Location and Transportation

Nebraska is known to many as the “Heartland of America.” With its central location, Nebraska provides affordable and convenient access to all parts of the United States. Metropolitan centers within a 500-mile radius include Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, St. Paul, St. Louis, Memphis, Ft. Worth, Dallas, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Milwaukee, Albuquerque and Salt Lake City.

Location is one of Kearney’s greatest assets. Situated in south-central Nebraska, Kearney, the county seat of Buffalo County, is located on the north bank of the Platte River at the southern-most point of the river as it dips in a great arc across Nebraska. Situated in the south-central part of the state, Kearney is served by Interstate 80; U.S. Highway 30 and state highways 10, 40 and 44. Kearney is 186 miles west of Omaha and 361 miles east of Denver.

Nebraska provides extensive highway and rail corridors to both coasts, plus access to the Gulf of Mexico from ports on the Missouri River. Many Midwestern cities are within 24 hours shipping time and no major city is more than four hours by air, four days by truck or five days by rail. Nebraska manufacturers ship everything from auto parts to electronics throughout the world.

The Kearney Municipal Airport, located three miles northeast of Kearney, provides passenger, air freight and air express services. Non-stop air service is available to Denver International Airport with just over an hour travel time. The Kearney airport offers access to flights in 600 cities with 100 direct flights. Flights to eastern locations from Denver are more convenient than driving to an eastern Nebraska airport to fly east. Public ground transportation is available via rental cars, hotel shuttles and taxi.

Facilities at the Kearney Municipal Airport include two paved and lighted runways, pilots lounge, aircraft maintenance and repair, refueling, pilot training,
charter, air ambulance, agriculture crop spraying, hangar storage, tie down and other services. Four of the 64 private planes hangared at the airport are available for charter. The elevation at the airport is 2,131 feet, the latitude is 40 43’29”N and the longitude is 99 00’19”W.

Car rental and free Internet access are available in the terminal. Terminal hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Kearney Trolleys Inc. is a working portion of the transportation system and a unique part of the community’s character. The Kearney trolleys, Carl and Rosie, offer chartered package tours for visitors and local residents. Tour possibilities include such area attractions as historical parks, museums, the crane watch site and Great Platte River Road Archway Monument. Charter services include wedding parties, conventions, tours, birthday parties, holiday party tours and school field trips.

The Black Hills Stage Line, Inc., serves Kearney with seven buses daily and provides bus parcel service. Direct service is available to Omaha, Lincoln, Iowa City, Des Moines, Cheyenne, Chicago, Denver, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Interconnections are made with other transcontinental carriers to major cities in the United States. Charter bus service is also available.

Eppley Express provides direct access from Kearney to the Eppley Airfield in Omaha, the Lincoln Municipal Airport, Grand Island and York with three buses Monday through Friday, one bus on Saturday and two buses on Sunday.

R.Y.D.E. (Reach Your Destination Easily) operates “on-demand” door-to-door public transportation for Buffalo County. Buses operate from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday thru Friday. There are numerous senior citizen transportation buses in Kearney.

Kearney Cab Company serves the community with three radio-equipped cabs.

Kearney is served by a main line of the Union Pacific Railroad with approximately 100 freight trains daily. Switching is done by local switch crews. There are 690 inbound cars, excluding cars and 675 outbound cars annually.

Amtrak provides Holdrege, a town 30 miles southwest of Kearney, with rail passenger service east to Chicago and west to Denver and San Francisco/Oakland. The Superliner features coach and first-class accommodations, dining car service and checked baggage service from most cities. Travel time is 13 hours to Chicago and 36 hours to the West Coast. Amtrak has one train each way daily.