Nebraska is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north, Iowa to the east, Missouri to the southeast, Kansas to the south, Colorado to the southwest, and Wyoming to the west. Nebraska covers an area of 77,358 square miles and has a population of 1.9 million people as of 2019.
The state is divided into 93 counties with its capital city being Lincoln which is also its largest city. Nebraska’s landscape is mostly made up of rolling hills and plains with some areas featuring rugged terrain such as sandhills and bluffs along the Platte River Valley in central Nebraska. The state has four distinct regions: The Great Plains in western Nebraska; the Dissected Till Plains in eastern Nebraska; Panhandle Region in northwestern corner; and Sandhills Region in north-central part of state.
Nebraska’s climate varies greatly across its geography with temperatures ranging from -40°F during winter in western parts of state to 95°F during summer months in southeastern parts. Rainfall also varies across geography with eastern parts receiving most rainfall at 20 inches annually compared to western parts which receive almost half that amount at 12 inches annually.
Nebraska has many natural attractions including Badlands National Park, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Chimney Rock National Historic Site, Fort Robinson State Park, Agate Fossil Beds National Monument and more. It also offers plenty of outdoor activities including fishing, hunting, camping and hiking as well as plenty of cultural attractions such as museums and art galleries showcasing local artists’ work or historical sites like Carhenge located near Alliance which features a replica Stonehenge built out of old cars.
Time Zone of Nebraska
Nebraska is located in the Central Time Zone (CT) which is 6 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The state observes Daylight Saving Time (DST) from March to November each year, meaning that clocks are set forward one hour during this period. During DST, Nebraska is in the Central Daylight Time Zone (CDT) which is 5 hours behind UTC.
The state of Nebraska is divided into two time zones with western parts of state located in Mountain Time Zone (MT) and eastern parts located in Central Time Zone (CT). The border between these two time zones runs along a line through the city of Kimball and the town of Harrisburg. All cities and towns west of this line observe Mountain Standard Time while all cities and towns east observe Central Standard Time.
The entire state observes Daylight Saving Time from 2:00 am on the second Sunday in March until 2:00 am on the first Sunday in November each year. During this period, clocks are set forward one hour so that it becomes 3:00 am instead of 2:00 am.
Nebraska is bordered by South Dakota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming which all observe the same time zone as Nebraska with some exceptions. South Dakota also has two time zones with western parts observing Mountain Standard Time and eastern parts observing Central Standard Time like Nebraska. Iowa does not observe DST while Missouri observes DST from March to October each year instead of March to November like Nebraska does. Kansas observes DST from April to October each year while Colorado and Wyoming do not observe DST at all throughout the entire year.
Top 5 Cities in Nebraska
According to countryaah, Omaha is the largest city in Nebraska and is located in the eastern part of the state along the Missouri River. It is home to over 466,893 people and is the economic hub of the state with a strong focus on finance, insurance, manufacturing and transportation. Omaha has a vibrant downtown area with plenty of shopping, dining, entertainment and cultural attractions such as the Durham Museum, Joslyn Art Museum and Orpheum Theater.
Lincoln is Nebraska’s capital city and is located in the southeastern part of the state. It has a population of over 284,736 people and is home to several universities including University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Lincoln also has a vibrant downtown area with plenty of shopping, restaurants, entertainment venues and cultural attractions such as Sheldon Museum of Art and Lincoln Children’s Zoo.
Bellevue is located just south of Omaha on the Missouri River with a population of 50,137 people. It has become an increasingly popular destination for tourists due to its historic downtown area which features numerous shops, restaurants and attractions such as Fontenelle Forest Nature Center and Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum.
Grand Island is located in central Nebraska along Interstate 80 with a population of 49,520 people. It serves as an important transportation hub for both passenger vehicles as well as freight trains due to its proximity to major highways such as I-80 and US-34. Grand Island also offers plenty of recreational activities including golf courses, fishing spots at nearby lakes like Lake McConaughy or fun family activities at Island Oasis Water Park.
Kearney is located in central Nebraska along Interstate 80 with a population of 32,711 people. It has become known for its outdoor recreational activities such as hunting, fishing or camping at nearby Lake Kearney or enjoying some historical sites like Fort Kearny State Historical Park which was built during the American Civil War era in 1848.
Zip Codes in Nebraska
According to 800ZipCodes, the state of Nebraska has a total of 253 zip codes. These zip codes are spread across the state’s 93 counties. Each county is generally assigned one or more zip codes, while larger cities may have several. Zip codes in Nebraska range from 68001 to 68984. The most populous city in Nebraska, Omaha, has its own set of zip codes that include 68102, 68104 and 68106. Other major cities in the state such as Lincoln and Bellevue also have their own sets of zip codes. Zip codes are used for mail delivery purposes and to identify a geographic location for data collection purposes.
