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Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Location of Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Location of Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Country United States
State Nebraska
County Scotts Bluff
Founded 1900
Area
 • Total 6.68 sq mi (17.30 km2)
 • Land 6.63 sq mi (17.18 km2)
 • Water 0.04 sq mi (0.12 km2)
Elevation
3,891 ft (1,186 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 15,039
 • Estimate 
(2019)
14,556
 • Density 2,194.15/sq mi (847.17/km2)
Time zone UTC−7 (Mountain (MST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−6 (MDT)
ZIP codes
69361, 69363
Area code(s) 308
FIPS code 31-44245
GNIS feature ID 0833318
Website www.scottsbluff.org

Scottsbluff is a city in Scotts Bluff County, in the western part of the state of Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. The population was 15,039 at the 2010 census. Scottsbluff is the largest city in the Nebraska Panhandle, and the 13th largest city in Nebraska.

Scottsbluff was founded in 1899 across the North Platte River from its namesake, a bluff that is now a U.S. National Park called Scotts Bluff National Monument. The monument was named after Hiram Scott (1805–1828), a fur trader with the Rocky Mountain Fur Company who was found dead in the vicinity on the return trip from a fur expedition. The smaller town of Gering had been founded south of the river in 1887. The two cities have since grown together to form the 7th largest urban area (the Scottsbluff Micropolitan Statistical Area) in Nebraska.

History

Scottsbluff was laid out in 1899 when the railroad was extended to that point.

Other names

In the Lakota language, Scottsbluff is called pȟaŋkéska wakpá otȟúŋwahe ("Platte River City", lit. "abalone river city").

Geography and climate

Scottsbluff is located at 41°52′2″N 103°39′39″W / 41.86722°N 103.66083°W / 41.86722; -103.66083 (41.867140, −103.660709).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.27 square miles (16.24 km2), of which, 6.22 square miles (16.11 km2) is land and 0.05 square miles (0.13 km2) is water.

Scottsbluff has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSk), with wide seasonal and day-to-day variation as well as a large diurnal temperature variation, and is located in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 5. Summers are hot, and winters dry and cold, though chinook winds can loosen the cold's grip, often bringing temperatures above 50 °F (10 °C). The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 26.1 °F (−3.3 °C) in January to 74.1 °F (23.4 °C) in July. Over the course of a year, there is an average 4.2 days with 100 °F (38 °C)+ highs, 43 with 90 °F (32 °C)+ highs, and 13 with sub-0 °F (−18 °C) lows. Precipitation is heavily concentrated in the spring and summer months. Snow typically falls in light amounts, with a 1981−2010 seasonal average of 42 inches (110 cm). Extremes in temperature have ranged from 110 °F (43 °C) on 11 July 1939, down to −45 °F (−43 °C) on 12 February 1899. The year 1989 saw temperatures as extreme as 109 °F (43 °C) and −42 °F (−41 °C).

Climate data for Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 74
(23)
77
(25)
87
(31)
93
(34)
103
(39)
106
(41)
110
(43)
106
(41)
102
(39)
93
(34)
80
(27)
77
(25)
110
(43)
Average high °F (°C) 40.8
(4.9)
44.4
(6.9)
52.7
(11.5)
61.4
(16.3)
71.6
(22.0)
82.1
(27.8)
89.8
(32.1)
87.7
(30.9)
77.9
(25.5)
64.1
(17.8)
50.2
(10.1)
39.6
(4.2)
63.6
(17.6)
Average low °F (°C) 13.7
(−10.2)
16.3
(−8.7)
23.8
(−4.6)
31.9
(−0.1)
42.9
(6.1)
52.3
(11.3)
58.3
(14.6)
56.2
(13.4)
45.4
(7.4)
32.9
(0.5)
21.5
(−5.8)
12.5
(−10.8)
34.1
(1.2)
Record low °F (°C) −33
(−36)
−45
(−43)
−27
(−33)
−8
(−22)
12
(−11)
30
(−1)
35
(2)
30
(−1)
14
(−10)
−6
(−21)
−21
(−29)
−42
(−41)
−45
(−43)
Average precipitation inches (mm) .41
(10)
.60
(15)
1.00
(25)
1.83
(46)
2.48
(63)
2.85
(72)
1.83
(46)
1.30
(33)
1.18
(30)
1.14
(29)
.66
(17)
.51
(13)
15.79
(399)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 5.4
(14)
7.0
(18)
7.8
(20)
5.4
(14)
.5
(1.3)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
.5
(1.3)
2.7
(6.9)
5.7
(14)
7.1
(18)
42.1
(107.5)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 4.6 5.3 6.8 8.9 11.4 10.8 7.8 7.3 7.2 6.5 5.2 5.4 87.2
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 4.4 4.4 4.7 2.9 .3 0 0 0 .3 1.5 3.6 4.9 27.0
Source: NOAA (normals, 1981–2010), ThreadEx (extremes 1893–present)

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910 1,746
1920 6,912 295.9%
1930 8,465 22.5%
1940 12,057 42.4%
1950 12,858 6.6%
1960 13,377 4.0%
1970 14,507 8.4%
1980 14,156 −2.4%
1990 13,711 −3.1%
2000 14,732 7.4%
2010 15,039 2.1%
2019 (est.) 14,556 −3.2%
U.S. Decennial Census
SBNMScottsbluffGering 2211
Overlooking Scottsbluff (to the left) and Gering (to the right) from Scotts Bluff National Monument

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 15,039 people, 6,168 households, and 3,672 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,417.8 inhabitants per square mile (933.5/km2). There were 6,712 housing units at an average density of 1,079.1 per square mile (416.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 83.0% White, 0.8% African American, 3.4% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 9.8% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 29.1% of the population.

There were 6,168 households, of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.5% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.04.

The median age in the city was 36 years. 24.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.8% were from 25 to 44; 23.7% were from 45 to 64; and 16.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

According to a 2008 article in Quality Health entitled 10 Fattest Cities in America, 31% of Scottsbluff's population is obese, making it the 7th fattest city in America.

Points of interest

Landmark buildings

Midwest Theater (Scottsbluff) from SW 3
The Midwest Theater in downtown Scottsbluff is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
  • Old Post Office
  • Midwest Theater
  • Lincoln Hotel
  • Great Western Sugar Factory
  • Lake Minatare Lighthouse
  • Bluffs Middle School
  • Scottsbluff High School
  • Scottsbluff County Courthouse
  • Scottsbluff Carnegie Library

Airport

The Scottsbluff area is served by Western Nebraska Regional Airport.

Education

Scottsbluff is home to the main campus of Western Nebraska Community College. In addition, several other Nebraska institutions maintain centers and offer select courses or programs in the city, including the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing, Chadron State College, and the University of Nebraska (Panhandle Research and Extension Center).

The now-defunct Hiram Scott College was located a few miles north of the city.

Notable people

See also

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