Lancaster County, Nebraska

Lancaster County, Nebraska
Justice and Law Enforcement Center in Lincoln
Location within the U.S. state of Nebraska
Coordinates: 40°47′01″N 96°41′19″W / 40.783547°N 96.688658°W / 40.783547; -96.688658
Country United States
State Nebraska
FoundedMarch 16, 1855 (created)
October 10, 1859 (organized)
Named afterLancaster, England
SeatLincoln
Largest cityLincoln
Area
 • Total
846.383 sq mi (2,192.12 km2)
 • Land837.560 sq mi (2,169.27 km2)
 • Water8.823 sq mi (22.85 km2)  1.04%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
322,608
 • Estimate 
(2024)
332,857
 • Density385.176/sq mi (148.717/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code402 and 531
Congressional district1st
Websitelancaster.ne.gov
• Nebraska county number 55
• Nebraska license plate prefix 02

Lancaster County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 census, the population was 322,608, and was estimated to be 332,857 in 2024, making it the second-most populous county in Nebraska. The county seat and the largest city is Lincoln. The second-most populous city in Nebraska and the 72nd-most populous city in the United States.

Lancaster County is part of the Lincoln, Nebraska metropolitan area.

In the Nebraska license plate system, Lancaster County was represented by the prefix "2" (as it had the second-largest number of vehicles registered in the state when the license plate system was established in 1922). In 2002, the state discontinued the 1922 system in the three most populous counties: Douglas, Lancaster, and Sarpy Counties.