Everything about Omaha Ne totally explained
|area_magnitude = 1 E8
|established_title = Founded
|established_title2 =
Incorporated
|established_date = 1854
|established_date2 = 1857
|area_total_sq_mi = 118.9
|area_total_km2 = 307.9
|area_land_sq_mi = 115.7
|area_land_km2 = 299.7
|area_water_sq_mi = 3.2
|area_water_km2 = 8.2
|area_urban_sq_mi =
|area_urban_km2 =
|area_metro_sq_mi =
|area_metro_km2 =
|population_as_of =
2000
|population_note =
|population_total = 390,007 (427,872: 2006 estimate)
|population_metro = 829,890
|population_urban = 767,041
|population_density_km2 = 1301.5
|population_density_sq_mi = 3370.7
|timezone =
CST
|utc_offset = -6
|timezone_DST =
CDT
|utc_offset_DST = -5
|latd = 41 |latm = 15 |lats = 37.74 |latNS = N
|longd = 96 |longm = 0 |longs = 46.76 |longEW = W
|elevation_m = 332
|elevation_ft = 1090
|postal_code_type = ZIP codes
|postal_code = 68022, 68101-68164
|area_code =
402
|website =
www.ci.omaha.ne.us
|blank_name =
FIPS code
|blank_info = 31-37000
|blank1_name =
GNIS feature ID
|blank1_info = 0835483
|footnotes =
}}
Omaha is the largest city in the state of
Nebraska,
United States. It is the
county seat of
Douglas County. According to the 2006 estimate by the
United States Census Bureau, Omaha's population was 427,872, which included the addition of 8,300 people gained by annexing the smaller city of
Elkhorn. Before the annexation, the city had a population of 390,007, according to the
2000 census. Located on the eastern edge of Nebraska, it's on the
Missouri River, about 20 miles (30 km) north of the mouth of the
Platte River. Omaha is the anchor of the
Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area.
Council Bluffs,
Iowa lies directly across the Missouri River from Omaha. The city and its suburbs formed the 60th-largest
metropolitan area in the United States in 2000, with an estimated population of 829,890 residing in eight counties or about 1.2 million within a 50 mile (80 km) radius.
The city grew on the
Missouri River, with the first settlement extending from the
Lone Tree Ferry crossing from
Kanesville, Iowa in the early 1850s. Omaha earned its nickname, the "Gateway to the West", because of its central location as a
transportation hub for the
United States in the late 1800s.
Today Omaha has a rich
cultural background, including the
Joslyn Art Museum, the
Durham Museum, the
Holland Performing Arts Center, and the
Omaha Community Playhouse. The city's
historical and cultural attractions have been lauded by numerous national newspapers, including the
Boston Globe and the
New York Times.
Along with headquarters for such companies as
Berkshire Hathaway,
Union Pacific Railroad,
Valmont Industries, and
Conagra, Omaha is known for its history with
Mutual of Omaha. In 2001
Newsweek identified the city as one of the Top 10 high-tech havens, showing how much the local economy had changed.
Music in Omaha has always been important to the city, with
North Omaha's music scene being historically important and in modern times, the "Omaha Sound", defining an important trend across the nation.
History
Since the 1600s, the
Omaha,
Pawnee,
Otoe, the
Missouri, the
Ponca and
Ioway all variously occupied the land that became Omaha. The word "Omaha" (actually
UmoNhoN or
UmaNhaN) means "Dwellers on the bluff".
The
Lewis and Clark Expedition passed by the riverbanks that would later become the city of Omaha in 1804, and met on
Council Bluff at a point about 20 miles (30 km) north of present-day Omaha, at which point they met with the Otoe. That same area saw the development of
Fort Lisa in 1806;
Fort Atkinson in 1819; and
Cabanne's Trading Post, built in 1822. The
Mormons built a town called
Cutler's Park in the area in 1846.
