Hastings, Nebraska

Hastings, Nebraska
Downtown Hastings: 2nd Street, looking eastward, November 2012
Location within Adams and Nebraska
Coordinates: 40°35′46″N 98°23′24″W / 40.59611°N 98.39000°W / 40.59611; -98.39000
Country United States
State Nebraska
CountyAdams
Founded1872
Incorporated1874
Area
  Total
15.05 sq mi (38.97 km2)
  Land14.87 sq mi (38.51 km2)
  Water0.18 sq mi (0.46 km2)
Elevation
1,926 ft (587 m)
Population
 (2020)
  Total
25,152
  Density1,691.46/sq mi (653.09/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (CST)
  Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
68901-68902
Area code402
FIPS code31-21415
GNIS ID838051
U.S. Routes
Websitecityofhastings.org

Hastings is a city in and the county seat of Adams County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 25,152 at the 2020 census, making it the 8th most populous city in Nebraska.

Edwin Perkins invented Kool-Aid in Hastings in 1927; the town celebrates the invention with the Kool-Aid Days festival every August.

During World War II, Hastings operated the largest Naval Ammunition Depot in the United States, and for this reason was awarded the distinction of American World War II Heritage City by the National Park Service in 2023.