Columbus is a city in Platte County, Nebraska, home to about 24,488 people across 10 square miles. Its ZIP code is 68601.
Homes sold for a median of $125 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Mostly Columbus; also Lakeview and Richland
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Columbus. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Columbus’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Eppley Airfield (OMA)77 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Lincoln Airport (LNK)51 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Lincoln, NE56 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL501 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Columbus; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Columbus had 24,028 residents in the 2020 census, up 15% since 2000.
It’s the 10th largest of 580 towns in Nebraska by population.
Platte County grew from 17,747 residents in 1900 to 34,296 in 2020.
Platte County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 87°F in summer, and winter lows average 14°F. About 28.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 26 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Columbus 3 Ne, NE weather station (3 miles away).
15,808 jobs at 1,033 businesses in Platte County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
313 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Columbus.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 26 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 38 |
| Dentists | 18 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 50 |
| Mental health providers | 109 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 50 |
| Optometrists | 11 |
| Chiropractors | 11 |
| Pharmacies | 9 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (20 nearby)
Grocery stores (4 nearby)
Pharmacies (1 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 2.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1856.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Educational Service Unit 07, Lakeview Community Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Esu 7 BridgesColumbus | Pre-K–12 | — | Special Education | 1.0 mi |
| Esu 7 Learning AcademyColumbus | Pre-K–12 | — | Alternative Education | 1.0 mi |
| Shell Creek Elementary SchoolColumbus | Pre-K–6 | 373 | Public | 5.8 mi |
| Lakeview Junior High SchoolColumbus | 7–8 | 152 | Public | 4.7 mi |
| Esu 7 CenterColumbus | 8–11 | — | Alternative Education | 1.0 mi |
| Lakeview High SchoolColumbus | 9–12 | 344 | Public | 4.7 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christ Lutheran SchoolColumbus | Pre-K–8 | 29 | Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod | 9.7 mi |
| Columbus Christian SchoolColumbus | Pre-K–6 | 16 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 0.2 mi |
| Immanuel Lutheran SchoolColumbus | Pre-K–8 | 142 | Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod | 1.1 mi |
| St Anthony SchoolColumbus | Pre-K–6 | 86 | Roman Catholic | 1.1 mi |
| St Isidore Elementary SchoolColumbus | Pre-K–6 | 216 | Roman Catholic | 0.5 mi |
| St Bonaventure Elementary SchoolColumbus | K–6 | 200 | Roman Catholic | 1.1 mi |
| St Johns Lutheran SchoolColumbus | K–8 | 56 | Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod | 13.3 mi |
| Scotus Central Catholic High SchoolColumbus | 7–12 | 375 | Roman Catholic | 1.0 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Lakeview and Richland.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.