Free Online Nebraska City Directories

City and business directories are available online from all over the U.S. and are what I consider another important set of information that can assist you in advancing your family history and genealogy research.

This activity of presenting links is a collaborative effort between The Ancestor Hunt and Miriam Robbins, who for years has made available the Online Historical Directories website, which presents links to directories of all types that are available online, including free collections as well as those available only via subscription. I wish to thank Miriam for her help in launching this category of records at The Ancestor Hunt.

So, what kinds of directories are available to the researcher?  Naturally city and business directories, but also telephone directories, and alumni, farm, lodge, rural, and social directories.

What can you find in these records? How about:

• Full names, including middle names
• Spouse name
• Occupation
• Widows, working women, and adult children at home.
• Maps
• Businesses (and index to advertisers).
• Addresses and maps of churches, schools, funeral homes, cemeteries, post offices, courts, hospitals, benevolent associations, and newspapers.
• Whether a woman is a widow (including the name of her husband).
• List of marriages and deaths of the previous year.
• Death date.
• etc.

Here are a few good primers on the benefits of searching historical city and other directories:​

• FamilySearch – United States Directories
• How to Use City Directories In Your Genealogy Research 
• What’s In A City Directory? (a 10-article series about City Directories)

And here are various places where you can find other city directories online: 

• Where to Find City Directories Online

Note: Some of the links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage, please make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.

(Updated October 2022)

Links to these free collections are presented initially with statewide collections, followed in alphabetical order by city or county. Generally, the publishing company is included in the reference to the collection, along with the collection title, and the date(s) of the directory:

Statewide

• Nebraska Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1879–1883
• Nebraska Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1884–1885
• Nebraska Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1886–1889
• Nebraska Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1890–1891
• Nebraska Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1893
• Nebraska Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1894–1903
• Nebraska Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1907
• Nebraska Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1909
• Nebraska Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1911
• Nebraska Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1913
• Nebraska Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1915
• Nebraska Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1917

Blair

• Blair, Nebraska, City Directory – 1963

Boone County

• Boone County, Atlas and Directory, 1920

Burt County

• Burt County, Atlas and Directory, 1884

Butler and Polk Counties

• Butler and Polk Counties, Atlas and Directory, 1918

Campbell

• Campbell, Bicentennial History Book and Alumni Directory, 1976

Chadron

• Chadron, Nebraska, City Directory – 1960

Cheyenne County

• Cheyenne County, Standard Atlas and Directory, 1913

Cuming County

• Cuming County, Atlas and Directory, 1962

Fillmore County

• Fillmore County, Atlas and Directory, 1918
• Standard atlas of Fillmore County, 1905

Hamilton County

• Hamilton County, Standard Atlas and Directory, 1923

Holdrege

• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1909
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1942
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1952
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1954
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1957
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1959
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1961
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1963
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1964
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1966
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1968
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1970
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1972
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1974
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1975
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1977
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1978
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1980
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1982
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1983
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1985
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1987
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1988
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1989
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1990
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1991
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1992
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1994
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1996
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1997
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 1998
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 2000
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 2001
• City Directories – Holdrege, Nebraska – 2003
• Holdrege, Nebraska City Directory – 1957
• Holdrege, Nebraska City Directory – 1959
• Holdrege, Nebraska City Directory – 1964

Jefferson County

• Jefferson County, Nebraska Rural Resident Directory – 1971
• Jefferson County, Nebraska Rural Resident Directory – 1974
• Jefferson County, Nebraska Rural Resident Directory – 1976

Lancaster County

• Lancaster County Rural Directory, Montgomery & Fowler, 1925
• Lancaster County, Atlas and Directory, 1921

Lincoln

• Lincoln City Directory, 1918
• University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Alumni Directory, Class of 1908
• University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Alumni Directory, Graduates, 1869-1923
• University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Alumni Directory, Graduates, 1869-1923
• University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Alumni Directory: Graduates, 1869-1912
• University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Alumni Directory: Graduates, 1869-1912
• University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Alumni Directory, Graduates, 1869-1923

Norfolk

• 1888 Telephone Directory
• 1889 Business Directory
• 1889 Norfolk City Directory

Omaha

• Omaha City and South Omaha City Directory, 1874-1894
• Omaha City Directory, 1895-1900
• Omaha Telephone Pages, 1940

Pawnee County

• Pawnee County, County Map and Directory, 1878

Phelps County

• Phelps County (Nebraska) Directories – 1909
• Phelps County Directory, 1, 1927
• Phelps County Directory, 1, 1934
• Phelps County Directory, 2, 1934
• Phelps County Farm & Ranch Directory, 1, 1968
• Phelps County Nebraska Farm & Home Directory, 1, 1989
• Phelps County Nebraska Farm & Home Directory, 1, 1991A
• Phelps County Nebraska Farm & Home Directory, 1, 1992
• Phelps County Nebraska Farm & Home Directory, 1, 1993
• Phelps County Nebraska Farm & Home Plat & Directory, 1, 1996
• Phelps County Nebraska Farm & Home Plat & Directory, 1, 1998
• Phelps County Nebraska Farm & Home Plat & Directory, 1, 1999
• Phelps County Nebraska Farm & Home Plat & Directory, 1, 2004
• Phelps County Nebraska Farm & Ranch Directory, 1, 1967
• Phelps County Nebraska Farm & Ranch Directory, 1, 1970
• Phelps County Nebraska Farm and Ranch Directory, 1, 1965
• Phelps County Nebraska Farm Directory, 1, 1945
• Phelps County Nebraska Farm Directory, 1, 1947
• Phelps County Nebraska Farm Directory, 1, 1950
• Phelps County Nebraska Farm Directory, 1, 1952
• Phelps County Nebraska Farm Directory, 1, 1961
• Phelps County Nebraska Farm Directory, 1, 1964
• Phelps County Nebraska Farm Directory, 1, 1966
• Phelps County Nebraska Rural Directory, 1, 1984
• Phelps County Nebraska Rural Directory, 1, 1985A
• Phelps County Nebraska Rural Directory, 1, 1986
• Phelps County Nebraska Rural Directory, 2, 1988-B
• Phelps County Nebraska Rural Directory, 2, 1991B
• Phelps County Nebraska Rural Resident Directory, 1, 1978
• Phelps County Nebraska Rural Resident Directory, 1, 1979
• Phelps County Nebraska Rural Resident Directory, 1, 1980
• Phelps County Nebraska Rural Resident Directory, 1, 1981
• Phelps County Nebraska Rural Resident Directory, 1, 1982
• Phelps County Nebraska Rural Resident Directory, 1, 1983
• Phelps County Nebraska Rural Resident Directory, 2, 1983
• Phelps County Rural Nebraska Directory, 2, 1985B
• Phelps County, Nebraska Farm & Home Directory, 1, 1969
• Phelps County, Nebraska Farm & Home Directory, 1, 1988
• Phelps County, Nebraska Farm & Home Directory, 1, 1990
• Phelps County, Nebraska Farm & Home Plat & Directory, 1, 1995
• Phelps County, Nebraska Farm & Home Plat & Directory, 1, 1997
• Phelps County, Nebraska Farm Directory, 1, 1946
• Phelps County, Nebraska Rural Resident Directory, 1, 1977
• Phelps County, Nebraska, Farm Directory, 1, 1959
• Phelps Nebraska County Directory, 1, 1971
• Phelps Nebraska County Directory, 1, 1972
• Phelps Nebraska County Directory, 1, 1973
• Phelps Nebraska County Directory, 1, 1975
• Phelps Nebraska County Directory, 1, 1976

Platte County

• Platte County, Atlas and Directory, 1923

Saline County

• Saline County, Atlas and Directory, 1918

Sidney

• Sidney, Nebraska, City Directory – 1962

Thayer County

• Thayer County, Standard Atlas and Directory, 1916

Washington County

• Washington County, Atlas and Directory, 1920

York City and County

• York City and County Directories, Wolfe, 1891-2 
• York City Directory, Ward, 1887
• York County Business and Farmers’ Directories, Wolfe, 1890