Valley Nebraska - Nebraska Directory

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City · Douglas County · Population 3,037 (2020 census) · ZIP 68064 · Founded 1864

About Valley

Valley is a city of 3,037 in western Douglas County, on the Union Pacific main line at the edge of the Platte River valley, about 22 miles west of downtown Omaha. It shares the Douglas County West school district with Waterloo and has the public library, the Valley Community Historical Museum and the National Weather Service office that forecasts for eastern Nebraska and southwestern Iowa.

History

Valley was laid out in 1864 on about 18 acres owned by the Union Pacific, once it was certain the railroad would build through, and Richard Selsor, the first resident, opened a store south of the depot that year. The name comes from the Platte River valley. Andreas's history of 1882 placed the town at the junction of the Union Pacific main line and its Republican Valley branch, with V. H. Thomas as postmaster from 1872; the town proper then had only about 60 people.

An ice-jam flood on March 30, 1912, put up to 4 feet of water in town and did about $40,000 in damage, and the Elkhorn and Platte rose to record levels in March 2019. Valley and Waterloo merged their schools in 2005 as Douglas County West. Love's opened a travel stop at the US 275 interchange in 2016. The 2020 count, 3,037, was the city's highest.

Highways and trails through Valley

Route	One way	Other way
US 275 / NE 64Freeway past the north side of town	Southeast to Waterloo (about 4 mi) and Omaha	Northwest to Fremont (about 11 mi)
NE 36Begins at US 275 northwest of town	East past Elk City and Bennington to Florence	Ends at US 275

Nearby towns

King Lake	about 2.8 mi east	County roads
Waterloo	about 4 mi east-southeast	US 275
Yutan	about 5 mi south-southwest	County roads
Venice	about 6 mi south	County roads
Elk City	about 6 mi northeast	County roads
Elkhorn	about 7 mi east-southeast	US 275
Leshara	about 3.9 mi west-northwest	NE 64
Arlington	about 10 mi north	County roads
Bennington	about 11 mi east-northeast	NE 36
Fremont	about 11 mi northwest	US 275

Things to see

Valley Community Historical Museum, 218 W. Alexander St., with a Union Pacific caboose (Sundays 1–3 p.m., May–August, or by appointment; free) · Elkhorn Crossing Recreation Area (Papio NRD), near 252nd St. and Bennington Rd.: Elkhorn River boat ramp, RV sites with electric and water ($30 a night) and tent sites ($15), 7-day limit · Quasar Drive-In, 13427 N. 300th St. (opened 2021; seasonal) · The Pines Country Club (private, 18 holes) · St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 307 E. Meigs St. · Two Rivers State Recreation Area, about 7 mi south

Schools and health care

Schools: Douglas County West Community Schools: DC West Elementary, 400 S. Center St., and DC West Middle and High School, 401 S. Pine St.

Health care: Nearest hospitals in Fremont and west Omaha (about 10–12 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.