County · code 31017
Brown CountyNebraska
Brown County is a county in Nebraska with its seat in Ainsworth. The county was created on February 19, 1883.
- Founded1883
- County seatAinsworth
- Land area1,221 sq mi + 3.8 sq mi water
- Population2,903 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped5,051 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Brown on the map of Nebraska
Nebraska has 93 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Founded in 1883
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Brown County was created from Non-County Areas 1 and 8 in 1883. In 1884, voters approved the creation of Keya Paha County from Brown County territory. Rock County was created from Brown County in 1888 by vote of electors.
- 1883Brown County created Brown created from Non-County Areas 1 and 8. · Neb. Laws 1883, 18th sess., ch. 31/p. 198
- 1884Lost territory Brown lost to creation of Keya Paha by vote of electors. Election held 4 November 1884; governor's proclamation announced 17 December 1884. · Neb. Comp. Stats., 4th ed., 1889, ch.17, sec. 44/p. 334
- 1888Lost territory Brown lost to creation of Rock by vote of electors. · Neb. Comp. Stats., 4th ed., 1889, ch.17, sec. 66a/p. 338; Neb. Rev. Stats. Anno., 1999, vol. 4C, 22-175/pp. 22-23
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Brown
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 5,051 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 15 October 2026 -
Address points Official
One point per address, 2,169 in all from Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC), 911 Department.
checked 13 October 2026 -
Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- Official
- from the office that keeps the record
- Good enough
- a reliable statewide or national copy
- Fallback
- a guide only; check the official record
- Missing
- nothing public found yet
People and land
Brown by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Who to ask before you build, dig or sell
Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.
Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.
Zoning and code
County government
- County government
The official website of Brown County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Brown County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.
Questions
Common questions about Brown County
- When was Brown County founded?
- Brown County was founded in 1883.
- What is the county seat of Brown County?
- The county seat of Brown County is Ainsworth.
- Is there an online parcel map for Brown County?
- Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 5,051 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Brown County's boundary or name changed?
- Brown County was created in 1883. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 later changes, chiefly involving Keya Paha County and Rock County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Brown County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby