Why visit Gothenburg
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 4 parks and trails, 19 places to eat, 6 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Sun Theatre, Ernest A. Calling House, Gothenburg Carnegie Library and Blue Heron State Wildlife Management Area.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; January lows average 16°F.
Weather in Gothenburg
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Gothenburg
Gothenburg is a city in Dawson County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Lexington, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, Gothenburg had a population of 3,478.
From the Wikipedia article Gothenburg, Nebraska (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks6
Ernest A. Calling House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
House in Gothenburg, Nebraska
Gothenburg Carnegie Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic library building in Nebraska, USA
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Midway Stage Station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes19
Pizza Hut
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.9 mi
415 Platte River Road, Gothenburg
Su-Th 10:00-22:00, Fr-Sa 10:00-23:00
Nebraska Barn & Grill
Diner · American · 1.0 mi
318 Platte River Road, Gothenburg
Su 11:00-22:00, Mo-Th 11:00-23:00, Fr-Sa 11:00-01:00
Lasso Espresso
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.8 mi
418 Platte River Road, Gothenburg
7 more on the map.
History
Gothenburg, Nebraska is named after Gothenburg, Sweden, and is noted for its large number of residents of Swedish descent. Gothenburg, Nebraska, and Gothenburg (Swedish: Göteborg), Sweden, are believed to be the only two cities named Gothenburg in the world.
Gothenburg was founded in 1882 by Olof Bergström. After coming to America from Sweden in 1881, Bergström worked for a time on the Union Pacific Railroad, then homesteaded in Dawson County near Gothenburg. He eventually became a land agent for the UP. Bergström selected the site that was to become Gothenburg and located a farmstead about a mile north. The Union Pacific Railroad laid out the original town of eight blocks parallel to the railroad tracks. Bergström made several return trips to Sweden to lead groups of settlers to Dawson County.
From the History section of Gothenburg, Nebraska on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay6
Churches and places of worship13
Shopping5
Gas and EV charging6
Schools, colleges and libraries9
Healthcare4
Map of Gothenburg
73 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°F | 16°F | 0.4 in |
| Feb | 42°F | 18°F | 0.6 in |
| Mar | 54°F | 27°F | 1.1 in |
| Apr | 63°F | 37°F | 2.7 in |
| May | 72°F | 48°F | 4.1 in |
| Jun | 83°F | 58°F | 3.7 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 63°F | 3.4 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 62°F | 3.3 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 52°F | 1.7 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 39°F | 1.9 in |
| Nov | 51°F | 26°F | 0.7 in |
| Dec | 40°F | 17°F | 0.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Gothenburg Hcn (1 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
Dawson County has had 11 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-03-13: Morrill-Cottonwood Fire (Fire)
- 2024-09-24: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (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)
- 2010-07-15: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Jim Kelly Field (LXN) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 22 miles away.
- Cozad 10 mi southeast, about 16 min by car
- Brady 13 mi northwest, about 21 min by car
- Eustis 19 mi south, about 31 min by car
- Lexington 24 mi southeast, about 38 min by car
- Curtis 27 mi southwest, about 44 min by car
- Elwood 28 mi southeast, about 45 min by car
- Callaway 28 mi northeast, about 45 min by car
- North Platte 34 mi northwest, about 55 min by car
- Broken Bow 43 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Cambridge 44 mi south, 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
- Gothenburg Pony Express Station from SW, Ammodramus, Public domain
- Gothenburg State Bank, Nebraska - Building (45790437212), Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Gothenburg NE Library, Smallbones, Public domain
- Sun Theater, Gothenburg, Nebraska (46454763571), Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Grain elevators in Gothenburg Nebraska, Doncram, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lisa’s Kitchen octagonal restaurant in Gothenburg Nebraska, Doncram, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lisa's Kitchen octagonal restaurant in Gothenburg Nebraska, Doncram, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gothenburg NE House, Smallbones, Public domain
- Calling House (Gothenburg, Nebraska) from E, Ammodramus, Public domain
- Gothenburg Carnegie library from SE 2, Ammodramus, Public domain
- Midway Pony Express station from SW 1, Ammodramus, Public domain
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