Thurston County is the northeasternmost county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 6,773. Its county seat is Pender. In the Nebraska license plate system, Thurston County is represented by the prefix 55. The Siouan-speaking Omaha and Ho-Chunk have reservations in Thurston County. The two reservations combined comprise the county's entire land area.