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is a city in Cherry County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 2,820 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Cherry County.
magazine included Valentine in its list of the best ten wilderness towns and cities.
Valentine is named for Edward K. Valentine, who as a congressman from Nebraska, was the chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture during his six years in office (1879–1885). He was instrumental in getting local settlers' grievances redressed by the federal government.
Valentine is located at (42.873686, -100.550308). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.2 km²), all of it land.
Valentine is immediately north of the Niobrara River, on the northern edge of the Sandhills physiographic region. Merritt Reservoir, created by a dam on the Snake River, is located about 48 km (30 mi.) southwest of Valentine. Snake Falls, the largest falls in Nebraska, is located on the Snake River between the reservoir (a few miles downstream) and Valentine. Smith Falls, the tallest waterfall in Nebraska, is located on a small stream tributary to the Niobrara River about east of Valentine in Smith Falls State Park.
Just south of Valentine, a pair of bridges span the Niobrara River. The modern bridge carries traffic north and south along U.S. Route 83. Just to the west, an arched cantilever truss bridge named the Bryan Bridge is also open to through traffic. Designed by Josef Sorkin and built in 1932, the Bryan Bridge is made of steel and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.