Editing Council Bluffs, Iowa

{{Short description|American midwest city}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = 
| settlement_type    = [[City]]
| nickname           = "The Gateway of the American West"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.councilbluffs-ia.gov/973/City-History|title=City History|publisher=City of Council Bluffs, Iowa|access-date=April 30, 2025}}</ref>
| motto              = "Iowa's Spirit"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.councilbluffs-ia.gov/ |title=City of Council Bluffs, Iowa |publisher=City of Council Bluffs, Iowa |access-date=September 2, 2012}}</ref>
| image_skyline      = Council Bluffs, IA.jpg
| imagesize          = 275px
| image_caption      = [[Haymarket Commercial Historic District|Haymarket Historic District]] (2015)
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = CouncilBluffsIAseal.png
| image_map          = Pottawattamie_County_Iowa_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Council_Bluffs_Highlighted.svg
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Location of Council Bluffs in [[Pottawattamie County, Iowa|Pottawattamie County]], [[Iowa]]
| image_map1         = 
| mapsize1           = 
| map_caption1       = 
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Iowa]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Iowa|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Pottawattamie County, Iowa|Pottawattamie]]
| government_footnotes = <ref name=officials>{{cite web|title=City Council |url=https://www.councilbluffs-ia.gov/122/City-Council |publisher=City of Council Bluffs, Iowa |date=October 2, 2024}}</ref>
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name        = Matt Walsh
| leader_title1      = [[Municipal council|City Council]]
| leader_name1       = Chris Peterson<br />Roger Sandau<br />Joe Disalvo<br />Jill Shudak<br />Steve Gorman
| established_title  = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date   = January 19, 1853
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2024">{{cite web|title=2024 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_gaz_place_19.txt|website=United States Census Bureau|access-date=October 2, 2024}}</ref>
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 118.290
| area_land_km2      = 111.275
| area_water_km2     = 7.016
| area_total_sq_mi   = 45.672
| area_land_sq_mi    = 42.963
| area_water_sq_mi   = 2.709
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_est     = 62399
| pop_est_as_of      = 2023
| pop_est_footnotes  = <ref name="USCensusEst2023"/>
| population_footnotes = <ref name="2020 Census (City)"/>
| population_total   = 62799
| population_density_km2 = 560.79
| population_density_sq_mi = 1452.46
| population_rank    = US: 619th<br />IA: [[List of cities in Iowa|10th]]
| population_urban   = 819508 (US: [[List of United States urban areas|55th]])<ref name="urban area">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography/guidance/geo-areas/urban-rural.html|title=List of 2020 Census Urban Areas|website=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 7, 2023}}</ref>
| population_metro   = 1,001,010 (US: [[Metropolitan statistical area|51st]])
| timezone           = [[Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset         = −6
| timezone_DST       = CDT
| utc_offset_DST     = −5
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_m        = 298
| elevation_ft       = 978
| coordinates        = {{coord|41|14|12.64|N|95|51|6.75|W|region:US-IA_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code]]s
| postal_code        = 51501, 51502, 51503
| area_code          = [[Area code 712|712]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 19-16860
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2393650<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2393650}}</ref>
| blank2_name        = [[Sales tax]]
| blank2_info        = 7.0%<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avalara.com/taxrates/en/state-rates/iowa/cities/council-bluffs.html|title=Council Bluffs (IA) sales tax rate|access-date=October 2, 2024}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|https://www.councilbluffs-ia.gov/|councilbluffs-ia.gov}}
| footnotes          = 
}}
[[File:omaha c bluffs.jpg|thumb|right|Satellite photo showing Council Bluffs and [[Omaha, Nebraska|Omaha]], Nebraska]]
[[File:FI0006327.jpg|alt=Courthouse, Council Bluffs, Iowa 1915|thumb|upright|Courthouse, 1915]]
'''Council Bluffs''' is a city in and the [[county seat]] of [[Pottawattamie County, Iowa|Pottawattamie County]], [[Iowa]], United States.<ref>[http://www.pottcounty.com/html/History.asp Pottawattamie County, Iowa] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090527003920/http://www.pottcounty.com/html/History.asp |date=May 27, 2009}}, Pottawattamie County, 2007. Accessed September 5, 2007.</ref> The population was 62,799 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]],<ref name="2020 Census (City)">{{cite web|title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Council_Bluffs_city,_Iowa?g=160XX00US1916860 |website=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=October 2, 2024}}</ref> making it the state's [[List of cities in Iowa|tenth most populous city]], and the most populous city in Southwest Iowa. The [[Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area|Omaha metropolitan region]] of which Council Bluffs is a part, is the 58th largest in the United States, with an estimated population of 983,969 (2023).  It is located on the east bank of the [[Missouri River]], across from [[Omaha, Nebraska]]. Until about 1853 Council Bluffs was known as '''Kanesville'''.<ref name="BeesonDiary">{{cite book |last1=Beeson |first1=Welborn |editor1-first=Bert |editor1-last=Webber |title=The Oregon & Applegate Trail Diary of Welborn Beeson in 1853 |edition=Second |year=1993 |publisher=Webb Research Group |location=Medford, Oregon |isbn=0-936738-21-9 |page=80|quote=April 21, 1853 Thursday. We traveled 18 miles came to camp ½ mile east of Kanesville by four oclock}}</ref> Kanesville was the historic starting point of the [[Mormon Trail]]. Kanesville is also the northernmost anchor town of the [[Emigrant Trail|other emigrant trails]] because there was a steam-powered boat which ferried the settlers' wagons and cattle across the [[Missouri River]].<ref name="BeesonDiary" /> In 1869, the [[first transcontinental railroad]] to California was connected to the existing U.S. rail network at Council Bluffs.

