Alexandria Nebraska 68303

Alexandria was platted in 1872 as the easternmost of a string of towns laid out alphabetically along the St. Joseph and Denver Railroad by the Nebraska Land and Town Company, and named for S. J. Alexander, a local figure who helped route the railroad and later served as Nebraska's Secretary of State. The town absorbed residents from the now-vanished nearby settlement of Meridian and weathered several severe 1870s-80s storms, including a school-destroying 1875 tornado.

Alexandria's population has more than halved since 2000 (from 216 to 146 in 2020), a common pattern for the county's smaller villages, but it retains local pride through achievements like its 1996 Class D state softball championship and its connection to Wyoming governor Bryant B. Brooks.

Adjacent Counties

Thayer County borders Fillmore County (north), Saline County (northeast), Jefferson County (east), and Nuckolls County (west), with Washington County and Republic County, Kansas, across the state line to the south.

Nearby Towns

Alexandria was the easternmost in a string of Thayer County towns platted alphabetically along the railroad: Belvidere (2020 population 51), Carleton, and Davenport lie to the west along the same corridor, with Gilead further southwest on US-136. Hebron, the Thayer County seat (2020 population 1,441), lies to the north, and Daykin — home to the Meridian School many local children attend — sits at the north end of NE-53.

Nebraska Highway 53

NE-53 runs 12 miles north-south through Alexandria, connecting Gilead and US-136 to the south with Daykin and NE-4 to the north.