Pioneer Omaha
Before it was legal to claim land in
Indian Country,
William D. Brown was operating the
Lone Tree Ferry to bring settlers from
Council Bluffs to the area that became Omaha. Brown is generally credited as having the first vision for a city where Omaha now sits. The passage of the
Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854 was presaged by the staking out of claims around the area that was to become Omaha by residents from neighboring
Council Bluffs, Iowa. With the founding of the city on July 4, 1854, the
Omaha Claim Club was formed to provide
vigilante justice for
claim jumpers and others who infringed on the land of many of the city's
founding fathers. Some of this land was later used to entice
Nebraska Territory legislators in an area called
Scriptown. The violent tactics used by the Claim Club to secure land were later nullified by the
U.S. Supreme Court, who ruled against numerous landowners in
Baker v. Morton.
Many of Omaha's early pioneers stayed at the
Douglas House, and later most of them, along with the city's
founding figures, are buried in
Prospect Hill Cemetery, next to soldiers from
Fort Omaha, and early European immigrants and African Americans. There are several other
historical cemeteries in Omaha, as well. From the second generation of Omaha's leadership to now, many notable and average Omahans have been buried at
Forest Lawn Cemetery in far North Omaha.
Early development
In the late 19th and early 20th century, new immigrants created a variety of
ethnic enclaves throughout the city, including
Little Italy,
Near North Side,
Sheelytown, and
Little Bohemia. Most of these communities were close to where men worked at the
Omaha Stockyards,
Jobbers Canyon and the
Union Pacific Railroad Yards in
East Omaha. Four of five major meatpacking companies were located in Omaha.
In contrast, beginning in the late 1800s Omaha's upper class lived in posh suburbs throughout the city, including the south and
north Gold Coast neighborhoods,
Bemis Park,
Field Club and throughout
Midtown. They traveled the city's sprawling
park system on
boulevards designed by renowned
landscape architect Horace Cleveland. The
Omaha Horse Railway, pulled by horses, carried passengers throughout the city, as did the
Omaha Cable Tramway Company.
Gambling, drinking and prostitution were widespread and controlled by Omaha's
political boss,
Tom Dennison, with support from Omaha's "perpetual" mayor,
"Cowboy Jim" Dahlman, nicknamed for his long tenure. Prostitution was rampant in the city's
Burnt District and later in the
Sporting District. In 1898 Omaha 's leadership created the
Trans-Mississippi Exposition, touted as a celebration of agricultural and industrial growth throughout the
Midwest, along with the
Indian Congress, which drew more than 500
American Indians from across the country. More than 2,000,000 visitors attended the event, held in the
Kountze Place subdivision of the city.
Later development
After a tumultuous 1930s during the Great Depression, Omaha rebounded with the development of
Offutt Air Force Base just south of the city. The
Glenn L. Martin Company operated a factory there in the 1940s that produced 521
B-29 Superfortresses, including the
Enola Gay and
Bockscar. The construction of
Interstates 80,
480 and
680, along with the
North Omaha Freeway, spurred development but caused controversy, particularly in
North Omaha, which was bisected by new routes. In 1969,
Woodmen Tower was completed and became Omahas tallest building and first major skyscraper of Omaha at
From the 1990s Omaha has continued expanding and growing. One First National Center, or First National Bank Tower was completed in 2002 and replaced the Woodmen Tower as the tallest building in Omaha at The creation of
NoDo included the construction of the
Qwest Arena and the
Slowdown/
Film Streams development at 14th and Webster Streets. New construction has occurred throughout the city, with important developments in
Downtown Omaha, the former
Ak-Sar-Ben facility, and around
West Omaha.
Civil Rights Movement in Omaha
The
civil rights movement in Omaha has roots that extend back to 1912, when a chapter was founded of the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In 1928 the
Urban League of Nebraska started the first chapter in the western United States, sited in
North Omaha. Both of these organizations continue to be active in Omaha.
Student and
youth activism in Omaha led to the creation of two local groups:
Creighton University's
DePorres Club, started in 1947, and the
Black Association for Nationalism Through Unity (BANTU), popular throughout the 1960s.
Cityscape
Metropolitan area
The Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area consists of eight counties; five in Nebraska and three in Iowa. In descending order of population, they are:
The Omaha-Council Bluffs
Combined Statistical Area comprises the Omaha-Council Bluffs
Metropolitan Statistical Area and the
Fremont Micropolitan Statistical Area; the CSA has a population of 858,720 (2005 Census Bureau estimate). Omaha ranks as the 43rd-largest city in the United States, and is the core city of its 60th-largest metropolitan area.
Neighborhoods
Omaha is generally divided into five geographic areas:
Downtown,
Midtown,
North Omaha,
South Omaha and
West Omaha. There is also small community in
East Omaha.
The city has a wide range of historical and new neighborhoods and suburbs that reflect its
socioeconomic diversity. Early neighborhood development of ethnic enclaves, including
Little Italy,
Little Bohemia and
Greek Town, have given way to
gated communities. Recently, Omahans have made strides to revitalize a healthy and vibrant
downtown area, including the redevelopment of the
Old Market and the designation of the
Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District. At the turn of the century the City of Omaha annexed several surrounding communities, including
Florence,
Dundee and
Benson. At the same time, the city annexed all of
South Omaha, including its historic neighborhoods such as
Dahlman and
Burlington Road. From its first annexation in 1857 (of
East Omaha) to its recent and controversial annexation of
Elkhorn, Omaha has constantly had an eye towards growth.
Landmark preservation
Omaha is home to dozens of nationally, regionally and locally significant landmarks. The city has more than a dozen
historic districts, including
Fort Omaha Historic District,
Gold Coast Historic District,
Omaha Quartermaster Depot Historic District, Field Club Historic District, Bemis Park Historic District, and the
South Omaha Main Street Historic District. Omaha is notorious for its 1989 demolition of 24 buildings in the
Jobbers Canyon Historic District, which represented the largest loss of buildings on the National Register ever lost to date. The only original building still standing is the
Nash Block.
Omaha has almost
one hundred individual properties listed on the
National Register of Historic Places, including the
Bank of Florence,
Holy Family Church, the
Christian Specht Building and the
Joslyn Castle. There are also three properties designated as highly-selective
National Historic Landmarks.
Locally designated landmarks including residential, commercial, religious, educational, agricultural and socially significant locations across the city accentuate Omaha's cultural legacy and important history. The
City of Omaha Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission is the government body that works with the
mayor of Omaha and the
Omaha City Council to protect historic places. Important history organizations in the community include the
Douglas County Historical Society and
Landmarks, Inc.
Culture
Omaha is home to the
Omaha Community Playhouse, the largest
community theater in the
United States. The
Omaha Symphony Orchestra and its modern
Holland Performing Arts Center, the
Opera Omaha at the
Orpheum theater, the
Blue Barn Theatre, and
The Rose Theater form the backbone of Omaha's
performing arts community.
Opened in 1931, the
Joslyn Art Museum has significant art collections. Since its inception in 1976,
Omaha Children's Museum has been a place where children can challenge themselves, discover how the world works and learn through play. The largest urban artists' colony in the world, the
Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, was founded in Omaha in 1981, and the
Durham Western Heritage Museum is accredited with the
Smithsonian Institution for traveling exhibits from the Smithsonian. The annual
Omaha Blues, Jazz, & Gospel Festival celebrates local music along with the
Omaha Black Music Hall of Fame.
In 1955 Omaha's
Union Stockyards overtook
Chicago's stockyards as the United States' meat packing center, and this legacy is reflected in Omaha's renowned steakhouses like
Gorat's and the recently closed
Mister C's, as well as through the retail chain
Omaha Steaks.
The
Henry Doorly Zoo is widely considered one of the premier zoos in the world. It houses the world's largest indoor rainforest exhibit, indoor desert exhibit, and nocturnal animal exhibit, the largest cat complex in North America, and one of the country's best aquariums outside of
SeaWorld.
Omaha's historic downtown area known as the
Old Market boasts an incredible history of its own. The entire twelve city blocks that it rests on are recognized by the National Register of Historical Places. Today its warehouses and other buildings house shops, restaurants, bars, and art galleries.
The
Omaha Botanical Gardens features 100 acres (40
hectares), while the new
Kenefick Park recognizes Union Pacific's long history in Omaha.
