[4][5] It was named in honor of Alexander McDowell McCook, a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.39 square miles (13.96 km2), all land.

[13] Due to the very hot and humid summers typical of the Midwest and the January daily mean averaging around −3 °C (27 °F)[14] it has a little bit of influence of the subtropical climates to the south, although winter nights are way too severe for subtropical plants to thrive.

Precipitation is concentrated in spring and summer, accumulating to an annual normal of 22.53 in (572 mm), the majority of which occurs from May through August.

[16] The Harvey P. Sutton House at 602 Norris Avenue was designed by influential architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1905–1907 and built 1907–1908.

Another pitcher on the team, Pat Jordan, later became a writer for the Sporting News, and wrote an autobiography dealing with his career with the Braves, A False Spring.

McCook Junior College was founded in September 1926 on the second floor of the YMCA building on Main Street.

The name was eventually changed to McCook Community College and was governed over the Mid-Plains Area.

This event includes the Heritage Day Parade, a road race, entertainment from the high schoolers, and vendors on the street.

It includes crazy days sales in the stores, costume contests, and a car show.

On the Friday night of this weekend, the people of this small town bring out their old and fancy cars and cruise up and down the main street in town, West B St. and Norris Ave.[22] McCook hosts the Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival each summer.

As of 2015, council members are Mayor Mike Gonzales, Vice-President Janet Hepp, Jerry Calvin, Bruce McDowell, and Gene Weedin.

[26] The city government operates through eight departments and offices: Administration, Building and Zoning, Fire, Library, Police, Public Works, Senior Center, and Utilities.

U.S. Route 34 serves as a connection to Colorado and Denver to the West and is a key in state link to Lincoln via a number of other mid-sized Nebraska cities such as Holdrege, Hastings, Grand Island, and Seward.

U.S. Route 6 traveling west splits from US34 15 miles out of town and heads Northwest to Colorado.

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service through McCook, operating its California Zephyr daily in both directions between Chicago and Emeryville (Oakland), California, with stops in Omaha, Lincoln, and Hastings.

Former professional football player Jeff Kinney is a 1968 graduate of McCook High School.

John R. McCarl, the first Comptroller General of the United States, was raised in McCook.

[31] George W. Norris, who held seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate from 1903 to 1943, was a resident of McCook.

Norris was the driving force behind the conversion of Nebraska's legislature to a unicameral system; in the Senate, he was a leading figure behind the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Originally named Main, the principal north–south thoroughfare through central McCook was renamed Norris Avenue in his honor.

The storm formed around 4:30 p.m. Central Time and quickly developed into a large, wedge tornado.