Omaha Webcam – Nebraska’s Missouri River City

The Omaha Webcam streams from cameras mounted high on the First National Bank Tower in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, looking out across the streets, rooftops and river valley of the state’s largest city. The main view faces northeast, down over low brick commercial blocks and parking decks toward a cable-stayed bridge whose inclined pylon carries a fan of cables above the streets below. Other angles turn southwest over midtown, watch a wide suburban intersection fill and empty, and look back at the skyline from across the Missouri River in Iowa. The light shifts along the street grid through the day, and summer storms build fast enough that the horizon can change while the page is open.

About Omaha

Omaha sits on the west bank of the Missouri River in eastern Nebraska, about 15 kilometers (10 miles) north of the point where the Platte River joins it. The river is the state line here, so the far bank in several of these views is Iowa. The city was founded in 1854, and the 2020 census counted 486,051 residents, with roughly 1,001,010 people across the wider metropolitan area. Downtown stands at about 320 meters (1,060 feet) above sea level, high enough that the drop toward the river is visible from the upper floors.

The cameras themselves sit on the First National Bank Tower at 1601 Dodge Street. The tower was completed in 2002, rises 193 meters (634 feet) over 45 stories, and is the tallest building in Nebraska, which is why it carries the city’s camera network. Downtown runs from 20th Street east to the Missouri River, and from Chicago Street south to Leavenworth Street, a compact rectangle that the northeast and southwest cameras cover between them.

At the southern edge of that rectangle is the Old Market, bounded by Farnam Street, Leavenworth Street, South 10th Street and South 14th Street. Its brick-paved streets and 19th century warehouses include the Poppleton Block at 1001 Farnam and the old St. Nicholas Hotel at 12th and Jackson. North of downtown the ground opens toward the riverfront parks, which the Council Bluffs camera sees from the Iowa side.

Weather and Climate in Omaha

Omaha has a continental climate with a wide annual swing, and the cameras show it plainly. July averages 24.8 C (76.7 F), and the thermometer reaches 32 C (90 F) on about 29 days in a typical year. Humidity sits near 70 percent in July, which is why summer afternoons often end with thunderstorms off the plains. Haze in the southwest view is normal in midsummer rather than a fault in the stream. The record high stands at 45.6 C (114 F), set on July 25, 1936.

Winter runs cold. January averages -4.7 C (23.5 F) across the day, and the temperature drops to -18 C (0 F) on about 11 nights a year, with a record low of -35.6 C (-32 F) recorded on January 5, 1884. The city collects around 72.9 centimeters (28.7 inches) of snow in a season and 777 millimeters (30.6 inches) of precipitation over the year, so the rooftops and parking decks in frame can go white for days. Spring and fall are the clearest seasons, when the long sightlines southwest and east across the river open up and the trees in the northeast view turn over between bare branches and full canopy.

Things to Do Near Omaha

The riverfront below the cameras is the easiest place to start. The Gene Leahy Mall and Heartland of America Park run along the Missouri at the foot of downtown, and from there the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge crosses into Iowa. It opened on September 28, 2008, spans 910 meters (3,000 feet) on 80 steel cables slung from two pylons, clears the water by 16 meters (52 feet), and ends at Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park in Council Bluffs. A few blocks north, Charles Schwab Field at 1200 Mike Fahey Street opened in April 2011 and hosts the College World Series and Creighton University baseball. The CHI Health Center at 455 North 10th Street handles arena events.

Away from the water, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is the attraction most visitors name first, with the associated Wildlife Safari Park outside the city. Lauritzen Gardens covers more than 40 hectares (100 acres) of botanical collections, and Fontenelle Forest keeps a large tract of woodland within reach of downtown. The museums include the Joslyn Art Museum, the Durham Museum, El Museo Latino, the first Latino art and history museum in the Midwest, and the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum. The Kiewit Luminarium sits on the riverfront, and the Mormon Trail Center at Winter Quarters and the Boys Town campus cover older history.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

If this view of the plains and the river holds your attention, these cameras cover nearby ground and similar cities.

• Lake McConaughy Webcam
• Des Moines Webcam
• Tucson Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Omaha located?

Omaha is in eastern Nebraska, on the west bank of the Missouri River, about 15 kilometers (10 miles) north of the mouth of the Platte River. The river forms the border with Iowa, and Council Bluffs sits directly across the water.

What can you see on the Omaha Webcam?

The main camera looks northeast from the First National Bank Tower over downtown rooftops, parking structures, tree-lined blocks and a cable-stayed bridge crossing the valley. Further angles cover the midtown skyline to the southwest, a busy arterial intersection, and the Omaha skyline seen from the Iowa side of the Missouri River.

What is the weather like in Omaha?

Summers are warm and humid, averaging 24.8 C (76.7 F) in July with frequent afternoon thunderstorms. Winters are cold, averaging -4.7 C (23.5 F) in January, with about 72.9 centimeters (28.7 inches) of snow in a season.

How tall is the First National Bank Tower?

It rises 193 meters (634 feet) across 45 stories and was completed in 2002. It is the tallest building in Nebraska, which is what gives these cameras their sightlines over the city.

What is the best time of day to watch the Omaha Webcam?

Mid morning and late afternoon give the strongest side light along the street grid and the clearest detail on the bridge and rooftops. Omaha runs on Central Time, six hours behind UTC in winter and five in summer.

Which river runs through Omaha?

The Missouri River runs along the eastern edge of the city. It separates Nebraska from Iowa at this point, and the Platte River joins it about 15 kilometers (10 miles) to the south.

Can you see Iowa from these Omaha cameras?

Yes. The Council Bluffs camera is on the Iowa side and looks west across the river bottomland toward the Omaha skyline, and the northeast view from the tower takes in the ground running down toward the state line.

What is there to do in downtown Omaha?

The Old Market district holds brick-paved streets and 19th century warehouses. The Gene Leahy Mall, Heartland of America Park, the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, Charles Schwab Field and the Kiewit Luminarium are all within the downtown area.

Source: WOWT 6 News Omaha