Waterloo Nebraska - Nebraska Directory

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Village · Douglas County · Population 935 (2020 census) · ZIP 68069 · Founded 1871

About Waterloo

Waterloo is a village of 935 on the Elkhorn River in western Douglas County, just off US 275 about 18 miles west of downtown Omaha. It has the Agnes Robinson Waterloo Public Library and a volunteer fire department, and holds Waterloo Days each August; its children attend Douglas County West schools in Valley. Two Rivers State Recreation Area lies to the southwest, and Junkstock fills Sycamore Farms each spring and fall.

History

John H. Logan settled here in 1863 and became postmaster in 1864; Elias A. Kelsey arrived in 1867, built a mill in 1868, and dammed the Elkhorn in 1872. The town was platted in 1871 on Logan and Kelsey land, with the Union Pacific taking a half interest and building a depot. The name probably honors the Battle of Waterloo or Kelsey's home of Waterloo, New York. Waterloo incorporated on January 2, 1883, and the Robinson Seed Company was founded here in 1888; the J. C. Robinson House, 102 E. Lincoln Ave., is on the National Register.

The Great Flood of 1881 briefly emptied the town, boats ran on Main Street in 1918, and in March 2019 the Elkhorn crested at a record 24.6 feet. The Douglas County Fair was held at Waterloo for much of the 20th century, until about 1988. Franklin Roosevelt spoke at the Gus Sumnick farm in 1932. The 2020 count, 935, was the village's highest.

Highways and trails through Waterloo

Route	One way	Other way
US 275 / NE 64Just northwest of the village	Northwest to Valley (about 4 mi) and Fremont	Southeast toward Elkhorn and Omaha
NE 64W. Maple Rd., east across the Elkhorn River	East to Elkhorn and Omaha	Joins US 275 northwest of town

Nearby towns

King Lake	about 2 mi north-northwest	County roads
Elkhorn	about 2.6 mi east-southeast	NE 64
Valley	about 4 mi west-northwest	US 275
Venice	about 5 mi southwest	County roads
Yutan	about 6 mi west-southwest	County roads
Elk City	about 6 mi north	County roads
Boys Town	about 9 mi east-southeast	US 275 and US 6
Bennington	about 9 mi northeast	County roads
Gretna	about 10 mi south-southeast	County roads
Omaha	about 18 mi east	US 275

Things to see

Two Rivers State Recreation Area, 27702 F St.: a trout lake, a swimming beach, 167 electric and 38 non-electric campsites, 25 equestrian sites, and 10 Union Pacific cabooses rented as cabins from mid-April through September (state park permit $7.35 a day or $36 a year for Nebraska vehicles in 2026) · Two Rivers WMA · Junkstock, Sycamore Farms, 1150 River Road Dr. (May 1–3 and 8–10 and October 2–4 in 2026) · Elkhorn Shores campground and tubing, across the river on W. Maple Rd. · Waterloo Days (August 21–23 in 2026): parade, fireworks and a veterans' walk

Events in Waterloo

Junkstock
Junkstock is held in Waterloo, Nebraska, on two weekends each spring (late April to mid-May) and again in the fall.
Waterloo Days
Waterloo's free summer festival in late August, with a parade, fireworks and a veterans' walk (August 21–23 in 2026).

Know of another event here? Tell us about it.

Schools and health care

Schools: No school in the village; Waterloo is in the Douglas County West Community Schools district, with schools in Valley

Health care: Nearest hospitals in Elkhorn and west Omaha (about 5–8 mi)

Sources: U.S. Census; Wikipedia; Andreas, History of the State of Nebraska (1882); Douglas County Historical Society; NEGenWeb Douglas County; National Register of Historic Places; Nebraska Game and Parks; Papio-Missouri River NRD; city, school and hospital websites; Nebraska Department of Transportation. Distances marked "about" are straight-line estimates.