Omaha, Nebraska

For other uses, see Omaha (disambiguation).

Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha's Skyline Omaha's Skyline
Flag of Omaha, Nebraska Flag Official seal of Omaha, Nebraska Seal
Nickname:  Gateway to the West
Location in Nebraska Location in Nebraska
Country	United States
State	Nebraska
County	Douglas
Founded	1854
Incorporated	1857
Government
• Mayor	Michael Fahey (D)
Elevation	1,090 ft (330 m)
Population  (2005)
• City	424,988
• Metro	813,170
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	68022, 68101-68164
Area code	402
Website	www.ci.omaha.ne.us

Omaha is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is the county seat of Douglas County.Template:GR As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 390,007. According to the 2005 census estimate, Omaha's population rose to 424,988 after annexing the smaller City of Elkhorn. Located on the eastern edge of Nebraska, it is 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 a population of 819,246 (2006) residing in eight counties or about 1.2 million within a 50-mile (80 km) radius.

Omaha has a rich cultural and historical legacy. Cultural highlights include the Joslyn Art Museum, the Durham Western Heritage Museum, the Holland Performing Arts Center, and the Omaha Community Playhouse. It was home to the 1898 Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition, and was the location of the winter quarters for settlers on the Mormon Trail. It has also been the location of important events in the Civil Rights Movement. It is also a business center listed as a top 10 high tech haven by Newsweek in 2001. Although crime in Omaha is comparable to other U.S. cities of similar size, racial tension and the scourge of methamphetamines are social issues.

Cory Garlock is a douche cocker and likes the black mamba up his anus

Geography

Omaha is located at 41°15′38″N 96°0′47″W. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 307.9 km² (118.9 mi²). 299.7 km² (115.7 mi²) of it is land and 8.2 km² (3.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.67% water.

Metropolitan area

Further information: [[:Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area]]

Satellite photo showing Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa

The Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area consists of eight counties; five in Nebraska and three in Iowa. In descending order of population, they are:

• Douglas County, Nebraska
• Sarpy County, Nebraska
• Pottawattamie County, Iowa
• Cass County, Nebraska
• Saunders County, Nebraska
• Washington County, Nebraska
• Harrison County, Iowa
• Mills County, Iowa

The Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont Combined Statistical Area is comprised of the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Fremont Micropolitan Statistical Area; the CSA has a population of 849,248 (2005 Census Bureau estimate).

Neighborhoods and suburbs

Main article: Neighborhoods of Omaha, Nebraska

Further information: Neighborhoods of North Omaha, Nebraska

Omaha has a wide range of historical and new neighborhoods and suburbs that reflect its socioeconomic diversity. Early neighborhood development of ethnic enclaves has given way recently to gated communities, and Omahans have strove to revitalize a healthy and vibrant downtown area, including the development of the Old Market. 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.

Climate

Though located at approximately the same latitude as Rome, Omaha, by virtue of lying near the center of the North American continent, far from either large bodies of water or mountain ranges, has a typically continental climate, with hot summers and cold winters. Average July maximum and minimum temperatures are 87 °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 10 °F (-12 °C). The absolute maximum temperature recorded in the city is 114 °F (43 °C), the minimum -23 °F (-30 °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).

Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rec High °F	69	78	89	97	99	105	114	110	104	96	83	72
Norm High °F	31.7	37.9	50.4	63.2	73.7	83.7	87.4	85.2	77.3	65.2	47.8	34.8
Norm Low °F	11.6	18	28.1	39.6	50.7	60.6	65.9	63.8	53.5	41.1	28.1	16.4
Rec Low °F	-23	-21	-16	5	27	38	44	43	25	13	-9	-23
Precip (in)	0.77	0.8	2.13	2.94	4.44	3.95	3.86	3.21	3.17	2.21	1.82	0.92
Source: USTravelWeather.com [8]

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
2005	424,988 (est.)

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 390,007 people, 156,738 households, and 94,983 families residing within city limits. The population density is 1,301.5/km² (3,370.7/mi²). There are 165,731 housing units at an average density of 553.1/km² (1,432.4/mi²). 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.

As of the 2004 Current Population Survey, there are roughly 409,000 people, 154,879 households, and 92,903 families residing within the city limits. The 2004-2005 Statistical Abstract of the United States lists the total estimated population for the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area as 804,000.. Omaha ranks as the 43rd largest city in the United States, and with the suburbs and Council Bluffs, Iowa, ranks as the 60th largest Metropolitan area.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Omaha, Nebraska

With diversified 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 ranked by Forbes Magazine as the second richest man in the world. Omaha is also home to headquarters of several major corporations, including Berkshire Hathaway, ConAgra Foods, The Gallup Organization, infoUSA, and Mutual of Omaha.

Education

Main article: Education in Omaha, Nebraska

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. Omaha is the largest college town in Nebraska with a large concentration of campuses within the city. There are more than 10 colleges, universities, trade, and specialty schools in the Omaha metro area.

Culture

Main article: List of Landmarks in Omaha, Nebraska

Further information: Culture in North Omaha, Nebraska

Joslyn Art Museum's tiled Fountain Court

Omaha is home to the Omaha Community Playhouse, the largest, and also one of the most famous and best-endowed community theaters in the United States, and to Girls and Boys Town; its Henry Doorly Zoo is widely considered one of the premier zoos in the world. The Blue Barn Theatre, Ak-Sar-Ben (now demolished), The Orpheum, and the Holland Performing Arts Center are venues located within Omaha.

The Durham Western Heritage Museum is located on 10th Street in the art deco Union Station. The museum has numerous permanent exhibits and is accredited with the Smithsonian Institution for traveling exhibits from the Smithsonian.

A portion of Omaha's renovated downtown area is known as the Old Market. Part of the former "Jobbers Canyon" that included fruit markets, warehouses and other agricultural and industrial buildings, it is home to a number of shops, restaurants, bars, and art galleries. The area also has uneven brick roads, horse drawn carriages, and street performers.

Major music groups either located in or originally from Omaha include the Omaha Symphony, Opera Omaha, Mannheim Steamroller, Bright Eyes, The Faint, Cursive, Azure Ray, Tilly and the Wall, 311 and the late indie-folk singer/songwriter Elliott Smith. The Joslyn Art Museum has significant art collections, particularly of Native American art and art works relating to the early European exploration of western North America.

Omaha is also home to Nebraska's only resident professional ballet company, the Omaha Theater Ballet. This company performs at both The Rose and Orpheum Theaters.

The Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, located just east of downtown's Old Market area, was founded in the early 1980s and plays host to artists from all over the world. It is the largest urban artists' colony in the world, founded originally by Ree Schonleau (Kaneko), wife of famed Japanese artist Jun Kaneko, who now makes his home in Omaha and will open Museum Kaneko in 2008.

Between the zoo and the Old Market lies the Omaha Botanical Gardens (also known as Lauritzen Gardens). This 100-acre (40 hectares) botanical garden features 13 outdoor areas, including a rose garden, herb garden, children’s garden and an arboretum. Recognizing Union Pacific's long history in Omaha, situated on the grounds of Lauritzen Gardens is the new Kenefick Park, featuring two of the largest locomotives ever used in the United States - Big Boy #4023, a steam engine, and Centennial #6900. These locomotives overlook Interstate 80 for motorists entering from Iowa.

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 area also hosts annual events, including the Fort Omaha Intertribal Powwow, the Omaha Blues, Jazz, & Gospel Festival, and Florence Days.

As the long-time home of several major stockyards, it is no surprise that Omaha is home to a number of renowned steakhouses, including Gorat's and the recently closed Mister C's, as well as Omaha Steaks and The Original Johnny's Cafe. This cultural legacy is also apparent in the name of the city's indoor football team, the Omaha Beef.

People

Omaha is the historic and modern birthplace and home of many notable politicians, actors, musicians, business leaders and cultural leaders. Malcolm X was born in Omaha in 1925. A variety of actors, including Fred Astaire, Nick Nolte, Dorothy McGuire and the Academy-Award winner actor, Marlon Brando were born in Omaha. Academy Award winner Henry Fonda also grew up in Omaha and was encouraged to pursue acting by Marlon Brando's mother at the Omaha Community Playhouse, which she helped found. Montgomery Clift came from Omaha as well and his family's home still stands on South 33rd St, a few blocks from the Gerald Ford birthplace site which memorializes the 38th President. Omaha's rich musical heritage includes legends such as Wynonie Harris, Preston Love, Buddy Miles, Calvin Keys, Eugene McDaniels and many others. The modern music scene includes the members of 311. The second richest person in the world, Warren Buffett, also lives in Omaha.

Further information: List of people from Omaha, Nebraska

Further information: List of people from North Omaha, Nebraska

Further information: Greeks in Omaha, Nebraska

Film

Further information: List of films made in Omaha, Nebraska

In 1939, the world premiere of the film Union Pacific was held in Omaha, Nebraska. The accompanying three-day celebration drew 250,000 people, doubling the population of the city and requiring the National Guard to help keep order. A special train from Hollywood to Omaha carried director Cecil B. DeMille and stars Barbara Stanwyck and Joel McCrea.

The 1977 the Elvis in Concert television special in Omaha is considered by many experts to be the worst concert Elvis ever performed. The show was filmed, though, and some of the performances made it into the special, including the great performance of How Great Thou Art, probably the only good performance of the concert.

Omaha has been showcased in recent years by a handful of relatively big budget motion pictures as well as by productions with a lesser budget, including the adventure Omaha (The Movie). The city's most extensive exposure can be accredited to Omaha native Alexander Payne, the Oscar-nominated director shot parts of About Schmidt, Citizen Ruth and Election in the city; his handling of the scenes suggests a deep-rooted love for his hometown, exemplified by his decision to make a feature film called Nebraska eventually. Portions of The Assassination of Richard Nixon and The Indian Runner were also shot in Omaha, including scenes of the now demolished Delmar Hotel. In 2005, Payne joined the board of directors of Film Streams, a nonprofit arts organization opening a two-screen cinema in downtown Omaha. The demolition of the Cinerama Indian Hills Theater remains a source of contention between the local artistic community and Methodist Hospital and, at present, the Dundee Theater is the lone surviving single-screen movie theater in the city.

In the film Dirty Rotten Scoundrels , staring Steve Martin and Michael Caine], towards the beginning of the film there is a slight reference to Omaha when Caine swindles Fanny of Omaha into providing money "to free his enslaved country" latter giving Martin Just the leverage he needs. The movie is a remake of "Bedtime Story" a comedy starring Marlon Brando and David Niven.

Media

Further information: [[:Omaha Metro radio stations, Omaha Metro Television Stations, Omaha Metro Printed Media Outlets]]

The Omaha metropolitan area is served by the Omaha World-Herald, the city's major newspaper, as well as suburban newspapers and independent newspapers and magazines including The Reader, and Omaha Magazine. The Omaha Star, founded in 1938 in North Omaha, is Nebraska's only African American newspaper.

The Omaha World-Herald is the largest employee-owned newspaper in the United States, and also has one of the highest "penetration rates"—the percentage of the population that subscribes to the newspaper—in the country. The World-Herald Freedom Center, a $200 million printing press, is on the north end of downtown.

Sports

Main article: Sports in Omaha, Nebraska

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. The Omaha Beef indoor football team plays at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher and Baseball Hall of Fame member Bob Gibson is also a native and resident of Omaha.

The Creighton Bluejays compete in a number of NCAA Division I sports.

