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Bellevue is Sarpy County's largest city and, at its 1855 incorporation, the oldest continuously inhabited town in Nebraska, tracing its roots to a 1830s Missouri Fur Company trading post founded by Joshua Pilcher and later home to trader Lucien Fontenelle. The name comes from the French “belle vue,” meaning “beautiful view.”
Home to Offutt Air Force Base and the headquarters of U.S. Strategic Command, Bellevue blends deep frontier history with a modern military and metro-Omaha economy. With a 2020 population of 64,176, it is Nebraska's third-largest city and features numerous NRHP-listed sites including the Fontenelle Bank and Fort Crook Historic District.
Adjacent Counties & Nearby Cities
Sarpy County is bordered by Douglas County (home to Omaha) to the north, Pottawattamie County, Iowa to the northeast, Mills County, Iowa to the southeast, Cass County to the south, and Saunders County to the west.
Bellevue borders Omaha directly to the north and sits along the Missouri River. Nearby Sarpy County communities include Papillion (the county seat, about 8 miles west), La Vista (about 8 miles northwest), Springfield (about 17 miles southwest), and Gretna (about 19 miles west).
Points of Interest & Events
Offutt Air Force Base, home of U.S. Strategic Command and a major Air Force installation since 1918, anchors the city’s southern edge.
Fontenelle Forest is a 1,500-acre nature preserve and National Natural Landmark along the Missouri River bluffs, with a boardwalk trail, observation tower, and nature center — it traces to the same 1820s Missouri Fur Company trading post that gave Bellevue its start.
Haworth Park is a riverside city park on the Missouri River offering camping, boating access, and river views.
Olde Towne Bellevue, centered on Mission Avenue, is the city’s historic downtown core and Nebraska’s oldest continuously settled townsite, currently undergoing a revitalization.
The Sarpy County Historical Museum preserves the county’s pioneer, military, and railroad history.
Each spring, the Renaissance Festival of Nebraska draws thousands to Bellevue Berry Farm & Pumpkin Ranch just west in neighboring Papillion.
Education & Health
Bellevue Public Schools serves most of the city and nearly all of Offutt Air Force Base, operating two high schools (Bellevue East and Bellevue West), three middle schools, and 15 elementary schools. Bellevue University, a private university with strong online and adult-education programs, is also based in the city.
Bellevue Medical Center, operated by Nebraska Medicine, is a 91-bed hospital in the city with a Level I trauma center and helipad.
Highway Access
Bellevue is served by U.S. Highway 75 (the Cornhusker Road corridor), which runs north–south through the city connecting to downtown Omaha, and Nebraska Highway 370, which crosses the area east–west toward Papillion, La Vista, and Gretna.
Navigate & Explore Bellevue
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Explore more: Sarpy County hub · Nebraska Town Directory