Nebraska Highway 12 is a highway in northern and northeastern 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....

. It has a western terminus at U.S. Highway 83 in Valentine

Valentine, Nebraska

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,820 people, 1,209 households, and 733 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,401.1 people per square mile . There were 1,373 housing units at an average density of 682.2 per square mile...

 and an eastern terminus at U.S. Highway 20 west of Jackson

Jackson, Nebraska

Jackson is a village in Dakota County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Sioux City, IA–NE–SD Metropolitan Statistical Area...

. The highway largely lies within ten miles (16 km) of the South Dakota

South Dakota

South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...

 border its entire length. The highway has been designated the Outlaw Trail Scenic Byway.

Route description

Nebraska Highway 12 begins at an intersection with US 83 in Valentine, Nebraska. It goes northeast out of Valentine through the Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge

Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge

Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge is located in the U.S. state of Nebraska and includes 19,131 acres . The refuge borders the Niobrara National Scenic River on the west and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. From 1879 to 1906, the Fort Niobrara Military Reservation was...

 before turning east. It also provides the easiest link to Smith Falls State Park. It passes through Sparks

Sparks, Nebraska

Sparks is an unincorporated community in Cherry County, Nebraska, United States. Its elevation is 2,602 feet . Although Sparks is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 69220....

, then turns southeasterly towards Springview

Springview, Nebraska

Springview is a village in, and the county seat of, Keya Paha County, Nebraska. The population was 244 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Springview is located at ....

, where it meets U.S. Highway 183. After a brief concurrency with US 183 north, it turns east and briefly overlaps Nebraska Highway 137

Nebraska Highway 137

Nebraska Highway 137 is a highway in northern Nebraska. Its southern terminus is at U.S. Highway 20 in Newport. Its northern terminus is at the South Dakota border where it continues as South Dakota Highway 47.-Route description:...

 before continuing eastward to another concurrency with Nebraska Highway 11

Nebraska Highway 11

Nebraska Highway 11 is a highway in central and northern Nebraska. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 80 south of Wood River. Its northern terminus is at the South Dakota border north of Butte. The highway goes through the eastern portion of the Sand Hills.-Route description:Nebraska Highway...

 in Butte

Butte, Nebraska

Butte is a village in Boyd County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 366 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Boyd County.- Geography :Butte is located at ....

. It goes south out of Butte, then turns east and meets U.S. Highway 281 in Spencer

Spencer, Nebraska

Spencer is a village in Boyd County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 541 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Spencer is located at ....

, which it also overlaps. It continues eastward through the tribal lands of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and around the edge of Niobrara State Park

Niobrara State Park

Niobrara State Park is a state park of Nebraska, USA, located on the bluffs at the confluence of the Missouri and Niobrara rivers. The park is on the outskirts of the village of Niobrara in northeastern Nebraska. The state park has of land and of water....

. It then crosses the Niobrara River

Niobrara River

The Niobrara River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately long, running through the U.S. states of Wyoming and Nebraska. The river drains one of the most arid sections of the Great Plains, and has a low flow for a river of its length...

 and enters the village of Niobrara, Nebraska

Niobrara, Nebraska

Niobrara is a village in Knox County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 370 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Niobrara is located at ....

, where it meets Nebraska Highway 14

Nebraska Highway 14

Nebraska Highway 14 is a highway in Nebraska. It has a southern terminus at the Kansas border southwest of Superior and a northern terminus east of Niobrara at the South Dakota border.-Route description:...

.

NE 12 and NE 14 continue eastward together from Niobrara until NE 14 turns north to go across into South Dakota. NE 12 continues east through the Santee Indian Reservation

Santee Indian Reservation

The Santee Sioux Reservation of the Santee Sioux was established in 1863. The tribal seat of government is located in Niobrara, Nebraska, with reservation lands in Knox County. Established by an Act of the U.S. Congress on March 3, 1863, the Niobrara Reservation was officially recognized in an...

 and continues due east through Crofton, Nebraska

Crofton, Nebraska

Crofton is a city in Knox County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 754 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Crofton is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....

. It continues on the same line eastward, intersecting U.S. Highway 81 in the process, then turns southeastward near Wynot

Wynot, Nebraska

Wynot is a village in Cedar County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 166 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Wynot is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....

. It meets Nebraska Highway 15

Nebraska Highway 15

Nebraska Highway 15 is a highway in Nebraska. It has a southern terminus at the Kansas border south of Fairbury and a northern terminus northeast of Maskell at the South Dakota border.-Route description:...

 and the two routes are paired together through Obert

Obert, Nebraska

Obert is a village in Cedar County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 49 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Obert is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....

 and Maskell

Maskell, Nebraska

Maskell is a village in Dixon County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Sioux City, IA–NE–SD Metropolitan Statistical Area...

 before NE 15 turns north to go toward Vermillion, South Dakota

Vermillion, South Dakota

Vermillion is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the tenth largest city in the state. According to the 2010 Census, the population was 10,571. Vermillion lies atop a bluff near the Missouri River.The area has been home to...

