Columbus, Nebraska
Columbus is a city of 24,488 people in Platte County, Nebraska, founded in 1856.
Why visit Columbus
Townapedia lists 14 museums and landmarks, 25 parks and trails, 16 places to eat, 9 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Clear Creek Bridge, Center Cinemas, Albert and Lina Stenger House and C. Segelke Building.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; January lows average 14°F, and about 26 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Columbus
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Columbus
Columbus is the county seat of Platte County, Nebraska, situated at the confluence of the Loup and Platte rivers roughly 85 miles (137 km) west-northwest of Omaha and 75 miles (121 km) northwest of Lincoln by road, near the county's southern edge. With an estimated population of 25,248 as of 2025, it is the 8th-most populous city in Nebraska.
From the Wikipedia article Columbus, Nebraska (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Clear Creek Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
Historic truss bridge
Museums and landmarks14
Albert and Lina Stenger House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
Historic house in Columbus, Nebraska
C. Segelke Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Commercial building in Columbus, Nebraska, United States
Columbus Izaak Walton League Lodge
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Fraternal hall in Columbus, Nebraska
Dr. Carroll D. and Lorena R. North Evans House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic house in Columbus, Nebraska
Frederick L. and L. Frederick Gottschalk Houses
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Twin houses in Columbus, Nebraska, United States
H.E. Snyder House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
House in Columbus, Nebraska, United States
Platte County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Courthouse in Nebraska, United States
Walter and Ruby Behlen House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
House in Columbus, Nebraska, United States
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Glur's Tavern
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
2 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds25
13 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes16
38th Street Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.5 mi
4115 38th Street, Columbus
Mo-Fr 07:00-13:00; Sa 08:00-12:00
Stack 'n' Steak
Restaurant · Breakfast · 0.4 mi
3208 23rd Street, Columbus
Mo-Sa 06:00-21:00; Su 07:00-15:00
4 more on the map.
Where to stay9
Churches and places of worship28
Columbus Seventh-day Adventist Church
Church · Seventh Day Adventist · 1.1 mi
3028 38th Street, Columbus
Shopping7
Gas and EV charging6
Schools, colleges and libraries31
Healthcare2
Map of Columbus
140 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32°F | 14°F | 0.7 in | 6.6 in |
| Feb | 37°F | 18°F | 0.7 in | 6.0 in |
| Mar | 50°F | 28°F | 1.4 in | 3.8 in |
| Apr | 62°F | 39°F | 2.9 in | 1.1 in |
| May | 73°F | 51°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 83°F | 62°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 87°F | 66°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 64°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 77°F | 54°F | 2.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 63°F | 41°F | 2.4 in | 0.7 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 28°F | 1.2 in | 1.8 in |
| Dec | 36°F | 18°F | 0.9 in | 5.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Columbus 3 Ne (2 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Platte County has had 15 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2025-05-21: Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds (Winter Storm)
- 2024-08-20: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2022-02-23: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
- 2020-04-04: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-03-21: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Columbus Municipal Airport (OLU) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 1 miles away.
- Lakeview 4 mi north, about 7 min by car
- Duncan 8 mi southwest, about 12 min by car
- Bellwood 9 mi southeast, about 14 min by car
- Platte Center 10 mi northwest, about 16 min by car
- Schuyler 15 mi east, about 25 min by car
- Shelby 17 mi south, about 28 min by car
- David City 18 mi southeast, about 28 min by car
- Silver Creek 18 mi southwest, about 29 min by car
- Humphrey 19 mi north, about 30 min by car
- Fremont 45 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Columbus, Nebraska 2500 block 13th St from SW, Ammodramus, Public domain
- Platte County Courthouse - Columbus - Nebraska (52454594683), Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0
- NCN News Channel Nebraska - Columbus (52446056458), Tony Webster from Laramie, Wyoming, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Columbus, Nebraska 2403-2405 13th St banner 2, Ammodramus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Columbus, Nebraska 2403-2405 13th St banner, Ammodramus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- FNBO Bank Branch - Columbus - Nebraska, Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0
- Glur's Tavern, Columbus, Nebraska, Myotus, CC0
- Greetings from Columbus, Nebraska, City of Power and Progress - Large Letter Postcard (5625781894), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- The Quincentenary Belltower, Columbus, NE, Myotus, CC0
- Loup River Canal - Columbus Powerhouse Dam - Nebraska (52477570720), Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0
- ADM corn plant (Columbus, Nebraska), Ammodramus, Public domain
- Platte County Courthouse (Nebraska) 1, Ammodramus, Public domain
- Behlen house from SW, Unknown author, Public domain
- Segelke building from SW 1, Ammodramus, Public domain
- Izaak Walton (Columbus, Nebraska) from E 2, Ammodramus, Public domain
- Stenger house from NE, Ammodramus, Public domain
- Butler County Clear Creek bridge from W, Ammodramus, Public domain
- Evans House (Columbus, Nebraska) from SE 2, Ammodramus, Public domain
- Snyder House (Columbus, Nebraska) from S 1, Ammodramus, Public domain
- Gottschalk House (Columbus, Nebraska) from S, Ammodramus, Public domain
- Glur's Tavern-side view, Edwin Grosvenor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- N916DN Colombus OLU NEBRASKA (7161008796), Eric Salard, CC BY-SA 2.0
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