Omaha, Nebraska

Omaha ( / ˈoʊməhɑː / OH -mə-hah ) es la ciudad más poblada del estado estadounidense de Nebraska y la sede del condado de Douglas . [ ^6] Está ubicada en el medio oeste de los Estados Unidos a lo largo del río Misuri , a unas 10 millas (15 km) al norte de la desembocadura del río Platte . Omaha, la 40.ª ciudad más poblada del país , tenía una población de 486 051 habitantes según el censo de 2020. [ ^7] Es el ancla del área metropolitana de ocho condados de Omaha-Council Bluffs , que se extiende hasta Iowa y es la 58.ª área metropolitana más grande de los Estados Unidos, con una población de 967 604 habitantes. ^[5] Además, el área estadística combinada de Omaha–Council Bluffs–Fremont tenía 1.004.771 residentes en 2020. ^[8]

El período pionero de Omaha comenzó en 1854, cuando la ciudad fue fundada por especuladores de la vecina Council Bluffs, Iowa . La ciudad fue fundada a lo largo del río Misuri, y un cruce llamado Lone Tree Ferry le valió a la ciudad su apodo, la "Puerta al Oeste". Omaha presentó este nuevo Oeste al mundo en 1898, cuando fue sede de la Feria Mundial, llamada Exposición Trans-Mississippi . Durante el siglo XIX, la ubicación central de Omaha en los Estados Unidos impulsó a la ciudad a convertirse en un importante centro de transporte nacional . Durante el resto del siglo XIX, los sectores del transporte y la contratación fueron importantes en la ciudad, junto con sus ferrocarriles y cervecerías . En el siglo XX, los corrales de ganado de Omaha , una vez los más grandes del mundo, y sus plantas empacadoras de carne ganaron prominencia internacional.

Omaha es el hogar de las sedes de cuatro compañías Fortune 500 : Berkshire Hathaway , Kiewit Corporation , Mutual of Omaha y Union Pacific Corporation . ^[9] Otras compañías con sede en la ciudad incluyen First National Bank of Omaha , Gallup, Inc. , Green Plains , Intrado , Valmont Industries , Werner Enterprises y tres de las diez firmas de arquitectura e ingeniería más grandes del país ( DLR Group , HDR, Inc. y Leo A Daly ). ^[10] Las instituciones culturales notables incluyen el zoológico y acuario Henry Doorly , Old Market , el Museo de Durham , los jardines Lauritzen y la Serie Mundial Universitaria anual . Las invenciones modernas de Omaha incluyen el sándwich Reuben ; ^[11] la mezcla para pasteles, desarrollada por Duncan Hines ; el riego de pivote central ; ^[12] el salvado de pasas ; el primer telesquí de los EE. UU.; ^[13] el formato de radio Top 40 utilizado por primera vez en los EE. UU. en la Radio KOWH de Omaha ; y la cena televisada . ^[14]

Varias tribus nativas americanas habían vivido en la tierra que se convirtió en Omaha desde el siglo XVII, incluidos los omaha y los ponca , pueblos de lengua dhegihan-siouan que se originaron en el valle inferior del río Ohio y migraron al oeste a principios del siglo XVII; pawnee , otoe , misuri y ioway . La palabra omaha (en realidad umoh o umaha ) en el idioma omaha significa "gente río arriba" o "contra la corriente".

En 1804, la expedición de Lewis y Clark pasó por las riberas del río donde se construiría la ciudad de Omaha. Entre el 30 de julio y el 3 de agosto de 1804, los miembros de la expedición, incluidos Meriwether Lewis y William Clark , se reunieron con los líderes tribales oto y missouri en Council Bluff , en un punto a unas 20 millas (32 km) al norte de la actual Omaha. ^[15] Inmediatamente al sur de esa zona, los estadounidenses construyeron varios puestos de avanzada de comercio de pieles en los años siguientes, incluido Fort Lisa en 1812; ^[16] Fort Atkinson en 1819; ^[17] Cabanné's Trading Post , construido en 1822, y Fontenelle's Post en 1823, en lo que se convirtió en Bellevue . ^[18] Hubo una feroz competencia entre los comerciantes de pieles hasta que John Jacob Astor creó el monopolio de la American Fur Company . Los mormones construyeron un pueblo llamado Cutler's Park en la zona en 1846. ^[19] Si bien fue temporal, el asentamiento proporcionó la base para un mayor desarrollo. ^[20]

A través de 26 tratados separados con el gobierno federal de los Estados Unidos, las tribus nativas americanas en Nebraska cedieron gradualmente las tierras que ahora conforman el estado. El tratado y la cesión que involucraban el área de Omaha se produjeron en 1854, cuando la tribu Omaha cedió la mayor parte del centro-este de Nebraska. ^[21] Logan Fontenelle , intérprete de los Omaha y signatario del tratado de 1854, desempeñó un papel esencial en esos procedimientos.

Antes de que fuera legal reclamar tierras en Indian Country , William D. Brown operaba el ferry Lone Tree que traía colonos de Council Bluffs, Iowa, al área que se convirtió en Omaha. A Brown generalmente se le atribuye el mérito de tener la primera visión de una ciudad donde ahora se encuentra Omaha. ^[22] La aprobación de la Ley Kansas-Nebraska en 1854 fue presagiada por la delimitación de reclamos alrededor del área que se convertiría en Omaha por parte de residentes del vecino Council Bluffs. El 4 de julio de 1854, la ciudad se estableció informalmente en un picnic en Capital Hill, el sitio actual de Omaha Central High School . ^[23] Poco después, se formó el Omaha Claim Club para brindar justicia por mano propia a los que se saltaban los reclamos y otros que infringían las tierras de muchos de los padres fundadores de la ciudad . ^[24] Parte de esta tierra, que ahora envuelve el centro de Omaha, se utilizó más tarde para atraer a los legisladores territoriales de Nebraska a un área llamada Scriptown . ^[25] La capital territorial estaba en Omaha, pero cuando Nebraska se convirtió en estado en 1867, la capital se trasladó a Lincoln , a 85 km (53 mi) al suroeste de Omaha. ^[26] La Corte Suprema de los Estados Unidos falló más tarde en contra de numerosos terratenientes cuyas acciones violentas fueron condenadas en Baker v. Morton . ^[27]

Muchas de las figuras fundadoras de Omaha se alojaron en la Casa Douglas o en el Hotel Cozzens House . ^[28] Dodge Street fue importante al principio de la historia comercial de la ciudad; North 24th Street y South 24th Street también se desarrollaron de forma independiente como distritos comerciales. Los primeros pioneros fueron enterrados en el cementerio Prospect Hill y en el cementerio Cedar Hill. ^[29] Cedar Hill cerró en la década de 1860 y sus tumbas se trasladaron a Prospect Hill, donde más tarde se unieron a los pioneros soldados de Fort Omaha , afroamericanos y los primeros inmigrantes europeos . ^[30] También hay otros cementerios históricos en Omaha , sinagogas judías históricas e iglesias cristianas históricas que datan de la era pionera. Dos parques de esculturas, Pioneer Courage and Spirit of Nebraska's Wilderness y The Transcontinental Railroad , celebran la historia pionera de la ciudad. ^[31]

La economía de Omaha experimentó un auge y una caída durante sus primeros años. En 1858, la Omaha Printing Company (rebautizada como Aradius Group, 2016) fundó el Omaha Daily Republican , el primer periódico regional de Nebraska, fundado antes de que Nebraska reclamara la condición de estado. Omaha era un punto de parada para los colonos y buscadores de oro que se dirigían al oeste, ya sea por tierra o por el río Misuri. El barco de vapor Bertrand se hundió al norte de Omaha en su camino a los yacimientos de oro en 1865. Su enorme colección de artefactos está en exhibición en el cercano Desoto National Wildlife Refuge . El distrito de venta al por mayor y de trabajos forzados trajo nuevos puestos de trabajo, seguidos por los ferrocarriles y los corrales de ganado. ^[32] La inauguración del primer ferrocarril transcontinental en 1863 proporcionó un auge de desarrollo esencial para la ciudad. ^[33] En 1862, el Congreso de los EE. UU. permitió que el ferrocarril Union Pacific comenzara a construir ferrocarriles hacia el oeste; ^{[34] [35]} En enero de 1866 comenzó su construcción en Omaha. ^[36]

