Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs is a city of 62,586 people in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, founded in 1854.
Why visit Council Bluffs
Townapedia lists 131 museums and landmarks, 77 parks and trails, 209 places to eat, 35 places to stay and 12 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, O Street Viaduct, Durham Museum and Rosewater School.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; January lows average 15°F, and about 27 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Council Bluffs
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Council Bluffs
Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. A small portion of the city extends into Mills County. Located on the east bank of the Missouri River, it sits across from Omaha, Nebraska. The city had a population of 62,799 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth-most populous city in Iowa and the largest in Southwest Iowa.
From the Wikipedia article Council Bluffs, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do12
Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
Zoo and aquarium · 3.9 mi
3701 South 10th Street, Omaha
Apr-Oct 09:00-17:00 open "zoo" || 09:00-18:00 open "buildings";...
O Street Viaduct
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 5.4 mi
Bridge in South Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Saddle Creek Underpass
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 6.8 mi
Magic Theatre
Cinema and theater · 4.6 mi
Theatre in Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
Zoo and aquarium · 4.0 mi
Zoo in the United States
Ware House Comedy Theater
Cinema and theater · 4.2 mi
1419 South 13th Street, Omaha
Museums and landmarks131
Rosewater School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.3 mi
School building in Nebraska, United States of America
Anheuser-Busch Beer Depot
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.3 mi
Commercial building in Omaha, Nebraska
Aquila Court Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.6 mi
Hotel building in Omaha, Nebraska
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Barker Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.5 mi
Omaha, Nebraska, on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Berkeley Apartments
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.7 mi
Historic three-story apartment building in Omaha, Nebraska
Blackstone Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.0 mi
Building in Omaha, Nebraska
Bradford-Pettis House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.3 mi
Historic house in Nebraska, United States
Brandeis–Millard House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.2 mi
Historic house in Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Burlington Station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
Train station in Omaha, Nebraska
Charles D. McLaughlin House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.1 mi
Historic house in Nebraska, United States
Christian Specht Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.3 mi
Building in Nebraska, United States
119 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds77
65 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes209
J. Gilberts
Restaurant · Steak House · 4.3 mi
1010 Capitol Avenue, Omaha
Mo-Th 16:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 16:00-23:00; Su 16:00-21:00
Omaha Prime
Restaurant · Steak House · 4.2 mi
415 South 11th Street, Omaha
Mo-Th 17:00-21:00;Fr-Sa 17:00-22:00;Su off
Orsi's Italian Bakery & Pizzeria
Bakery · Italian · 3.8 mi
621 Pacific Street, Omaha
Tu-Th 08:30-20:00; Fr 08:30-20:30; Sa 07:30-20:00; Su 07:30-18:00;...
Sips on 10th
Diner · American · 4.1 mi
1022 South 10th St, Omaha
Mo-Th 16:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-02:00; Su 10:00-15:00
Urban Abbey
Cafe · United Methodist · 4.2 mi
1026 Jackson Street, Omaha
Mo-Sa 08:30-17:00; Su 12:30-17:00
Zio's Pizzeria
Restaurant · Pizza · 4.2 mi
1109 Howard Street, Omaha
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 12:00-20:00
Aroi Asian Cuisine
Restaurant · Thai, Vietnamese · 1.7 mi
2701 23rd Avenue, Council Bluffs
Mo, We-Th 16:00-23:00; Fr-Su 16:00-02:00
197 more on the map.
