Facts About Grand Island
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Grand Island is the third-largest city in Nebraska, behind Omaha and Lincoln.
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In 1857, 35 German settlers left Davenport, Iowa, and headed west to Nebraska to start a new settlement on an island known by French traders as La Grande Isle, which was formed by the Wood River and the Platte River. However, the first settlement was destroyed in 1859.
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In 1872 the town was incorporated as Grand Island.
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The city of Grand Island has a total area of 28.55 square miles, of which, 28.41 square miles is land and 0.14 square miles is water.
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In 2010, Grand Island became the home of the Nebraska State Fair, held annually and lasts around 11 days.
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The estimated population of Grand Island is 53,131, as of 2020 and The Grand Island metropolitan area has an official population of 83,472 residents.
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Grand Island has been given the All-America City Award four times in 1955, 1967, 1981, and 1982 by the National Civic League.
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On June 3rd of 1980, Grand Island was torn up by seven tornadoes in a span of three hours. This unusual storm destroyed large sections of the northwest and southeast sections of the city. A book, Night of the Twisters, by Ivy Ruckman, and movie were based on this event.
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Grand Island has two lakes, L E Ray Lake and Pier Lake.
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Stuhr Museum Of The Prairie Pioneer is a 200-acre campus that is dedicated to preserving the memory of pioneers who built Grand Island in the late 1800s.
