Council Bluffs

Council Bluffs serves as the county seat of Pottawattamie County in Iowa and sits on the eastern bank of the Missouri River facing Omaha, Nebraska. Streets run through gentle hills and the urban area stretches for several miles parallel to the riverbank.

Settlement began in the 1840s as a resting point for wagons heading west and quickly grew into a major transport crossroads. The eastern endpoint of the first transcontinental railroad was established here in 1869, permanently linking the town to the national rail network.

The name comes from a meeting between Lewis and Clark and the Otoe people in 1804, held on bluffs above the river. The town sits directly across from Omaha and the two places now share many everyday connections through bridges and roads.

The downtown area around Pearl Street is easy to walk and has several public parking lots near the older buildings. Visitors coming from Omaha airport will find the town about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of the terminal across the river.

A rotating jail built in 1885 still stands downtown and is one of only three remaining examples of its kind in the entire country. The cells turn on a central axis to control access, a construction method now almost forgotten.

Location: Pottawattamie County

Inception: 1854

Elevation above the sea: 332 m

Website: http://councilbluffs-ia.gov

GPS coordinates: 41.25300,-95.86200

Latest update: December 12, 2025 22:27