North Omaha is the home to several historical
cultural attractions, including the
Dreamland Historical Project,
Love’s Jazz & Art Center, and the John Beasley Theater. The annual
River City Roundup is celebrated at
Fort Omaha;
Florence Days celebrate
Florence history, and;
Native Omaha Days is a biennial event celebrating
Near North Side heritage.
There is a long history of religious influence throughout the Omaha area. The
city's Christian community includes several historical churches dating from the founding of the city, as well as small, medium and
megachurches. Omaha hosts the
only LDS temple in Nebraska, along with a significant
Jewish community. The
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha includes 152 parishes, while there are several
Orthodox Christian congregations throughout the city, as well.
Sports
Omaha's
Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium is home to the
Omaha Royals minor-league baseball team (the AAA affiliate of the
Kansas City Royals). Since 1950, it has hosted the annual
NCAA College World Series men's baseball tournament in mid-June. However there are plans to move the CWS downtown to a new stadium.
A tribute to Omaha's meatpacking past, the
Omaha Beef indoor football team plays at the
Omaha Civic Auditorium.
The
Creighton University Bluejays compete in a number of
NCAA Division I sports. In addition to
baseball they play
soccer at
Morrison Stadium and
basketball at the
Qwest Center.
Ice hockey is a popular spectator sport in Omaha. The two Omaha-area teams are the
Omaha Lancers, a
USHL team that plays in the neighboring city of
Council Bluffs at the
Mid-America Center and the
University of Nebraska at Omaha Mavericks, an NCAA Division I team that plays at the Qwest Center.
Omaha has a thriving running community and many miles of paved running and biking trails throughout the city and surrounding communities. Chief among these is the Keystone Trail. The Omaha Marathon, which also includes a Half Marathon and 10K race, takes place annually in September.
Omaha is the birthplace of numerous important historical and modern sports figures, including
1960 Summer Olympics Gold Medalist and NBA star
Bob Boozer;
Baseball Hall of Famer
Bob Gibson; 1989
American League Rookie of the Year
Gregg Olson; NFL Running back
Ahman Green;
Heisman Trophy winners
Johnny Rodgers, and
Eric Crouch;
Pro Football Hall of Famer
Gale Sayers; and champion tennis player
Andy Roddick.
Music
Omaha has a rich history in rhythm & blues and jazz as the home ground for a number of influential bands, including
Anna Mae Winburn's
Cotton Club Boys and
Lloyd Hunter's Seranaders. Homegrown talent includes
rock and roll pioneer
Wynonie Harris, jazz great
Preston Love, drummer
Buddy Miles,
Luigi Waites, and many others.
Doug Ingle from the late 60's band
Iron Butterfly is also from Omaha.
Contemporary music groups either located in or originally from Omaha include
Mannheim Steamroller,
Bright Eyes,
The Faint,
Cursive,
Azure Ray,
Tilly and the Wall and
311. The late indie-folk singer/songwriter
Elliott Smith was also from Omaha. During the late 1990s, Omaha became nationally known as the birthplace of
Saddle Creek Records, and the subsequent "Omaha Sound" was borne from their bands' collective style. Omaha also has a fledgling
hip hop scene that includes
Pigeon John,
Mars Black and long-time bastion
Houston Alexander, a one-time graffiti artist, professional
Mixed Martial Arts competitor, and current local hip-hop radio show host. Cerone Thomas, known as
Scrybe, has had a number one single on college radio stations across the United States.
A long heritage of ethic and cultural bands have come from Omaha. While the
Omaha Black Music Hall of Fame celebrates the city's long history of African American music, the
Strathdon Caledonia Pipe Band carries on a Scottish legacy in Omaha. Internationally renowned classical conductor
Antonín Dvořák wrote his
9th Symphony: From The New World after visiting Omaha's robust
Czech communitiy in 1893 based on his impressions of the region. In the period surrounding
World War I Valentin J. Peter encouraged
Germans in Omaha to celebrate their rich musical heritage, too, with
Frederick Metz,
Gottlieb Storz and
Frederick Krug were all influential brewers in the city whose
beer gardens kept many German bands active throughout the city.