. It angles through Newcastle

Newcastle, Nebraska

Newcastle is a village in Dixon County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Sioux City, IA–NE–SD Metropolitan Statistical Area...

 and Ponca

Ponca, Nebraska

Ponca is a city in Dixon County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Sioux City, IA–NE–SD Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 961 at the 2010 census...

. It turns briefly south, then goes southeast to end west of Jackson

Jackson, Nebraska

Jackson is a village in Dakota County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Sioux City, IA–NE–SD Metropolitan Statistical Area...

 at an intersection with U.S. Highway 20.

Major intersections

County	Location	Mile	Junction	Notes
Cherry Cherry County, Nebraska Cherry County is unusual in being split between two time zones, Mountain Time and Central Time. The lines between the two runs roughly north to south along the eastern third of the county. Cherry County is also the location of the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, the Fort Niobrara National...	Valentine Valentine, Nebraska -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,820 people, 1,209 households, and 733 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,401.1 people per square mile . There were 1,373 housing units at an average density of 682.2 per square mile...	0.00		Western terminus
	Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge is located in the U.S. state of Nebraska and includes 19,131 acres . The refuge borders the Niobrara National Scenic River on the west and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. From 1879 to 1906, the Fort Niobrara Military Reservation was...	4.13
Keya Paha Keya Paha County, Nebraska -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 983 people, 409 households, and 292 families residing in the county. The population density was 1 people per square mile . There were 548 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile . The racial makeup of the county was 99.39%...	Springview Springview, Nebraska Springview is a village in, and the county seat of, Keya Paha County, Nebraska. The population was 244 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Springview is located at ....	48.31		West end of US 183 overlap
		53.31		East end of US 183 overlap
		75.41		West end of NE 137 overlap
		79.90		East end of NE 137 overlap
Boyd Boyd County, Nebraska Boyd County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of 2010, the population is 2,099. Its county seat is Butte.In the Nebraska license plate system, Boyd County is represented by the prefix 63 .-Geography:According to the U.S...	Naper Naper, Nebraska Naper is a village in Boyd County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 105 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Naper is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....	89.47
	Butte Butte, Nebraska Butte is a village in Boyd County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 366 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Boyd County.- Geography :Butte is located at ....	102.55		West end of NE 11 overlap
		103.55		East end of NE 11 overlap
	Spencer Spencer, Nebraska Spencer is a village in Boyd County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 541 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Spencer is located at ....	112.62		West end of US 281 overlap
		116.21		East end of US 281 overlap
Knox Knox County, Nebraska -History:The Lewis and Clark Expedition passed through the area on 4 September 1804.The US Treaty with the Ponca tribe was signed at White Paint Creek on 9 June 1825.Knox County was formed in 1854. It was named after Major General Henry Knox.-Demographics:...	Niobrara Niobrara, Nebraska Niobrara is a village in Knox County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 370 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Niobrara is located at ....	150.28		West end of NE 14 overlap
		153.14		East end of NE 14 overlap
	Santee Santee, Nebraska Santee is a village in Knox County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 346 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Santee is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....	156.17
	Crofton Crofton, Nebraska Crofton is a city in Knox County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 754 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Crofton is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....	178.45
Cedar Cedar County, Nebraska -History:Cedar County was formed in 1855. It was named for the great number of cedars that grow there.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 9,615 people, 3,623 households, and 2,565 families residing in the county. The population density was 13 people per square mile . There were...		183.43
	Fordyce Fordyce, Nebraska Fordyce is a village in Cedar County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 139 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Fordyce is located at ....	185.47
		190.47
	St. Helena St. Helena, Nebraska St. Helena is a village in Cedar County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 96 at the 2010 census.-Geography:St. Helena is located at ....	191.47
	Wynot Wynot, Nebraska Wynot is a village in Cedar County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 166 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Wynot is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....	195.69
		200.15		West end of NE 15 overlap
Dixon Dixon County, Nebraska -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 6,339 people, 2,413 households, and 1,705 families residing in the county. The population density was 13 people per square mile . There were 2,673 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile...		207.86		East end of NE 15 overlap
	Ponca Ponca, Nebraska Ponca is a city in Dixon County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Sioux City, IA–NE–SD Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 961 at the 2010 census...	223.50
		224.48
Dakota Dakota County, Nebraska -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 20,253 people, 7,095 households, and 5,087 families residing in the county. The population density was 77 people per square mile . There were 7,528 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile...		231.26		Eastern terminus

External links

• The Nebraska Highways Page: Highways 1 to 30
• Nebraska Roads: NE 11-20