Current Time in Omaha, United States

Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, located on the western bank of the Missouri River at the border with Iowa. With a population of approximately 490,000 people in the city and nearly one million in the greater metropolitan area, Omaha is one of the most important cities in the Great Plains region and a major center for finance, insurance, agriculture, and telecommunications. The city has a reputation as a prosperous, businesslike, and livable Midwestern city that punches above its weight in economic influence relative to its population size.

The history of Omaha is tied to its position as a major gateway city on the westward expansion routes of the United States. The city was founded in 1854 as the territory of Nebraska was organized, and it quickly grew as a commercial center at the Missouri River crossing point for settlers, traders, and migrants heading west on the Oregon and California trails. The Civil War era brought momentous significance to Omaha: the city was chosen as the eastern terminus of the First Transcontinental Railroad, which was completed in 1869 and linked Omaha to Sacramento, California, knitting the continent together with steel rails. The Union Pacific Railroad, headquartered in Omaha to this day, was one of the great corporations of the Gilded Age and made enormous fortunes for the city's merchant class.

Omaha's economy today is remarkably robust and diversified. The city is home to the global headquarters of several Fortune 500 companies, an unusual distinction for a city of its size. Most famously, Berkshire Hathaway, the legendary conglomerate led for decades by Warren Buffett, who was born in Omaha and has lived there throughout his life, is headquartered in the city. Buffett, one of the world's wealthiest individuals and most celebrated investors, is inseparable from Omaha's identity, and the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholders' meeting draws tens of thousands of investors from around the world to the city each May in what has been dubbed the Woodstock of Capitalism. Other major Omaha-based corporations include Mutual of Omaha, Union Pacific, and ConAgra Foods.

The Old Market district in downtown Omaha is the most vibrant and historically evocative neighborhood in the city. Centered on a cluster of late nineteenth-century brick warehouses converted into restaurants, bars, art galleries, and shops, the district preserves the architectural character of Omaha's commercial heyday while serving as the hub of the city's contemporary cultural and entertainment life. The Joslyn Art Museum, housed in an Art Deco marble building, contains one of the finest art collections in the Great Plains, with particular strengths in Native American art and American Western art. The Durham Museum, housed in the magnificent Union Station building, presents the history of Omaha and the Great Plains region with outstanding exhibits.

The Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, consistently ranked among the world's best zoos, is one of Omaha's most celebrated attractions. The zoo's state-of-the-art exhibits, including the Desert Dome, the largest indoor desert in the world, and the Lied Jungle, an extraordinary indoor rainforest environment, draw millions of visitors annually and are a source of tremendous local pride. Omaha's college football culture is also notable, with the city hosting the NCAA College World Series baseball tournament annually, bringing it recognition as a major collegiate sports host city.

Eppley Airfield provides domestic flight connections to major US cities, and interstate highways connect Omaha to the broader Great Plains highway network. The city's combination of corporate significance, Buffett mystique, cultural institutions, and Midwestern hospitality make Omaha a city of considerable importance and genuine character in the American heartland.