Omaha

About Omaha

Omaha is the largest city in Nebraska, set on bluffs above the west bank of the Missouri River across from Council Bluffs, Iowa. The Lewis and Clark expedition camped nearby in 1804, and the city was founded in 1854 and named for the Omaha people. In 1863 it became the eastern starting point of the Union Pacific Railroad, the first transcontinental line, and Omaha quickly grew into a gateway to the West and one of the largest livestock and meatpacking centers in the country.

Today Omaha has about 485,000 residents and a strong economy built on finance, insurance, engineering and logistics. It is the home of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, whose annual meeting draws tens of thousands of shareholders each spring, and four Fortune 500 companies. The Old Market, a district of 19th-century brick warehouses and cobblestone streets, is full of restaurants, galleries and shops, and the riverfront has been transformed by the Gene Leahy Mall, Heartland of America Park and the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, which lets walkers stand with one foot in Nebraska and the other in Iowa.

Visitors are often surprised by the quality of Omaha's attractions. The Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is regularly ranked among the best zoos in the world, with the indoor Lied Jungle and Desert Dome. The Joslyn Art Museum, the Durham Museum in the restored art deco Union Station, Lauritzen Gardens and the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum nearby add plenty to see. Each June the city hosts the NCAA Men's College World Series at Charles Schwab Field, a beloved tradition, and its famous steakhouses keep the city's cattle-town heritage alive.