Film
In 1939, the world premiere of the film
Union Pacific was held in Omaha, Nebraska and the accompanying three-day celebration drew 250,000 people. A special train from
Hollywood to Omaha carried director
Cecil B. DeMille and stars
Barbara Stanwyck and
Joel McCrea. Omaha's
Girls and Boys Town was made famous by the
Spencer Tracy and
Mickey Rooney movie "
Boys Town".
Omaha has been showcased in recent years by a handful of relatively big budget
motion pictures. The city's most extensive exposure can be accredited to Omaha native
Alexander Payne, the
Oscar-nominated director who shot parts of
About Schmidt,
Citizen Ruth and
Election in the city and suburbs of Papillion and LaVista.
The demolition of the
Cinerama Indian Hills Theater by Nebraska Methodist Hospital represented a real loss to American cinematic history. The
Dundee Theatre is the lone surviving single-screen movie theater in Omaha and still shows films.
A recent development to the Omaha film scene was the addition of the Ruth Sokolof Theater in
NoDo. The two-screen theater features new American independents, foreign films, and documentaries, as well as classics, themed series, and director retrospectives. It is operated by the nonprofit arts organization
Film Streams, which was founded by Omaha native
Rachel Jacobson.
Media
The Omaha metropolitan area is served by the
Omaha World-Herald, the city's major newspaper and the largest employee-owned newspaper in the United States, as well as
The Reader, and
Omaha Magazine.
The Omaha Star, founded in 1938 in North Omaha, is Nebraska's only African American newspaper. The city also has 4 television news stations.
People
Omaha is the historic and modern birthplace and home of many notable politicians, actors, musicians, business leaders and cultural leaders. Activist and son of a Baptist minister,
Malcolm X, first known as Malcolm Little, was born in Omaha in 1925. The
Gerald Ford birthplace site memorializes the 38th President.
Numerous actors, including
Fred Astaire and
Adele Astaire,
Dorothy McGuire,
Marlon Brando and
Nick Nolte, were born in Omaha.
Academy Award winner
Henry Fonda also grew up in Omaha. Marlon Brando's mother encouraged Henry Fonda to pursue acting at the
Omaha Community Playhouse. Mrs. Brando had helped found the playhouse.
Montgomery Clift came from Omaha as well. His family's home still stands on South 33rd Street, a few blocks from that of Gerald Ford.
Omaha's rich musical heritage includes legends such as
Wynonie Harris,
Preston Love,
Buddy Miles,
Calvin Keys,
Eugene McDaniels and others. The modern music scene includes the members of
311 and
Bright Eyes.
Warren Buffett, the richest person in the world, lives in Omaha.
Demographics
Omaha
Population by decade |
| 1860 |
1,883 |
| 1870 |
16,083 |
| 1880 |
30,518 |
| 1890 |
140,452 |
| 1900 |
102,555 |
| 1910 |
124,096 |
| 1920 |
191,061 |
| 1930 |
214,006 |
| 1940 |
223,844 |
| 1950 |
251,117 |
| 1960 |
301,598 |
| 1970 |
346,929 |
| 1980 |
313,939 |
| 1990 |
335,795 |
| 2000 |
390,007 |
| 2006 |
427,872 (est.) |
From the time that Omaha was settled in the 1850s,
Jewish people,
Mexicans, and
African Americans, along with
Czechs,
Germans, and
Poles filled the city with life and labor. New settlers frequently arrived in Omaha from across the
Midwest,
New England and
New York as well.
During the mid-1860s, Scandinavians from Sweden, Norway, and Denmark moved to Omaha, followed soon after by immigrants from Italy,
Greece and southern and eastern Europe.
Russian Jews settled in the
Near North Side before moving in large numbers to the western suburbs in the 1950s and 1960s. Asians came from China and the Philippines, and from 1970 onward, Asians arrived from Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. Beginning in the 1990s, a large Latino population arrived in
South Omaha, along with refugees from Africa, especially from Somalia and the Sudan.