Los Union Stockyards , otra parte importante del desarrollo de la ciudad, se fundaron en el sur de Omaha en 1883. ^[37] En 20 años, Omaha tenía cuatro de las cinco principales empresas empacadoras de carne de los Estados Unidos. En la década de 1950, la mitad de la fuerza laboral de la ciudad estaba empleada en el envasado y procesamiento de carne. El envasado de carne, el trabajo a destajo y los ferrocarriles fueron responsables de la mayor parte del crecimiento de la ciudad desde finales del siglo XIX hasta las primeras décadas del siglo XX. ^[38]

Los inmigrantes pronto crearon enclaves étnicos por toda la ciudad, incluidos los irlandeses en Sheelytown en el sur de Omaha; los alemanes en el Near North Side , a los que se unieron los judíos europeos y los inmigrantes negros del sur ; y Little Italy y Little Bohemia en el sur de Omaha. ^[39] A partir de finales del siglo XIX, la clase alta de Omaha vivió en enclaves elegantes por toda la ciudad, incluidos los barrios del sur y norte de Gold Coast, Bemis Park , Kountze Place , Field Club y en todo Midtown Omaha . Viajaron por el extenso sistema de parques de la ciudad en bulevares diseñados por el reconocido arquitecto paisajista Horace Cleveland . ^[40] El Omaha Horse Railway fue el primero en transportar pasajeros por toda la ciudad, al igual que la posterior Omaha Cable Tramway Company y varias empresas similares. En 1888, la Omaha and Council Bluffs Railway and Bridge Company construyó el Douglas Street Bridge , el primer puente para peatones y carros entre Omaha y Council Bluffs. ^[41]

El juego, el consumo de alcohol y la prostitución eran actividades muy extendidas en el siglo XIX, primero desenfrenadas en el Distrito Quemado de la ciudad y más tarde en el Distrito Deportivo . ^[42] Controlados por el jefe político de Omaha, Tom Dennison , en 1890, los elementos criminales disfrutaban del apoyo del alcalde "perpetuo" de Omaha, "Cowboy Jim" Dahlman, apodado así por sus ocho mandatos como alcalde. ^{[43] [44]}

Calamidades como la Gran Inundación de 1881 no frenaron la violencia de la ciudad. ^[45] En 1882, la huelga de Camp Dump enfrentó a la milicia estatal contra los huelguistas sindicalizados, atrayendo la atención nacional a los problemas laborales de Omaha. El gobernador de Nebraska tuvo que llamar a las tropas del ejército de los EE. UU. del cercano Fort Omaha para proteger a los rompehuelgas del ferrocarril de Burlington , trayendo ametralladoras Gatling y un cañón para la defensa. Cuando terminó el evento, un hombre estaba muerto y varios heridos. ^[46] En 1891, una turba ahorcó a Joe Coe , un porteador afroamericano después de que fuera acusado de violar a una niña blanca. ^[47] También hubo varios otros disturbios y eventos de malestar civil en Omaha durante este período.

En 1898, los líderes de Omaha, bajo la dirección de Gurdon Wattles , llevaron a cabo la Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition , promocionada como una celebración del crecimiento agrícola e industrial en todo el Medio Oeste . ^[48] El Congreso Indio , que atrajo a más de 500 indios americanos de todo el país, se celebró simultáneamente. Más de 2 millones de visitantes asistieron a estos eventos en Kountze Park y Omaha Driving Park en el vecindario de Kountze Place . ^[49]

Con el aumento dramático de la población en el siglo XX, la competencia y las feroces luchas laborales llevaron a un gran malestar civil. ^[50] En 1900, Omaha fue el centro de un escándalo nacional por el secuestro de Edward Cudahy, Jr. , el hijo de un magnate local de envasado de carne . ^[51]

Los trabajadores y la dirección de la ciudad se enfrentaron en huelgas amargas, la tensión racial aumentó a medida que se contrataba a negros como rompehuelgas y estallaron conflictos étnicos. ^[52] Un importante motín de los primeros inmigrantes en el sur de Omaha destruyó el barrio griego de la ciudad en 1909, expulsando por completo a la población griega. ^[53]

El movimiento por los derechos civiles en Omaha tiene raíces que se remontan a 1912, cuando se fundó en la ciudad el primer capítulo de la Asociación Nacional para el Progreso de las Personas de Color al oeste del río Misisipi . ^[54]

El tornado del Domingo de Pascua de 1913 en Omaha destruyó gran parte de la comunidad afroamericana de la ciudad , además de gran parte del centro de Omaha. ^[55]

Seis años después, en 1919, la ciudad se vio envuelta en los disturbios del Verano Rojo, cuando miles de blancos marcharon desde el sur de Omaha hasta el palacio de justicia para linchar a un trabajador negro, Willy Brown, sospechoso de una supuesta violación de una mujer blanca. La turba quemó el palacio de justicia del condado de Douglas para capturar al prisionero, lo que provocó daños por más de un millón de dólares. Ahorcaron y fusilaron a Will Brown, y luego quemaron su cuerpo. ^[56] Se convocó a las tropas de Fort Omaha para sofocar el motín, evitar que se reunieran más multitudes en el sur de Omaha y proteger a la comunidad negra en el norte de Omaha. ^[57]

La cultura del norte de Omaha prosperó durante la década de 1920 y hasta la de 1950, con varias figuras creativas, entre ellas Tillie Olsen , Wallace Thurman , Lloyd Hunter y Anna Mae Winburn , que surgieron del vibrante Near North Side. ^[58]

Los músicos crearon su propio mundo en Omaha y también se unieron a bandas y grupos nacionales que realizaban giras y actuaban en la ciudad. ^[59]

Después de la tumultuosa Gran Depresión de la década de 1930, Omaha se recuperó con el desarrollo de la Base Aérea Offutt, justo al sur de la ciudad. La Glenn L. Martin Company operó allí una fábrica en la década de 1940 que produjo 521 B-29 Superfortress , incluidos el Enola Gay y el Bockscar utilizados en el bombardeo atómico de Japón en la Segunda Guerra Mundial. ^[60]

La construcción de las carreteras interestatales 80 , 480 y 680 , junto con la autopista North Omaha , estimuló el desarrollo. También hubo controversia, particularmente en North Omaha, donde las nuevas rutas dividieron varios vecindarios. ^[61] La Universidad de Creighton albergó al Club DePorres , un grupo de derechos civiles pionero cuyo uso de estrategias de sentadas para la integración de instalaciones públicas fue anterior al movimiento nacional. ^[62]

Tras el desarrollo de la planta de fabricación de bombarderos de Glenn L. Martin Company en Bellevue a principios de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, la reubicación del Comando Aéreo Estratégico al suburbio de Omaha en 1948 proporcionó un importante impulso económico a la zona. ^[63]

Desde la década de 1950 hasta la de 1960, más de 40 compañías de seguros tenían su sede en Omaha, incluidas Woodmen of the World y Mutual of Omaha . A fines de la década de 1960, la ciudad rivalizaba, pero nunca superó, a los centros de seguros de los Estados Unidos de Hartford, Connecticut , la ciudad de Nueva York y Boston . ^[64]

Después de superar a Chicago en el procesamiento de carne a fines de la década de 1950, Omaha sufrió la pérdida de 10.000 puestos de trabajo debido a la reestructuración de las industrias ferroviaria y de envasado de carne. La ciudad luchó durante décadas para cambiar su economía mientras los trabajadores sufrían. La pobreza se afianzó más entre las familias que permanecieron en el norte de Omaha.

