BlockBefore

Ainsworth, Nebraska

9 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1989. It stands in Ainsworth City. It lies in ZIP code area 69210. The Survey maps it on the Ainsworth quadrangle. 1,616 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 2,520 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Ainsworth within Brown County

Population over time

2 figures

Ainsworth fell from 1,728 to 1,616 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

YearPeople Change
20101,728
20201,616-112 (-6%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

6 surveys from 9 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Fires near this place

24 since 2009

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 24 fires within 5 miles of Ainsworth between 2009 and 2020, burning about 23 acres in total. 1 started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning7
Equipment and vehicle use6
Missing data/not specified/undetermined4
Power generation/transmission/distribution3
Fireworks2
Misuse of fire by a minor1
Natural1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
7 August 2019Naturalunder an acreNebraska Forest Servicenot named
28 August 2020Debris and open burning2.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
30 July 2013Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreNebraska Forest Servicenot named
30 July 2012Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreNebraska Forest Servicenot named
17 July 2012Equipment and vehicle use1.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
29 June 2012Fireworksunder an acreNebraska Forest Servicenot named
28 June 2012Fireworksunder an acreNebraska Forest Servicenot named
24 June 2020Debris and open burning1.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Brown County

Mines and quarries near this place

2 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Ainsworth: 1 past producer, 1 producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Costello Pit and PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Quinn Sand and GravelSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every working recorded in Brown County

