern Platte County at 1,624 feet — noticeably above Columbus down on the Loup, and the reason for the name.

German settlement. Much of the original town was built by German immigrants who arrived after the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad reached the site in 1886.

The Citizens State Bank building. Creston’s bank at 204 Pine Street was added to the National Register of Historic Places on 24 April 2013 — the one publicly visible listed building in the village. Two archaeological sites near Creston, the Feye and Wurdeman-Lawson sites, were listed back in 1974, but both carry restricted addresses and are not open to visitors.

Where three counties meet. Creston sits in the north-east corner of Platte County, close to two county lines: Stanton County begins roughly two and a half miles north, and Colfax County four to six miles east, with the three-county corner a few miles east-north-east. Madison County starts a short way to the north-west.

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

Education & Health

Schools. Creston is served by Lakeview Community Schools, which has drawn students from suburban and rural Columbus, Platte Center and Creston since 1969 and enrols roughly 1,000. Lakeview's teams are the Vikings.

Health care. There is no hospital or clinic in Creston. The nearest hospital is Columbus Community Hospital, 4600 38th Street in Columbus, about 19 miles by road — and because it sits on the north edge of the city it is a slightly shorter drive than the town centre. Faith Regional Health Services at Norfolk, 2700 West Norfolk Avenue, is about 29 miles north. Two clinics are much closer, both at Humphrey about 8 miles west: the Humphrey Medical Clinic, 303 Main Street, and Faith Regional Physician Services — Humphrey Family Medicine. Both keep limited weekly hours, so ring ahead.

Highway Access

Nebraska Highway 91 runs east–west barely half a mile north of the village, and Creston connects to it up Meridian Road — a short state spur, S-71C — in well under a mile. NE-91 is a long cross-state route running from NE-2 north of Dunning east to US-30 and US-75 at Blair, passing Albion, Lindsay, Humphrey, Leigh, Clarkson, Scribner and Fremont.

U.S. Route 81 is about 4 miles west, where it meets NE-91 north-east of Humphrey — a junction currently being rebuilt as a restricted crossing U-turn. US-81 runs south to Columbus and north to Norfolk.

By road it is about 22 miles south to Columbus and about 29 miles north to Norfolk. There is no interstate nearby. The Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley line that created the village in 1886 ran east–west through the township.

Creston is a village of 181 in northern Platte County, established in 1886 when the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad reached the area and built up largely by German settlers. It incorporated in 1890 and takes its name from its elevation — 1,624 feet, high ground for this part of Nebraska. It is served by Lakeview Community Schools.

Navigate & Explore Creston

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