En la década de 1960, tres grandes disturbios raciales a lo largo de North 24th Street destruyeron la base económica del Near North Side, y la recuperación fue lenta durante décadas. ^[65] En 1969, se completó la Torre Woodmen y se convirtió en el edificio más alto de Omaha y el primer rascacielos importante con 478 pies (146 m), una señal de renovación.

Desde la década de 1970, Omaha ha seguido expandiéndose y creciendo, principalmente en las tierras disponibles al oeste. El oeste de Omaha se ha convertido en el hogar de la mayoría de la población de la ciudad. Las poblaciones del norte y el sur de Omaha siguen siendo centros de nuevos inmigrantes, con diversidad económica y racial. En 1975, un gran tornado , junto con una gran tormenta de nieve , causó más de 100 millones de dólares en daños en dólares de 1975. ^[66]

Desde entonces, el centro de Omaha se ha rejuvenecido de numerosas maneras, comenzando con el desarrollo del centro comercial Gene Leahy ^[67] y la biblioteca W. Dale Clark ^[68] a fines de la década de 1970. En la década de 1980, los almacenes de fruta de Omaha se convirtieron en una zona comercial llamada Old Market .

La demolición de Jobber's Canyon en 1989 dio lugar a la creación del campus de ConAgra Foods . ^[69] Varios edificios cercanos, incluido el Nash Block , se han convertido en condominios. Los corrales fueron derribados; el único edificio que sobrevivió es el Livestock Exchange Building , que se convirtió en un edificio de usos múltiples y se incluyó en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos. ^[70]

Un movimiento de preservación histórica en Omaha ha llevado a que varias estructuras y distritos históricos sean designados Monumentos de Omaha o incluidos en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos . Gran parte del impulso hacia la preservación se produjo después de que Omaha obtuviera la notoria designación de haber, en 1989, demolido el distrito histórico más grande del Registro Nacional en los Estados Unidos, un récord que todavía se mantiene en 2013. El Distrito Histórico de Jobbers Canyon , a lo largo del río Misuri, fue talado para construir un nuevo campus de la sede de ConAgra Foods, una empresa que amenazó con mudarse si Omaha no les permitía arrasar el distrito histórico de la ciudad. Antes de eso, se había permitido que los almacenes de Jobber's Canyon se deterioraran y fueron escenario de varios incendios provocados por la población sin hogar que había venido a vivir en los edificios abandonados. En ese momento, no había planes para revitalizar los edificios. ^{[71] [72] [73]}

En los años 1980 y 1990, Omaha también vio cómo importantes sedes de empresas abandonaban la ciudad, entre ellas Enron , fundada en la ciudad en 1930 y trasladada a Houston en 1987 por el ahora célebre Kenneth Lay . First Data Corporation, un gran procesador de tarjetas de crédito, también fue fundada en Omaha en 1969; a partir de 2009, su sede está en Atlanta.

Inacom , fundada en Omaha en 1991, fue una empresa tecnológica que personalizaba sistemas informáticos para grandes empresas, y estuvo en la lista Fortune 500 desde 1997 hasta 2000, cuando se declaró en quiebra. Northwestern Bell , la filial de Bell System para los estados del noroeste, tuvo su sede en Omaha desde su fundación en 1896 hasta que se trasladó a Denver en 1991 como US West . Level 3 Communications , un gran proveedor de red de nivel 1 , se fundó en Omaha en 1985 como Kiewit Diversified Group, una división de Kiewit Corporation , una empresa de construcción y minería de Fortune 500 que todavía tiene su sede en Omaha; Level 3 se trasladó a Denver en 1998. World Com fue fundada por una fusión con MFS Communications de Omaha, que comenzó como Metropolitan Fiber Systems en 1993. MFS, respaldada por el director ejecutivo de Kiewit Corporation, Walter Scott Jr. , y Warren Buffett , compró UUNET , una de las redes troncales de Internet más grandes del mundo, por 2 mil millones de dólares en 1996. El ahora infame Bernie Ebbers compró la mucho más grande MFS por 14.3 mil millones de dólares en 1997 bajo su World Com . Trasladó la sede de la empresa fusionada de Omaha a Mississippi. ^[74]

A principios del siglo XXI, se construyeron varios rascacielos e instituciones culturales en el centro de la ciudad. ^[75] En 2002 se completó un First National Center , que superó a la Woodmen Tower como el edificio más alto de Omaha y del estado con 634 pies (193 m). La creación del nuevo North Downtown de la ciudad incluyó la construcción del CenturyLink Center y el desarrollo Slowdown / Film Streams en North 14th y Webster Streets. ^[76] La construcción del nuevo TD Ameritrade Park , también en el área del North Downtown, comenzó en 2009 y se completó en 2011. TD Ameritrade Park es ahora el hogar de la College World Series , un evento al que acuden los turistas cada año. El Union Pacific Center y el Holland Performing Arts Center abrieron en 2004 y 2005, respectivamente.

En el oeste de Omaha se produjeron importantes desarrollos comerciales y de oficinas, como el centro comercial Village Pointe y varios parques empresariales. ^[77] El sitio del antiguo estadio Ak-Sar-Ben se reconvirtió en un desarrollo de uso mixto, Aksarben Village . En enero de 2009, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska anunció planes para construir una sede de 10 pisos y 98 millones de dólares en Aksarben Village , que se completó en la primavera de 2011. ^[78] Otro importante desarrollo de uso mixto que llegó a Omaha fue Midtown Crossing en Turner Park . Desarrollado por Mutual of Omaha , el desarrollo incluye varias torres de condominios y negocios minoristas construidos alrededor del Turner Park de Omaha. ^{[79] [80]}

También se han producido varios desarrollos a lo largo de la ribera del río Misuri, cerca del centro de la ciudad. El puente peatonal Bob Kerrey se abrió al tráfico peatonal y de bicicletas el 28 de septiembre de 2008. ^[81] Iniciado en 2003, ^{[82] la primera fase} de RiverFront Place Condos se completó en 2006 y la segunda fase se inauguró en 2011. Se atribuye al desarrollo a lo largo de la ribera del río de Omaha el impulso de la ciudad de Council Bluffs para adelantar su propio cronograma de desarrollo de la ribera del río. ^[83]

En los veranos de 2008, 2012, 2016 y 2021, las pruebas de natación del equipo olímpico de los Estados Unidos se llevaron a cabo en Omaha, en el Qwest/Century Link Center. ^{[84] [85]} Estos eventos fueron puntos destacados en la comunidad deportiva de la ciudad , ^[86] así como un escaparate para la reurbanización del área del centro.

Según la Oficina del Censo de los Estados Unidos , la ciudad tiene una superficie total de 338,20 km² (130,58 mi² ⁾ , de los cuales 329,16 km² (127,09 mi² ⁾ son tierra y 9,04 km² (3,49 mi² ⁾ son agua. ^[87] Situada en el medio oeste de los Estados Unidos, a orillas del río Misuri en el este de Nebraska, gran parte de Omaha está construida en el valle del río Misuri . Otros cuerpos de agua importantes en el área metropolitana de Omaha-Council Bluffs incluyen el lago Manawa, el arroyo Papillion , el lago Carter , el río Platte y el lago Glenn Cunningham . El terreno de la ciudad se ha alterado considerablemente con una nivelación sustancial del terreno en todo el centro de Omaha y esparcido por toda la ciudad. ^[88] East Omaha se encuentra en una llanura aluvial al oeste del río Misuri. El área es la ubicación del lago Carter, un lago en forma de meandro . El lago alguna vez fue el sitio de la isla East Omaha y el lago Florence, que se secó en la década de 1920.

