Grand Island is located in
Hall County (of which it is the county seat) 22 miles north of
Hastings between
Aurora and Alda along Hwy 34/281 on the banks of the Platte River near Crane Meadow Nature Center and Cheyenne State Recreation Area.
The 1857 German immigrant settlement, sponsored by the Chubb brothers and Barrows Town Company of Davenport, Iowa, was made along the Platte River Road. The area was first incorporated in 1872.
Today, Grand Island is a manufacturing giant, offering more jobs in this field than the two neighboring Tri-City neighbors combined.
This community is a railroad city even today, with major railroad lines Union Pacific and Burlington Northern crossing through the city.
