Where is Buffalo County?

3 Buffalo Counties in 3 states · 66,292 people (2025)

There are 3 counties named Buffalo County in the United States, in Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The most populous is Buffalo County, Nebraska (county seat: Kearney), with 51,172 people in 2025. 2 of them are named after buffalo, common concept of a bovine animal.

Map of the United States showing where all 3 Buffalo Counties are, labeled by state
Every Buffalo County in the United States (red), labeled with its state. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025. Free to use with attribution (CC BY 4.0).

All 3 Buffalo Counties

Sorted by state. Each link opens the county's map.

StateCounty seatPopulation 2025Land area (sq mi)EstablishedNamed after
Buffalo County, NebraskaKearney51,1729681855buffalo
Buffalo County, South DakotaGann Valley1,8024711873buffalo
Buffalo County, WisconsinAlma13,3186761853Buffalo River

Questions about Buffalo Counties

How many Buffalo Counties are there?

There are 3 Buffalo Counties in the United States, in Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Which Buffalo County is the largest?

By population, Buffalo County, Nebraska (51,172 people in 2025). By land area, Buffalo County, Nebraska (968 sq mi).

Which Buffalo County is the oldest?

Buffalo County, Wisconsin, established in 1853. The newest is Buffalo County, South Dakota (1873).

Why are there so many Buffalo Counties?

2 of the 3 are named after buffalo, common concept of a bovine animal. Many counties took their names from the same founders, presidents and generals as new states were organized.

How do I find out which Buffalo County an address is in?

Open the county map of the state: it has a search box for cities, towns and ZIP codes. On a phone, the "what county am I in" tool on our sister site uses your location.

What county am I in? →

Other common county names