El área metropolitana de Omaha-Council Bluffs consta de ocho condados; cinco en Nebraska y tres en Iowa. ^[89] El área metropolitana ahora incluye los condados de Harrison , Pottawattamie y Mills en Iowa y los condados de Washington , Douglas, Sarpy , Cass y Saunders en Nebraska. Esta área anteriormente se conocía solo como el Área estadística metropolitana de Omaha y consistía en solo cinco condados: Pottawattamie en Iowa y Washington, Douglas, Cass y Sarpy en Nebraska. ^[90] El área estadística combinada de Omaha-Council Bluffs comprende el área estadística metropolitana de Omaha-Council Bluffs y el área estadística micropolitana de Fremont ; el CSA tiene una población de 858,720 (estimación de la Oficina del Censo de 2005). Omaha se ubica como la 42.ª ciudad más grande de los Estados Unidos y es la ciudad central de su 60.ª área metropolitana más grande. ^[91] No hay ciudades-condados consolidados en el área; la ciudad de Omaha estudió la posibilidad extensamente durante 2003 y concluyó que "la ciudad de Omaha y el condado de Douglas deberían fusionarse en un condado municipal, que los trabajos comiencen de inmediato y que las consolidaciones funcionales comiencen de inmediato en tantos departamentos como sea posible, incluidos, entre otros, parques, gestión de flotas , gestión de instalaciones, planificación local , compras y personal". ^[92]

Geográficamente, se considera que Omaha se encuentra en el "corazón" de los Estados Unidos. Entre los impactos ambientales importantes sobre el hábitat natural de la zona se incluyen la propagación de especies vegetales invasoras , la restauración de los hábitats de praderas y sabanas de robles bur y la gestión de la población de venados de cola blanca . ^[93]

Omaha alberga varios hospitales, la mayoría a lo largo de Dodge Street (US6). Al ser la capital del condado, también es la sede del tribunal del condado.

Omaha se divide generalmente en seis áreas geográficas: Downtown, Midtown, North Omaha, South Omaha, West Omaha y East Omaha. West Omaha incluye las áreas de Miracle Hills, Boys Town , Regency y Gateway. ^[80] La ciudad tiene una amplia gama de barrios y suburbios históricos y nuevos que reflejan su diversidad socioeconómica . El desarrollo temprano de los barrios ocurrió en enclaves étnicos, ^[94] incluyendo Little Italy , Little Bohemia , Little Mexico y Greek Town . ^[95] Según los datos del censo de EE. UU., existían cinco enclaves étnicos europeos en Omaha en 1880, ampliándose a nueve en 1900. ^[96]

A principios del siglo XX, la ciudad de Omaha se anexionó varias comunidades aledañas, entre ellas Florence , Dundee y Benson . Al mismo tiempo, la ciudad se anexó todo el sur de Omaha, incluidos los barrios de Dahlman y Burlington Road . Desde su primera anexión en 1857 (de East Omaha) hasta su controvertida anexión de Elkhorn en 2007, Omaha ha tenido continuamente la vista puesta en el crecimiento. ^[97]

A partir de la década de 1950, el desarrollo de autopistas y nuevas viviendas condujo al movimiento de la clase media a los suburbios en West Omaha. Parte del movimiento fue designado como huida blanca de los disturbios raciales en la década de 1960. ^[98] Los inmigrantes más nuevos y más pobres vivían en viviendas más antiguas cerca del centro; aquellos residentes que estaban más establecidos se mudaron al oeste a viviendas más nuevas. Algunos suburbios son comunidades cerradas o se han convertido en ciudades periféricas . ^[99] Recientemente, los habitantes de Omaha han hecho avances para revitalizar las áreas del centro y Midtown con la reurbanización del Old Market, Turner Park, Gifford Park y la designación del Distrito Histórico de Comercio y Ferrocarril de Omaha . ^[100]

Omaha, debido a su latitud de 41,26˚ N y su ubicación lejos de cuerpos de agua moderadores o cadenas montañosas, muestra un clima continental húmedo de verano cálido ( Köppen : Dfa ). ^{[101] [102]} En julio, la temperatura media es de 24,8 °C (76,7 °F), con una humedad relativa media de alrededor del 70 %, lo que luego conduce a tormentas eléctricas relativamente frecuentes. Las temperaturas alcanzan los 32 °C (90 °F) en 29 días y los 38 °C (100 °F) en 1,7 días al año. La media diaria de enero es de −4,7 °C (23,5 °F), con mínimas que alcanzan los −18 °C (0 °F) en 11 días al año. La temperatura más baja registrada en la ciudad fue de -32 °F (-35,6 °C) el 5 de enero de 1884, ^[103] y la más alta de 114 °F (45,6 °C) el 25 de julio de 1936. [ ^104] La precipitación media anual es de 30,6 pulgadas (777 mm), cayendo principalmente en los meses más cálidos. La nieve es la precipitación más común en invierno, con una nevada estacional media de 28,7 pulgadas (72,9 cm).

Basándose en los promedios de 30 años obtenidos del Centro Nacional de Datos Climáticos de la NOAA para los meses de diciembre, enero y febrero, Weather Channel clasificó a Omaha como la quinta ciudad más fría de Estados Unidos en 2014. ^[105]

El censo de EE. UU. de 2020 ^[118] contabilizó 486 051 personas, 189 922 hogares y 113 245 familias en Omaha. La densidad de población era de 3406,8 por milla cuadrada (1315,4/km ² ). Había 203 215 unidades de vivienda, con una densidad media de 1424,4 por milla cuadrada (550,0/km ² ). La composición racial (incluidos los hispanos en los recuentos raciales) fue 65,47% (318.218) blancos , 12,4% (60.280) negros o afroamericanos , 1,12% (5.426) nativos americanos , 4,6% (22.377) asiáticos , 0,09% (461) isleños del Pacífico , 7,25% (35.233) de otras razas y 9,06% (44.056) de dos o más razas. Los hispanos o latinos de cualquier raza fueron el 14,0% (67.715) de la población. ^[113]

De los 189.922 hogares, el 28,3% tenía hijos menores de 18 años; el 43,0% eran parejas casadas que vivían juntas; el 29,2% tenía una mujer como cabeza de familia sin presencia del marido. El 33,2% de los hogares estaban formados por una sola persona y el 10,7% tenía a alguien que vivía solo y tenía 65 años o más. El tamaño medio de los hogares era de 2,5 personas y el tamaño medio de las familias era de 3,2 personas.

El 24,5% de la población tenía menos de 18 años, el 9,6% entre 18 y 24 años, el 28,2% entre 25 y 44 años, el 23,2% entre 45 y 64 años y el 13,1% tenía 65 años o más. La edad media era de 34,9 años. Por cada 100 mujeres, la población tenía 97,1 hombres. Por cada 100 mujeres de 18 años o más, había 95,0 hombres.

Las estimaciones de la Encuesta sobre la comunidad estadounidense de cinco años de 2016-2020 ^[119] muestran que el ingreso familiar promedio fue de $62,213 (con un margen de error de +/- $969) y el ingreso familiar promedio de $80,956 (+/- $1,380). Los hombres tuvieron un ingreso promedio de $41,528 (+/- $592) frente a $31,295 (+/- $490) para las mujeres. El ingreso promedio para los mayores de 16 años fue de $36,290 (+/- $532). Aproximadamente, el 8,0% de las familias y el 12,0% de la población estaban por debajo del umbral de pobreza , incluido el 15,6% de los menores de 18 años y el 7,8% de los mayores de 65 años.

As of the census^[120] of 2010, there were 408,958 people, 162,627 households, and 96,477 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,217.9/sq mi (1,242.4/km²). There were 177,518 housing units, at an average density of 1,396.8/sq mi (539.3/km²). The city's racial makeup was 73.1% White, 13.7% African American, 0.8% Native American, 2.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 6.9% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 13.1% of the population. Non-Hispanic Whites were 68.0% of the population.^[113]

There were 162,627 households, of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.7% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was at least 65 years old. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.14.

The median age in the city was 33.5 years. 25.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.9% were from 25 to 44; 24.4% were from 45 to 64; and 11.4% were 65 years of age or older. The city's gender makeup was 49.2% male and 50.8% female.