As of the
census of 2000, there are 390,007 people, 156,738 households, and 94,983 families residing within city limits. The
population density is 3,370.7 people per square mile (1,301.5/km²). There are 165,731 housing units at an average density of 1,432.4/sq mi (553.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 78.39%
White, 13.31%
African American, 0.67%
Native American, 1.74%
Asian, 0.06%
Pacific Islander, 3.91% from
other races, and 1.92% from two or more races. 7.54% of the population are
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There are 156,738 households out of which 30.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% are
married couples living together, 13.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% are non-families. 31.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.42 and the average family size is 3.10.
In the city the average age of the population is diverse with 25.6% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 92.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $40,006, and the median income for a family is $50,821. Males have a median income of $34,301 versus $26,652 for females. The
per capita income for the city is $21,756. 11.3% of the population and 7.8% of families are below the
poverty line. Out of the total population, 15.6% of those under the age of 18 and 7.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Racial and ethnic tension
Omaha has been racially and ethnically diverse since its founding. At times rapid population change, overcrowded housing and job competition have aroused racial and ethnic tensions. The
Greek Town Riot in 1909 flared after increased Greek immigration raised fears. Postwar tensions and job uncertainty contributed to the lynching of Willy Brown and the
Omaha Race Riot of 1919, in a summer marked by riots in other major cities. In the 1960s there were several race-related riots in North Omaha, including one at the
Logan Fontenelle Housing Project in the
Near North Side community. The
Black Panther Party was involved in tensions in the late 1960s, which culminated in the
cause célèbre known as the
Rice/Poindexter Case.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, gang violence and incidents between the
Omaha Police Department and members of the African American community further aggravated relations between groups in
north and
South Omaha.
Education
Education in Omaha is provided by many private and public institutions.
Omaha Public Schools runs the city's largest public school district and is the largest
school district in Nebraska with more than 45,000 students in more than 75 schools.
Millard Public schools in west Omaha has some of the highest ACT scores in the state, and has the largest high school in the state, Millard North High School. There are more than 10 colleges, universities, trade, and specialty schools in the Omaha metro area.
The Archdiocese of Omaha maintains a strong district of private Catholic schools with 21,500 students in 32 elementary schools and 9 high schools.
(External Link)
Creighton University, ranked the top non-doctoral regional college in the Midwest by
U.S. News and World Report, maintains a campus just outside of
Downtown Omaha in the new
NoDo district. The Jesuit-run institution has an enrollment of around 6,700 in its undergraduate, graduate, medical, and law schools. There are several other
colleges and universities in Omaha, as well.
In 2007, the
Nebraska Legislature approved a plan to create a
learning community for Omaha-area school districts with a central administrative board.
Economy
According to
USA Today, Omaha ranks eighth among the nation's 50 largest cities in both per-capita billionaires and Fortune 500 companies. Major employers in the area include
Alegent Health,
Omaha Public Schools,
First Data Corporation,
Methodist Health System,
Mutual of Omaha,
ConAgra Foods,
Nebraska Health System,
Offutt Air Force Base,and the
West Corporation.
With diversification in several industries, including
banking,
insurance,
telecommunications, architecture/construction, and
transportation, Omaha's economy has grown dramatically since the early 1990s. Omaha's most prominent businessman is
Warren Buffett, nicknamed the "Oracle of Omaha", who is regularly ranked one of the
richest people in the world. Omaha has five companies listed on the
Fortune 500 list, including
Berkshire Hathaway,
ConAgra Foods,
Union Pacific Railroad,
Mutual of Omaha, and
Kiewit Corporation.
Omaha is home to the headquarters of several other major corporations, including
The Gallup Organization,
TD Ameritrade,
infoUSA Werner Enterprises and
First National Bank. Many large technology firms have major operations or operational headquarters in Omaha, including
First Data,
PayPal and
LinkedIn. The city is also home to three of the 30 largest architecture firms in the United States, including
HDR, Inc.,
DLR Group, Inc., and
Leo A. Daly Co.
As of October of 2007, the city of Omaha, the 42nd largest in the country, has the fifth highest percentage of low-income African Americans in the country.
