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Traffic heat map of Polk County, Nebraska: 111 miles of roads shaded from blue (light) to red (heavy traffic), busiest on US 81 and County Road 131

Polk County, Nebraska Traffic Counts

The average road here carries 1,495 vehicles a day, 58% less than the Nebraska average of 3,598. This page breaks down traffic in Polk County, Nebraska across 111 miles of monitored roads split into 934 segments, using multi-sourced mobile and sensor data. It goes beyond raw counts to truck flow, congestion and who is driving, so site selection and route planning rest on evidence.
Data sourced from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform.
Data current as of:
Q3 2026
Updated:
September 29, 2026
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total traffic icon

Total Traffic Volume & Performance in Polk County, Nebraska

Traffic

The average number of vehicles that travel each day over any road in the road network.

vehicles per day1,495
Trucks

The percentage of the total traffic volume composed of heavy vehicles.

10.8%
Average travel time

The average time of travel averaged among all vehicles traveling on the road network.

39.4 min
Drivers’ average age

Average age of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

50.6 yrs
Drivers’ average income

Average income of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

$76,392

Our data shows 1,495 vehicles per day on the average road in Polk County, Nebraska, and 153,198 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈55.9 million per year) across its 111 miles of monitored roads. About 1 in 9 vehicles is a truck, in line with Nebraska (11.5%).

Traffic 58% below the Nebraska average

Polk's average daily traffic volume is 58% lower than the state average - 1,495 vehicles per day against 3,598 - suggesting less traffic load per road - quiet roads that suit freight movement more than drive-by retail. In total volume terms, its road network carries about 0.3% of Nebraska's statewide total of vehicle-miles. By volume, Polk's 1,495 vehicles per day outpaces 55% of counties in Nebraska.

At 39.4 minutes, the average travel time is 19% higher than the state level. 70% of counties in Nebraska have a shorter average travel time than Polk's 39.4 minutes.

Highway vs. Non-Highway Traffic Analysis

highway traffic icon

Highway Traffic in Polk County, Nebraska

Trafficvehicles per day3,259
Trucks12.6%
Average travel time42.1 min
Drivers’ average age50.5 yrs
Drivers’ average income$76,574

Highways carry more than half of all travel in Polk County, Nebraska (66% of vehicle-miles). The average highway carries 3,259 vehicles per day, 379% more than the average non-highway road in the same area, which carries 681 vehicles per day.

Highways make up 28% of the monitored road miles (31 miles, 295 segments), so they carry more than their share: 100,982 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈36.9 million per year).

Lower highway truck share than 70% of counties in Nebraska

At 12.6%, highway truck share is 29% lower than the state average. Highways here mostly serve passenger trips, so local access matters more than long-haul routing for logistics operators.

By truck concentration, highways here trail 70% of counties in Nebraska. Polk's highway truck count is lower than 52% of counties in Nebraska, at roughly 409 trucks per day.

non-highway traffic icon

Non-highway Traffic in Polk County, Nebraska

Trafficvehicles per day681
Trucks7.5%
Average travel time38.2 min
Drivers’ average age52.3 yrs
Drivers’ average income$75,978

A significant share of driving in Polk County, Nebraska, 34% of vehicle-miles, happens on local roads. The average non-highway road carries 681 vehicles per day.

Spread over 80 miles and 639 segments, 72% of the road network, local roads carry a lighter load per mile: 52,215 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈19.1 million per year). Trucks make up 7.5% of non-highway traffic, about 1 in 13 vehicles.

Drivers from higher-income areas than 79% of counties in Nebraska

Non-highway roads carry a truck concentration that's 41% lower than the highway network.

79% of counties in Nebraska see lower average driver income among trip origins than Polk. The driver population here skews younger than 55% of counties in Nebraska.

Time-of-Day & Seasonal Patterns

peak hours icon
Peak Traffic Windows
Weekday peaks:
A long morning plateau from 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM and a long afternoon plateau from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, with volumes reaching approximately 61% higher than the daily average.
Weekend traffic:
Weekends are much quieter: volumes run about 24% below weekday levels, the signature of a commute-driven road network.
seasonal traffic icon
Seasonal Fluctuation
Busy season:
May–July is the high season, with volumes +21% versus the annual average.
Lowest month:
January is the quietest month, with volumes -20% versus the annual average - the usual winter low.

Data Finding: Hourly & Seasonal Patterns

In Polk County, Nebraska, the peak hour concentrates about 7% of the day's traffic, and there is a strong seasonal swing of +21% in high season.

Polk County vs. Nebraska Traffic Comparison

Of the four measures, average daily traffic per road differs most: Polk County runs 58% below the Nebraska average. Its highway truck share is also 29% below.

MetricPolk CountyNebraska averageDifference
Traffic1,4953,598-58.4%
Truck % (Total Traffic)10.8%11.5%-6.2%
Truck % (Highway)12.6%17.6%-28.7%
Avg. Travel Time39.4 min33.0 min+19.3%

How Polk County compares

Polk County against nearby counties

Compared with its 4 closest neighbours, Polk County moves 32.8% of the total daily travel; it has the third busiest roads of the five. Smaller and quieter on both counts: a shorter network than the areas around it, carrying lighter traffic across it.

Polk County and the 4 nearest county-level areas by centroid distance, with the Nebraska average for scale.
AreaAverage daily trafficTruck shareDaily vehicle-milesAverage travel timeCongestion ratio
Polk County1,49510.8%153,19839.4 minN/A
Butler County, Nebraska1,20410.2%232,52141.6 minN/A
York County, Nebraska1,76918.8%747,17434.4 minN/A
Nance County, Nebraska8718.0%60,30337.9 minN/A
Platte County, Nebraska3,7408.3%829,94735.9 minN/A
Nebraska average3,59811.5%N/A33.0 min17.5%

Polk County ranked within Nebraska

Average driver income places Polk County #20 of 93 in Nebraska - the top quarter of the state.

Polk County ranked among 93 county-level areas in Nebraska (1 = highest); measures without data in every county rank a smaller field, down to 61.
MeasurePolk CountyNebraska rank
Traffic volume (AADT)1,495#42 of 93
Highway vehicle-miles per day100,982#39 of 61
Truck share on highways12.6%#43 of 61
Highway trucks per day409#32 of 61
Average travel time39.4 min#29 of 93
Average driver income$76,392#20 of 93
Average driver age50.6 yrs#52 of 93

Busiest roads in Polk County, Nebraska

The three busiest roads in Polk County average 4,041 vehicles a day, 2.7 times the county average of 1,495 across all its monitored roads.

US 81 is the busiest road, at 4,289 vehicles a day, 448 of them trucks (10.4%). County Road 131 is practically level with it at 4,235. County Road 131 carries the most trucks, 541 a day (12.8% of its traffic), although it ranks #2 for all traffic.

Ranked by daily traffic (AADT)

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1US 81Trunk road · 4,289vehicles448trucks · 10.4%
Road class
Trunk road
Median trip time
34.6 min
Drivers’ median age
48.5 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$73,224

On its busiest stretch, US 81 carries 2.9 times the county average; trucks are 10.4% of it, in line with the county-wide 10.8%.

2County Road 131Trunk road · 4,235vehicles541trucks · 12.8%
Road class
Trunk road
Median trip time
40.2 min
Drivers’ median age
50.5 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$82,567

County Road 131 peaks at 4,235 vehicles a day, 2.8 times the county average; trucks are 12.8% of it, above the county-wide 10.8%.

3County Road 130Trunk road · 3,599vehicles443trucks · 12.3%
Road class
Trunk road
Median trip time
43.1 min
Drivers’ median age
51.3 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$76,795

County Road 130 carries 2.4 times the county average at its busiest, 443 of them trucks (12.3%, above the county-wide 10.8%).

4Park StreetTrunk road · 3,582vehicles476trucks · 13.3%
Road class
Trunk road
Median trip time
42.1 min
Drivers’ median age
50.5 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$83,120

Park Street carries 2.4 times the county average on its busiest stretch, where the median trip lasts 42.1 minutes.

5County Road XTrunk road · 3,367vehicles359trucks · 10.7%
Road class
Trunk road
Median trip time
41.0 min
Drivers’ median age
49.4 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$73,815

At 2.3 times the county average, County Road X draws drivers from neighborhoods averaging $73,815 in household income.

Ranked by trucks per day

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1County Road 131Trunk road · #2 by traffic4,235vehicles541trucks · 12.8%
2Park StreetTrunk road · #4 by traffic3,582vehicles476trucks · 13.3%
3US 81Trunk road · #1 by traffic4,289vehicles448trucks · 10.4%
4County Road 130Trunk road · #3 by traffic3,599vehicles443trucks · 12.3%
5Main StreetTrunk road · 3,327vehicles404trucks · 12.2%
Road class
Trunk road
Median trip time
40.8 min
Drivers’ median age
51.5 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$72,275

The busiest stretch of Main Street carries 2.2 times the county average; trucks are 12.2% of it, above the county-wide 10.8%.

How to read these road counts
  • The first number is AADT, annual average daily traffic: the vehicles passing a point on an average day, both directions combined and trucks included. On a divided highway both carriageways are added together.
  • Traffic changes along a road, with more near interchanges and towns and less in open country. Every figure for a road describes its busiest stretch in the county, so the two rankings show the same numbers for the same road.
  • The second number is the trucks on that stretch, a part of its AADT. The bar splits the AADT into cars and light vehicles (blue) and trucks (amber).
  • See segment-level AADT for any road on TrafficZoom.

Data Sources & Methodology

The data presented on this page is derived from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform, which aggregates and normalizes information from multiple sources, including:

Mobile device location data (anonymized and aggregated)

Road sensor networks and traffic counters

Historical traffic pattern databases

Public traffic count programs published by the

PolkDepartment of Transportation

Demographic Baseline for O-D Modeling

U.S. Census Bureau
All metrics represent estimates based on statistical modeling and are intended for strategic planning purposes.
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Data current as of:
Q3 2026

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Counties near Polk County

The same traffic breakdown for the areas closest to Polk County, Nebraska.

Need segment-level traffic data?

Identify traffic patterns street by street and analyze the exact corridors that matter to your project.