In 1869, Council Bluffs was the eastern terminus of the first transcontinental railroad, linking the existing eastern U.S. Union Pacific Railroad Museum Source: EQRoy / shutterstock Union Pacific Railroad Museum In the 1860s the city became the eastern terminus of the Union Pacific Railroad, and there are two museums to tell the story, while the picturesque Loess Hills can be explored on a national scenic byway.
The city is named for a parley made by Lewis and Clark and Native American tribesmen, high on the Loess Hills that trace the eastern bank of the Missouri River.Ĭouncil Bluffs has long been a transport hub, as an anchor town of several 19th-century emigrant trails and the place where no fewer than eight railroads once connected.
There may not be a better place than Council Bluffs to ponder the United States’ epic westward expansion in the 19th century. Across the Missouri River from Omaha, the city of Council Bluffs is connected to its neighbor by a marvelous pedestrian bridge that opened in 2008.
