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Omaha is the largest city in Nebraska. It is the county seat of Douglas County6. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 390,007. Located on the eastern edge of Nebraska, it is on the Missouri River about 20 miles north of where the Platte River empties into the Missouri. Council Bluffs, Iowa lies directly across the Missouri River from Omaha. Together, the two cities form the core of a metropolitan area with more than 750,000 residents in eight counties.
HistoryOmaha was founded in the summer of 1854 by land speculators from Council Bluffs, months after the Kansas-Nebraska Act created the Nebraska Territory. Later that year, Omaha was chosen as the territorial capital for Nebraska. Omaha was chosen as the eastern terminus of America's first transcontinental railroad in 1862 with the passage of the Pacific Railroad Act. This ensured that Omaha would become a major transportation center for the entire country in the years to come. The loss of the capital to Lincoln in 1867 did not slow Omaha's growth in the decades to come. Omaha's growth was accerlerated in the 1880s by the rapid development of the meatpacking industry in South Omaha; in the 1880s, Omaha was the fastest-growing city in the United States. Thousands of immigrants from central and southern Europe came to Omaha to work in the stockyards and slaughterhouses, creating Omaha's original ethnic neighborhoods in South Omaha. The Trans-Mississippi Exposition was held in Omaha from June 1 to November 1, 1898. The exposition drew over 2 million visitors and involved construction of attractions spanning over 100 city blocks including a shipworthy lagoon, bridges and magnificent buildings. A devastating tornado ripped through Omaha in 1913 and has become known as the Easter Sunday tornado. A low point in Omaha's history was the Omaha Riot, which occurred in September 1919 after a black man was arrested for raping a white woman. The Omaha Tornado of 1975 is another grim day in Omaha's past. An F4 tornado ripped through neighborhoods along South 72nd Street on May 6, 1975, killing 3 and injuring 133. In terms of damage, it was the costliest tornado in American history to that date, with damage estimates between $250 million and $500 million. U.S. President Gerald Ford was born in Omaha. However, he only spent his early childhood there; after his father died, his mother remarried a man from Grand Rapids, Michigan and grew up there. Omaha was also the birthplace of Malcolm X, but his family moved to Milwaukee when he was one year old. Omaha Beach is not in Omaha, but was an Allied WWII code name for a beach in Normandy.
Arts, culture and attractionsMissing image Joslyn_Fountain_Court.jpg Joslyn Art Museum's tiled Fountain Court Omaha is home to the Omaha Community Playhouse, one of the most famous and best-endowed community theaters in the United States, and to Girls and Boys Town; its Henry Doorly Zoo is widely considered one of the premier zoos in the world. A portion of Omaha's renovated downtown area is known as the Old Market. It is home to a number of shops, restaurants, bars and art galleries. There one may find uneven brick roads, horse drawn carriages, and street performers. Major music groups either located in or originally from Omaha include the Omaha Symphony (http://www.omahasymphony.org/), Opera Omaha, Mannheim Steamroller, Bright Eyes, and 311. The late indie-folk singer/songwriter Elliott Smith was also born in Omaha. The Joslyn Art Museum has significant art collections, particularly of Native American art and art works relating to the early European exploration of western North America. Omaha continues to earn mention in many popular songs: see Songs about Omaha. An increasing number of movies about Omaha have also been made. MediaRadio StationsAM
FM
Television Stations
Economy Although Nebraska's economy is still primarily based on agriculture, Omaha's economy today has diversified to become a national leader in several industries, including banking, insurance, telecommunications, and transportation; Omaha's economy has grown dramatically since the early 1990s. Omaha is the home of the headquarters of a number of major corporations, including:
MilitaryThe Omaha metropolitan area is home to Offutt Air Force Base, which was the location of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) during the Cold War and is the current home of the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM). SportsOmaha's Rosenblatt Stadium is home to the Omaha Royals minor-league baseball team (the AAA affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and hosts the annual NCAA College World Series tournament in mid-June. The Omaha Beef Arena Football team is also gaining in popularity. The two major hockey teams in town are the Omaha Lancers playing in the USHL, and the UNO Mavericks, an NCAA Division I team playing at the brand new, state-of-the-art Qwest Center Omaha. In January 2005, the AHL affilate of the Calgary Flames announced plans to relocate to Omaha. EducationSchool Districts
Colleges and universities
Law and governmentGeographyOmaha is located at 41°15'38" North, 96°0'47" West (41.260482, -96.012990)1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 307.9 km² (118.9 mi²). 299.7 km² (115.7 mi²;) of it is land and 8.2 km² (3.2 mi²;) of it is water. The total area is 2.67% water. Metropolitan AreaMissing image Omaha_skyline_humid_day.png Omaha's Skyline The Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area (population 767,041; 60th largest in the United States) consists of eight counties in two states. In descending order of population, they are:
Three of these counties -- Harrison, Mills, and Saunders -- were added to the metro area in 2003 when the Office of Management and Budget revised its definitions of metropolitan areas in the United States. Neighborhoods and Suburbs
TransportationOmaha's Eppley Airfield serves much of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. Eppley is situated near Carter Lake, which is part of Iowa and is the only Iowa town west of the Missouri River. Carter Lake was cut off by the Missouri River in 1877. The primary mode of transportation in Omaha is by car, with I-80, I-480, I-680, I-29, and US 75 (JFK Freeway) providing major freeway service in the metropolitan area. Public transportation is also available, with Metro Area Transit providing bus transportation. PeopleDemographicsAs of the census2 of 2000, there are 390,007 people, 156,738 households, and 94,983 families residing in the city. 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. Famous people from Omaha
Songs About OmahaInterestingly, a number of songs exist about or referring to Omaha. A list follows of songs about Omaha:
External links
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