City of Waverly Logo

Waverly, NE was founded in 1870 when the railroad came through and brought businesses to the area. The town's name came from Sir Walter Scott's novel "Waverley" and several streets get their name from the novel. Waverly, NE is home of the Camp Creek Threshers, with a threshing machine on the welcome sign. Waverly is the home to 4 schools, 2 churches, a cemetery, and many businesses including a post office, bank, and City Office in the downtown area (among others) and a grocery store, pharmacy, restaurants, and many others in the Plaza and along Hwy 6.

Waverly is located 13 miles northeast of Lincoln on Highway 6. The population is 4,279, according to the 2020 census. In 2025, construction began on a new subdivision on the east side of Waverly, which is expected to add 500 homes upon completion.

On April 26, 2024, a powerful storm system produced multiple tornadoes across eastern Nebraska, including an EF-3 tornado that tracked from northeast Lincoln toward the Waverly area. While the storm caused damage to rural properties near Waverly, the outbreak also brought devastating impacts to communities farther east, including the heavily damaged neighborhoods in Elkhorn.