County outline
Where Dakota County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 98.9% of Dakota County’s measured area and water for 1.1%. Its combined area converts to 692.6 square kilometers or approximately 171,149 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 264.431 | 684.873 | 169,235.8 |
| Water | 2.99 | 7.744 | 1,913.6 |
| Total | 267.421 | 692.617 | 171,149.4 |
How Dakota County compares
By original Census land area, Dakota County ranks #92 of 93 in Nebraska and #2877 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.46 times the Nebraska county-equivalent median of 575.2 square miles. It accounts for 0.3% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Nebraska ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Dakota County
The Census Bureau estimates that 21,687 people lived in Dakota County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,791 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #16 of 93 in Nebraska. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 21,581, the population has grown by 106 (+0.5%), compared with +2.9% for Nebraska as a whole.
With 264.4 square miles of land, that is 82 people per square mile (32 per km²), placing Dakota County #1,137 nationally for density and #5 in Nebraska. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Nebraska median is 8. Put another way, there are about 7.8 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 21,544 | 21,272 | 21,227 | 21,307 | 21,494 | 21,687 |
| Change | — | −272 | −45 | +80 | +187 | +193 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Dakota County
6 incorporated places lie at least partly in Dakota County. Together they are home to 17,486 people (80.6%); the other 4,201 (19.4%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is South Sioux City city, with 14,158 residents in the county. The county seat, Dakota City city, has 2,080 residents. Among places with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, South Sioux City city grew fastest since then (+0.8%).
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Sioux City city | 14,158 | +0.8% | 6.817 |
| Dakota City cityCounty seat | 2,080 | −0.1% | 1.404 |
| Homer village | 523 | −1.7% | 0.37 |
| Emerson villageAlso in 2 other counties | 328 | −0.3% | 0.473 |
| Jackson village | 227 | +9.1% | 0.45 |
| Hubbard village | 170 | +7.6% | 0.14 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside Dakota County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Dakota County is a central county of the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its 3 county equivalents have 145,738 residents on 1,599.3 square miles of land; Dakota County accounts for 16.5% of the land and 14.9% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #206 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #302 by population. It belongs to the Sioux City-Le Mars, IA-NE-SD Combined Statistical Area.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| Woodbury CountyIowa | 106,649 | 872.9 |
| Dakota County | 21,687 | 264.4 |
| Union CountySouth Dakota | 17,402 | 462 |
ZIP codes
8 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Dakota County; 5 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
6803068731687336874168743687706877668785
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Dakota County
Dakota County shares a land border with 4 county equivalents, including 2 in Iowa and South Dakota. Each of them has more land than Dakota County. The largest neighbor is Woodbury County (872.9 mi²) and the smallest is Thurston County (393.6 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Dakota County forms a block of 2,468.5 mi² of land, of which it holds 10.7%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Dakota | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodbury CountyIowa | 872.9 | 3.3× larger | Compare |
| Dixon County | 475.6 | 1.8× larger | Compare |
| Union CountySouth Dakota | 462 | 1.7× larger | Compare |
| Thurston County | 393.6 | 1.5× larger | Compare |
How big is Dakota County compared with U.S. states?
Dakota County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 3.9 times as much. Nebraska’s county land could hold about 290 areas the size of Dakota County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 16.3 miles (26.2 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Dakota County?
Dakota County has more land than 345 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Dakota County at #2,907 nationally by total area, 30 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 1.1%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2%. The two percentages are within 0.1 percentage points of each other. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Dakota County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2876 | Prince George County, Virginia | 265.3 | Compare |
| #2877 | Dakota County, Nebraska | 264.4 | This county |
| #2878 | Storey County, Nevada | 263.8 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 42.390134, -96.564984. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 684,873,059 m²; AWATER: 7,742,890 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Dakota County?
Dakota County, Nebraska has 264.4 square miles (684.9 km²) of land and 2.99 square miles of water, for a total area of 267.4 square miles. It ranks #2877 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Dakota County the largest county in Nebraska?
No. Dakota County ranks #92 of 93 in Nebraska by land area. The largest is Cherry County, with 5,960.1 square miles of land.
What counties border Dakota County?
Dakota County shares a land border with Dixon County, Thurston County, Woodbury County, Iowa, and Union County, South Dakota.
What is the population of Dakota County?
The Census Bureau estimates Dakota County had 21,687 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,791 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 82 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Dakota County?
The county seat of Dakota County is Dakota City.
What cities and towns are in Dakota County?
Dakota County has 6 incorporated places. The most populous five are South Sioux City city, Dakota City city, Homer village, Emerson village, and Jackson village; 4,201 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is Dakota County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has 3 county equivalents and 145,738 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Dakota County?
8 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Dakota County, and 5 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Dakota County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 3.9 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Dakota County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 169,236 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 171,149 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.