 State Highway 12 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outlaw Trail Scenic Byway | ||||
 Nebraska Highway 12 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained byNDOT | ||||
| Length | 231.26 mi[1] (372.18 km) | |||
| Existed | 1926–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end |  US 83 inValentine | |||
| Major intersections |  US 183 inSpringview N-137 west ofNaper US 281 inSpencer N-14 inNiobrara US 81 east ofCrofton N-15 west ofObert | |||
| East end |  US 20 west ofJackson | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Nebraska | |||
| Counties | Cherry,Keya Paha,Boyd,Knox,Cedar,Dixon,Dakota | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Nebraska Highway 12 is a highway in northern and northeasternNebraska. It has a western terminus atU.S. Highway 83 inValentine and an eastern terminus atU.S. Highway 20 west ofJackson. The highway largely lies within 10 miles (16 km) of theSouth Dakota border its entire length. The highway has been designated the Outlaw Trail Scenic Byway.
Nebraska Highway 12 begins at an intersection with US 83 in Valentine, Nebraska. It goes northeast out of Valentine through theFort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge before turning east. It also provides the easiest link toSmith Falls State Park. It passes throughSparks, then turns southeasterly towardsSpringview, where it meetsU.S. Highway 183. After a brief concurrency with US 183 north, it turns east and briefly overlapsNebraska Highway 137 before continuing eastward to another concurrency withNebraska Highway 11 inButte. It goes south out of Butte, then turns east and meetsU.S. Highway 281 inSpencer, which it also overlaps. It continues eastward through the tribal lands of thePonca Tribe of Nebraska and around the edge ofNiobrara State Park. It then crosses theNiobrara River and enters the village ofNiobrara, Nebraska, where it meetsNebraska Highway 14.[1][2]
NE 12 and NE 14 continue eastward together from Niobrara until NE 14 turns north to go across into South Dakota. NE 12 continues east through theSantee Indian Reservation and continues due east throughCrofton, Nebraska. It continues on the same line eastward, intersectingU.S. Highway 81 in the process, then turns southeastward nearWynot. It meetsNebraska Highway 15 and the two routes are paired together throughObert andMaskell before NE 15 turns north to go towardVermillion, South Dakota. It angles throughNewcastle andPonca. It turns briefly south, then goes southeast to end west ofJackson at an intersection withU.S. Highway 20.[1][2]
| County | Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry | Valentine | 0.00 | 0.00 | US 83 (Blue Star Memorial Highway) | Western terminus; road continues south as US 83 (Main Street) |
| Fort Niobrara NWR | 4.13 | 6.65 |   S-16A east | ||
| Keya Paha | Springview | 48.31 | 77.75 |  US 183 south (11th Street) | Western end of US 183 overlap |
| | 53.31 | 85.79 |  US 183 north | Eastern end of US 183 overlap | |
| | 75.41 | 121.36 | N-137 south | Western end of N-137 overlap | |
| | 79.90 | 128.59 | N-137 north | Eastern end of N-137 overlap | |
| Boyd | Naper | 89.47 | 143.99 |  S-8A north (County Road V) | |
| Butte | 102.53 | 165.01 |  N-11 south | Western end of N-11 overlap | |
| 103.53 | 166.62 |  N-11 north /Lewis and Clark Trail | Eastern end of N-11 overlap | ||
| Spencer | 112.60 | 181.21 | US 281 north | Western end of US 281 overlap | |
| | 116.19 | 186.99 | US 281 south | Eastern end of US 281 overlap | |
| Knox | Niobrara | 150.24 | 241.79 | N-14 south (Cedar Street) | Western end of N-14 overlap |
| 153.10 | 246.39 | N-14 north | Eastern end of N-14 overlap | ||
| Santee | 156.13 | 251.27 |  S-54D north | ||
| Crofton | 178.41 | 287.12 |  N-121 north (8th Street) | ||
| Cedar | | 183.39 | 295.14 | US 81 –Yankton SD,Norfolk | |
| Fordyce | 185.43 | 298.42 |  S-14A south (558th Avenue) | ||
| | 190.43 | 306.47 |  N-57 south | ||
| St. Helena | 191.43 | 308.08 |  S-14H north (564 Avenue) | ||
| Wynot | 195.65 | 314.87 |  S-14B north | ||
| | 200.11 | 322.05 | N-15 south (572 Avenue) | Western end of N-15 overlap | |
| Dixon | | 207.82 | 334.45 | N-15 north (579 Avenue) | Eastern end of N-15 overlap |
| Ponca | 223.49 | 359.67 |  S-26E north (Nebraska Street) | ||
| 224.47 | 361.25 |  N-9 south | |||
| Dakota | Willis | 231.26 | 372.18 | US 20 /Lewis and Clark Trail –Sioux City,O'Neill | Eastern terminus |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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