Sidney, Nebraska
Encyclopedia
Sidney is a city in Cheyenne County
, Nebraska
, United States
. The population was 6,282 at the 2000 census
. It is the county seat
of Cheyenne County
.
(also known as Sidney Barracks), where soldiers were stationed to guard the transcontinental railroad
from potential Indian attacks. The town became the southern terminus of the Sidney Black Hills Stage Road
which used Clarke's Bridge (near Bridgeport, Nebraska
) to allow military and civilian traffic to reach Fort Robinson
, Red Cloud Agency
, Spotted Tail Agency, Custer, South Dakota
, and Deadwood, South Dakota
in the late 1870s and 1880s.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 6.2 square miles (16.1 km²), all of it land.
Sidney is toward the western edge of the midwestern wheat-growing region. West of the city, the land is increasingly used for cattle ranching. Sidney is located along Lodgepole Creek
, which is along present-day Interstate 80
.
The city is presently located at the junction of US 385 with I-80, and its location approximately halfway between Cheyenne, Wyoming
and North Platte, Nebraska
has encouraged the growth of the city as a major transportation service area on the Interstate Highway. Because the I-80/US 385 interchange is located several miles southeast of the town center, a new commercial area has developed, including truck stops, convenience stores, the Cabela's
world headquarters, shopping centers, motels, restaurants, and other commercial enterprises. In recent years, the city has seen further growth with the construction of wind farm
s in this portion of the Nebraska Panhandle
and adjacent areas of Colorado
, including Peetz, Colorado
.
of 2000, there were 6,282 people, 2,621 households, and 1,672 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,018.5 people per square mile (393.1/km²). There were 2,890 housing units at an average density of 468.5 per square mile (180.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.22% White, 0.18% African American, 0.76% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.07% from other races
, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.91% of the population.
There were 2,621 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples
living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,935, and the median income for a family was $41,050. Males had a median income of $30,286 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,158. About 7.0% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.2% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
Cheyenne County, Nebraska
-History:Cheyenne County was formed in 1871. It was named after the Cheyenne Native American tribe.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, of 2000, there were 9,830 people, 4,071 households, and 2,686 families residing in the county. The population density was 8 people per square mile . There...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 6,282 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Cheyenne County
Cheyenne County, Nebraska
-History:Cheyenne County was formed in 1871. It was named after the Cheyenne Native American tribe.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, of 2000, there were 9,830 people, 4,071 households, and 2,686 families residing in the county. The population density was 8 people per square mile . There...
.
History
The city was named for Sidney Dillon, a railroad attorney. It was founded in 1867 by the Union Pacific and grew up around the military base of Fort SidneyFort Sidney
Fort Sidney is a historic fort located in Sidney, Nebraska, United States. The 37th Infantry Regiment established "Sidney Station" at a point midway between the Platte Rivers, where the modern community of Sidney, Nebraska, now stands. Initially the installation was a block house on a bluff with...
(also known as Sidney Barracks), where soldiers were stationed to guard the transcontinental railroad
Transcontinental railroad
A transcontinental railroad is a contiguous network of railroad trackage that crosses a continental land mass with terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks can be via the tracks of either a single railroad, or over those owned or controlled by multiple railway companies...
from potential Indian attacks. The town became the southern terminus of the Sidney Black Hills Stage Road
Sidney Black Hills Stage Road
The Sidney Black Hills Stage Road or Route was a trail connecting Sidney, Nebraska, Sidney Barracks, and the Union Pacific Railroad with Fort Robinson, Red Cloud Agency, Spotted Tail Agency, Custer City, Dakota Territory, and Deadwood, Dakota Territory between 1876 and 1887, when it was replacedIt...
which used Clarke's Bridge (near Bridgeport, Nebraska
Bridgeport, Nebraska
Bridgeport is a city in Morrill County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,594 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Morrill County.-Geography:Bridgeport is located at ....
) to allow military and civilian traffic to reach Fort Robinson
Fort Robinson
Fort Robinson is a former U.S. Army fort and a present-day state park. Located in the Pine Ridge region of northwest Nebraska, it is west of Crawford on U.S. Route 20.- History :...
, Red Cloud Agency
Red Cloud Agency
The Red Cloud Agency was an Indian agency for the Oglala Lakota as well as the Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho, from 1871 to 1878. It was located at three different sites in Wyoming Territory , before being moved to South Dakota. It was then renamed the Pine Ridge Reservation.- Red Cloud Agency No...
, Spotted Tail Agency, Custer, South Dakota
Custer, South Dakota
Custer is a city in Custer County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 2,067 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Custer County.-History:...
, and Deadwood, South Dakota
Deadwood, South Dakota
Deadwood is a city in South Dakota, United States, and the county seat of Lawrence County. It is named for the dead trees found in its gulch. The population was 1,270 according to a 2010 census...
in the late 1870s and 1880s.
