Gage County, Nebraska

Gage County, Nebraska
The Gage County Courthouse in Beatrice in 1976
Location within the U.S. state of Nebraska
Coordinates: 40°15′19″N 96°41′00″W / 40.255234°N 96.683453°W / 40.255234; -96.683453
Country United States
State Nebraska
FoundedMarch 16, 1855 (created)
1857 (organized)
Named afterWilliam D. Gage
SeatBeatrice
Largest cityBeatrice
Area
 • Total
859.950 sq mi (2,227.26 km2)
 • Land851.468 sq mi (2,205.29 km2)
 • Water8.492 sq mi (21.99 km2)  0.99%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
21,704
 • Estimate 
(2024)
21,687
 • Density25.490/sq mi (9.8418/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code402 and 531
Congressional district3rd
Websitegagecountyne.gov
• Nebraska county number 34
• Nebraska license plate prefix 03

Gage County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,704, and was estimated to be 21,687 in 2024. The county seat and the largest city is Beatrice.

Gage County comprises the Beatrice, NE Micropolitan statistical area, which is also in the Lincoln-Beatrice, NE Combined Statistical Area.

In the Nebraska license plate system, Gage County was represented by the prefix "3" (as it had the third-largest number of vehicles registered in the state when the license plate system was established in 1922).