Omaha is the big city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. These are a county seat of Douglas County.As of the 2000 census, the city experienced the people of 390,007. Based on data from a 2004 census estimate, Omaha's population experienced risen to 409,416. Placed on the eastern edge of Nebraska, these are on the Missouri River, about Xx miles n of the mouth of the Platte River. Omaha is the center city of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area. Council Bluffs, Iowa lies directly across a Missouri Flow of any stream from either Omaha. Together, them got formed a core of the 60th-largest metropolitan area in the United States in 2000, with the people of 767,041 living within eight counties.

History
Omaha was founded in the summertime of 1854 by land speculators from Council Bluffs, months fallowing a Kansas-Nebraska Act created the Nebraska Territory. Late that month, Omaha wwhen chosen as a territorial capital for Nebraska. Omaha wwhen chosen as a eastern terminus of United states of america's first transcontinental railroad in 1862 with the passage of the Pacific Railroad Act. This ensured that Omahthe would turn into a major transport center for the entire united states in the years to are. A loss of a capital to Lincoln in 1867 did not slow Omaha's incubation in the decades to came.

Omaha's incubation was accelerated in the Eighties per rapid development of the meatpacking industry in South Omaha; in a 1880s, Omaha was the fastest-growing city in the United States. Hundreds to thousands of immigrants from either central & southern Europe came to Omaha to work in the stockyards & abattoir, creating Omaha's original ethnic neighborhoods around South Omaha.

A Trans-Mississippi Exposition was held in Omaha from either June 1 to November 1, 1898. the exposition drew complete Two million visitant & exposed construction of attractions spanning assibilate One c block including a shipworthy lagoon, bridges and magnificent, though irregular, buildings constructed of plaster and horsehair.

The devastating tornado ripped across Omaha around 1913 and has become called a Easter Sunday tornado.

The moo point around Omaha's history was a Omaha Race Riot of 1919, which occurred in September 1919 after the black human was arrested for raping a white woman. This incident was dramatized by dramatist Max Sparber and produced by a Blue Barn Theatre in 1998 at a Douglas County Courthouse, the places of the riot.

A Enola Gay and Bock's Car were two of 536 B-29s manufactured at the Glenn L. Martin Aircraft Factory in Omaha, Neb. touching a prevent of World War II.

A Omaha Stockyards was the world's big stock processing center when you took a 1960's with taken all over that distinction from either Chicago's Union Stockyards in the late 1950’s. When improved truck & boxcar refrigeration capabilities encouraged a slaughtering run to move nearer to feedlots, altogether focused stockyard activity declined & a Omaha Stockyards were closed within 1999.

A Omaha Tornado of 1975 is another grim day around Omaha's past. An F4 tornado ripped through neighborhoods along South 72nd Street in May 6, 1975, killing 3 & injuring 133. Around terms of damage, it was a virtually all costly tornado inside U.s. history thereto date, using damage estimates between $250 million & $500 million.

U.S. President Gerald Ford (natural Leslie Lynch King) was born inside Omaha; all the same, he just spent his early childhood there. When his parents divorced, his mother remarried the human from either Grand Rapids, Michigan and, consequently, Gerald grew up there. Omaha was likewise a birthplace of Malcolm X, but his personal moved to Milwaukee when he was one month old.

Omaha Beach is not around Omahthe, however was an Allied WWII code title for a beach inside Normandy.

Arts, culture and attractions
Omaha is page to the Omaha Community Playhouse, one of the right known & 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 zoological garden in the globe. A Blue Barn Theatre, the nationally renowned semi-semipro company that specializes inside the works of contemporary dramatist, was founded in 1989 by a class action of recent graduates from either Purchase College.

The part of Omaha's renovated downtown area is known as a Old Market. These are page to the total of shops, restaurants, bars & picture gallery. There 1 might buy uneven brick roads, horse drawn carriages, & street performing artist.

Major even music groups either placed in or originally from either Omaha include a Omaha Symphony, Opera Omaha, Mannheim Steamroller, Bright Eyes, and 311. A late indie-folk singer/songwriter Elliott Smith was also natural inside Omaha. A Joslyn Art Museum has significant art collections, particularly of Native American art and art works on to the early European exploration of western North America. Between a menagerie & a Old Market lie a Omaha Botanical Gardens (also referred to as Lauritzen Gardens, Omaha's Botanical Center (web.omahabotanicalgardens.org)). This Century-acre botanical garden features Thirteen outdoor areas, including the rose garden, herb garden, children’s garden & an botanical garden. It besides includes an indoor flowered display hall, training software download for kids & adults, annual festivals, the café, & the novelty shop. Open from either Ninthe from carolina a.m. to Five p.m. daily.

Omaha is currently page to the AHL franchise, the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights, farm team to the Calgary Flames. This franchise was antecedently located in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Omaha is too better known for the NCAA Division 1 College World Series, held every year at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium. A CWS has been held inside Omaha yearly since 1950.

Omaha continues to earn mention within several popular songs: watch "Songs about Omaha" beneath. An increasing total of moving picture all about Omaha keep close at hand too been mass produced.

Media

A Omaha area is served per Omaha World-Herald, the city's major newspaper, besides when suburban newspapers & independent newspapers & magazines including The Omaha Star, The Reader, and Omaha Magazine.

Look at: Omaha Metro Radio Stations Omaha Metro Television Stations Omaha Metro Printed Media Outlets

Economy
Although Nebraska's economy is however primarily according to agriculture, Omaha's economy around todays world has diversified to be the statesman in many industries, including banking, insurance, telecommunications, and transportation; Omaha's economy has grown dramatically since the early Nineties.

Omahthe is the house of the headquarters of a total of major corporations, including: Ameritrade Berkshire Hathaway -- Fortune 500 ConAgra Foods, Inc. -- Fortune 500 First National Bank of Omaha Mutual of Omaha -- Fortune 500 NetShops Omaha Steaks Pamida (please see discussion site) Peter Kiewit and Sons, Inc. Construction Co -- Fortune 500 Union Pacific Railroad -- Fortune 500 Werner Enterprises -- Fortune 500 Woodmen of the World West Corporation

Military
A Omaha area is page to Offutt Air Force Base (Offutt AFB) which is located good south of Omaha in the city of Bellevue. When you took a Cold War, Strategic Air Command (SAC) headquarters was located at Offutt. A successor to SAC, a United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) is now as well headquartered at Offutt. A base is controlled per 55th Wing & hosts many tenant units including Air Force Weather Agency, and a United States Air Inflict Heartland of United states Band.

In Will Two, 2005, a Omaha World Herald reported that a economic impact of base upon the local community amounted to more or less $2 billion annually.

Sports
Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium is home to the Omaha Royals minor-league baseball team (the AAA affiliate of the Kansas City Royals) and since 1950, has hosted a annual NCAA College World Series men's baseball tournament in mid-June.

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

Ice hockey is a popular spectator sport in Omaha. A trey Omaha-metropolitan area teams come: a 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 a brand-spic-and-span, state-of-the-art Qwest Center Omaha; and a Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights, the AHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames. A Knights play their residence games at a Omaha Civic Auditorium.

A Creighton Bluejays compete in the total of NCAA Section We sports.

Omaha-Area Venues
Omaha Civic Auditorium Mid-America Center Qwest Center Omaha Rosenblatt Stadium Ak-Sar-Ben Demolished

Education

School Districts
Bellevue Public Schools, serves a Bellevue community; two highschool: Bellevue East and Bellevue West Elkhorn Public Schools, serves a Elkhorn coummunity and area of american Omaha; of these high school Millard Public Schools, serves a Millard neighborhoods of southwest Omaha; ternary senior high: Millard Northerly, Millard West, & Millard South Omaha Public Schools, serves great deal of the city of Omaha & is Nebraska's big school territorial dominion; vii senior high school: Benson, Bryan, Burke, Central, North, Northwest, and South Papillion-La Vista Public Schools, serves a Papillion and La Vista communities; two highschool: Papillion-La Vista & Papillion-La Vista South Ralston Public Schools, serves a Ralston community and area of Omaha immediately surrounding Ralston; of these high school Westside Community Schools, serves area of west-central Omaha; 1 high school Omahthe has a total of Catholic/parochial senior high school, including: Creighton Prep, Duchesne, Gross, Marian, Mercy, Roncalli, and Skutt. Brownell-Talbot School, An independent school, intended to provide a college preparative education; offers everthing grades, including preschool & K-12; the state's oldest school, founded inside 1863

Colleges and Universities
University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) [http://www.unmc.edu University of Nebraska Medical Center] Creighton University [http://www.bellevue.edu Bellevue University] [http://www.unmc.edu/pharmacy/ University of Nebraska College of Pharmacy] [http://app1.unmc.edu/nursing/conpubweb/conpubweb_home.cfm University of Nebraska College of Nursing] [http://www.mccneb.edu Metropolitan Community College] [http://www.graceuniversity.edu Grace University] [http://www.csm.edu College of Saint Mary] [http://www.methodistcollege.edu Nebraska Methodist College] [http://www.thenicc.edu Nebraska Indian Community College] [http://www.vatterott-college.com/home/ Vatterott College]

Law and Government

Law Enforcement Agencies in the Metropolitan Area
Omaha Police Department Council Bluffs Constabulary Department Nebraska State Patrol, Troop A Omaha FBI Branch, BATF, and DEA Bellevue Police force Department Papillion Police force Department La Panorama Law Department Ralston Police force Department Missouri Vale Constabulary Department Blair Constabulary Department Union Pacific Police Department (Railroad Police) Douglas County Sheriff's Department Sarpy County Sheriff's Department Wash. County Sheriff's Department Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Department Doane College

Omaha Hospitals
University Hospital/Clarkson Hospital Bergan Mercy Medical Center Immanuel Medical Center St. Joseph Hospitals Dougls County Hospital Methodist & Childrens Hospital

Metro Hospitals
Mercy Hospital (Council Buffs) Midlands Hospital (Papillion) Lakeside Hospital (West Omaha)

Geography
Omaha is placed at 41°15'38" North, 96°0'47" West (41.260482, -96.012990). Based on data from a United States Census Bureau, the city has the amount region of 307.Ennead km² (118.9 mi²). 299.Septet kilometre² (115.Seven mi²;) of it is land and 8.2 km² (3.2 mi²;) of it is water. A aggregate locality is Two.67% a river.

Metropolitan Area
View: Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area

A Omaha-Council Bluffs area consists of eight counties; 5 inside Nebraska & deuce-ace around Iowa. Inside descending the correct sequence of people, it is:

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

A Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont Combined Statistical Area is comprised of the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Fremont Micropolitan Statistical Area; the CSthe has a people of 839,867 (2004 Census Bureau estimate).

Neighborhoods and Suburbs
Bellevue, a oldest settlement within Nebraska & the state's third big city, is upright south of Omaha inside eastern Sarpy County. Benson is a neighborhood of north-central Omaha touching Sixtieth & Maple Streets; it was annexed in 1917. Boys Town is an incorporated village near 132nd & Dodge Streets and is personal to the celebrated institution of the equivalent title. Chalco is an unincorporated residential area southwest of Omaha inside northern Sarpy County. Dundee is an increasingly voguish neighborhood in central Omaha touching Fiftieth & Dodge Streets. Originally the separate city, Dundee was annexed by Omaha inside 1915, however this annexation was fought until 1917. Elkhorn is a fast-aggressive, residential suburb west of Omaha in Douglas County. In March 8, 2005, Omaha annexed Elkhorn; this annexatiin was upheld by a zone court choose on August 19.[http://ads.omaha.com/media/maps/pdfs/elkhorn.pdf] This annexation is non however final, when Elkhorn has appealed a zone court opinion. Florence is a historic neighborhood in north Omaha. A original Mormon payout within Florence (ca. 1846) predates a city of Omaha; it was annexed in 1917. La Vista is a residential suburb south of Omaha in northward-central Sarpy County. Millard is the broad vicinity of south-west Omaha; originally a separate city, Omaha annexed it in 1971. A original town places is touching 132nd & Q Streets. A Millard school district is separate from that of Omaha. North Omaha just north of downtown Omaha, is the city & one of Omaha's virtually all progressive communities. Though preponderantly an African-American neighborhood, North Omaha boasts a rich & diverse culture. Papillion is a suburb to the south of Omaha and immediately south of La Vista. These are a county courthouse of Sarpy County. Ralston is a residential suburb in south-central Douglas County roughly bounded by 72nd, 84th, L, & Harrison Streets. These are surrounded by Omaha in trey sides. South Omaha is a working-class neighborhood south of downtown Omaha, originally settled by immigrants from central, eastern, & southern Europe. When the separate city, it was annexed in 1915. Now its people is preponderantly Hispanic.

Transportation
Omaha's Eppley Airfield serves much of eastern Nebraska & american Iowa. Eppley is placed touching Carter Lake, which is part of Iowa and is the only city around Iowa west of the Missouri River. Carter Flow of any stream was cut off from either the rest of Iowa by a Missouri Flow of any stream flood within 1877.

A primary mode of transport inside Omaha is by car, by having I-80, I-480, I-680, I-29, and U.S. Highway 75 (JFK Freeway and North Freeway) providing freeway service in the metropolitan area. A motorway along West Dodge Road (U.S. Highway 6 and Nebraska Link 28B) and U.S. Highway 275 is currently being upgraded to freeway standards from I-680 to Fremont; constuction will be completed in 2008.

