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Scottsbluff, Nebraska

14 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1898 and the latest in 1985. It stands in Scottsbluff City. It lies in ZIP code area 69361. The Survey maps it on the Scottsbluff South quadrangle. 14,436 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 3,891 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Scottsbluff within Scotts Bluff County

On record in Scottsbluff

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 11 records

Population over time

2 figures

Scottsbluff fell from 15,039 to 14,436 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
201015,039
202014,436-603 (-4%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

5 surveys from 14 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

300 since 1993

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 300 fires within 5 miles of Scottsbluff between 1993 and 2020, burning about 682 acres in total. 8 started naturally. 13 were 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 burning139
Missing data/not specified/undetermined48
Fireworks41
Equipment and vehicle use20
Smoking16
Arson/incendiarism13
Natural8
Power generation/transmission/distribution5
Recreation and ceremony5
Misuse of fire by a minor3
Railroad operations and maintenance2

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
9 September 2020Debris and open burning1.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
7 September 2018Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
7 September 2011Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreNebraska Forest Servicenot named
5 September 2010Power generation/transmission/distribution2.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
4 September 2011Debris and open burning4.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
19 September 2012Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreNebraska Forest Servicenot named
15 September 1993Smokingunder an acreScotts Bluff National MonumentBIKE TRAIL
14 September 2014Debris and open burning1.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Scotts Bluff County

Mines and quarries near this place

3 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 3 workings within 5 miles of Scottsbluff: 3 producers. All of them still produce. 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
Gritzfeld Pit & PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Riverview Pit & PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Scottsbluff Pit & PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every working recorded in Scotts Bluff County

Storms near this place

60 of 223 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Scottsbluff in 223 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 146 hail, 51 thunderstorm wind, 11 flash flood, 7 tornado. The reports record 37 injuries. 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
June 1999HailScottsbluff25 hurt, $55,000,000no account filed
July 2001HailScottsbluff12 hurt, $50,000,000Large hail fell over parts of Scottsbluff, NE, damaging many cars and buildings as well as causing some minor injuries from broken glass.
June 2023HailScottsbluff$6,000,000Wind-driven baseball sized hail was reported in the city of Scottsbluff. Numerous reports of damaged vehicles.
June 2023HailScottsbluff$500,000Baseball sized hail was reported in the city Scottsbluff. Solar panel array just north of the city was destroyed.
August 1996HailScottsbluff$200,000no account filed
June 2009Flash FloodScottsbluff$50,000Heavy rainfall washed out some county roads around Scottsbluuf as well as flooded some buildings at the campus of Western Nebraska Community College.
July 2008Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff$50,000Wind gusts from 64 to 79 mph recorded at the airport and near Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Winds blew down some power poles and trees, and caused some roof damage to a few outbuildings.
June 2001HailScottsbluff$50,000no account filed
April 2001HailScottsbluff$40,0002 inch hail reported on the east side of Scottsbluff, NE.
June 2001HailScottsbluff$40,000no account filed
May 2000HailScottsbluff$40,000no account filed
June 2025Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff$35,000There were at least 10 large trees blown over at the Scottsbluff Country Club. Several homes had broken windows due to wind driven hail.
July 2008Flash FloodScottsbluff$30,000Heavy rains caused some flooding of basements in about 9 homes, as well as washed out a few county roads.
September 2008Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff$25,000Numerous reports of winds estimated 60 to 80 mph with a gust of 81 mph recorded at the Scotts Bluff regional airport.
April 2001HailScottsbluff$20,000no account filed
July 1998Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff$10,000Trees were blown down by thunderstorm winds along county roads 10 miles northeast of Scottsbluff.
August 1996HailScottsbluff$10,000no account filed
June 2010HailScottsbluff$2,000Shingles broken and dents in a steel building.
May 2010Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff$1,000Time of report was 1116MST. Tree knocked down on east side of Scottsbluff.
July 1998FloodScottsbluff$1,000A thunderstorm moved through Scottsbluff and dropped 1 to 2 inches of rainfall in the area. Urban flooding was reported by the local law enforcement agency.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff-KNEB broadcaster reported tree damage with pictures of a deciduous tree with numerous branches snapped between 3-4 inches and the largest being 6-8 inches.
May 2025HailScottsbluff-Trained spottered reported 1.75in hail.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff-KBFF ASOS at the Scottsbluff airport reported a wind gust of 69mph.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff-KBFF ASOS at the Scottsbluff aiport reported a wind gust of 71 mph.
May 2025HailScottsbluff-Mping report of 1 inch hail just northeast of Scottsbluff.
May 2025HailScottsbluff-Quarter sized hail reported by media via Slack.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff-KBFF ASOS station at the Scottsbluff airport reported a 60mph wind gust.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff-Minor wind amage reported on the roof of the KNEB radio station building.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff-Scottsbluff Airport ASOS gust.
June 2025HailScottsbluff-Spotter reports golf ball sized hail.
June 2025HailScottsbluff-Media also estimated 70 mph winds a few miles west of Scottsbluff Nebraska. Some trees blown over.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff-An eight inch tree trunk snapped nearby.
March 2024HailScottsbluff-Received report via mPING.
March 2024HailScottsbluff-Received report from KNEB radio station manager.
March 2024HailScottsbluff-Hail up to three-quarters of an inch fell for 15 minutes.
June 2024Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff-A wind gust to 71 MPH was observed at the Scottsbluff Airport ASOS.
June 2024Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff-A Davis Weather Station in Scottsbluff measured a wind gust to 84 MPH.
June 2024Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff-A garage door in Scottsbluff was heavily damaged due to very strong wind gusts estimated at 80+ MPH.
June 2024Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff-Numerous public reports of multiple large trees uprooted in and around the city of Scottsbluff. Wind gusts estimated at 80+ MPH.
June 2024Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff-The KNEB Station Manager reported that a 300-foot KNEB broadcast tower on the west side of Scottsbluff collapsed due to strong wind gusts. 750+ trees down in Scottsbluff in Gering, including several very large trees. Wind gusts estimated at 80+ MPH.
May 2023Flash FloodScottsbluff-Numerous reports of significant street flooding in and around Scottsbluff and Gering. Water was reportedly entering some homes.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff-Received phone call for pea sized hail, 1 inch of rain and tree branches down.
June 2023HailScottsbluff-Golf ball sized hail was reported 2 miles W of Scottsbluff by a trained weather spotter.
June 2023HailScottsbluff-Trained weather spotters reported baseball sized hail in the city of Scottsbluff.
June 2023HailScottsbluff-Ping-pong ball sized hail was reported 1 mile NW of Terrytown by the public via mPING.
June 2023HailScottsbluff-Two-inch diameter hail was reported 1 mile NW of Scottsbluff via mPING.
June 2023HailScottsbluff-Baseball sized hail was reported 1 mile NW of Scottsbluff via mPING.
May 2022Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff-Reports of dust along with strong winds.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff-Received report of 1-inch tree limbs broken.
June 2021Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff-Observer noted downed tree branches with the largest branch measuring roughly ten inches in diameter.
July 2021Flash FloodScottsbluff-Several streets in town flooded.
July 2021Flash FloodScottsbluff-Reported flooding along portions of Avenue B and G and West 29th were reported flooded in the town of Scottsbluff.
June 2020Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff-Report from mPING of 1 inch tree limbs broken and shingles blown off.
June 2020Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff-Nebraska Public Power District reports 3,361 customers without power in the Scottsbluff area due to wind.
June 2020Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff-Railroad cross beam broken at Ave B in Scottsbluff.
June 2020Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff-Report of a roof blown off a building.
June 2020Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff-Tree blew over and came through the roof of a house in Scottsbluff, NE. No injuries reported.
April 2019Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff-Report relayed by KNEB of handheld anemometer measurement of winds.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindScottsbluff-Thunderstorm winds measured using a Davis brand weather station.
August 2019HailScottsbluff-Observer had windows broken out by the wind-driven hail.

Every storm recorded in Scotts Bluff 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
Terrytown1.4 miles14
Heldt2.5 miles14
Gering2.8 miles14
Covert3.3 miles14
Hillerage3.4 miles13
Costin3.4 miles14
Trout4.0 miles13
Haig5.0 miles14

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 ScottsbluffAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q959484The 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 833318. 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.