About Our County

Fun Facts

Rock County covers just over 1,008 square miles, giving it plenty of wide-open Sandhills scenery.
The Niobrara River forms the county’s northern border, providing opportunities for fishing, hunting and enjoying the outdoors.
About 92.5% of Rock County’s land is agricultural, with grassland and livestock production playing a major role in the county.
Rock County is home to Twin Lakes, one of the local area’s outdoor attractions.
U.S. Highways 20 and 183 meet in Bassett, making the community an important crossroads in north-central Nebraska.
Rock County celebrates its ranching heritage with the Rock County Ranch Expo, held each June.
The county’s name is believed to have come from either Rock Creek or the area’s historically rocky soil.

Settlers began arriving in what is now Rock County during the late 1870s, with ranching quickly becoming an important part of the area’s development.
The area was originally associated with Holt County and later became part of Brown County when Brown County was created in 1883.
Rock County was officially organized in 1888 after residents sought to form a separate county.
Bassett became the permanent county seat in 1889 after competing with Newport and several other communities for the designation.
Rock County’s first courthouse was built around 1889–1890. After it was destroyed by fire in 1897, a second courthouse was constructed on the original foundation.
The current Rock County Courthouse was constructed in 1940, with funding that included a federal Public Works Administration grant.
Rock County reached its historical peak population of 3,977 in 1940.