Metro Vicinity Transit diarrhea a total of bus routes inside the city.

Airports
Eppley Airfield is Omaha's commercial drome & occurs as general aviation airport. Millard Municipal Airport is a general aviation airport. North Omaha Airport is a general aviation airport. Council Bluffs Airport is a general aviation airport. Offutt Air Force Base is the millitary base and is non a general aviation airdrome.

Railroads
Omaha wwhen chosen as a starting point for the Union Pacific Railroad, the eastern part of the number one transcontinental railroad in the United States. Per middle of the 20th Century, Omaha was served per below 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 (UP). Today, after the reorganization of the rail industry, only the Union Pacific, BNSF, and Canadian National (CN) are left, although Omaha remains a major rail center. The Union Pacific has corporate headquarters in Omaha. Amtrak provides daily passenger service on the California Zephyr, which runs between Chicago and San Francisco via Denver.

People

Famous people from Omaha
Fred Astaire, dancer, actor Adele Astaire, dancer, entertainer Marlon Brando, actor Warren Buffett, billionaire investor Montgomery Clift, actor Eric Crouch - 2001 Heisman Trophy winner Chris Klein, actor Chip Davis, founder of Mannheim Steamroller Henry Fonda, actor Peter Fonda, actor Gerald R. Ford, U.S. president Conor Oberst, musician Bob Gibson, pro baseball hall of famer Ahman Green, pro football player William Jennings Bryan, politician/orator Jaime King, actress, supermodel Swoosie Kurtz, actress Dorothy McGuire, actress The members of country-pop band Mulberry Lane Nick Nolte, actor Conor Oberst, singer-songwriter of musical groups Bright Eyes and Desaparecidos Alexander Payne, screenwriter/director J. Joseph Ricketts, billionaire Gale Sayers, pro football hall of famer Walter Scott, Jr., billionaire Elliott Smith, singer/songwriter Nicholas Sparks, author Johnny Rodgers, 1972 Heisman Trophy winner The members of rock band 311 Gabrielle Union, actress Paul Williams, singer-songwriter, actor Roger Williams, famous pianist Malcolm X, civil rights activist Paula Zahn, news personality Lucas Lorenz, lawyer

Demographics

As of the censusof 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 2003 Current Population Survey, there are 373,815 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 793,000 (source: [http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/04statab/app2.pdf 2004-2005 Statistical Abstract of the United States, Appendix II]).

Songs About Omaha

Interestingly, a number of songs exist about or referring to Omaha. A list follows of songs about Omaha: Tiny Hill - Omaha (recorded in 1951. Lyrics at http://www.historicomaha.com/omahasng.htm) Grasshopper Takeover - Omaha 311 - Omaha Stylee [http://www.lauralove.net Laura Love] - Homage to Omaha Chicksaw Mudd Puppies - Omaha (Sharpless) Counting Crows - Omaha Golden Palominos - Omaha (featuring REM's Michael Stipe on vocals) Grand Funk Railroad - We're an American Band (about a wild night in an Omaha hotel room) Groucho Marx - Omaha, Nebraska Desaparecidos - Greater Omaha Johnny Otis - Omaha Flash Sexual Kickball - I'm Drunk Again The Good Life - Leaving Omaha The Shots of Perspective - Hello Omaha They Might Be Giants - [http://www.tmbw.net/wiki/index.php/Sokol_Auditorium Sokol Auditorium] Waylon Jennings - Omaha Stan Freberg - Omaha! (Originally a commercial for the Butternut Coffee Co.) Moby Grape - Omaha (Their biggest hit, the song lyrics have nothing to do with Omaha, but songwriter Skip Spence named it "Omaha" on the spur of the moment.) Golden Palominos - Omaha (featuring REM's Michael Stipe on vocals). This is a cover of the Moby Grape song of the same name. Todd Thibaud - Back Home In Omaha (about the NCAA Division One College World Series, which is held every year at Rosenblatt Stadium)

;Songs that mention Omaha include: I'm a Bad, Bad Man from Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun Bob Dylan - I Shall Be Free No. 10 Bob Seger - Turn the Page (also covered by Metallica) Mindy McCready - Maybe, Maybe Not Bright Eyes - Theme To Pinata Rilo Kiley - The Execution Of All Things Roger Miller - Kansas City Star C.W. McCall - Convoy John Prine - Hello in There (also covered by Bette Midler, others) Charlie Daniels - Uneasy Rider Hank Snow, Johnny Cash - I've Been Everywhere Billy Bragg - Help Save The Youth Of America

Sister cities

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