Red Willow County, Nebraska

Red Willow County, Nebraska

County seat: McCook · Created: February 27, 1873; organized May 27, 1873 · Named for: Red Willow Creek · License plates: prefix 48 · Population: 10,702 (2020 census); peak 13,859 in 1930 · Area: 718 sq mi

About Red Willow County

Red Willow County lies on the Kansas line in southwestern Nebraska. The Republican River crosses it from west to east, joined by Red Willow Creek from the northwest and Coon Creek at Indianola, while Beaver Creek drains the south. The county is named for Red Willow Creek, whose name is said to be a mistranslation of the Dakota name for red osier dogwood. John S. King settled on the Republican in the fall of 1871, and a party from Nebraska City founded the town of Red Willow that November; its post office, opened in April 1872, was the first in the county. The Legislature created the county on February 27, 1873, and at the organizing election on May 27, 1873, Indianola beat Red Willow for the county seat by seven votes.

The Burlington reached Indianola in 1880, and in 1882 it made McCook the end of a division on its Omaha–Denver line. McCook grew fast, petitioned for the county seat in 1890 and, after an 1892 vote and four years in the courts, won it in April 1896; the present courthouse was dedicated in 1927. A Burlington branch up Beaver Creek in 1887 moved Danbury to the tracks and founded Lebanon's townsite; Bartley grew around a short-lived Methodist university from 1886. During World War II the McCook Army Air Base trained bomber crews and Camp Indianola held German prisoners of war. George W. Norris lived in McCook for 45 years, and Gov. and Sen. Ben Nelson was born there.

Towns of Red Willow County

Travel Corridors

US 6 / US 34 — east–west along the Republican valley through Perry, McCook, Indianola and Bartley. US 6 Corridor → · US 34 Corridor →

US 83 — north–south through McCook, from Oberlin, Kansas, to Hugh Butler Lake and North Platte. US 83 Corridor →

NE 89 — begins at US 83 south of McCook and runs east through Marion, Danbury and Lebanon to Wilsonville and Beaver City in Furnas County.

Rail: the BNSF main line follows the Republican valley, and Amtrak's California Zephyr stops daily at McCook. Cameras: View Red Willow County cameras (US 83 south of McCook) → · Road conditions: Nebraska 511

Things to See

Norris Avenue in McCook holds most of the county's ten National Register listings: the Senator George Norris State Historic Site (a National Historic Landmark), the Harvey P. Sutton House by Frank Lloyd Wright, the Carnegie library in the Museum of the High Plains, the Keystone Hotel, the YMCA building and the 1927 courthouse. Northwest of McCook the Norden bombsight vault at the old air base is listed too, along with the Bartley Sales Barn and Camp Indianola. State markers tell of George W. Norris, the McCook Army Air Base, the Indianola POW camp, the Pawnee woman's grave and Mallalieu University; the Danbury Depot Museum keeps the story of the Beaver valley.

Outdoors

The county has no state park; Red Willow Reservoir SRA on Hugh Butler Lake (1,628 acres) lies just over the line in Frontier County, about 11 miles north of McCook on US 83, with campgrounds, a marina and a swim beach. Game and Parks manages the Red Willow Diversion Dam WMA northwest of Indianola and the Burton's Bend WMA east of Bartley. McCook has Heritage Hills Golf Course, the McCook Aquatic Park and the Karrer Park campground.

Red Willow County Business Directory

Businesses within 20 miles of: McCook · Indianola · Bartley · Danbury · Lebanon · All listings →

Adjacent Counties

Frontier County (north) · Furnas County (east) · Decatur County, Kansas (south) · Hitchcock County (west); Rawlins County, Kansas, touches at the southwest corner.

Events

2026 dates in McCook: the Buffalo Commons Storytelling & Music Festival (June 12–14), the Red Willow County Fair at the fairgrounds and Kiplinger Arena (July 22–26) and Heritage Days (September 17–19); Indianola's Old Settlers Celebration was August 7–8.

Red Willow County at a Glance

Red Willow County, Nebraska — on the Kansas line in the Republican valley of southwestern Nebraska. County seat McCook, the regional center; Indianola was the first seat.

Getting there: US 6/34 along the valley, US 83 north–south through McCook, NE 89 across the south, Amtrak's California Zephyr and the McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport.

For visitors: George Norris's home and the Frank Lloyd Wright house on Norris Avenue, the Museum of the High Plains, Hugh Butler Lake just north, the Indianola POW camp marker and the Danbury depot museum. Hospital: Community Hospital in McCook.