The terrain of Hitchcock County consists of rolling low hills. The flattened hilltops are used for agriculture; mostly dry farming with some center pivot irrigation. The Republican River flows eastward through the central part of the county. The county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. The eastern two-thirds of the state of Nebraska observes Central Time; the western portion of the state observes Mountain Time. Hitchcock County is the westernmost county to observe Central Time.
Lakes
Swanson Lake: formed by a dam on the Republican River, between Stratton and Trenton.
As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 3,111 people, 1,287 households, and 899 families in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile. There were 1,675 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 98.36% White, 0.10% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.29% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. 1.41% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 1,287 households out of which 28.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.10% were married couplesliving together, 6.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.10% were non-families. 27.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.89. The county population contained 23.80% under the age of 18, 5.90% from 18 to 24, 22.60% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 22.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 95.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.60 males. The median income for a household in the county was $28,287, and the median income for a family was $34,490. Males had a median income of $25,833 versus $18,879 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,804. About 10.90% of families and 14.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.90% of those under age 18 and 8.40% of those age 65 or over.
Hitchcock County is strongly Republican in presidential elections. Since 1900, the county has failed to back the Republican candidate in only five presidential elections, most recently in 1936 in the midst of Franklin D. Roosevelt's national landslide victory.
