Scotts Bluff County is included in the Scottsbluff, NE Micropolitan Statistical Area.

The county is named for a prominent bluff that served as a landmark for 19th-century pioneers traveling along the Oregon Trail.

[3] Washington Irving claimed that, after being injured and abandoned, Scott had crawled sixty miles only to perish near the bluff that now bears his name.

Joined by the river, the former transportation highway, the two cities now form Nebraska's 7th-largest urban area.

The North Platte River flows east-southeastward through the upper central part of the county.

The county's terrain consists of arid rolling hills, about half of which is dedicated to agriculture.

The economy of Scotts Bluff County is based on agriculture, with the primary crops being sugar beets, corn, and beans.