Bellevue Nebraska - Nebraska Directory

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City · Sarpy County · Population 64,176 (2020 census) · ZIP 68005 · Founded 1822

About Bellevue

Bellevue is the largest city in Sarpy County and the third-largest in Nebraska, with 64,176 people at the 2020 census, on the bluffs above the Missouri River just south of Omaha. Offutt Air Force Base, headquarters of U.S. Strategic Command, lies on its south side. It has Bellevue Public Schools, Bellevue University, the public library, Bellevue Medical Center and the 1,400-acre Fontenelle Forest.

History

Joshua Pilcher's Missouri Fur Company built a trading post here about 1822, and Lucien Fontenelle owned it from 1828 until he sold it to the government for the Indian agency in 1832. Baptist missionary Moses Merrill arrived in 1833, Presbyterian missionaries followed, and the first post office in what became Nebraska opened here in 1849. Peter Sarpy's ferry, from 1846, carried Mormon pioneers and Oregon- and California-bound emigrants. The town company organized in 1854; Governor Francis Burt took office at Bellevue that year and died there in October, and his successor convened the legislature in Omaha. Bellevue was chartered in 1855–56 and was the county seat until 1875.

Fort Crook was built south of town in 1894–96. Its airfield became Offutt Field in 1924, the Martin bomber plant there built B-29s including the Enola Gay, and the post became Offutt Air Force Base in 1948. The Strategic Air Command had its headquarters here from 1948 to 1992; U.S. Strategic Command followed. A 1908 tornado killed 20 people, and the 2019 Missouri River flood destroyed about 200 homes and put half of Offutt's runway under water. The city has grown at every census since 1950, to 64,176 in 2020.

Highways and trails through Bellevue

Route	One way	Other way
US 75Freeway along the west side of Offutt	North to Omaha (about 7 mi)	South across the Platte toward Plattsmouth
NE 370Ends at US 75	West to Papillion and Gretna	Ends at US 75
US 34Splits from US 75 at La Platte, south of the city	East across the Missouri River bridge (2014) to I-29 in Iowa	South with US 75 across the Platte
Bellevue BridgeToll bridge (1950) on Mission Ave.	East across the Missouri to Mills County, Iowa	West into old Bellevue

Nearby towns

Avery	about 0.7 mi east-northeast	Avery Rd.
Gilmore	about 1.3 mi southwest	25th St.
Papillion	about 6 mi west	NE 370
La Platte	about 6 mi south	US 75
La Vista	about 7 mi west-northwest	Giles Rd. and 84th St.
Omaha	about 7 mi north	US 75
Ralston	about 6 mi west-northwest	Harrison St.
Plattsmouth	about 11 mi south-southeast	US 75

Things to see

Fontenelle Forest, 1111 Bellevue Blvd. N.: about 1,400–1,500 acres of river-bluff forest with 17 miles of trails, two boardwalks and a raptor refuge (daily 8–5; adults $15) · the Presbyterian Church, 2002 Franklin St. (1856–58; National Register), the oldest building in Nebraska built for worship · the Old Log Cabin, 1805 Hancock St., built about 1835 · the Fontenelle Bank, 2212 Main St. (1856), the first county courthouse · Gifford Farm Education Center and the Gifford Point WMA (permit only) · Haworth Park on the Missouri, with American Heroes Park and the riverfront trail · Washington Park, with Thursday-night summer concerts · Bellevue Little Theatre, 203 W. Mission Ave. · golf at Willow Lakes and Tregaron · Bellevue Rocks in June and the Offutt air show (August 2026; held every other year). The Sarpy County Museum at 2402 Clay St. closed in 2026; the city plans its own museum there.

Events in Bellevue

Bellevue Rocks! Riverfront Festival
Free riverfront music festival in Bellevue each June since 2021 (June 4–7 in 2026).
Defenders of Freedom Air & Space Show
Offutt Air Force Base air show, now held every other year; August 8–9 in 2026, next in 2028.

Know of another event here? Tell us about it.

Schools and health care

Schools: Bellevue Public Schools: Bellevue East High School, 1401 High School Dr., and Bellevue West High School, 1501 Thurston Ave.; Lewis & Clark, Logan Fontenelle and Mission middle schools; 15 elementary schools; Gross Catholic High School, 7700 S. 43rd St.; St. Mary and St. Matthew Catholic schools; Bellevue University

Health care: Nebraska Medicine – Bellevue Medical Center, 2500 Bellevue Medical Center Dr., 402-763-3000 (24-hour emergency)

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