The median household income (in 2017 dollars) from 2013 to 2017 was $53,789.^[121]

As of the 2000 census, there were 390,007 people, 156,738 households, and 94,983 families residing within city limits. The population density was 3,370.7 people per square mile (1,301.4 people/km²). There were 165,731 housing units, at an average density of 1,432.4 per square mile (553.1/km²). The city's racial makeup was 78.4% White, 13.3% African American, 0.7% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.9% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.5% of the population.^[122]

The city's median household income was $40,006, and the median family income was $50,821. Males had a median income of $34,301 versus $26,652 for females. The city's per capita income was $21,756. About 11.3% of the population and 7.8% of families were below the poverty line, including 15.6% of those under the age of 18 and 7.4% of those 65 and older.^[123]

Omaha's rate of violent crimes per 100,000 residents has been lower than the average rates of three dozen United States cities of similar size. Unlike Omaha, those cities have experienced an increase in violent crime overall since 2003. Rates for property crime have decreased for both Omaha and its peer cities during the same time period.^[124] In 2006, Omaha was ranked for homicides as 46th out of the 72 cities in the United States of more than 250,000 in population.^[125]

As a major industrial city into the mid-20th century, Omaha shared in social tensions that came with rapid growth and the arrival of large numbers of immigrants and migrants. Persistent poverty resulting from racial discrimination and job losses generated different crimes in the late 20th century, with the drug trade and drug abuse becoming associated with violent crime rates, which climbed after 1986 as Los Angeles gangs made affiliates in the city.^[126]

Gambling in Omaha has been an important part of the city's history. From its founding in the 1850s through the 1930s, the city was known as a "wide-open" town where gambling of all sorts was openly accepted. By the 1950s, at the same time large-scale restructuring of the railroads, the meatpacking industry and other sectors caused widespread job losses and unemployment, Omaha reportedly had more illicit gambling than any other city in the nation.^[127] From the 1930s through the 1970s, a Mafia-based criminal element controlled gambling in the city.^[128]

As most forms of gambling are currently restricted in Nebraska, gambling in Omaha is limited to keno, lotteries, and parimutuel betting. This leaves Omahans to drive across the Missouri River to Council Bluffs, Iowa, where casinos are legal and many businesses operate. Recently, the National Indian Gaming Commission approved a controversial proposal made by the Ponca tribe of Nebraska. It will allow the tribe to build a casino in Carter Lake, Iowa, which sits on the west side of the Missouri River, adjacent to Omaha, where casinos are illegal.^{[129][130][131]}

Native Americans were the first residents of the Omaha area. The city of Omaha was established by white settlers from neighboring Council Bluffs who arrived from the Northeastern United States a few years earlier. While much of the early population was of Yankee stock, over the next 100 years numerous ethnic groups moved to the city. In 1910, the Census Bureau reported Omaha's population as 96.4% White and 3.6% Black.^[132] Irish immigrants in Omaha originally moved to an area in present-day North Omaha called Gophertown, as they lived in dug-out sod houses.^[47] That population was followed by Polish immigrants in the Sheelytown neighborhood, and many immigrants were recruited for jobs in South Omaha's stockyards and meatpacking industry.^[133] The German community in Omaha was largely responsible for founding its once-thriving beer industry,^[134] including the Metz, Krug, Falstaff and Storz breweries.

Since its founding, ethnic groups in the city have clustered in enclaves in north, south and downtown Omaha. In its early days, the sometimes lawless nature of a new frontier city included crime, such as illicit gambling and riots.

In the early 20th century, Jewish immigrants set up many businesses along the North 24th Street commercial area. It suffered with the loss of industrial jobs in the 1960s and, later, the shifting of population west of the city. The commercial area is now the center of the African-American community, concentrated in North Omaha.^[135] The African American community has maintained its social and religious base, while it is experiencing an economic revitalization.

The Little Italy neighborhood grew south of downtown, as many Italian immigrants came to the city to work in the Union Pacific shops.^[136] Scandinavians first came to Omaha as Mormon settlers in the Florence neighborhood.^[137][138] Czechs had a strong political and cultural voice in Omaha,^[139] and were involved in a variety of trades and businesses, including banks, wholesale houses, and funeral homes. The Notre Dame Academy and Convent and Czechoslovak Museum are legacies of their residence.^[140] Today the legacy of the city's early European immigrant populations is evident in many social and cultural institutions in Downtown and South Omaha.

Mexicans originally immigrated to Omaha to work in the rail yards. Today they account for most of South Omaha's Hispanic population and many have taken jobs in meat processing.^[141] Other large early ethnic populations in Omaha included Danes, Poles, and Swedes.

A growing number of African immigrants have made their homes in Omaha in the last twenty years.^[when?] There are approximately 8,500 Sudanese living in Omaha, including the largest population of Sudanese refugees in the United States. Most have immigrated since 1995 because of warfare in Sudan. They represent ten ethnic groups, including the Nuer, Dinka, Equatorians, Maubans and Nubians. Most Sudanese people in Omaha speak the Nuer language.^[142] Other Africans have immigrated to Omaha as well, with one-third from Nigeria, and large populations from Kenya, Togo, Cameroon and Ghana.^{[143][144][145]}

With the expansion of railroad and industrial jobs in meatpacking, Omaha attracted many immigrants and migrants. As the major city in Nebraska, it has historically been more racially and ethnically diverse than the rest of the state.^[146] At times rapid population change, overcrowded housing and job competition have aroused racial and ethnic tensions. Around the start of the 20th century, violence towards new immigrants in Omaha often erupted out of suspicion and fear.^[147]

In 1909, anti-Greek sentiment flared after increased Greek immigration, and worsened their tendency to become strikebreakers. The killing of a policeman of Irish descent enraged the Irish community; an angry mob violently stormed the Greek neighborhood in Omaha in what would become known as the Greek Town Riot.^[148] That mob violence forced the Greek immigrant population to flee from the city.^[149][150] By 1910, 53.7% of Omaha's residents and 64.2% of South Omaha's residents were foreign born or had at least one parent born outside of America.^[151]

Six years after the Greek Town Riot, in 1915, a mob killed Juan Gonzalez, a Mexican immigrant, near Scribner, a town in the Greater Omaha metropolitan area. The event occurred after an Omaha Police Department officer investigated a criminal operation that sold goods stolen from the nearby railroad yards. Racial profiling targeted Gonzalez as the culprit. After escaping the city, he was trapped along the Elkhorn River, where the mob, including several policemen from Omaha, shot him more than twenty times. It was discovered Gonzalez was unarmed, and he had a reliable alibi for the time of the murder. No one was ever indicted for his killing.^[152]

In the fall of 1919, following Red Summer, postwar social and economic tensions, the earlier hiring of African Americans as strikebreakers, and job uncertainty contributed to a mob from South Omaha lynching Willy Brown and the ensuing Omaha Race Riot. Trying to defend Brown, the city's mayor, Edward Parsons Smith, was lynched also, surviving only after a quick rescue.^[47]

Like other industrial cities in the U.S., Omaha suffered severe job losses in the 1950s, more than 10,000 in all, as the railroad and meatpacking industries restructured. Stockyards and packing plants were located closer to ranches, and union achievements were lost as wages declined in surviving jobs.^[153] Many workers left the area if they could get to other jobs. Poverty deepened in areas of the city whose residents depended on those jobs, specifically North and South Omaha. At the same time, with reduced revenues, the city had less financial ability to respond to longstanding problems.

Despair after the April 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. contributed to riots in North Omaha, including one at the Logan Fontenelle Housing Project.^[154] For some, the civil rights movement in Omaha, Nebraska evolved towards black nationalism, as the Black Panther Party was involved in tensions in the late 1960s. Organizations such as the Black Association for Nationalism Through Unity became popular among the city's African-American youth. This tension culminated in the cause célèbre trial of the Rice/Poindexter Case, in which an Omaha Police Department officer was killed by a bomb while answering an emergency call.