Tourism
Omaha offers visitors history, sports, outdoors and cultural experiences. Its principal tourist attractions are the
Henry Doorly Zoo and the
College World Series. The city has been a tourist destination for many years. Famous early visitors included as
Rudyard Kipling and General
George Crook, and in 1883 Omaha hosted the first official performance of the
Buffalo Bill's
Wild West Show for eight thousand attendees. In 1898 the city hosted more than 1,000,000 visitors from across the United States at the
Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition, a
world's fair that lasted for more than half the year.
Research on
leisure and
hospitality situates Omaha in the same tier for tourists as the neighboring cities of
Topeka, Kansas,
Kansas City, Missouri,
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and
Denver, Colorado. A recent study found that $1 million in cultural tourism specifically creates approximately $83,000 in state and local taxes as well as supporting 32 jobs for the metropolitan area, which in turn leads to additional tax revenue for government.
Geography
Omaha is located at . According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 118.9 square miles (307.9 km²). 115.7 square miles (299.7 km²) of it's land and 3.2 square miles (8.2 km²) of it's water. The total area is 2.67% water.
Climate
Though located at approximately the same latitude as
Rome, Omaha, by virtue its location near the center of the
North America far from large bodies of water or mountain ranges, has a
humid continental climate (
Koppen climate classification Dfa), with hot summers and cold winters. Average July maximum and minimum temperatures are 88 °F (31 °C) and 66 °F (19 °C) respectively, with moderate humidity and relatively frequent thunderstorms; the January counterparts are 31 °F (-1 °C) and 11 °F (-12 °C). The maximum temperature recorded in the city is 114 °F (46 °C), the minimum -32 °F (-36 °C). Average yearly precipitation is 30 in (76 cm), falling mostly in the warmer months. What precipitation does fall in winter usually takes the form of snow, with average yearly snowfall being around 30 in (76 cm).
Infrastructure
Omaha's growth has required the constant development of new urban infrastructures that influence, allow and encourage the constant expansion of the city.
Government
Omaha has a
strong mayor form of
government, along with a
city council that's elected from seven districts across the city. The current
mayor is
Michael Fahey, who was elected in 2001 and reelected in 2005. The elected
city clerk is
Buster Brown. The City of Omaha administers twelve departments, including finance,
police, human rights,
libraries and planning.
Recreation
The City of Omaha administers a
parks and recreation department that oversees six regional parks, including
Dodge Park and
Gene Leahy Mall, and 13 community parks, including
Miller Park and
Hanscom Park. Part of Omaha's riverfront area is now the
Heartland of America Park, along with
Miller's Landing.
The city's historic
boulevards were originally designed by
Horace Cleveland in 1889 to work with the parks to create a seamless flow of trees, grass and flowers throughout the city.
Florence Boulevard and
Fontenelle Boulevard are among the remnants of this system.
Omaha boasts more than of
trails for
pedestrians,
bicyclists and
hikers. They include the
American Discovery Trail, which traverses the entire
United States, as well as the
Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, which runs westward from Omaha across in 11
western states.
Utilities
The
gas and
water public utilities in Omaha are provided by the
Metropolitan Utilities District. Nebraska is the only public power state in the nation. All electric utilities are non-profit and customer-owned.
Electricity in the city is provided by the
Omaha Public Power District.
Public housing is governed by the
Omaha Housing Authority, and
public transportation is provided by
Metro Area Transit.
Qwest and
Cox provide local telephone services. The City of Omaha maintains two modern
sewage treatment plants.
Portions of the
Enron corporation began as
Northern Natural Gas Company in Omaha. Northern provides three natural gas lines to Omaha currently.
Peoples Natural Gas, a division of
UtiliCorp United, serves several surrounding communities in the
Omaha metro.
Cox Communications provides
cable television services.
Tallest buildings
Omaha's tallest building is the 45-story
First National Bank Tower. As of December 2007, Construction has begun on the
WallStreet Tower Omaha in place of the old union pacific building. It will be the third tallest upon completion at .
