Dakota County, Nebraska

Dakota County, Nebraska
The Dakota County Courthouse in Dakota City
Location within the U.S. state of Nebraska
Coordinates: 42°23′30″N 96°33′41″W / 42.391624°N 96.561327°W / 42.391624; -96.561327
Country United States
State Nebraska
FoundedMarch 16, 1855
Named afterDakota people
SeatDakota City
Largest citySouth Sioux City
Area
 • Total
267.421 sq mi (692.62 km2)
 • Land264.431 sq mi (684.87 km2)
 • Water2.990 sq mi (7.74 km2)  1.12%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
21,582
 • Estimate 
(2024)
21,335
 • Density81.617/sq mi (31.512/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code402 and 531
Congressional district3rd
Websitedakotacounty.ne.gov
• Nebraska county number 22
• Nebraska license plate prefix 70

Dakota County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,582, and was estimated to be 21,335 in 2024. The county seat is Dakota City and the largest city is South Sioux City.

Dakota County is part of the Sioux City metropolitan area.

In the Nebraska license plate system, Dakota County was represented by the prefix "70" (as it had the 70th-largest number of vehicles registered in the state when the license plate system was established in 1922). In August 2009, the Dakota County Board of Commissioners reversed a decision to abandon this system for alphanumeric plates upon introduction of new license plates in 2011. Douglas, Lancaster, and Sarpy Counties remain the only counties with alphanumeric plates in the state.