County · code 31173
Thurston CountyNebraska
Thurston County is a county in Nebraska with its seat in Pender. It was created on March 28, 1889, and is named after John Mellen Thurston.
- Founded1889
- County seatPender
- Named forJohn Mellen Thurston
- Land area394 sq mi + 2.5 sq mi water
- Population6,773 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped5,713 checked 16 October 2026
Where it is
Thurston 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 1889 from Burt County, Wayne County and Dakota County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Thurston County was created from Burt, Wayne, and those parts of the Winnebago and Omaha Indian Reservations that were attached to Dakota.
- 1889Thurston County created Thurston created from Burt, Wayne, and those parts of the Winnebago and Omaha Indian Reservations that were attached to Dakota. · Neb. Laws 1889, 21st sess., ch. 3/pp. 71-72
- 1921Boundary clarified Thurston boundaries were clarified (no change).no change· Neb. Laws 1921, 40th sess., ch. 231, sec. 11/p. 828
- 1955Boundary clarified Thurston boundary was clarified along the Missouri River.no change· Neb. Laws 1955, 67th sess., ch. 65, sec. 7/p. 214
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Thurston
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
-
Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 5,713 parcels from Thurston County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 16 October 2026 -
Address points Official
One point per address, 2,704 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
Thurston 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.
Permits
County government
- County government
The official website of Thurston County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Thurston 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 Thurston County
- When was Thurston County founded?
- Thurston County was founded in 1889, formed from Burt County, Wayne County and Dakota County, and named after John Mellen Thurston.
- What is the county seat of Thurston County?
- The county seat of Thurston County is Pender.
- Is there an online parcel map for Thurston County?
- Yes. Thurston County publishes a parcel map of 5,713 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Thurston County's boundary or name changed?
- Thurston County was created in 1889 from Burt County, Wayne County and Dakota County. Its boundary has been clarified two times since, with no change on the ground.
- Who issues building permits in Thurston County?
- The county's page on building permits: Firearm Purchase Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Thurston County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby