Merrick County, Nebraska
| Merrick County, Nebraska | |
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Merrick County courthouse in Central City
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 Location in the U.S. state of Nebraska |
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 Nebraska's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1864 |
| Named for | Elvira Merrick |
| Seat | Central City |
| Largest city | Central City |
| Area | |
| • Total | 494 sq mi (1,279 km2) |
| • Land | 485 sq mi (1,256 km2) |
| • Water | 9.6 sq mi (25 km2), 1.9% |
| Population | |
| • (2010) | 7,845 |
| • Density | 16/sq mi (6/km²) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Website | www |
Merrick County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2010 census, the population was 7,845. Its county seat is Central City.
Merrick County is part of the Grand Island, NE Metropolitan Statistical Area.
In the Nebraska license plate system, Merrick County is represented by the prefix 46 (it had the forty-sixth-largest number of vehicles registered in the state when the license plate system was established in 1922).
Merrick County was formed in 1858 and organized in 1864. It was named for Elvira Merrick, the maiden name of the wife of territorial legislator Henry W. DePuy, who introduced the bill that created the county.
When first formed, the county was bounded on the south by the Platte River, and by straight lines on the north, east, and west. It thus included 180 square miles (470 km2) of the Pawnee Reservation, established one year before the county. In 1873, the state legislature removed these reservation lands from the county, leaving it with a jagged northern border from which narrow panhandles extended northward from the northeast and northwest corners. In 1897, the Pawnee Reservation became Nance County.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 494 square miles (1,280 km2), of which 485 square miles (1,260 km2) is land and 9.6 square miles (25 km2) (1.9%) is water.
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,204 people, 3,209 households, and 2,307 families residing in the county. The population density was 17 people per square mile (7/km²). There were 3,649 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.32% White, 0.22% Black or African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races, and 0.48% from two or more races. 2.05% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
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