==History==
===1804–1843: Pottawattamie reservation and Caldwell's Camp===
The first Council Bluff (which is singular) was on the Nebraska side of the river at [[Fort Atkinson (Nebraska)|Fort Atkinson]], about {{convert|20|mi|km}} northwest of the city of Council Bluffs. It was named by [[Lewis and Clark]] for a bluff where they met the [[Otoe]] people on August 2, 1804.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lewisandclark/record_tribes_015_2_7.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021216053440/http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lewisandclark/record_tribes_015_2_7.html |archive-date=December 16, 2002 |title=National Geographic: Lewis & Clark—Tribes—Oto Indians |website=[[National Geographic Society]]}}</ref>

The [[Iowa]] side of the river became an Indian Reservation in the 1830s for members of the [[Council of Three Fires]] of [[Ojibwe|Chippewa]], [[Ottawa people|Ottawa]], and [[Potawatomi]] who were forced to leave the [[Chicago]] area under the [[Treaty of Chicago]]. This cleared the way for the city of Chicago to incorporate.

The largest group of Native Americans who moved to the area were the Pottawatomi, who were led by their chief [[Billy Caldwell|Sauganash]] ("one who speaks English"), the son of British loyalist [[William Caldwell (ranger)|William Caldwell]] and a Pottawatomi woman. The senior Caldwell founded Canadian communities on the south side of the [[Detroit River]]. 

Seeking to avoid confrontation with the [[Sioux]], who were natives of the Council Bluffs area, the 1,000 to 2,000 Pottawattami initially had settled east of the Missouri River in Indian territory between [[Leavenworth, Kansas]] and [[St. Joseph, Missouri]]. When the area was bought from Ioway, Sac and Fox tribes in the [[Platte Purchase]] and part of Missouri in 1837, Sauganash and the Pottawatomi were forced to move to their assigned reservation in Council Bluffs. 

Sauganash's English name was Billy Caldwell, and his village was called Caldwell's Camp. The tribe were sometimes called the Bluff Indians. U.S. Army [[dragoon]]s built a small fort nearby.

In 1838–39, the [[missionary]] [[Pierre-Jean De Smet]] founded St. Joseph's Mission to minister to the Potawatomi. De Smet was appalled by the violence and brutality caused by the whiskey trade and tried to protect the tribe from unscrupulous traders. However, he had little success in persuading tribal members to convert to [[Christianity]] and resorted to secret [[baptisms]] of Indian children.<ref>Mullen, Frank (1925) "Father De Smet and the Pottawattamie Indian Mission", ''Iowa Journal of History and Politics'' 23:192–216.</ref>

During this time, De Smet contributed to [[Joseph Nicollet]]'s work in mapping the upper midwest. De Smet produced the first European-recorded, detailed map of the Council Bluffs area; it detailed the Missouri River valley system, from below the Platte River to the [[Big Sioux River]].<ref name="Whittaker 2008">Whittaker (2008): "Pierre-Jean De Smet's Remarkable Map of the Missouri River Valley, 1839: What Did He See in Iowa?", ''Journal of the [[Iowa Archeological Society]]'' 55:1–13.</ref><ref>Mullen, Frank (1925) "Father De Smet and the Pottawattamie Indian Mission", ''Iowa Journal of History and Politics'' 23:192–216
</ref>

[[File:De Smet Council Bluffs.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Pierre-Jean De Smet]]'s map of the Council Bluffs area, 1839 The area labeled Caldwell's Camp was a Potawatomi village led by [[Sauganash]], near the site of Kanesville, later named Council Bluffs.<ref name="Whittaker 2008" />]]

De Smet wrote an early description of the Potawatomi settlement:

<blockquote>Imagine a great number of cabins and tents, made of the bark of trees, [[American Bison|buffalo]] skins, coarse cloth, rushes and [[sod]]s, all of a mournful and funereal aspect, of all sizes and shapes, some supported by one pole, others having six, and with the covering stretched in all the different styles imaginable, and all scattered here and there in the greatest confusion, and you will have an Indian village.<ref>Laveille, E. (1915) ''The Life of Father De Smet, S. J.'', New York: Kenedy and Sons, p.83</ref></blockquote>

As more Native Americans were pushed into the Council Bluffs area by pressure of European-American settlement to the east, intertribal conflict increased, fueled by the illegal whiskey trade. The US Army built [[Fort Croghan]] in 1842, to keep order and try to control liquor traffic on the Missouri River. However, the fort was destroyed in a flood later in the same year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.northamericanforts.com/West/ia.html#council |title=Iowa Forts}}</ref>

By 1846 the Pottawatomi were forced to move again to a [[Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation|new reservation]] at [[Osawatomie, Kansas]].

===1844–1851: Mormon community of Kanesville===
In 1844, the [[Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party]] crossed the Missouri River here, on their way to blaze a new path into California across the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada Mountains]]. Beginning in 1846, a large influx of [[Latter-day Saints]] entered the area, although in the winter of 1847–1848 most Latter-day Saints crossed to the Nebraska side of the Missouri River.  Initially, the area was called "Miller's Hollow", after [[Henry W. Miller]]; a settler, he was the first member of the Iowa State Legislature to be from this area. Miller also was the foreman for the construction of the [[Kanesville Tabernacle]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kenalford.com/sam/sam-page4.htm|title=Seminary Scripture Mastery Resources!|website=www.kenalford.com}}</ref>

By 1848, the town had become known as Kanesville, named for benefactor [[Thomas L. Kane]]. He had helped negotiate federal permission in [[Washington, D.C.]] for the Mormons to use Indian land along the Missouri as their winter encampment of 1846–47. Built next to or at Caldwell's Camp, Kanesville became the main outfitting point for the [[Mormon pioneers|Mormon Exodus]] to [[Utah]]; it is the recognized head of the [[Mormon Trail]].

[[Edwin Carter]], who would become a noted [[naturalist]] in [[Colorado]], worked here from 1848 to 1859 in a dry goods store. He helped supply Mormon wagon trains.

Settlers who departed west from Kanesville into the sparsely settled, [[Territory of Missouri#History|unorganized parts of the Territory of Missouri]] traveled to the [[Oregon Country]] and the newly conquered [[Mexican–American War|California Territory]]. They traversed the (eventual) [[Nebraska Territory]] traveling in [[wagon train]]s along the much-storied [[Oregon Trail|Oregon]], [[Mormon Trail|Mormon]], or [[California Trail]]s into the newly expanded United States western lands.

After the first large organized wagon trains left Missouri in 1841, the annual migration waves began in earnest by the spring of 1843. They built up thereafter, with the opening of the Mormon Trail (1846) and peaked in the later 1860s. After that, news of the progress of railroads constructed across the west reduced the number of travelers who endured the wagon trains.

By the 1860s, virtually all migration wagon trains passed near the town now named Council Bluffs. The [[wagon train]] trails became less important with the advent of the first complete [[Transcontinental railroad#United States|transcontinental railway]] in 1869, but while trail use diminished after that, their use continued on at lesser rates until late in the nineteenth century.

The [[Mormon Battalion]] began its march from Kanesville to [[California]] during the [[Mexican–American War]], which began  This area was where Mormons first began to openly practice [[plural marriage]]. [[Orson Hyde]] began to publish ''The Frontier Guardian'' newspaper, and [[Brigham Young]] was named as the second president of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS church). The community was transformed by the [[California Gold Rush]], and the majority of Mormons left for Utah by 1852.
[[File:Council-bluffs1.jpg|thumb|right|Lincoln Memorial at Council Bluffs, marking where President [[Abraham Lincoln]] was said to have selected the site as the eastern terminus of the [[Transcontinental Railroad]].]]

===1852–1900: Council Bluffs and the beginning of the railroad era===
[[File:GrenvilleDodgeHouse CouncilBluffsIA.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Grenville M. Dodge House]] (1869) is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]]]

By 1852, the number of Mormons was declining due to their further westward movement. The town took the name Council Bluffs after a cliff called Council Bluff that was 20 miles to the north. [[Fort Atkinson (Nebraska)|Fort Atkinson]] was built there in 1820. 

That cliff, or bluff, was named after the so-called Otoe council. This was an August 1804 meeting of the [[Lewis and Clark Expedition]] with senior members of the [[Otoe tribe|Otoe]] and [[Missouri tribe|Missouria]] Native American tribes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our History {{!}} Council Bluffs, IA - Official Website |url=https://www.councilbluffs-ia.gov/2125/Our-History |access-date=September 5, 2024 |website=www.councilbluffs-ia.gov}}</ref>

Council Bluffs continued as a major outfitting point on the Missouri River for the [[Emigrant Trail]] and [[Pike's Peak Gold Rush]]. A river port, it had a lively [[steamboat]] trade.

In 1863 an anonymous soldier on his way to fight the [[Dakota Uprising]] passed through Council Bluffs. He  described it as a hardscrabble town:

{{Blockquote|text=At Council Bluffs our arrival was greeted by a few rounds from the old six pounder, while the streets were lined with a curiosity-seeking class of humanity, among which could easily be traced the physiognomy of bipeds of almost every clime—all here to make money. The cute Yankee whittling out wooden hams to sell to Pikes' Peak emigrants, the Chatham Street peddler, with his stock of "oht clo's," ready to swear that he had them manufactured expressly for his western trade; the mock auctioneer, the jeweler with his pinchback jewelry of all kinds; horse and mule jockeys, gamblers, thieves, assassin—and the mischief knows what not, rather than what is—all congregated in this little 7×9 city, stuck in a great ravine, 3 miles from the Missouri River. When you understand that this is the great entrepot for emigration across the Plains, you will readily comprehend that this is a good point at which to "take (a) stranger in," and it is done almost every day. Our stay at Council Bluffs was very short (two days) and I think no one was sorry to leave it. |author=Soldier of the 6th Iowa Cavalry |source=''Linn County Register'', 15 August 1863, p.2}}

Council Bluffs (rather than Omaha) was designated by President [[Abraham Lincoln]] as the official starting point of the [[First transcontinental railroad|transcontinental railroad]], which was completed in 1869. The official "Mile 0" start is at 21st Street and 9th Avenue. It is now marked by a gold spike monument, which was erected to promote the movie ''[[Union Pacific (movie)|Union Pacific]].''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.councilbluffs-ia.gov/index.aspx?NID=272 |title=Council Bluffs, IA - Official Website - Golden Spike Monument |access-date=August 9, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826112445/http://www.councilbluffs-ia.gov/index.aspx?NID=272 |archive-date=August 26, 2016 }}</ref> Council Bluffs' physical connection to the Transcontinental Railroad was delayed until 1872, when the [[Union Pacific Missouri River Bridge]] opened. (Before that, railroad cars had to be ferried across the Missouri River from Council Bluffs to Omaha in the early days of the Transcontinental).

The [[Chicago and North Western Transportation Company]] arrived in 1867. Other railroads operating in the city were the [[Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad]], [[Chicago Great Western Railway]], [[Wabash Railroad]], [[Illinois Central Railroad]], and the [[Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad]] as well as the [[Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad]].

===1901–present===
[[File:Iowa - Council Bluffs through Davenport - NARA - 23940077 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Council Bluffs in 1926]]
In 1926, the portion of Council Bluffs west of the Missouri River seceded to form [[Carter Lake, Iowa]]. Carter Lake had been cut off by a change in the course of the Missouri River.

By the 1930s, Council Bluffs had grown into the country's fifth largest rail center. The railroads helped the city become a center for grain storage, and massive [[grain elevators]] continue to mark the city's skyline. Other industries in the city included Blue Star Foods, Dwarfies Cereal, [[Frito-Lay]], Georgie Porgie Cereal, Giant Manufacturing, Kimball Elevators, Mona Motor Oil, Monarch, Reliance Batteries, Woodward's Candy, and [[World Radio Laboratories|World Radio]]. During the 1940s [[Meyer Lansky]] operated a [[greyhound racing]] track in Council Bluffs.

Restructuring of the railroad industry caused the loss of many jobs after the mid-20th century, as did the restructuring of heavy industry. Many jobs moved offshore. By the late 20th century, the city and region were suffering economic stagnation and a declining population, as they struggled to develop a new economy. Downtown [[urban renewal]] was undertaken to create a new future while emphasizing the strengths of heritage.

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|45.672|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|42.963|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|2.709|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2024"/>

Council Bluffs covers a unique topographic region originally composed of [[prairie]] and [[savanna]] in the [[Loess Hills]] with extensive [[wetlands]] and [[deciduous forest]] along the [[Missouri River]]. Excellent vistas can be had from [[KOIL]] Point at Fairmont Park, the Lincoln Monument, Kirn Park, and the [[Lewis and Clark]] Monument. [[Lake Manawa State Park]] is located at the southern edge of the city.

===Neighborhoods===
[[File:CouncilBluffsDowntown.JPG|thumb|right|Downtown Council Bluffs looking west along East Broadway]]
[[File:Council Bluffs Park.JPG|thumb|right|Bayliss Park in downtown Council Bluffs]]
[[File:Gold-spike-council.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Golden Spike]] Memorial was dedicated in 1939 during the world premiere of ''[[Union Pacific (film)|Union Pacific]]'' at milepost 0 of the [[First transcontinental railroad|transcontinental railroad]]]]
[[File:Fishermen on the Missouri River in Council Bluffs, Iowa.jpg|thumb|Fishermen on the Missouri River in Council Bluffs, facing the Union Pacific Bridge]]
[[File:Ruth Anne Dodge Memorial.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Ruth Anne Dodge Memorial]]]]

====Downtown Council Bluffs====
{{unref-section|date=June 2023}}
Downtown Council Bluffs historically was the area along West Broadway and adjacent streets from Old Town west to the [[Chicago and North Western Transportation Company]] Railroad passenger depot at 11th Street. The downtown area developed as the economic rival of Old Town after the 1853 opening of the Pacific House Hotel by Samuel S. Bayliss and until the 1867 completion of the Chicago and Northwestern. In 1899, the [[Illinois Central]] passenger depot opened at 12th St. and West Broadway.

Downtown declined as the city's primary retail center after the 1955 completion of the Broadway Viaduct, 1970s urban renewal, and the 1984 opening of the Kanesville Boulevard [[U.S. Route 6]] bypass. Remaining buildings of note include the 1959 Council Bluffs [[Post Office]] and Federal Building at 6th Street, the 1986 "Red" Nelson Building, the 501 Main Building, the substantially altered 1909 City National Bank Building, and the 1968 First Federal Building. The 1947 State Savings Bank Building at 509 West Broadway and the seven-story 1924 [[Bennett Building (Council Bluffs, Iowa)|Bennett Building]] at 405 West Broadway are both listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]. The 100 Block of West Broadway is a [[historic district]] listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the 1892 Broadway United [[Methodist]] Church at West Broadway and 1st St. remains a prominent community landmark.

====Old Town Council Bluffs====
Old Town Council Bluffs was adjudged by Judge Frank Street in the 1850s to be the area between West Broadway and Glen Avenue and East Broadway and Frank Street from Harmony Street south to Pierce Street. Today the area encompasses [[Billy Caldwell]]'s settlement of Potawatomi on Indian Creek during the 1830s and Kanesville established by the [[Mormons]] as Miller's Hollow in 1848. Kanesville was the home of Mormon leaders Orson Hyde, [[George A. Smith]], and [[Ezra T. Benson]] and was a major outfitting point on the [[Mormon Trail]] during the California Gold Rush. The reconstructed Kanesville Tabernacle in the 300 block of East Broadway is operated as a museum by the LDS Church.

====The West End====
The West End is a geographically large area on the flood plain east of the Missouri River and [[downtown Omaha]], Nebraska, west of 10th St. and the Broadway Viaduct, and north of 9th Ave. and the [[Union Pacific]] Transfer railyards. These neighborhoods of long, tree-shaded avenues are divided by the commercial corridor of West Broadway (U.S. Route 6), once part of the [[Lincoln Highway]]. This stretch of West Broadway has traditionally had several drive-in fast food restaurants and automobile dealerships with several [[grain elevator]]s adjacent along 1st Avenue. West Broadway ends at the [[Interstate 480 (Iowa-Nebraska)|Interstate 480]] bridge to downtown Omaha. [[Iowa Highway 192]] follows North 16th St. from West Broadway to [[Interstate 29]]. Neighborhood landmarks include the 1890s Illinois Central Railroad Missouri River bridge, [[Stan Bahnsen]] Park, the [[Golden Spike]] monument, the Narrows River Park, Big Lake Park, the site of [[Dodge Park Playland]], the Dodge Christian Church (built with the N.P. Dodge Memorial funds and now known as Citylight West Council Bluffs), and many examples of late 19th and early 20th century residential architecture. The West End was used as a location by film director [[Alexander Payne]] in the movies ''[[Citizen Ruth]]'' and ''[[About Schmidt]]''.

====Casino Row====
Casino Row is located on and near the Missouri River south of West Broadway and Interstate 480, west of South 35th St. and Interstate 29, and north of [[Interstate 80]] along 23rd Avenue west of South 24th St. The opening of the Bluffs Run Greyhound Park in 1986, now the [[Horseshoe Council Bluffs]], was followed in the mid-1990s by [[riverboat casino]]s operated by [[Ameristar Casinos|Ameristar]] and Harvey's Casino Hotel (now [[Harrah's Council Bluffs]]). New development in this previously industrial area has included the [[Mid-America Center]], several restaurants and hotels, and other businesses. The appearance of legalized gambling in Council Bluffs became a major issue in neighboring Omaha where Mayor [[Hal Daub]] had declared Iowa an "XXX state" in 1995 as horse-racing came to an end at [[Ak-Sar-Ben (arena)|Ak-Sar-Ben]].

====Twin City====
Twin City is located south of where Interstate 29 splits from Interstate 80, east of [[South Omaha]], Nebraska, west of Indian Creek, and north of the South Omaha Bridge Road ([[U.S. Route 275]] and [[Iowa Highway 92]]). This neighborhood developed mostly during the 1960s for workers in nearby Omaha factories and at [[Offutt Air Force Base]]. The Interstate 80 Exit at 1-B at South 24th Street includes two large [[truck stops]] along with several motels, the Western Historic Trails Center, the Bluffs Acres [[manufactured home]] development, and The Marketplace shopping area. The Willows on the South Omaha Bridge Road is an example of mid-20th century roadside motel architecture and Bart's Motel further east at South 24th St featured prominent neon signage, was used as a location in the motion picture ''[[The Indian Runner]]'', and has since been demolished.

====Manawa====
Manawa is the portion of Council Bluffs from the combined Interstate 80 and Interstate 29 south to the city limits between Mosquito and Indian Creeks. The area was developed as a [[trolley park]] by the [[Omaha and Council Bluffs Streetcar Company]] after the former channel of the Missouri River was "cut-off" during an 1881 flood to become modern Lake Manawa State Park. Later development followed the establishment of U.S. Route 275 and the completion of Interstate 80 with additional growth during the 1990s. A variety of fast food restaurants, motels, [[big-box store]]s, automobile dealerships, a large truck stop and other businesses are located between Interstate 80 and Interstate 29 south to the state park. The Lake Manawa Inn hosts early examples of roadside cabin architecture. In February and March, [[bald eagles]] and [[Red-tailed hawk|red-tailed hawks]] can frequently be seen at Lake Manawa, particularly along the southwest shore.

====The South End====
The South End is bordered by 12th Avenue on the north, South 16th St. and the Union Pacific Transfer railyards on the west, Interstate 80 and Interstate 29 on the south, and the South Expressway (Iowa Highway 192) on the east. This neighborhood developed during the late 19th century with the railroads, especially the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, the [[Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway]], and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. In the early 20th century much of the area was dubbed "Dane Town" or "Little Copenhagen" for the large number of [[Denmark|Danish]] immigrants with several [[Croatia]]n and [[Mexican people|Mexican]] families closer to the Union Pacific railyards at "Little Vienna". Neighborhood landmarks include Peterson Park, Longfellow School, and the 1899 [[Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific]] passenger depot, now the [[RailsWest Railroad Museum]].

====Oakland-Fairview====
Oakland-Fairview developed during the 1890s and features a wealth of 19th-century architecture, including the Judge Finley Burke mansion at 510 Oakland built in 1893 out of Minnesota [[granite]]. The neighborhood is also home to the Lincoln Monument. Located at the western end of Lafayette Avenue, the monument was erected in 1911 by the local chapter of the [[Daughters of the American Revolution]] that, according to [[folklore]], commemorates the spot where [[Abraham Lincoln]] decided on the location of the [[transcontinental railroad]] in 1859. The monument offers expansive views across the West End in the [[Missouri River Valley]] to [[Omaha, Nebraska|Omaha]], Nebraska. Nearby is the entrance to Fairview Cemetery, situated on the north side of Lafayette Avenue, which predates the establishment of the present city and includes the Kinsman Monument and the burial place of many early settlers, including [[Amelia Bloomer]]. At the east end of Lafayette Avenue where it intersects with North Second Street stands the Ruth Anne Dodge Memorial, the "Black Angel" designed by [[Daniel Chester French]], although the wife of [[Grenville Dodge]] is actually buried elsewhere in Council Bluffs.

====Madison Avenue====
Madison Avenue is the area of Council Bluffs adjacent to Exit 5 of Interstate 80 along Madison and Bennett avenues, Valley View Drive, and the area between Iowa Highway 92 north to McPherson Avenue. [[Mosquito Creek (Iowa)|Mosquito Creek]] flows through this area which was originally notable for the Potawatomi [[gristmill]] and now includes the usual roadside gas stations, fast food restaurants, motels, and the tracks of the [[Iowa Interstate Railroad]]. Plans for a shopping mall here first appeared in 1972 and construction finally began on the [[Mall of the Bluffs]] in 1985. Residential growth east of the railroad tracks towards State Orchard Road and the [[Council Bluffs Municipal Airport]] and north to U.S. Route 6 has included developments outside the Council Bluffs city limits.

====Huntington Avenue====
Huntington Avenue consists of early 20th century [[American Craftsman|Craftsman]] homes which wind along the top of the Loess Hills past the 1925 studio of radio station [[KOIL]]; the station is now apartments.

The historic "Council Bluffs' [[Red-light district]]" was formed during the late 19th century, when at least 10 separate [[brothel]]s were located on Pierce Street east of Park Avenue with another three brothels down the block on the south side of West Broadway east of Park. One 1890 newspaper article referenced in Lt. RL Miller's "Selected History of the Council Bluffs Police" noted the "places of vice and corruption on Pierce" and Stella Long's above the Ogden House along with the "terrible den at the corner of Market and Vine" and Belle Clover's [[bagnio]] at 8th St. and West Broadway.

{{wide image|CouncilBluffsPanorama1916.jpg|800px|1916 panoramic photograph of West Broadway showing the Council Bluffs Post Office (right) and Federal Building at 6th Street on the left when this was part of the [[Lincoln Highway]]}}

===Environmental problems===
In 2010, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources found that air in central Council Bluffs measured above the [[National Ambient Air Quality Standards|national air quality standard]] for lead, most likely due to lead emissions in this area by Griffin Pipe Products Company.<ref name=dnr>{{cite web|title=Portion of Council Bluffs Exceeds Lead National Air Quality Standard|url=http://www.iowadnr.gov/home/ctl/detail/mid/2822/itemid/534|publisher=Iowa Department of Natural Resources|access-date=July 21, 2014|date=November 24, 2011}}</ref> In 2011, EPA found numerous violations of the [[Clean Water Act]], because the plant's contaminated stormwater commingled with treated process wastewater and was pumped out to the storm sewer, which discharged into the Missouri River.<ref name=epa>{{cite web|title=Findings of Violation-Order for Compliance Docket No. CWA-07-2011-0105|url=http://yosemite.epa.gov/oa/rhc/epaadmin.nsf/Filings/2D36599FF09861BE85257922001B8BDF/$File/CWA-07-2011-0109.pdf|publisher=EPA|access-date=July 21, 2014|date=September 13, 2011}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1860= 2011
|1870= 10020
|1880= 18063
|1890= 21474
|1900= 25802
|1910= 29292
|1920= 36162
|1930= 42048
|1940= 41439
|1950= 45429
|1960= 55641
|1970= 60348
|1980= 56449
|1990= 54315
|2000= 58268
|2010= 62230
|2020= 62799
|estyear=2023
|estimate=62399
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |date=October 2, 2024|title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2023|website=United States Census Bureau|access-date=October 2, 2024}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|website=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref><br />Iowa State Data Center<ref name="IASDC">{{cite web|url=https://dev.iowadatacenter.org/index.php/data-by-subject/population|title=Data from the 2020 Census|publisher=Iowa State Data Center|access-date=October 2, 2024}}</ref><br />2020 Census<ref name="2020 Census (City)"/>
}}

Council Bluffs is the primary city of the [[Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area|Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area]].

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Council Bluffs, Iowa – Racial Composition'''<ref>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Council Bluffs city, Iowa|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Council%20Bluffs%20city,%20Iowa&t=Race%20and%20Ethnicity&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=October 2, 2024}}</ref><br />(NH = Non-Hispanic)<br /><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race
!Number
!Percentage
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] (NH)
|50,787
|80.9%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] (NH)
|1,679
|2.7%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] (NH)
|310
|0.5%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] (NH)
|640
|1.0%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] (NH)
|67
|0.1%
|-
|[[Some Other Race]] (NH)
|201
|0.3%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed/Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|2,607
|4.2%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]
|6,508
|10.4%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''62,799'''
|'''100.0%'''
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], there were 62,799 people, 25,271 households, and 15,302 families residing in the city.<ref>{{Cite web|title=US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Council%20Bluffs%20city,%20Iowa%20p16&y=2020 |access-date=October 2, 2024 |website=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> The [[population density]] was {{convert|1461.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 27,100 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 83.7% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 2.7% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.9% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.0% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.1% [[Race (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 4.7% from [[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|some other races]] and 6.9% from [[Multiracial Americans|two or more races]]. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] of any race were 10.4% of the population.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How many people live in Council Bluffs city, Iowa |work=USA Today |url=https://data.usatoday.com/census/total-population/total-population-change/council-bluffs-city-iowa/160-1916860/ |access-date=October 2, 2024 }}</ref>

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]], there were 62,230 people, 24,793 households, and 15,528 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1518.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 26,594 housing units at an average density of {{convert|649.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 90.9% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.9% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.6% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.7% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 3.6% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 2.4% from two or more races. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] of any race were 8.5% of the population.

There were 24,793 households, of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.4% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.01.

The median age in the city was 35.9 years. 24.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.1% were from 25 to 44; 25.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.7% male and 51.3% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]], there were 58,268 people, 22,889 households, and 15,083 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1558.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 24,340 housing units at an average density of {{convert|651.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 94.76% White, 1.05% Black or African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.81% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.45% of the population.

There were 22,889 households, out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.03.

Age spread: 26.0% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,221, and the median income for a family was $42,715. Males had a median income of $30,828 versus $23,476 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $18,143. About 8.2% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 14.0% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.
{{Clear}} <!--FYI this template makes the next section drop below Historical Population table-->

==Economy==
The liberalization of Iowa gambling laws was followed by the opening of The Bluffs Run Greyhound Park in 1986. By 2005, Council Bluffs was the 19th largest casino market in the United States, with revenue equaling nearly $434 million.{{citation needed|date=July 2014}} Casinos include [[Ameristar Casino Council Bluffs]], [[Harrah's Council Bluffs]], and the [[Horseshoe Council Bluffs]].

Council Bluffs industry includes "frozen foods, robotics, dairy products, plastics, railroading, electrical products, and pork and beef packaging" per the city's website.<ref>{{cite web|title=Our City|url=http://www.councilbluffs-ia.gov/index.aspx?nid=379|publisher=Council Bluffs City Hall|access-date=July 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140811010124/http://www.councilbluffs-ia.gov/index.aspx?nid=379|archive-date=August 11, 2014}}</ref> American Games (a manufacturer of lottery gaming products), Barton Solvents, [[Con-Agra]], [[Grundorf]], Katelman Foundry, Omaha Standard Palfinger (a truck body manufacturer established in 1926), Red Giant Oil, and [[Tyson Foods]] have manufacturing plants in the city.

Griffin Pipe Products, established in 1921, closed its plant employing about 250 people in March 2014, when it was bought by U.S. Pipe and Foundry, based in Birmingham, Alabama.<ref name=ketv>{{cite news|last1=Earl|first1=David|title=Alabama company to close Griffin Pipe plant|url=http://www.ketv.com/news/alabama-company-to-close-griffin-pipe-plant/24790362#!bjjaBs|access-date=July 21, 2014|publisher=KETV7 News|date=March 4, 2014}}</ref> Griffin Wheels, a part of American Steel Foundries, was one of the largest US manufacturers of iron railroad-car wheels until it switched to pipes in the 1960s.<ref name=world>{{cite news|last1=Brownlee|first1=Mike|title=News of Griffin Pipe closure 'devastating' |url=http://www.omaha.com/money/news-of-griffin-pipe-closure-devastating/article_01bd3574-00be-5541-82f3-2787c2b35543.html|access-date=July 22, 2014|work=Omaha.com |publisher=World-Herald News Service|date=March 5, 2014}}</ref>

[[Mid-American Energy]] built a new coal-fired plant in 2007; the billion dollar investment was the single largest private investment in Iowa's history up until then.<ref name=audit>{{cite web|title=City of Council Bluffs Independent Auditor's Report June 30, 2007|url=http://www.councilbluffs-ia.gov/archive.aspx?amid=&type=&adid=51|publisher=Council Bluffs City Hall|access-date=July 22, 2014|page=16|date=March 3, 2008}}</ref>

