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Union Pacific Railroad station in Willow Island, Nebraska (1867)
Nebraska›Dawson County
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Willow IslandNE

A town in Nebraska.

Photo: Arundel C. Hull · Public domain
Photo of Willow Island

Willow Island, NE · Photo: Arundel C. Hull · Public domain · Source ↗

Land area
3 sq mi
Settled
1874
152 years ago

Is Willow Island a good place to live?

We don’t grade Willow Island yet; the figures below are still real.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Willow Island.

Climate

Willow Island: four seasons and pleasant summers

31″snow a winter

In July, afternoons reach 88°; in January, nights fall to 14°, and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.

Typical low → high °F

Winter15–40°
Spring36–63°
Summer59–85°
Fall37–65°
Oct 9
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+0.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
Full pageWillow Island’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page
A year of weatherJuly highs 88°, January lows 14°Rain & snow31″ of snow a winter · 23 inches of rain and snow a yearHeating & coolingMostly a heating billThen and now+0.4° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Natural hazards

Willow Island faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by hail

65risk score of 100

Willow Island’s risk rating from FEMA is 65 of 100. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Willow Island once, in 2008. Expected losses in Willow Island break down as 48% from hail and 19% from drought.

FEMA risk score
65High riskLowerHigher
HailDroughtInland flooding
1
federal disasters paid out here
Full pageWillow Island’s hazards pageOpen the full Hazards page
What it facesHigh riskFlood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on recordPast disasters1 federal disaster · Paid out in Willow IslandGet ready7.1 events a year, on average · Ready for hail

FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

0
homes sold in September
Full pageWillow Island’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the full Housing & cost-of-living page
Prices over the yearsPrices over the yearsYears of income to buyYears of income to buyRentsRents

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Willow Island

13pages on Willow Island
The big questions
Cost of livingNatural hazardsFEMA risk higher than 65% of U.S. communities · hail
Out and about
PlacesAttractions5 nearby · Robert Henri Museum 5 miLibraryWilson Public LibraryColleges
The story
HistorySettled 1874Climate88° summer highs · 31″ of snow
Day to day
NewsWeatherHandbookZIP code 69171Town SquareNeighbors
Getting set up

Moving to Willow Island: who provides what

Willow Island is unincorporated, so Dawson County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerDawson Power District11.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesDawson CountyDawson County provides services here
SchoolsGothenburg Public SchoolsCozad Community Schools2 districts serve Willow Island; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Nebraska you can register online until 18 days before Election Day, in person until 11 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 18 days before).vote.gov
Who runs elections hereDawson County ClerkDawson County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Apr 2024
ZIP code6917169171 100%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.

After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Willow Island; the nearest are

Nebraska College of Technical AgricultureCommunity college · Public · Curtis29 mi$5,926 in-state tuitionUniversity of Nebraska at KearneyUniversity or college · Public · Kearney52.5 mi$8,676 in-state tuition

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

About Willow Island

Census-designated place in Nebraska, United States

Willow Island (also Willow) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in western Dawson County, Nebraska, United States. As of the 2020 census, Willow Island had a population of 25. Willow Island lies near Interstate 80 along U.S. Route 30, between the cities of Cozad and Gothenburg. The city of Lexington, the county seat of Dawson County, lies 19 miles (31 km) southeast of Willow Island. Its elevation is 2,526 feet (770 m).

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
2.8 sq mi
Elevation
2,526 ft
ZIP code
69171

Questions about Willow Island

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Willow Island, NE a good place to live?

We don’t grade Willow Island yet; the figures below are still real. A town in Nebraska.

Willow Island is in here

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