Health and medicine
Omaha is the smallest city in the United States to have three major research hospitals. They include the
Boys Town National Research Hospital, the
Nebraska Medical Center and the
Creighton University Medical Center. The Boys Town facility is well-known for world-class researchers in hearing-related research and high quality treatment. The Nebraska Medical Center hosts the
Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, a world-renowned
cancer treatment facility named in honor of Omahan
Eugene Eppley.
Transportation
Omaha's central role in the history of transportation across America earned it the nickname "Gate City of the West". Although
Council Bluffs was chosen as the starting point for the
Union Pacific Railroad, construction began from Omaha on the eastern portion of the first transcontinental railroad in the United States. By the middle of the 20th century, Omaha was served by almost every major railroad. Today, the
Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District celebrates this connection, along with the listing of the
Burlington Train Station and the
Union Station on the
National Register of Historic Places. Omaha has been the location of Union Pacific Railroad's corporate headquarters since the company began. Located downtown,
Union Pacific Center is the largest building by square feet in the state of Nebraska, and the 4th tallest in Omaha.
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service through Omaha.
Omaha's position as a transportation center was finalized with the 1872 opening of the
Union Pacific Missouri River Bridge linking the transcontinental railroad to the railroads terminating in
Council Bluffs. In 1888 the first road bridge the
Ak-Sar-Ben Bridge opened. In the 1890s, the
Illinois Central drawbridge opened as the largest bridge of its type in the world at that time. Omaha's Missouri River road bridges are now entering their second generation, including the WPA financed
South Omaha Bridge (now Veteran's Memorial) which was added to the
National Register of Historic Places and is currently scheduled to be demolished. In 2006 Omaha and Council Bluffs announced plans to build the
Missouri River Pedestrian Bridge which should become a city landmark on its scheduled opening in November 2008.
The primary mode of transportation in Omaha is by car, with
I-80,
I-480,
I-680,
I-29, and
U.S. Route 75 (JFK Freeway and North Freeway) providing
freeway service across the metropolitan area. The expressway along West Dodge Road (
U.S. Route 6 and
Nebraska Link 28B) and
U.S. Route 275 has been upgraded to freeway standards from I-680 to
Fremont.
Metro Area Transit runs a number of
bus routes throughout the city. Omaha is laid out on a
grid plan, with 12 blocks to the mile (east - west). Omaha is the location of a
historic boulevard system that sought to combine the beauty of parks with the pleasure of driving cars. This system includes everything from the historic Florence and Fontenelle Boulevards to the modern Sorenson Expressway.
Eppley Airfield, Omaha's airport, serves the region with over 4.2 million passengers enplaning or deplaning in 2006. United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, US Airways, Continental Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Delta Airlines, Midwest Airlines, American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, ExpressJet Airlines, and Mesa Airlines serve the airport with direct and connecting service.
General aviation airports serving the area are the
Millard Municipal Airport,
North Omaha Airport and the
Council Bluffs Airport.
Offutt Air Force Base is a military base. Eppley is situated in
East Omaha, with many users driving through
Carter Lake, Iowa and getting a view of
Carter Lake before getting there.
Sister cities
Omaha has six
sister cities, which are:
Shizuoka, Japan
Braunschweig, Germany
Šiauliai, Lithuania
Naas, Ireland
Xalapa, Mexico
Artemivsk, Ukraine
Image gallery
Image:OmahaNE_Downtown.jpg|Downtown Omaha
Image:PB230855.JPG|Holiday lights in Omaha
Image:PB140845.JPG|Omaha from the ConAgra campus
Image:P3181016.JPG|Downtown Omaha from the Riverfront
Image:PC050921.JPG|View from Qwest Center Omaha parking lots
Image:PC040867.JPG|View from Abbott Drive
Image:P3160011.JPG|View of 24th & Lake Streets in North Omaha
Image:P3160007.JPG|The Webster Telephone Exchange Building, home of the Great Plains Black History Museum
Image:Omaha_skyline_humid_day.png|Omaha's skyline as seen from the northeast in Iowa
Image:OmahaskylineIMG 1259.JPG|Downtown Omaha's skyline during rainy night
Further Information
Get more info on 'Omaha Ne'.
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