Ice hockey is a popular spectator sport in Omaha. The three Omaha-area teams are: the Omaha Lancers, a USHL team that plays at the Mid-America Center; the University of Nebraska at Omaha Mavericks, an NCAA Division I team play at the brand-new, state-of-the-art Qwest Center Omaha; and the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights, the AHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames. The Knights play their home games at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.

Music

Further information: Music of Nebraska

Omaha has a rich history in rhythm & blues and jazz as a regular stop for many Kansas City jazz bands and such homegrown talent as Wynonie Harris, Preston Love, Buddy Miles, Luigi, and many others. The city was also the subject of the Big Joe Williams song "Omaha Blues". During the 1960s several surf music bands came out of Omaha of which The Rumbles has become the longest lasting. During the late 1990s, Omaha became well known nationally as the birthplace of the successful rock band 311 and Saddle Creek Records, a record label featuring bands including Bright Eyes, The Faint, Cursive. The city is sometimes dubbed "Emo-ha" although Sokol Auditorium is the last remaining indie venue for bands following the closing of the Peony Park Ballroom, Ranch Bowl, and The Cog Factory.

Racial and ethnic tension

Further information: Timeline of Racial Tension in Omaha, Nebraska

Omaha has been racially and ethnically diverse since its founding, and has faced various incidents of racial and ethnic tension throughout its history. In 1891 a white mob lynched an African American man named George Smith for allegedly raping a white child. Smith was not tried, and no one was ever charged with a crime in the lynching. In 1919 an African-American man named Willy Brown was lynched, too. Brown was accused of raping Agnes Loebeck, a white woman, at gunpoint, and the event required the intervention of the National Guard to ensured a calm, although racial segregation persisted throughout the city, supported by common practices of redlining and neighborhood covenants that kept African Americans isolated in North Omaha

Greeks in Omaha, Nebraska were targets of a large-scale mob attack in the early 1900s. In the first part of the 20th century, after a police office caught an older Greek man being intimate with an older teenage "American" girl in February 1904, an anti-Greek mob terrorized "Greek Town", an enclave of South Omaha. After beating, looting and rioting through the community the terrorists forced the entire population of hundreds of Greek immigrants to leave the city within one day.

In the 1960s, various race riots broke out in North Omaha. In 1968, protests turned to riots after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr, and in conjunction with presidential candidate and segregationist George Wallace's visit to OmahaIn 1969 riots erupt again after an Omaha police officer fatally shot teenager Vivian Strong in the back of the head near the Logan Fontenelle housing projects. The riots began after the judge at the preliminary hearing, Walter Cropper, found the shooter, Officer James Loder, not to be criminally accountable for the shooting.

The Black Panther Party was active in Omaha around that time, and in 1970, Omaha Police officer Larry Minard was killed in an explosion which was traced to activity of the BPP. For the explosion, David Rice and Ed Poindexter were given life sentences in a controversial case (see Rice/Poindexter Case). Since the 1980s, Gang violence has also affected the city, and led to the perception of predominately black North Omaha and Hispanic South Omaha to be seen as dangerous and off limits to the more affluent and largely Caucasian population living in the cities western half.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, violence between the Omaha Police Department and members of the African American community further aggravated relations between groups in North Omaha. In 1995, white Officer Jimmy Wilson Jr. was shot and killed by Kevin Allen during a routine traffic stop. Allan, a member of the South Family Bloods gang, shot Wilson while Wilson was still in his cruiser. In 1997, Caucasian Officer, Todd Sears, shot African American Gulf War veteran Marvin Amos to death. Amos was unarmed, but Sears believed Amos to be reaching for a gun in his waistband. In 2000, African American George Bibbins was shot while reaching for an unknown object, having been forced to stop the stolen Jeep he was driving after a high speed chase. Bibbins was found with a screwdriver in his hand. The shooter, white office Jarad Kruse, was cleared of wrongdoing, as was Sears before him. In 2004, white officer Jason Tye Pratt was shot by wanted felon, Albert Rucker. Rucker, who was black, shot Platt at close range in an event which received widespread press. Tensions were further exacerbated when fellow Officer Tariq Al Amin said "This would be my gift to the Rucker children," and he brandished a blade. "When you're old enough, come get it and go cut Barlowe's throat for doing that in your name.", in response to Bishop William Barlowe donating a one hundred dollar check to the Pratt Family Assistance Fund.