Where to stay35
Churches and places of worship90
Immaculate Conception Church and School
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 4.9 mi
St. Cecilia Cathedral
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 6.5 mi
St. Martin of Tours Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 5.1 mi
Saint Pauls Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 2.2 mi
239 Frank Street, Council Bluffs
Shopping37
Gas and EV charging27
Lakeside Country Store
Gas station · 1.1 mi
4040 South Expressway, Council Bluffs
Schools, colleges and libraries76
Anne E. Nelson Early Learning Center
School · 2.2 mi
620 N. 8Th Street, Council Bluffs
Healthcare12
CHI Health Clinic
Clinic and pharmacy · 2.1 mi
1288 Valley View Drive, Council Bluffs
Map of Council Bluffs
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°F | 15°F | 0.8 in | 7.2 in |
| Feb | 39°F | 19°F | 0.9 in | 7.8 in |
| Mar | 52°F | 30°F | 1.8 in | 3.0 in |
| Apr | 64°F | 41°F | 3.2 in | 1.0 in |
| May | 75°F | 53°F | 4.7 in | 0.1 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 63°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 68°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 66°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 56°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 66°F | 43°F | 2.3 in | 0.5 in |
| Nov | 50°F | 30°F | 1.4 in | 1.7 in |
| Dec | 38°F | 20°F | 1.2 in | 5.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Omaha Eppley Airfield 72550 (6 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Pottawattamie County has had 16 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-06-24: Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
- 2024-05-24: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2024-05-14: Severe Storms And Tornadoes (Tornado)
- 2020-03-23: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-03-23: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Eppley Airfield (OMA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 5 miles away.
- Carter Lake 5 mi northwest, about 8 min by car
- Bellevue 8 mi southwest, about 12 min by car
- Offutt AFB 9 mi southwest, about 14 min by car
- Crescent 9 mi north, about 14 min by car
- Ralston 10 mi west, about 16 min by car
- Omaha 11 mi west, about 17 min by car
- La Vista 12 mi west, about 19 min by car
- Papillion 13 mi southwest, about 21 min by car
- Treynor 13 mi east, about 21 min by car
- Lincoln 52 mi southwest, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Council Bluffs, IA, Jared Winkler, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Council Bluffs Station 1, Smallbones, CC0
- Google Data Center, Council Bluffs Iowa (49062863796), Chad Davis, CC BY 2.0
- Greetings from Council Bluffs, Iowa - Large Letter Postcard (7850172340), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Greetings from Council Bluffs, Iowa - Large Letter Postcard (6404348023), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Rosewater School Omaha from E 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- Omaha Livestock Exchange, Videmus Omnia, Public domain
- Omaha, Nebraska 2302-2316 Dewey Ave from SW 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- Joslyn Castle from S 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- Bellevue, Nebraska First Presbyterian from SE 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- Aquila Court (Omaha) from NW 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- Danish Brotherhood building (Omaha) from NE 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- Barker Building undergoing renovation, MONGO, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Packer's National Bank (Omaha) from SW 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- Fontenelle Bank from E 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- Omaha Central HS from E 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- William Hamilton house (Bellevue, NE) from SW 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- Fontenelle Forest boardwalk trails 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- Vinton School Omaha from S 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- Robbins School in South Omaha, Neb., Cornstalker, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Omaha National Bank building in 2008, Original uploader was JonClee86 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South-omaha-bridge, Original uploader was Americasroof at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.5
- Flatiron Hotel (Omaha) from E 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- Sanford Hotel (Omaha) from NW 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- Saunders School (Omaha) from SW, Ammodramus, CC0
- Omaha - 4833-4835 S 24 - Vanous Block, Ammodramus, CC0
- Durham Museum - Omaha, Nebraska Train Station (46277583362), Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
- UP 814 front, Smallbones, CC0
- Burlington 915, Smallbones, CC0
- UP 814 side, Smallbones, CC0
- IntlHarvestingCo, Iwillnotbeapilot, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Pioneer 1000 Main C Bluffs IA, Smallbones, CC0
- Agriculture Secretary Vilsack at Rustic Cuts growing in Iowa (20210709-OSEC-LSC-0726), USDAgov, Public domain
- Agriculture Secretary Vilsack at Rustic Cuts growing in Iowa (20210709-OSEC-LSC-0728), USDAgov, Public domain
- DodgePlaque, Iwillnotbeapilot, CC BY-SA 3.0
- DodgeHouse, Iwillnotbeapilot, CC BY-SA 3.0
- OP Wickham 616 C Bluffs IA, Smallbones, CC0
- 523 6th C Bluffs IA, Smallbones, CC0
- Rev Littles C Bluff IA, Smallbones, CC0
- Jean and Inez Bregant House, Illuminatedmind, CC BY-SA 3.0
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