41 Facts About Omaha

1. Omaha is the largest city in the US state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County.

2. Omaha is the anchor of the eight-county, bi-state Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area.

3. Omaha introduced this new West to the world in 1898, when it played host to the World's Fair, dubbed the Trans-Mississippi Exposition.

4. Today, Omaha is the home to the headquarters of four Fortune 500 companies: conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway; one of the world's largest construction companies, Kiewit Corporation; insurance and financial firm Mutual of Omaha; and the United States' largest railroad operator, Union Pacific Corporation.

5. Omaha is the home to five Fortune 1000 headquarters: Green Plains, Intrado, TD Ameritrade, Valmont Industries, and Werner Enterprises.

6. Various Native American tribes had lived in the land that became Omaha, including since the 17th century, the Omaha and Ponca, Dhegian-Siouan-language people who had originated in the lower Ohio River valley and migrated west by the early 17th century; Pawnee, Otoe, Missouri, and Ioway.

7. Many of Omaha's founding figures stayed at the Douglas House or the Cozzens House Hotel.

8. Omaha was a stopping point for settlers and prospectors heading west, either overland or by the Missouri River.

9. In 1900, Omaha was the center of a national uproar over the kidnapping of Edward Cudahy, Jr.

10. Culture of North Omaha thrived throughout the 1920s through 1950s, with several creative figures, including Tillie Olsen, Wallace Thurman, Lloyd Hunter, and Anna Mae Winburn emerging from the vibrant Near North Side.

11. Much of the push toward preservation came after Omaha gained the notorious designation of having, in 1989, demolished the largest-ever National Register historic district in the United States, a record that still stands as of 2013.

12. Omaha moved headquarters of the merged company from Omaha to Mississippi.

13. Omaha is home to several hospitals, mostly along Dodge Street.

14. West Omaha includes the Miracle Hills, Boys Town, Regency, and Gateway areas.

15. The city of Omaha was established by white settlers from neighboring Council Bluffs who arrived from the Northeast United States a few years earlier.

16. The German community in Omaha was largely responsible for founding its once-thriving beer industry, including the Metz, Krug, Falstaff and the Storz breweries.

17. Four Omaha-based companies: Berkshire Hathaway, Union Pacific Railroad, Mutual of Omaha, and Kiewit Corporation, are among the Fortune 500.

18. Omaha is the headquarters of several other major corporations, including the Gallup Organization, TD Ameritrade, Werner Enterprises, First National Bank, Gavilon, Scoular and First Comp Insurance.

19. 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.

20. Tourist attractions in Omaha include history, sports, outdoors and cultural experiences.

21. The Old Market in Downtown Omaha is another major attraction and is important to the city's retail economy.

22. In 1883 Omaha hosted the first official performance of the Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show for 8,000 attendees.

23. Old Market is a major historic district in Downtown Omaha listed on the National Register of Historical Places.

24. 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.

25. Omaha is home to dozens of nationally, regionally and locally significant landmarks.

26. 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.

27. Omaha is home to the Omaha Diamond Spirit, a collegiate summer baseball team that plays in the MINK league.

28. Omaha was home to an expansion team, the Nighthawks, in the United Football League from 2010 to 2011.

29. Omaha was the legendary catchword of Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterback Peyton Manning.

30. Omaha is one of only three cities in Nebraska to use this option, out of 17 eligible.

31. The City of Omaha is considering consolidating with Douglas County government.

32. 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.

33. Omaha is home to Brownell-Talbot School, Nebraska's only preschool through grade 12, independent college preparatory school.

34. 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.

35. City is the focus of the Omaha designated market area, and is the 76th largest in the United States.

36. Retail natural gas and water public utilities in Omaha are provided by the Metropolitan Utilities District.

37. The City of Omaha maintains two modern sewage treatment plants.

38. Today, the primary mode of transportation in Omaha is by automobile, with I-80, I-480, I-680, I-29, and US Route 75 providing freeway service across the metropolitan area.

39. Omaha is laid out on a grid plan, with 12 blocks to the mile with a north-to-south house numbering system.

40. In 1939, Omaha hosted the world premiere of the film Union Pacific and the accompanying three-day celebration drew 250,000 people.

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