Whites in Omaha have followed the white flight pattern, suburbanizing to West Omaha.^[155] In the late 1990s and early 2000s, gang violence and incidents between the Omaha Police and Black residents undermined relations between groups in North and South Omaha.^[156]

With diversification in several industries, including banking, insurance, telecommunications, architecture/construction, and transportation, Omaha's economy has grown since the early 1990s,^[157] and six national fiber optic networks converge in Omaha.^[158]

Omaha's most prominent businessman is Warren Buffett, nicknamed the "Oracle of Omaha", who for decades has ranked as one of the richest people in the world. Four Omaha-based companies: Berkshire Hathaway, Union Pacific Railroad, Mutual of Omaha, and Kiewit Corporation, are among the Fortune 500.^[159]

Omaha is the headquarters of several other major corporations, including the Gallup Organization, Werner Enterprises, First National Bank of Omaha, Gavilon, Scoular and First Comp Insurance. Many other large national firms have major operations or operational headquarters in Omaha, including Bank of the West, First Data, Sojern, PayPal, LinkedIn, Pacific Life, MetLife and Conagra Brands. 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.^[160]

According to the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, the largest regional employers are:^[161]

Tourist attractions in Omaha include history, sports, outdoors and cultural experiences. Its principal tourist attractions are the Henry Doorly Zoo and the College World Series.^[162] The Old Market in Downtown Omaha is another major attraction and is important to the city's retail economy. The city has been a tourist destination for many years. Famous early visitors included British author Rudyard Kipling and General George Crook. In 1883 Omaha hosted the first official performance of the Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show for 8,000 attendees.^[163] In 1898 the city hosted more than 1 million 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.^[164]

Research on leisure and hospitality situates Omaha in the same tier for tourists as the neighboring cities of Des Moines, Iowa; Topeka, Kansas; Kansas City, Missouri; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Denver, Colorado; and Sioux Falls, South Dakota.^[165] A recent study found investment of $1 million in cultural tourism generated approximately $83,000 in state and local taxes, and provided support for hundreds of jobs for the metropolitan area, which in turn led to additional tax revenue for government.^[162][166]

Several national newspapers, including the Boston Globe^[167] and The New York Times ^[168] have lauded Omaha's historical and cultural attractions.

The city is home to the Omaha Community Playhouse, the largest community theater in the United States.^[169][170] The Omaha Symphony Orchestra and its modern Holland Performing Arts Center,^[171] the Opera Omaha at the Orpheum theater, the Blue Barn Theatre, American Midwest Ballet, and The Rose Theater form the backbone of Omaha's performing arts community. Opened in 1931, the Joslyn Art Museum has large art collections.^[172] 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 Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, one of the nation's premier urban artist colonies, was founded in Omaha in 1981,^[173] and the Durham Museum is accredited with the Smithsonian Institution for traveling exhibits.^[174] The city is also home to the largest singly funded mural in the nation, "Fertile Ground",^[175] by Meg Saligman.^[176] 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. This legacy is reflected in the cuisine of Omaha, with renowned steakhouses such as Gorat's and the recently closed Mister C's, as well as the retail chain Omaha Steaks.

The Henry Doorly Zoo is widely considered a premier zoo.^[177] The zoo is home to the world's largest nocturnal exhibit and indoor swamp; the world's largest indoor rainforest, the world's largest indoor desert,^[178] and the largest geodesic dome in the world (13 stories tall).^[179][180] The zoo is Nebraska's number-one paid attendance attraction and has welcomed more than 25 million visitors over the past 40 years.^[181]

The Old Market is a major historic district in Downtown Omaha listed on the National Register of Historical Places. Today, its warehouses and other buildings house shops, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and art galleries.^[182] Downtown is also the location of the Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District, which has several art galleries and restaurants. Lauritzen Gardens features 100 acres (40 ha) with a variety of landscaping, and the new Kenefick Park recognizes Union Pacific Railroad's long history in Omaha.^[183] North Omaha has several historical cultural attractions including the Dreamland Historical Project, Love's Jazz and Art Center, and the John Beasley Theater.^[184] The annual River City Roundup is celebrated at Fort Omaha, and the neighborhood of Florence celebrates its history during "Florence Days". Native Omaha Days is a biennial event celebrating Near North Side heritage.^[185]

Religious institutions reflect the city's heritage.^[186] The city's Christian community has several historical churches dating from the founding of the city. There are also all sizes of congregations, including small, medium and megachurches. Omaha hosts the only Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple in Nebraska along with a large Jewish community. There are 152 parishes in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha, and several Eastern Orthodox congregations throughout the city.^[187]

Lauritzen Gardens is a botanical garden located near South Omaha. The garden contains several large greenhouses, and outdoor plant exhibits. Covering over 100 acres of land, Lauritzen Gardens welcomes over 200,000 guests annually, making it one of the most popular attractions in Omaha.^[188]

Omaha's rich history in rhythm and blues, and jazz gave rise to a number of influential bands, including Anna Mae Winburn's Cotton Club Boys and Lloyd Hunter's Seranaders. Rock and roll pioneer Wynonie Harris, jazz great Preston Love, drummer Buddy Miles, and Luigi Waites are among the city's homegrown talent. Doug Ingle from the late 1960s band Iron Butterfly was born in Omaha, as was indie folk singer-songwriter Elliott Smith, though both were raised elsewhere.

Today, the diverse culture of Omaha includes a variety of performance venues, museums, and musical heritage, including the historically significant jazz scene in North Omaha and the modern and influential "Omaha Sound".^[189][190]

Contemporary music groups either in or originally from Omaha include Mannheim Steamroller, Bright Eyes, The Faint, Cursive, Azure Ray, Tilly and the Wall, and 311. During the late 1990s, Omaha became nationally known as the birthplace of Saddle Creek Records, and the subsequent "Omaha Sound" was born from their bands' collective style.^[191][192]

Omaha also has a fledgling hip hop scene. Long-time bastion Houston Alexander, a one-time graffiti artist and professional Mixed Martial Arts competitor, is a local hip-hop radio show host.^[193][194] Cerone Thompson, known as "Scrybe", has had a number one single on college radio stations across the United States. He has also had several number one hits on the local hip hop station respectively titled, "Lose Control" and "Do What U Do".^[195] Other notable artists include Stylo of Mastered Trax Latino who holds a strong following in South Omaha and Mexico / Latin America.^[195]

Many ethnic and cultural bands have come from Omaha. The Omaha Black Music Hall of Fame celebrates the city's long history of African-American music and the Strathdon Caledonia Pipe Band carries on a Scottish legacy. Internationally renowned composer Antonín Dvořák wrote his Ninth ("New World") Symphony in 1893 based on his impressions of the region after visiting Omaha's robust Czech community.^[196] In the period surrounding World War I Valentin J. Peter encouraged Germans in Omaha to celebrate their rich musical heritage, too. Frederick Metz, Gottlieb Storz and Frederick Krug were influential brewers whose beer gardens kept many German bands active.

Omaha is home to dozens of nationally, regionally and locally significant landmarks.^[197] 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 represents to date the largest loss of buildings on the National Register.^[198] The only original building surviving of that complex 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 National Historic Landmarks.^[199]

Locally designated landmarks, including residential, commercial, religious, educational, agricultural and socially significant locations across the city, honor 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.^[200]

Sports have been important in Omaha for more than a century, and the city plays host to three minor-league professional sports teams.

Omaha has hosted the annual June NCAA College World Series men's baseball tournament since 1950.^[201] It has been played at the downtown Charles Schwab Field since 2011.^[202]

The Omaha Sports Commission is a quasi-governmental nonprofit organization that coordinates much of the professional and amateur athletic activity in the city, including the 2008, 2012 and 2016 US Olympic Swimming Team Trials and the building of a new stadium in North Downtown.^{[203][204][205]} The University of Nebraska and the Commission co-hosted the 2008 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division One Women's Volleyball Championship in December of that year.^[206] The 2016 Big 10 Baseball Championship was also played at the College World Series Stadium. Another quasi-governmental board, the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority (MECA), was created by city voters in 2000,^[207] and is responsible for maintaining the CHI Health Center Omaha (formerly CenturyLink Center Omaha).^[208]

The Omaha Storm Chasers play at Werner Park.^[210] They won seven championships (in 1969, 1970, 1978, 1990, 2011, 2013, and 2014). Omaha is also home to the Omaha Diamond Spirit, a collegiate summer baseball team that plays in the MINK league.

Union Omaha, a professional minor league soccer team, is a member of USL League One and began play in the 2020 season. Their home games are played at Werner Park, which it shares with the Storm Chasers.^[211] The team, nicknamed the Owls, won the league championship in 2021.^[212] Union then made a deep run to the quarterfinals of the 2022 U.S. Open Cup, defeating two Major League Soccer teams in the process.^[213] The team announced plans in 2024 to build a 7,000-seat soccer-specific stadium near Downtown Omaha.^[214]

The Creighton University Bluejays compete in a number of NCAA Division I sports as members of the Big East Conference. The Bluejays play baseball at Charles Schwab Field, soccer at Morrison Stadium, and basketball at the 18,000 seat CHI Health Center Omaha. The Jays annually rank in the top 15 in attendance each year, averaging more than 16,000 people per game. The Omaha Mavericks, representing the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO), also play basketball, baseball and soccer in NCAA Division I as members of The Summit League. The UNO men's ice hockey team plays in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.

Ice hockey is a popular spectator sport in Omaha. The Omaha Lancers, a United States Hockey League team, play at the Ralston Arena.^[215] The Omaha Mavericks play in the on-campus Baxter Arena.

Omaha was home to an expansion team, the Nighthawks, in the United Football League from 2010 to 2011.^[216] The Omaha Beef indoor football team played at the Omaha Civic Auditorium until 2012 when they moved to the new Ralston Arena.

Omaha was the legendary catchword of Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterback Peyton Manning. In 2021 he launched Omaha Productions.

The Kansas City-Omaha Kings, an NBA franchise, played in both cities from 1972 to 1978,^[217] before decamping solely to Kansas City until 1985, when the team moved to its current home of Sacramento.

The Cox Classic golf tournament was part of the Web.com Tour from 1996 to 2013. The circuit returned to Omaha in 2017 with the Pinnacle Bank Championship.

Omaha has a thriving running community and many miles of paved running and biking trails throughout the city and surrounding communities. The Omaha Marathon involves a half-marathon and a 10 km (6.2 mi) race that takes place annually in September.^[218] Omaha also has a history of curling, including multiple junior national champions.^[219] 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.^[220] Omaha boasts more than 80 mi (129 km) of trails for pedestrians, bicyclists and hikers.^[221] They include the American Discovery Trail, which traverses the entire United States, and the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail passes through Omaha as it travels 3,700 mi (5,950 km) westward from Illinois to Oregon. Trails throughout the area are included in comprehensive plans for the city of Omaha, the Omaha metropolitan area, Douglas County, and long-distance coordinated plans between the municipalities of southeast Nebraska. The city also has a park dedicated to pollinating bees and insects called 'Pacific Preserve'^[222]

Omaha has a strong mayor form of government, along with a city council elected from seven districts across the city. The mayor is Jean Stothert, who was elected in May 2013, re-elected May 10, 2017, and re-elected again May 11, 2021. The longest-serving mayor in Omaha's history was "Cowboy" Jim Dahlman, who served 20 years over eight terms. He was regarded as the "wettest mayor in America" because of the flourishing number of bars in Omaha during his tenure.^[223] Dahlman was a close associate of political boss Tom Dennison.^[224] During Dahlman's tenure, the city switched from its original strong-mayor form of government to a city commission government.^[225] In 1956, the city switched back.^[226]

The city clerk is Elizabeth Butler.^[227] The City of Omaha administers twelve departments, including finance, police, human rights, libraries and planning.^[228] The Omaha City Council is the legislative branch and has seven members elected from districts across the city. The council enacts local ordinances and approves the city budget. Government priorities and activities are established in a budget ordinance approved annually. The council takes official action through the passage of ordinances and resolutions. Nebraska's constitution grants the option of home rule to cities with more than 5,000 residents, meaning they may operate under their own charters. Omaha is one of only three cities in Nebraska to use this option, out of 17 eligible.^[229] The City of Omaha is considering consolidating with Douglas County government.^[230]

Although registered Republicans outnumbered Democrats in the 2nd congressional district, which includes Omaha, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama opened three campaign offices in the city with 15 staff members to cover the state in fall 2008.^[231] Mike Fahey, the former Democratic mayor of Omaha, said he would do whatever it took to deliver the district's electoral vote to Obama; and the Obama campaign considered the district "in play".^[232] Former Nebraska U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey and then-U.S. Senator Ben Nelson campaigned in the city for Obama,^[233] and in November 2008 Obama won the district's electoral vote. This was an historical win, as Obama became the first Democratic presidential candidate to win an electoral vote in Nebraska since 1964, only made possible by Nebraska's split electoral vote system.^[234]

In 2011, Nebraska lawmakers moved Offutt Air Force Base and the town of Bellevue—an area with a large minority population—out of the Omaha-based 2nd District and shifted in the Republican-heavy Omaha suburbs in Sarpy County. The move is expected to dilute the city's urban Democratic vote.^[235]

Omaha's 2nd District sent its single electoral vote for Joe Biden in the 2020 election.^[236] Biden's victory, by more than 20,000 votes, shows Omaha's and the 2nd Districts' continuing trend toward Democratic politics in recent years.^[237]

Omaha has many public and private educational institutions, including Omaha Public Schools, the largest public school district in Nebraska, which serves more than 47,750 students in more than 75 schools.^[238] After a contentious period of uncertainty, in 2007 the Nebraska Legislature approved a plan to create a learning community for Omaha-area school districts with a central administrative board.^[239]

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha operates numerous private Catholic schools with 21,500 students in 32 elementary schools and nine high schools.^[240] They include St. Cecilia Grade School in Midtown Omaha, Holy Cross in Morton Meadows, St. Robert Bellarmine School at 120th and Pacific Street, St. Stephen the Martyr School in Millard, and Creighton Preparatory School, all of which have received the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School award.

The Westside Community Schools, also known as District 66, is a district in the heart of Omaha. It serves students in pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade and recorded a district enrollment of 6,123 students K-12 for the 2015–16 school year.^[241] Through annexations Omaha also has the Millard Public Schools and Elkhorn Public Schools. Omaha is also home to Brownell-Talbot School, Nebraska's only preschool through grade 12, independent college preparatory school.

There are eleven colleges and universities among Omaha's higher education institutions, including the University of Nebraska Omaha. The University of Nebraska Medical Center in midtown Omaha is home to the Eppley Cancer Center, one of 66 designated Cancer Centers by the National Cancer Institute in the United States. The University of Nebraska College of Medicine, also on the UNMC campus.

Omaha's Creighton University is ranked the top non-doctoral regional university in the Midwestern United States, its campus is just outside Downtown Omaha in the new North Downtown district has a combined 6,700 students in its undergraduate, graduate, medical, and law schools.

There are more than 10 other colleges and universities in the Omaha metro area.

The city is the focus of the Omaha designated market area, and is the 76th largest in the United States.^[242]

Omaha Magazine^[243]

The major daily newspaper in Nebraska is the Omaha World-Herald, formerly the largest employee-owned newspaper in the United States.^[244] Weeklies in the city include the Midlands Business Journal (weekly business publication); American Classifieds (formerly Thrifty Nickel), a weekly classified newspaper; The Reader, as well as The Omaha Star. Founded in 1938 in North Omaha, the Star is Nebraska's only African-American newspaper.^[245]

Omaha's three television news stations include: KETV 7 (ABC- branded NewsWatch 7), KMTV-TV 3 (CBS- branded 3 News Now), and WOWT 6 (NBC Omaha). KPTM 42 (FOX 42/CW 15) and KXVO 15 (TBD) do not air local news content. Cox Communications provides cable television services throughout the metropolitan area.^[246] Prism TV, offered through CenturyLink, is a broadband TV option also available throughout the Omaha area. Satellite providers such as DirecTV and Dish Network and the local programming they offer are also available throughout the metropolitan area.

Omaha's growth has required the constant development of new urban infrastructure that influence, allow and encourage the constant expansion of the city.

Retail natural gas and water public utilities in Omaha are provided by the Metropolitan Utilities District.^[247] 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.^[248] Public housing is governed by the Omaha Housing Authority. Metro Area Transit provides public transportation. CenturyLink and Cox provide local telephone and internet services. The City of Omaha maintains two modern sewage treatment plants.^[249]

Portions of the Enron corporation began as Northern Natural Gas Company in Omaha. Northern provides three natural gas lines to Omaha. Enron formerly owned UtiliCorp United, Inc., which became Aquila, Inc. Peoples Natural Gas, a division of Aquila, Inc., serves several surrounding communities around the Omaha metropolitan area, including Plattsmouth.^[250]

There are several hospitals in Omaha. Research hospitals include the Boys Town National Research Hospital, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the Creighton University Medical Center. The Boys Town facility is well known for hearing-related research and treatment. The University of 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.^[251][252]

Omaha's central role in the history of transportation across America earned it the nickname "Gate City of the West".^[1] Despite President Lincoln's decree that Council Bluffs, Iowa, be the starting point for the Union Pacific Railroad, construction began from Omaha on the eastern portion of the first transcontinental railroad.^[253] By the middle of the 20th century, nearly every major railroad served Omaha.

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. First housed in the former Herndon House, the Union Pacific Railroad's corporate headquarters have been in Omaha since the company began.^[254] Their new headquarters, the Union Pacific Center, opened in Downtown Omaha in 2004.

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service through Omaha. The intercity bus terminal is at 1601 Jackson St. in downtown Omaha. The terminal also service to Jefferson Lines, Burlington Trailways, and Express Arrow. Megabus has a stop at the former Crossroads Mall – N 72nd St. between Dodge St. and Cass St. – and provides service to Des Moines, Iowa City, and Chicago. Metro Transit, previously known as Metro Area Transit, is the local bus system.

Omaha's position as a transportation center was finalized with the 1872 opening of the Union Pacific Missouri River Bridge that linked the transcontinental railroad to the railroads terminating in Council Bluffs.^[255] In 1888, the first road bridge, the Douglas Street Bridge, opened. In the 1890s, the Illinois Central drawbridge opened as the largest bridge of its type in the world. Omaha's Missouri River road bridges are now entering their second generation, including the Works Progress Administration-financed South Omaha Bridge, now called Veteran's Memorial Bridge, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2006, Omaha and Council Bluffs announced joint plans to build the Missouri River Pedestrian Bridge, which opened in 2008.^[256]

The primary mode of transportation in Omaha is by automobile, 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.^[257] 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. City-owned Metro Transit, formerly MAT Metro Area Transit, provides public bus service to hundreds of locations throughout the Metro.

A 2017 study by Walk Score ranked Omaha 26th most walkable of fifty largest U.S. cities.^[258] Of the top 50 most walkable cities only one, Omaha, Nebraska, saw its Walk Score decline, and it only decreased 0.3 points from last year.^[259] There is an extensive trail system throughout the city for walkers, runners, bicyclists, and other pedestrian modes of transportation.

Omaha is laid out on a grid plan, with 12 blocks to the mile with a north-to-south house numbering system.^[260] Omaha is the location of a historic boulevard system designed by H.W.S. Cleveland who sought to combine the beauty of parks with the pleasure of driving cars.^[261] The historic Florence and Fontenelle Boulevards, as well as the modern Sorenson Parkway, are important elements in this system.^[262] The City of Omaha has proposed the Omaha Streetcar through the city's urban core, with proposed extensions to Council Bluffs, Iowa, Eppley Airfield, North Omaha, West Omaha, and Bellevue, Nebraska.^[263]

Eppley Airfield, Omaha's airport, serves the region with over 5 million passengers in 2018.^[264] United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, Frontier Airlines, and Sun Country Airlines serve the airport with direct and connecting service. As of 2018, the airport has non-stop service to 34 destinations. General aviation airports that serve the area include the Millard Municipal Airport, North Omaha Airport and the Council Bluffs Airport. Offutt Air Force Base continues to serve as a military airbase; it is at the southern edge of Bellevue, which in turn lies immediately south of Omaha.

In 1939, Omaha hosted the world premiere of the film Union Pacific and the accompanying three-day celebration drew 250,000 people. A special train from Hollywood carried director Cecil B. DeMille and stars Barbara Stanwyck and Joel McCrea.^[265] Omaha's Boys Town was made famous by the Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney movie Boys Town. Omaha has been featured 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 La Vista.

The Looney Tunes short Boobs in the Woods featured Porky Pig revealing that he had a license to sell hair tonic to bald eagles in Omaha, Nebraska.

Built in 1962, Omaha's Cinerama was called Indian Hills Theater. Its demolition in 2001 by the Nebraska Methodist Health System was unpopular, with objections from local historical and cultural groups and luminaries from around the world.^[266] The Dundee Theatre is the lone surviving single-screen movie theater in Omaha and still shows films.^[267] A recent development to the Omaha film scene was the addition of Film Streams's Ruth Sokolof Theater in North Downtown. The two-screen theater is part of the Slowdown facility. It features American independents, foreign films, documentaries, classics, themed series, and director retrospectives. In addition to the five Douglas Theatres venues in Omaha, two more are opening, including Midtown Crossing Theatres, on 32nd and Farnam Streets near the Mutual of Omaha Building. Westroads Mall has a modern multiplex movie theater with 14 screens, operated by Rave Motion Pictures.^[268]

Songs about Omaha include "Omaha" by Moby Grape, "Omaha", by the indie rock band Tapes 'n Tapes, "Omaha" by Counting Crows, "Omaha Celebration" by Pat Metheny, "Omaha" sung by Waylon Jennings, "Greater Omaha" by Desaparecidos, "Omaha Stylee" by 311, "(Ready Or Not) Omaha Nebraska" by Bowling for Soup, "Omaha, Nebraska", by Groucho Marx, "Omaha (The Only What If)", by Katie Lynne Sharbaugh, and "Omaha" by Toro y Moi. Also, Bob Seger's 1973 hit song "Turn the Page" opens with the line "On a long and lonesome highway, east of Omaha..."^[269]

Popular young adult novel Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (St. Martin's Press, 2013) takes place in Omaha.

The 1935 winner of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing was named Omaha, and after traveling the world the horse eventually retired to a farm south of the city. The horse made promotional appearances at Ak-Sar-Ben during the 1950s and following his death in 1959 was buried at the racetrack's Circle of Champions.

In the television show The Big Bang Theory, one of the show's main characters, Penny, is from Omaha.

Omaha is also the hometown of the Wizard in L. Frank Baum's children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

In Breaking Bad, Saul Goodman says in the penultimate episode that "If I'm lucky, a month from now, best case scenario, I'm managing a Cinnabon in Omaha," and in the prequel, spin-off, and sequel, Better Call Saul, he is manager of a Cinnabon in Omaha under the alias Gene Takavic.

Omaha has eight sister cities:^[270]

• Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Germany^[271]
• Shizuoka, Japan
• Šiauliai, Lithuania
• Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
• Naas, County Kildare, Ireland
• Yantai, Shandong, China
• Carlentini, Sicily, Italy
• Kabul, Afghanistan

• Benson neighborhood (Omaha, Nebraska)
• Dundee-Happy Hollow Historic District
• Florence, Nebraska
• Gold Coast Historic District (Omaha, Nebraska)
• History of Omaha
• Midtown Omaha
• Millard, Omaha, Nebraska
• North Omaha, Nebraska
• Old Market (Omaha, Nebraska)
• Omaha Coalition of Citizen Patrols
• South Omaha, Nebraska
• USS Omaha, 4 ships

• City of Omaha official website
• Omaha Convention & Visitors Bureau