Valley is a city in Douglas County that takes its name from the Platte River valley it sits in. It was laid out in 1864, once it was certain that the Union Pacific transcontinental railroad would be extended to the spot, and the town grew up along the tracks with a compact downtown commercial core beside them.
U.S. Highway 275 once ran through Valley parallel to the railroad before it was rerouted around the community. Growth here has been steady rather than sudden: the city has not lost population in any decade since 1940, and the 2020 census counted 3,037 residents. Old sand and gravel pits in the Platte bottoms have been converted into lakefront housing, which accounts for a good deal of the recent building.
The National Weather Service forecast office for the Omaha area stands in Valley, issuing forecasts and warnings for thirty-eight counties across eastern Nebraska and southwestern Iowa. Students attend Douglas County West Community Schools, formed in 2005 when the Valley and Waterloo districts merged, with the main campus in Valley.
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Valley is a city in Douglas County, Nebraska, laid out as a town in 1864 once it became certain that the Union Pacific Transcontinental Railroad would extend to the site. The city takes its name from the Platte River valley in which it sits. Valley has grown substantially in recent years as part of the expanding Omaha metropolitan area, with its population rising from 1,875 in 2010 to 3,037 by the 2020 census. The city is home to the National Weather Service's local forecast office, which serves portions of eastern Nebraska and southwestern Iowa — making Valley the literal source of the weather forecasts relied on throughout the Omaha region. Valley operates the Douglas County West Community Schools, a consolidated district formed with neighboring Waterloo in 2005. Covering just over six square miles, Valley continues to grow along the Platte River corridor west of Omaha.
Valley was laid out in 1864 as the transcontinental railroad approached, taking its name from the Platte River valley. It's home to the National Weather Service office serving eastern Nebraska and southwestern Iowa. Population grew from 1,875 (2010) to 3,037 (2020).