Ogallala, Nebraska
Ogallala is a city of 4,777 people in Keith County, Nebraska, founded in 1868.
Why visit Ogallala
Townapedia lists 8 museums and landmarks, 13 parks and trails, 15 places to eat, 9 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Prairie Theatre, Dr. Burdette and Myrna Gainsforth House, Leonidas A. Brandhoefer Mansion and Collister Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 90°F; January lows average 15°F, and about 25 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Ogallala
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Ogallala
Ogallala is a city in and the county seat of Keith County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 4,878 at the 2020 census, up from 4,737 at the 2010 census. In the days of the Nebraska Territory, the city was a stop on the Pony Express and later along the transcontinental railroad. The Ogallala Formation that carries the Ogallala Aquifer was named after the city.
From the Wikipedia article Ogallala, Nebraska (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks8
Dr. Burdette and Myrna Gainsforth House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic house in Nebraska, United States
Leonidas A. Brandhoefer Mansion
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic three-story house in Ogallala, Nebraska
Standard Oil Red Crown Service Station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Filling station in Ogallala, United States of America
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US Post Office-Ogallala
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Post office in Ogallala, Nebraska
Welsch Motor Court-Erin Plaza Motor Court
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds13
1 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes15
Scooter's Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.2 mi
302 Oregon Trail Drive, Ogallala
Mo-Fr 05:30-20:00,Sa-Su 06:00-20:00
Valentino's
Restaurant · Italian · 0.7 mi
55 East River Road, Ogallala
3 more on the map.
History
Ogallala first was founded as a terminus for cattle drives that traveled from Texas to the Union Pacific railhead located there. These trails are known as the Western or Great Western trails. The Union Pacific Railroad reached Ogallala on May 24, 1867. The city itself was not laid out until 1875 and not incorporated until 1884 The town's name comes from the Oglala Sioux tribe. Rowdy cowboys made this a dangerous place to be during the cattle drive months resulting in Ogallala getting a reputation as both "The Town Too Tough For Texas" and "Gomorrah of the West".
From the History section of Ogallala, Nebraska on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay9
Churches and places of worship14
Ogallala Seventh-day Adventist Church
Church · Seventh Day Adventist · 0.5 mi
1004 East G Street, Ogallala
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging7
Schools, colleges and libraries10
Healthcare1
Map of Ogallala
81 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°F | 15°F | 0.5 in | 4.6 in |
| Feb | 43°F | 18°F | 0.6 in | 5.6 in |
| Mar | 53°F | 26°F | 1.1 in | 3.7 in |
| Apr | 62°F | 34°F | 2.2 in | 3.2 in |
| May | 72°F | 46°F | 3.2 in | 0.2 in |
| Jun | 83°F | 57°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 90°F | 63°F | 2.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 61°F | 2.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 50°F | 1.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 36°F | 1.3 in | 0.6 in |
| Nov | 51°F | 25°F | 0.6 in | 2.6 in |
| Dec | 41°F | 16°F | 0.4 in | 4.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Ogallala (0 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
Keith County has had 9 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-03-13: Morrill-Cottonwood Fire (Fire)
- 2024-08-20: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-04-04: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-06-29: Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds (Snowstorm)
- 2007-08-29: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Searle Field (OGA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Brule 9 mi west, about 15 min by car
- Paxton 19 mi east, about 31 min by car
- Big Springs 19 mi west, about 31 min by car
- Grant 20 mi south, about 32 min by car
- Julesburg 30 mi west, about 48 min by car
- Sutherland 31 mi east, about 50 min by car
- Oshkosh 38 mi northwest, about 1 h by car
- Imperial 43 mi south, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Holyoke 48 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- North Platte 51 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
- Front Street, Ogallala, Nebraska, 2007, Coemgenus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- DOWNTOWN-OGALLALA,NEBRASKA,USA. - panoramio, Roman Eugeniusz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ogallala Gas Station, Smallbones, CC0
- DOWNTOWN-OGALLALA,NEBRASKA,USA. - panoramio - Roman Eugeniusz, Roman Eugeniusz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Boot Hill Ogallala Nebraska statue and markers July 2021, Djngsf, CC BY-SA 4.0
- OGALLALA,NEBRASKA,USA. - panoramio - Roman Eugeniusz (1), Roman Eugeniusz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Welsch Motor Court Ogallala, Smallbones, CC0
- Gainsforth HS Ogallala 1, Smallbones, CC0
- Yucca glauca OgallalaNE, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ogallala, Nebraska post office from W 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- PXL 20241226 201551773~3, Hacky, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Brandhoefer Mansion, Smallbones, CC0
- RiVorS deployment - 35281100142, NOAA NSSL, Public domain
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