Nebraska · United States
Where to stay in Omaha
Omaha is a city in Nebraska, United States, home to about 486,000 people.
- Best months
- September and October
- Nearest airport
- OMA6 km · Eppley Airfield
- Currency
- USDUnited States dollar
- Time zone
- America/Chicago
- Language
- Carolinian, Chamorro, Hawaiian
About
About Omaha
Omaha is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about 10 mi (15 km) north of the mouth of the Platte River.
It is on the Missouri River border with Iowa, along Interstates 29 and 80. Omaha has some unusual traits, as it has the most millionaires per capita in the nation, and is also home to billionaire Warren Buffett, one of the world's richest and most famous investors. Conversely, it also has one of the highest rates of African Americans living under the poverty line. It is still quite racially divided, with the affluent west side and Midtown being predominantly white, the south side Latino, and the northeast side African American.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Omaha
See
- Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium
- Wildlife Safari Park
- Joslyn Art Museum
- Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts
- Omaha Children's Museum
- Durham Western Heritage Museum
- El Museo Latino
- Love's Jazz and Art Center
- Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Headquarters
- Museum of Shadows
- Malcolm X Birthsite
- Joslyn Castle
Do
- The RiverFront
- Heartland of America Park
- Memorial Park
- Elmwood Park
- Lauritzen Gardens
- NCAA Men's College World Series
- Werner Park
- Liberty First Credit Union Arena
- Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting
- Orpheum Theater
- Film Streams
- Dundee Theater
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Omaha to stay in
Neighbourhoods of Omaha are generally ill-defined and rarely used. When describing a location, Omahans are more likely to give an intersection. For example "39th & Davenport" for Joslyn Castle or "156th & Center" for Zorinsky lake. Roughly speaking: Downtown is between I-480 and the Missouri River, Midtown is between I-480 and I-680, and West Omaha is west of I-680.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Omaha
17 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Redick Tower | 1930 | 0.2 km |
| Hotel Fontenelle | 1914 | 0.1 km |
| Cozzens House Hotel | 1867 | 0.8 km |
| Douglas House | 1854 | 0.4 km |
| Flatiron Hotel | 0.4 km | |
| Paxton Hotel | 1882 | 0.3 km |
| Prague Hotel | 1898 | 1.4 km |
| Sanford Hotel | 0.3 km | |
| Blackstone Hotel | 2.4 km | |
| Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs | 2.9 km | |
| Comfort Inn Omaha | 1.7 km | |
| Element Omaha Midtown Crossing | 2.0 km | |
| Harrah's Casino & Hotel Council Bluffs | 2.1 km | |
| Hilton Omaha | 0.8 km | |
| Magnolia Hotel Omaha | 0.4 km | |
| Offut Manor | 2.9 km | |
| Omaha Marriott Downtown at the Capitol District | 0.7 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Omaha
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Omaha are September and October. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 30 °C; May is the wettest, with about 129 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Omaha: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Eppley Airfield (OMA), about 6.1 km from the city centre in a straight line; Lincoln Airport (LNK, 83 km) and Sioux Gateway Airport / Brigadier General Bud Day Field (SUX, 132 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
Amtrak serves Omaha with the California Zephyr, which runs daily between Emeryville (in the San Francisco Bay Area) and Chicago. It has several stops along the way, with connections throughout America. However, the trains arrive at inconvenient times in the middle of the night. Omaha once had two historic grand stations, but one is now a television studio, and the other has been converted to a museum. The current Omaha Amtrak station is on 1003 South 9th Street.
Getting around
Neighbourhoods of Omaha are generally ill-defined and rarely used. When describing a location, Omahans are more likely to give an intersection. For example "39th & Davenport" for Joslyn Castle or "156th & Center" for Zorinsky lake. Roughly speaking: Downtown is between I-480 and the Missouri River, Midtown is between I-480 and I-680, and West Omaha is west of I-680. By far the easiest and most convenient way of getting around. The city is a grid and easily navigable, numbered streets run north-south and increase in number as you go west.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
OMA · Eppley Airfield
LNK · Lincoln Airport
SUX · Sioux Gateway Airport / Brigadier General Bud Day Field
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Omaha
Eat
It's said that Omaha has more restaurants per capita than almost anywhere else in the world. Omaha and much of Nebraska are known for high quality corn-fed beef. Smoking is illegal inside all restaurants in Nebraska. Smoking on outdoor patios is legal, but is rare and usually prohibited. Below are a selection of locations to eat in Omaha.
Drink
All restaurants, bars, and coffee shops in Omaha are smoke-free indoors. Smoking on outdoor patios is legal, though rather uncommon. All bars in Omaha must close by 2AM. Beer, wine, and liquor can be purchased in grocery stores. Hard liquor cannot be served or sold before noon on Sunday.
Stay safe
Omaha is generally a safe city, but still use common sense. Simply using caution and avoiding any situation in which you are uncomfortable will basically keep you out of trouble. The vast majority of violent crime occurs in North Omaha, roughly defined as the area North of Cuming St, between 24th and 72nd St. Exercise a bit of additional caution when in this area, especially after dark. Omaha is in Tornado Alley, so severe weather can erupt between the months of April and August with the main threats being hail, high winds and street flooding, but tornadoes can sometimes be a threat. Tornado alert sirens are located throughout the city.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Omaha: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Omaha?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Omaha are September and October. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 30 °C; May is the wettest, with about 129 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Omaha?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Eppley Airfield (OMA), about 6.1 km from the city centre in a straight line; Lincoln Airport (LNK, 83 km) and Sioux Gateway Airport / Brigadier General Bud Day Field (SUX, 132 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Omaha?
United States dollar (USD).
Nearby
Destinations near Omaha
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.