County · code 31043
Dakota CountyNebraska
Dakota County is a county in Nebraska with its seat at Dakota City. It was created on March 16, 1855, from Burt County and surrounding territory.
- Founded1855
- County seatDakota City
- Named forDakota people
- Land area264 sq mi + 3.1 sq mi water
- Population21,582 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped10,139 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Dakota 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
Formed in 1855 from Burt County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Dakota County was named after the Dakota people. Upon its creation in 1855, the county lost land to Dixon County in 1858 and then to the creation of Dakota Territory in 1861. After gaining a small area from Union County, South Dakota in 1871 when the Missouri River changed course, Dakota County also had the Winnebago and Omaha Indian Reservations attached to it from 1879 until 1889, when those reservations became part of Thurston County.
- 1855Dakota County created Dakota created by Nebraska Territory from Burt and non-county area. · Neb. Terr. Laws 1855, 1st reg. sess., p. 342
- 1858
- 1861Lost territory Dakota lost to creation of Dakota Territory. · Dak. Terr. Laws 1862, 1st sess., pp. 21-28; U.S. Stat., vol. 12, ch. 86[1861]/pp. 239-244; Van Zandt, 134, 136
- 1871Gained territory Dakota gained small area from Union (South Dakota) in Dakota Territory when the Missouri River changed course.from Union (S.D.)· Neb. Laws 1871, 8th reg. sess., pp. 131-132; U.S. Stat., vol. 16, ch. 64[1870]/p. 93; Van Zandt, 137
- 1879Changed Parts of the Winnebago and Omaha Indian Reservations were attached to Dakota "for election, judicial, and revenue purposes". · Neb. Laws 1879, 15th sess., pp. 180-181
Show all 9 changes
- 1855Dakota County created Dakota created by Nebraska Territory from Burt and non-county area. · Neb. Terr. Laws 1855, 1st reg. sess., p. 342
- 1856Boundary clarified Dakota (spelled Dakotah here) boundaries redefined; gained from Blackbird (extinct) and non-county area.with Dakotahwith Blackbirdno change· Neb. Terr. Laws 1855-1856, 2d reg. sess., p. 182
- 1858
- 1861Lost territory Dakota lost to creation of Dakota Territory. · Dak. Terr. Laws 1862, 1st sess., pp. 21-28; U.S. Stat., vol. 12, ch. 86[1861]/pp. 239-244; Van Zandt, 134, 136
- 1871Gained territory Dakota gained small area from Union (South Dakota) in Dakota Territory when the Missouri River changed course.from Union (S.D.)· Neb. Laws 1871, 8th reg. sess., pp. 131-132; U.S. Stat., vol. 16, ch. 64[1870]/p. 93; Van Zandt, 137
- 1879Changed Parts of the Winnebago and Omaha Indian Reservations were attached to Dakota "for election, judicial, and revenue purposes". · Neb. Laws 1879, 15th sess., pp. 180-181
- 1889Changed The Winnebago and Omaha Indian Reservations became part of Thurston, ended the attachment to Dakota. · Neb. Laws 1889, 21st sess., ch. 3/pp. 71-72
- 1908Exchanged territory Dakota exchanged with the state of South Dakota when the main channel of the Missouri River was established as the boundary between South Dakota and Nebraska. · Neb. Laws 1905, 29th sess., ch. 43/p. 286 and ch. 234/p. 792; S. Dak. Laws 1907, 10th sess., ch. 245/p. 484; U.S. Stat., vol. 33, ch. 1295[1905]/p. 820
- 1955Boundary clarified Dakota boundary was clarified along the Missouri River.no change· Neb. Laws 1955, 67th sess., ch. 65, sec. 3/pp. 212-213
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Dakota
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
-
Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 10,139 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, 8,443 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
Dakota 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 Dakota County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Dakota 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 Dakota County
- When was Dakota County founded?
- Dakota County was founded in 1855, formed from Burt County, and named after Dakota people.
- What is the county seat of Dakota County?
- The county seat of Dakota County is Dakota City.
- Is there an online parcel map for Dakota County?
- Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 10,139 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Dakota County's boundary or name changed?
- Dakota County was created in 1855 from Burt County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 6 later changes, chiefly involving Dixon County, Thurston County and Union (S.D.) County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Dakota County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby