[Mmx]

We live in western Nebraska and will probably be making the move to the eastern part of the state soon due to job Transfer to Omaha.

Right now we live in western Nebraska in a town with a population of about 1200. We are looking for towns similar in size to move to. At most maybe 8000 people. We have four small children with the oldest in first grade so good schools are ideal. And of course low crime.

Any ideas on nice small towns 30-40 minute max drive from Omaha?
Also is there any lakes nearby? That's something we will really miss about moving (Lake Mac) any help would be appreciated!

[TheBeagleLady]

You might want to take a look at Springfield. The population is around 1500 and it's only six miles south of Omaha just off of Highway 50. The drive to I80 is pretty short and makes for a fairly easy commute anywhere in Omaha. There aren't a whole lot of lakes in the area, but it is just north of the Platte River. Crime is low (can't remember the last crime that actually took place there) and the schools are pretty good.

[omahajosh618]

My favorite small town in the Omaha metro area is Plattsmouth, which is located about 20 minutes south of Omaha on Highway 75. It's a beautiful older town of about 7000 people, gorgeous rolling hills, trees, and friendly people. My favorite thing about Plattsmouth is all the beautiful historic homes. The city is currently revitalizing and beautifying its historic main street, and it seems like it's a pretty close-knit community.

Beaver Lake is just south of Plattsmouth, as are Chris and Hansen Lakes just north. Plattsmouth is also at the confluence of the Platte and Missouri rivers. No lake is the size of Lake Mac obviously, but the rivers are awesome.

My grandparents have lived in Plattsmouth for years and absolutely love it there. As do all the people that I know from the area.

I would seriously consider looking into Plattsmouth. I would live there if I didn't live closer in the city.

Welcome to the City of Plattsmouth

[Omahahonors]

Plattsmouth, Springfield, Blair (about 15 minutes from downtown), Ashland (About 25 minutes from downtown), Bennington, Valley, and a lake community of 2000 called woodcliff west of Omaha.

Do not listen to anybody if they advise: Waterloo, Papillion, La Vista, Gretna, Ralston, Bellevue, Elkhorn (formerly known as) or Council Bluffs. They are all attached to Omaha which is not what you are looking for.

[EastCB]

[harshbarj]

Originally Posted by Omahahonors

Plattsmouth, Springfield, Blair (about 15 minutes from downtown), Ashland (About 25 minutes from downtown), Bennington, Valley, and a lake community of 2000 called woodcliff west of Omaha.

Do not listen to anybody if they advise: Waterloo, Papillion, La Vista, Gretna, Ralston, Bellevue, Elkhorn (formerly known as) or Council Bluffs. They are all attached to Omaha which is not what you are looking for.

Um, Gretna is around 2-3 miles from the edge of the city, so it's not attached at all. It's population is just over 6000 and likely will go well over 10000 in the next 10 years.

As for Waterloo, it's also not connected to the city. It's just over a mile west of Omaha. It's population is a scant 500 and likely will not grow much over the next 10 years.

Honestly I would move as close to the city as possible. Commutes would be shorter and you would spend less on fuel.

[TheBeagleLady]

Originally Posted by harshbarj

Um, Gretna is around 2-3 miles from the edge of the city, so it's not attached at all. It's population is just over 6000 and likely will go well over 10000 in the next 10 years.

As for Waterloo, it's also not connected to the city. It's just over a mile west of Omaha. It's population is a scant 500 and likely will not grow much over the next 10 years.

Honestly I would move as close to the city as possible. Commutes would be shorter and you would spend less on fuel.

It's more attached than the other towns that have been mentioned and it is bigger than the OP's stated preference. The OP may not want to be as close to the city as possible, since they stated a 30-40 min max commute.

[harshbarj]

Originally Posted by dogwalker425

It's more attached than the other towns that have been mentioned and it is bigger than the OP's stated preference. The OP may not want to be as close to the city as possible, since they stated a 30-40 min max commute.

But thats just it, they are not larger. The op said up to 8000, which both Gretna and Waterloo meet. If anything Waterloo would be too small as it's well under the 1200 ideal population listed, but given the lack of a minimum it's worth mentioning. That's why I picked these two towns out from the rest because they are far enough away from Omaha to not be considered attached, and meet the population requirement by a good amount. All the rest are essentially part of omaha, or in the case of Council Bluffs too large.

Also they did not give a minimum commute but a "30-40 minute max drive" , which is a direct quote. So A city within 10 minutes of Omaha would be acceptable to the poster IF it's also a small town like say Waterloo is. Given the cost of driving a car I would assume the poster would appreciate living closer to the city and save some money that could be used elsewhere. Not to mention the additional wear on the vehicle living further out would cause. All things that have to be looked at when deciding how far out to live.

[Omahahonors]

Originally Posted by harshbarj

Um, Gretna is around 2-3 miles from the edge of the city, so it's not attached at all. It's population is just over 6000 and likely will go well over 10000 in the next 10 years.

As for Waterloo, it's also not connected to the city. It's just over a mile west of Omaha. It's population is a scant 500 and likely will not grow much over the next 10 years.

Honestly I would move as close to the city as possible. Commutes would be shorter and you would spend less on fuel.

Wrong. I drive through Gretna at least 15 times a year which has allowed me to see Gretna's rapidly changing demographics. In 2000 the city had only 2,000 people the development was not continuous to Omaha. Sometime during the 2000s the suburban development boom blossomed in this region which now can be seen as continuous development from Omaha through Gretna and almost all the way to the interstate 80.

Also, there is enough residential area around Gretna to push its size to over 8,000 which I expect to increase to 15,000-20,000 by 2020. Gretna would not be a good location for him if a small community of 8,000 or less is his preferred place.

[smithy77]

Springfield would fit all of your criteria. There are several private lakes close by north and south of the Platte River. I'd check out Ashland as well. Where exactly is the job located?