Storms near this place

60 of 165 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Ainsworth in 165 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 112 hail, 38 thunderstorm wind, 8 tornado, 4 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
July 2025Thunderstorm WindAinsworth$1,000,000Severe thunderstorms producing several wet microbursts, led to violent winds in Ainsworth. Wind gusts, estimated at around 100 MPH, uprooted several mature trees in and around Ainsworth. Other mature trees were snapped above ground level. Numerous reports of power lines down, one of which, led to fire at a residence on the north side of Ainsworth. One house sustained significant damage as a mature tree impacted the roof of this residence.
August 2010Thunderstorm WindAinsworth$800,000A storm hit Ainsworth with damage significant that included the destruction of two buildings and many trees. Power lines were also downed by the winds and resulted in a power outage that lasted about two hours. The damage was most severe in a relatively concentrated zone, on the north side of the town, which is consistent with a microburst damage path. It was in that area where one of the buildings was destroyed. Debris from the steel building was scattered to the north up to 200 yards, and steel was twisted violently around trees north of the building site.
June 1997HailAinsworth$600,000no account filed
July 2013Thunderstorm WindAinsworth$500,000Strong wind gusts estimated to 80 MPH destroyed a machine shed, cattle feeding shed, and hog shed 3 miles west of Ainsworth. A dry fertilizer plant also sustained heavy damage 2 miles west of Ainsworth. Three miles southwest of Ainsworth, a barn sustained heavy damage.
July 2013Thunderstorm WindAinsworth$500,000Law Enforcement reports numerous trees and power lines down as a result of thunderstorm winds in and around Ainsworth.
June 1999Thunderstorm WindAinsworth$250,000A thunderstorm system produced strong wind with speed estimated in excess of 90 mph. The wind storm actually began in eastern Cherry County near Wood Lake and travelled across most of northern Brown County doing major damage to grain bins 10 miles west of Ainsworth. In the city of Ainsworth, numerous trees were broken and roofs were damaged by the wind. A tree fell on a 1998 Ford Pickup smashing the cab. The Pickup was a total loss.
July 2009Thunderstorm WindAinsworth$120,000Several center pivot irrigation systems were overturned by the strong winds. In addition, a few rafters and garage walls were blown down at the construction site of a home being built.
June 2008HailAinsworth$100,000The large hail damaged roofs, tore holes in the siding of homes, and damaged vehicles. Hail and heavy rain caused street flooding when storm drains become plugged. Waves created by passing motorists caused water to flow into basements.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindAinsworth$50,000Wet microbursts with wind speeds estimated up to 95 MPH, led to severe tree damage along highway 20 from approximately 3 miles east of Ainsworth to just north of Long Pine. There were several cases of mature-soft and hard wood trees heavily damaged along this line. Tree limbs up to 6 inches in diameter were reported along with numerous uprooted trees.
August 2010Thunderstorm WindAinsworth$40,000Winds destroyed a 90 by 30 building.
May 2007Tornado (EF1)Ainsworth$40,000Storm spotters tracked the tornado as it entered Brown County from Blaine County around 33 miles south of Ainsworth. The tornado traveled north about 14 miles before lifting 19 miles south of Ainsworth. The tornado snapped trees and power poles, destroyed outbuildings, tore off part of a house roof and broke windows, moved a pickup truck and horse trailer, and picked up calves. The average path width of the tornado was 220 yards. The total path length was approximately 55 miles.
August 2002Thunderstorm WindAinsworth$40,000Numerous large tree limbs were down.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindAinsworth$30,000Thunderstorm outflow winds broke off a couple of large trees, took down power lines, overturned a beer truck on Highway 20 west of Ainsworth, and pushed over large storage tanks at the agricultural co-operative business in Ainsworth.
June 2008HailAinsworth$25,000The large hail tore holes in the siding of a home and severely damaged a couple of vehicles.
August 2001HailAinsworth$20,000no account filed
June 2024Tornado (EF1)Ainsworth$15,000Tornado briefly touched down, rolling and severely damaging a single wide manufactured home. Other outbuildings were destroyed at this location which were significantly aged. Tree limbs were broken and trees snapped.
July 2009HailAinsworth$15,000Large hail fell along a one mile stretch of Highway 20.
July 2001Thunderstorm WindAinsworth$15,000Strong winds damaged a covered porch and downed several tree limbs.
June 2008Tornado (EF0)Ainsworth$10,000A trained spotter reported the brief touchdown of the tornado. The tornado damaged corrals on a ranch.
June 2000Thunderstorm WindAinsworth$10,000Wind damage to house under construction.
August 1996Thunderstorm WindAinsworth$10,000no account filed
July 2001HailAinsworth$8,000no account filed
July 2001HailAinsworth$6,000no account filed
July 2002Tornado (F0)Ainsworth$5,000Irrigation system was damaged as the tornado made a brief touchdown.
June 2008HailAinsworth$5,000no account filed
June 2006HailAinsworth$5,000no account filed
September 2005HailAinsworth$5,000no account filed
June 2001HailAinsworth$5,000no account filed
June 1999HailAinsworth$5,000no account filed
June 1997HailAinsworth$4,000Thunderstorm winds blew down large tree limbs.
August 2002HailAinsworth$4,000no account filed
September 2005HailAinsworth$3,000no account filed
July 2003HailAinsworth$3,000no account filed
May 2004HailAinsworth$2,000no account filed
August 2002HailAinsworth$2,000no account filed
September 2001HailAinsworth$2,000no account filed
June 1999HailAinsworth$2,000no account filed
May 1998HailAinsworth$2,000no account filed
August 1997HailAinsworth$2,000no account filed
July 2004HailAinsworth$1,500no account filed
September 2005HailAinsworth$1,000no account filed
August 2025HailAinsworth-Golf ball sized hail reported in Ainsworth.
May 2023HailAinsworth-Quarter size hail was reported on the southwest side of Ainsworth.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindAinsworth-Public estimated 60 mph wind gusts south of Ainsworth.
July 2023HailAinsworth-Public estimated quarter size hail southwest of Long Pine.
September 2022Thunderstorm WindAinsworth-Thunderstorm wind gust of 60 MPH reported at this location.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindAinsworth-Public estimated 60 mph wind gusts north of Brewster.
August 2019Thunderstorm WindAinsworth-Winds gust recorded by automated weather observing system.
September 2019Flash FloodAinsworth-NDOT reports water over highway 20 at MM 239.
September 2019Flash FloodAinsworth-NDOT reports water over highway 7 at MM 31.
September 2019Flash FloodAinsworth-Meadville Ave. in Ainsworth has several areas washed out or damaged. A motorist had to be rescued from the washed out portion of the road.
June 2018HailAinsworth-Report received via social media.
June 2016HailAinsworth-A few golf ball size hail stones, but most were pea size.
July 2014HailAinsworth-Hail covered the ground with heavy rainfall reported also.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindAinsworth-Strong winds downed a large tree limb. Time estimated from radar.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindAinsworth-A large limb approx. 4 inches in diameter broke off a tree.
July 2013Thunderstorm WindAinsworth-Ainsworth Fire Department reported thunderstorm wind gusts to 80 MPH.
May 2012HailAinsworth-Hail fell on the south side of town.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindAinsworth-Public reported estimated 60 mph wind gusts which caused 3 to 4 inch tree branches to snap off.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindAinsworth-Wind gusts to 63 mph were measured by automatic equipment at the Ainsworth municipal airport.

Every storm recorded in Brown County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Sandridge4.6 miles9
Long Pine8.6 miles9
Johnstown10.5 miles9
Winfield (historical)13.0 miles10
Raven18.9 miles9
Johnsons Corner23.9 miles9
Koshopah33.5 miles9

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on AinsworthAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q406128The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 826919. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.