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Office: Valley County Emergency Management – 2019 P Street, Ord, NE 68862, (308) 750-3847
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: Nebraska Highways 11 and 70 intersect at Ord, the county seat, near the center of Nebraska; the North Loup River flows directly north of town
Transit: Limited; primarily auto-dependent – confirm current regional options directly with the county.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Valley County Courthouse – 125 S. 15th Street, Ord, NE 68862, (308) 728-3575
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Valley County Veterans Service Officer – Ord, NE
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Ord Township Library – Ord, NE 68862
Services: Serves as the primary library for Ord and the surrounding Valley County area.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Valley County, formed in 1871 and organized in 1873, takes its name from the local terrain – much of the county lies in the valley land between the North and Middle Loup Rivers. The county seat of Ord was named for Civil War General Edward O. C. Ord. Genuinely one of the county’s most treasured traditions is North Loup’s Popcorn Days, Nebraska’s longest continuously running community festival: local farmers experimenting with alternative crops in the North Loup valley found success growing popcorn, and the community celebrated its first Popcorn Days in 1901 – a tradition still held every August more than 125 years later, featuring a parade, carnival, talent show, and free popcorn for all. The county is also home to Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park north of Elyria, a well-preserved 1870s frontier military post, and the historic Arcadia Township Carnegie Library
Notes: Valley County’s North Loup Popcorn Days, running continuously since 1901, is genuinely Nebraska’s longest-running community festival and a distinctive point of local pride.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Valley County GIS – accessible via valleycountyne.gov
Parcel Search: Valley County Register of Deeds – 125 S. 15th Street, Ord, NE 68862
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Valley County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated animal shelter confirmed within Valley County, Nebraska – flagged honestly. County board records indicate a conditional use permit hearing for a proposed kennel operation, suggesting local capacity may be developing.
Contact: Valley County Sheriff’s Office handles animal-related calls; nearest dedicated shelters are in larger surrounding communities.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy – dee.nebraska.gov
Notes: Contact your specific municipality directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Valley County’s North Loup village genuinely hosts Popcorn Days, Nebraska’s longest continuously running community festival, celebrating over 125 years since its 1901 founding. No dedicated county animal shelter was confirmed. All contact information above was sourced from official county, city, and library pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Valley County County
Valley County is north-central Nebraska’s North Loup River and Sandhills-edge agricultural county – the spring-fed river and the transition from native Sandhills grassland to central Nebraska row crops define a community where Ord serves the county’s farming and ranching families in the rolling north-central Nebraska interior.
Ord (the county seat, population ~2,100) is Valley County’s governmental hub on US 281, a north-central Nebraska agricultural community whose North Loup River access, farming economy, and courthouse anchor its identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Valley County Assessor at 125 S. 15th Street, Ord, NE 68862, phone 308-728-3700. NE assessed at actual value.
Courts & Legal
Valley County District Court at 125 S. 15th Street, Ord, NE 68862, phone 308-728-3700, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
125 S. 15th St., Ord, NE 68862
(308) 728-3700
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Valley County Court, Probate Division (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Valley County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Valley County Court, Probate Division 125 South 15th Street, Ord, NE 68862 (308) 728-3831 Valley County is in central Nebraska, seated in Ord.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Nebraska adopted the Uniform Probate Code, codified as the Nebraska Probate Code (Neb. Rev. Stat. Chapter 30). In Nebraska, the COUNTY COURT has exclusive original jurisdiction over probate matters.
Small Estate Affidavit (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-24,125 for personal property; § 30-24,129 for real property) – as of a July 2024 statutory amendment, available when personal property does not exceed $100,000 and real property does not exceed $100,000 (both thresholds raised from $50,000). At least 30 days must have passed since death, and no application or petition for a personal representative may be pending. For personal property, the affiant presents a notarized affidavit directly to the institution holding the property along with a certified death certificate. For real property, the affidavit is filed with the register of deeds in the county where the property is located.
Informal Probate – the most common path for uncontested estates, handled by the county court registrar with minimal judicial involvement.
Formal Probate – required when there’s no will, when a will’s validity is contested, or when there’s disagreement over the personal representative or how assets should be distributed. Handled by a county judge.
Step 2: filing for formal or informal probate
File an application (informal) or petition (formal) with the County Court in the county where the decedent resided.
The court appoints the personal representative and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative publishes notice to creditors and gives direct notice to known creditors, who have a limited window from the date of first publication to file claims.
The personal representative inventories the estate’s assets and completes the required Probate Inventory Worksheet.
The personal representative completes and files any required Nebraska inheritance tax paperwork before the estate can be closed.
After debts, taxes, and expenses are paid, the personal representative distributes the remaining assets and closes the estate.
What it costs
Nebraska does not set statutory percentage-based fees; personal representative and attorney fees are generally based on reasonable compensation for time and services.
UNIQUE TO NEBRASKA: Nebraska is one of only six states with an inheritance tax, collected at the COUNTY level. Transfers to a surviving spouse are exempt; close relatives get reduced rates; more distant relatives and unrelated beneficiaries are taxed at higher rates.
No separate state estate tax.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
125 S. 15th St., Ord, NE 68862
(308) 728-5081
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
125 S. 15th St., Ord, NE 68862
(308) 728-3700
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Office: Valley County Public Health services coordinated through regional Nebraska public health district.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Ord
Population: 4,200
Area: 570 sq mi
Established: 1871
Public Records
TruthFinder
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