Tilden, NE

Tilden straddles Madison and Antelope counties in northeast Nebraska, with U.S. 275 running through town toward Norfolk and Neligh. The city was laid out by the railroad in 1880 as Burnett, incorporated under that name in 1885, and renamed Tilden by the post office in 1887 after presidential candidate Samuel J. Tilden. The Elkhorn River lies just beyond town, while the former railroad corridor now carries the Cowboy Trail. The 2020 census counted 992 residents.

Town routines revolve around a small civic center: monthly council meetings, city offices, the Raymond A. Whitwer Public Library, parks, and Elkhorn Valley Schools. Tilden Prairie Days brings a summer weekend of parades, music, vendors, food trucks, games, quilts, and fireworks. The city is also working through downtown revitalization and local business loans, with LB 840 funds and a rural housing program aimed at keeping investment in town. On the trail, Tilden works as a stop between Norfolk and the western Sandhills, while Highway 275 keeps county-seat and shopping trips pointed in both directions.