Geography
Sidney is located at 41°8′22"N 102°58′42"W (41.139428, -102.978323).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 6.2 square miles (16.1 km²), all of it land.
Sidney is toward the western edge of the midwestern wheat-growing region. West of the city, the land is increasingly used for cattle ranching. Sidney is located along Lodgepole Creek
Lodgepole Creek
Lodgepole Creek is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately long, in the U.S. states of Wyoming, Nebraska and Colorado. Lodgepole Creek drains a basin in the interior of a low plateau which lies between the South Platte Basin and the North Platte Basin in the southeastern corner of...
, which is along present-day Interstate 80
Interstate 80
Interstate 80 is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, following Interstate 90. It is a transcontinental artery running from downtown San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey in the New York City Metropolitan Area...
.
The city is presently located at the junction of US 385 with I-80, and its location approximately halfway between Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
and North Platte, Nebraska
North Platte, Nebraska
North Platte is a city in and the county seat of Lincoln County, Nebraska, United States. It is located in the southwestern part of the state, along Interstate 80, at the confluence of the North and South Platte Rivers forming the Platte River...
has encouraged the growth of the city as a major transportation service area on the Interstate Highway. Because the I-80/US 385 interchange is located several miles southeast of the town center, a new commercial area has developed, including truck stops, convenience stores, the Cabela's
Cabela's
Cabela's is a direct marketer and specialty retailer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor recreation merchandise, based in Sidney, Nebraska. It also has "Trophy Properties LLC , "Outdoor Adventures" , and the "Gun Library"...
world headquarters, shopping centers, motels, restaurants, and other commercial enterprises. In recent years, the city has seen further growth with the construction of wind farm
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
s in this portion of the Nebraska Panhandle
Nebraska Panhandle
The Nebraska Panhandle is an area in the west of the state of Nebraska. A panhandle is an area extending from the rest of a political unit; the Nebraska panhandle is two-thirds as broad as the rest of the state. It is approximately 100 miles east to west and 125 miles north to south...
and adjacent areas of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, including Peetz, Colorado
Peetz, Colorado
Peetz is a Statutory Town in Logan County, Colorado, United States. The population was 227 at the 2000 census. Peetz is home to the RE-5 School District and...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 6,282 people, 2,621 households, and 1,672 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,018.5 people per square mile (393.1/km²). There were 2,890 housing units at an average density of 468.5 per square mile (180.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.22% White, 0.18% African American, 0.76% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.07% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.91% of the population.
There were 2,621 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,935, and the median income for a family was $41,050. Males had a median income of $30,286 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $17,158. About 7.0% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.2% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
Points of interest
- Cabela'sCabela'sCabela's is a direct marketer and specialty retailer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor recreation merchandise, based in Sidney, Nebraska. It also has "Trophy Properties LLC , "Outdoor Adventures" , and the "Gun Library"...
corporate headquarters and store - Historic Fort SidneyFort SidneyFort Sidney is a historic fort located in Sidney, Nebraska, United States. The 37th Infantry Regiment established "Sidney Station" at a point midway between the Platte Rivers, where the modern community of Sidney, Nebraska, now stands. Initially the installation was a block house on a bluff with...
- Lincoln HighwayLincoln HighwayThe Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,...
, now U.S. Route 30U.S. Route 30U.S. Route 30 is an east–west main route of the system of United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. It is the third longest U.S. route, after U.S. Route 20 and U.S. Route 6. The western end of the highway is at Astoria, Oregon; the... - Nebraska's highest elevation flagpole
- Virginia Smith Converter StationVirginia Smith Converter StationVirginia Smith Converter Station is a High-voltage direct current back-to-back station near Sidney, Nebraska named for former Congresswoman Virginia Smith, a Nebraska Republican who represented Nebraska's 3rd congressional district from 1975 to 1991. Virginia Smith Converter Station was built by...
- Sidney Municipal AirportSidney Municipal Airport (Nebraska)Sidney Municipal Airport , also known as Lloyd W. Carr Field, is a public use airport located three nautical miles south of the central business district of Sidney, a city in Cheyenne County, Nebraska, United States...
- Sidney High SchoolSidney High School (Nebraska)Sidney High School is the only high school in the city of Sidney, Nebraska. The total enrollment as of February 2009 was 386. A new $17 million building was under construction during the 2008-2009 school year and was completed shortly after school started in August 2009...
- Western Nebraska Community CollegeWestern Nebraska Community CollegeWestern Nebraska Community College is a community college in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Its athletics teams are known as the Cougars.WNCC was previously known as Scottsbluff Junior College, Scotts Bluff County College, and Nebraska Western College....
- KSID (AM)KSID (AM)KSID is a radio station broadcasting a New Country format. Licensed to Sidney, Nebraska, USA, the station serves the Sidney area and is currently owned by KSID Radio. It features programing from ABC Radio ....
and KSID-FMKSID-FMKSID-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Classic rock format. Licensed to Sidney, Nebraska, USA, the station is currently owned by KSID Radio....