Although the general makeup of the OPD is diverse (in fact, the chief since 2002, Omaha native Thomas Warren, is African American), these events have served to reinforce amongst both black and white Omahans distrust of the other group.

There is also a history of racial tension among Omahans living as neighbors. Recently, a grocery store in East Omaha was firebombed in an event that has been labeled a hate crime. On February 18, 2007, two unknown assailants robbed, firebombed, and spray painted a racial slur on the side of Bob's Market in East Omaha. A long-time community institution, Bob's has been owned by an Ethiopian immigrant for several years. There are reports that this is not the first time the store has been targeted. The store owner, Kassahun Goshime, escaped bound and gagged before the building exploded and was uninjured; the blast and following fire destroyed the building. Police are investigating. In spite of the violence, Goshime has been clear that he does not hate those who perpetrated the crime, and the support he has received has shown that racism in Omaha is not a universally shared trait.

Civil rights movement in Omaha

Main article: Civil Rights Movement in Omaha, Nebraska

The civil rights movement in Omaha has roots that extend back until at least 1912. Historical organizations committed to civil rights in Omaha include the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, founded in 1912, and the Urban League of Nebraska with the first chapter in the western United States started in North Omaha in 1928. Both of these organizations continue today. Student and youth activism in Omaha led to the creation of two unique groups in Omaha, including Creighton University's DePorres Club, started in 1947, and the Black Association for Nationalism Through Unity (BANTU), popular throughout the 1960s. In the summer of 1963 the Citizens Civic Committee for Civil Liberties rallied together to demand change equal rights for all African Americans throughout Omaha. While the Omaha civil rights movement did not gain its popularly stated goals of gaining a law from the Nebraska State Legislature ensuring equal housing opportunities or a separate law ensuring equal job opportunities, it is seen as successful for raising awareness of the inequities facing African Americans in Omaha. From the film A Time for Burning to Senator Ernie Chambers' recent legislative action, the civil rights movement has a significant legacy in Omaha.

Busing

School busing and integration has been a particularly contentious issue in Omaha. From 1976 to 1999, Omaha had a forced busing plan as an effort to integrate the schools. Some people lauded busing as improving race relations. For instance, Concerned and Caring Educators, a 100-member group of black administrators and supervisors advocated against the cessation of forced busing and praised the system as improving race relations and the education of Omaha's students. However, busing and racial tension has been a factor in Omaha's white flight. Nebraska State Senator Ernie Chambers' has been critical of the ineffective nature of busing in Omaha, as well as the shortcomings of the predominately white administration of the Omaha Public School District to the point of proposing the separation of the district into three subdistricts, one for the predominately white western part of Omaha, one for the predominately Hispanic southern sections, and one for predominately black north Omaha.

Infrastructure

Tallest buildings

Omaha's tallest building is the 45-story First National Bank Tower. There is a proposed 373 ft., 32-story downtown condominium tower in the works. The WallStreet Tower Omaha would be built as soon as fall 2009.

Tallest buildings

Name	Stories	Height
First National Bank Tower	45	634 ft (193 m)
Woodmen Tower	30	478 ft (146 m)
Masonic Manor	22	320 ft (98 m)
Union Pacific Center	19	317 ft (97 m)
First National Center	22	295 ft (90 m)
Mutual of Omaha Building	14	285 ft (87 m)
AT&T Building	16	265 ft (81 m)
Northern Natural Gas Building	19	260 ft (79 m)
1200 Landmark Center	15	255 ft (78 m)
Qwest Building	16	250 ft (76 m)

Health and medicine

Omaha is the smallest city in the United States to have two major research hospitals, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Creighton University Medical Center. UNMC is a world renowned cancer treatment and transplant center, attracting patients internationally.

Alegent Health Bergan Mercy Medical Center, Alegent Health Immanuel Medical Center, Alegent Health Lakeside Hospital, Alegent Health Mercy Hospital (Council Bluffs), Alegent Health Midlands Hospital in Papillion, The Nebraska Medical Center (University of Nebraska Medical Center/Clarkson Hospital), Creighton University Medical Center, Douglas County Community Mental Health Center, Methodist Hospital, Children's Hospital, Omaha Veterans Administration Hospital, and Jennie Edmundson Hospital (Council Bluffs) are hospitals located in the metropolitan area.

Transportation

Airports

Eppley Airfield, Omaha's airport, serves the region with over 4.2 million passengers enplaning or deplaning in 2006. Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, USAirways, Continental Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Delta Airlines, Midwest Airlines, American Airlines and Frontier 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 the Carter Lake before getting there.

Automobiles

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 in the metropolitan area. The expressway along West Dodge Road (U.S. Route 6 and Nebraska Link 28B) and U.S. Route 275 is currently being upgraded to freeway standards from I-680 to Fremont; the construction Dodge expressway was completed Friday, October 13. Metro Area Transit runs a number of bus routes within the city. Omaha is laid out on a grid plan, with 12 blocks to the mile (east - west).

Railroads

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 the following railroads: Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific (CRIP), Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (CBQ); Chicago Great Western (CGW); Illinois Central (IC); Chicago & Northwestern (CNW); Wabash (WAB); Chicago, Milwaukee, St Paul & Pacific (The Milwaukee Road) (CMStP&P); Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha; Missouri Pacific (MP); and Union Pacific.

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service through Omaha, operating its California Zephyr daily in each direction between Chicago and Emeryville, California, across the bay from San Francisco.

Missouri River bridges

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.

Sister cities

Omaha has six sister cities, which are:

• Shizuoka, Japan
• Braunschweig, Germany
• Šiauliai, Lithuania
• Naas, Ireland
• Xalapa, Mexico
• Artemivsk, Ukraine

Image gallery

• Downtown Omaha
  Downtown Omaha
• Holiday lights in Omaha
  Holiday lights in Omaha
• Omaha from the ConAgra campus
  Omaha from the ConAgra campus
• Downtown Omaha from the Riverfront
  Downtown Omaha from the Riverfront
• 
  View from Qwest Center Omaha parking lots
• View from Abbott Drive
  View from Abbott Drive
• 
  View of 24th & Lake Streets in North Omaha
• 
  The Webster Telephone Exchange Building, home of the Great Plains Black History Museum

See also

• Notable natives of Omaha, Nebraska
• List of lists about Omaha, Nebraska
• Timeline of Racial Tension in Omaha, Nebraska
• Civil Rights Movement in Omaha, Nebraska
• List of articles related to North Omaha, Nebraska

References

• Lawrence H. Larsen and Barbara J. Cottrell. The Gate City: A History of Omaha (1997)
• Lawrence H. Larsen, Harl A. Dalstrom, Kay Calame Dalstrom, and Barbara J. Cottrell. Upstream Metropolis: An Urban Biography of Omaha and Council Bluffs(2007)

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External links

• City of Omaha Official Website
• OmahaWiki.org Omaha's free on-line encyclopedia that anyone can edit
• Beerman, B.J. (2004) Where the hell is Omaha? AmericanMafia.Com - Article tells the history of Omaha's organized crime scene, including roles for various ethnic groups.
• Citro, J. (n.d.) The Italians of Nebraska. - Includes photos of important Italian landmarks in Omaha.
• Czechs in Nebraska - An introduction.
• IrishOmaha.com
• Omaha's Culture Club - 3/25/07 New York Times article on Omaha's burgeoning arts and music scene