In 2007, [[Google]] began construction of a [[server farm]] on the former site of the Council Bluffs [[drive-in theater]] on Veterans Memorial Highway. This first phase, completed in 2009, was to create "200 high quality jobs".<ref name=audit /> The second Google campus, on Bunge Avenue, had an open house in October 2013, employing 50 people who are "installing and upgrading Google servers and providing maintenance on equipment".<ref name=nonpareil>{{cite news|last1=Brownlee|first1=Mike|title=Google shows off new Council Bluffs data center at grand opening|url=http://www.nonpareilonline.com/news/local/google-shows-off-new-council-bluffs-data-center-at-grand/article_681daef8-2c94-11e3-937f-0019bb2963f4.html|access-date=July 22, 2014|work=The Daily Nonpareil|date=October 3, 2013}}</ref> In March 2014, a third phase, the Southlands expansion, was announced, creating 35 additional jobs and bringing Google's investment up to $1.5 billion, the largest private investment in Iowa's history to date.<ref name=gazette>{{cite news|last1=Ford|first1=George|title=Google plans to double size of Council Bluffs data center expansion|url=http://thegazette.com/2013/04/23/google-plans-to-double-size-of-council-bluffs-data-center-expansion/|access-date=July 22, 2014|work=The Gazette|date=March 28, 2014}}</ref> The state increased its [[tax abatement]] of sales and use tax for Google from $9.6 million to $16.8 million.<ref name=gazette /> {{As of|July 2014}} Google stated it created 130 jobs<ref name=google>{{cite web|title=Google data centers, Council Bluffs, Iowa|url=https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/inside/locations/council-bluffs/|date=n.d.|access-date=July 22, 2014}}</ref> and as of June 2016 "over 300 jobs" on site.<ref name=google2>{{cite web|title=Google data centers, Council Bluffs, Iowa|url=https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/inside/locations/council-bluffs/|date=n.d.|access-date=June 15, 2016}}</ref> In particular, the server farms are backing the entire "us-central1" region of the Google Cloud Platform.<ref>{{cite news|title=Google Cloud Platform opens its Oregon region to better serve the West Coast|url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/07/20/google-cloud-platform-opens-its-oregon-region-to-better-serve-the-west-coast|work=Tech Crunch|date=July 20, 2016}}</ref>

==Government==
{{see also|List of mayors of Council Bluffs, Iowa}}

==Arts and culture==
Council Bluffs is the location of the Pottawattamie County [[Pottawattamie County Jail|"Squirrel Cage" Jail]], in use from 1885 until 1969, which is one of three remaining examples of a [[Rotary Jail]]. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it was built as a rotary jail with pie-shaped cells on a turntable. To access individual cells, the jailer turned a crank to rotate the cylinder until the desired cell lined up with a fixed opening on each floor. According to the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County, the Squirrel Cage Jail is the only three-story rotary jail constructed. Although the rotary mechanism was disabled in 1960, the building remained the [[county jail]] for another 9 years. Similar, smaller examples of the concept can be seen in [[Crawfordsville, Indiana]] and [[Gallatin, Missouri]].
[[File:UPRR Museum.JPG|thumb|Union Pacific Railroad Museum in the former [[Carnegie Library]] which is in downtown Council Bluffs]]
The city's strong ties to the railroad industry are commemorated by three local museums. The Union Pacific Museum is located in the former Council Bluffs Free Public Library (a [[Carnegie library]]), at Pearl Street and Willow Avenue; the Grenville Dodge Home is on Third Street; and the RailsWest Railroad Museum is at South Main Street and Sixteenth Avenue. RailsWest is housed in an 1899 Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad passenger depot later shared with the [[Milwaukee Road]], which was used by the ''[[Rocky Mountain Rocket]]'', the ''[[Arrow (Milwaukee Road train)|Arrow]]'', and the ''[[Midwest Hiawatha]]''. RailsWest features an outdoor display of historic train cars, including a [[Railway Post Office]] car, two [[steam locomotive]]s, two [[caboose]]s, a Burlington [[Lounge car]], and a 1953 switcher produced by the [[Plymouth Locomotive Works]].

The Iowa West Foundation, the charitable wing of the local gambling industry, funded a [[public art]] planning process for Council Bluffs in 2004 which emphasized a 2015 goal for the city to become "a prosperous urban area known for its cultural enlightenment and public art collection." To this end the city renovated Bayliss Park in downtown, which was re-dedicated in early 2007 with a new fountain dubbed Wellspring. Its performance pavilion, known as Oculus, was designed by sculptor Brower Hatcher. This was the first installation of the Iowa West Public Art, a foundation established during the Public Art Master Planning process. The Iowa West Foundation then established [http://www.iowawestpublicart.org/ IWPA] along with a [http://www.iowawestpublicart.org/ public art website].

In 2008 a {{convert|50|ft|m|adj=on}}-tall Molecule Man sculpture by [[Jonathan Borofsky]] was installed at the Mid-America Center; nearby sculptures were designed by [[William King (artist)|William King]] and [[Jun Kaneko]]. [[Albert Paley]] designed elements of the nearby South 24th Street bridge at Exit 1B of the combined Interstate 29 and Interstate 80 at Council Bluffs and [[Ed Carpenter (artist)|Ed Carpenter]] designed Gateway for the West Broadway viaduct. Artist [[Dan Corson]] and the Big Mo by [[Mark di Suvero]] are featured at Tom Hanfan's River's Edge Park along the banks of the Missouri River.

Council Bluffs is also home to the Chanticleer Community Theater, TVI Filtration Corporation (a major supplier of discount automotive products), and [[Hamilton College (Iowa)]] which is now part of [[Kaplan University]] – Council Bluffs.

The [[black squirrel]] is the city's mascot. [[John James Audubon]] wrote about these squirrels in 1843, along the Missouri River at Council Bluffs.

For one week in late July/early August, the annual [[Pottawattamie County]] Fair is held at Westfair grounds. There are carnival rides, concerts, gun shows, tractor races, and a queen contest.<ref>{{cite web|title=Westfair Fairgrounds and Amphitheater|url=http://www.westfairevents.com/home|website=Westfair|access-date=October 14, 2015|archive-date=January 18, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160118041637/http://www.westfairevents.com/home}}</ref>

==Sports==
The [[Iowa Blackhawks]] (later known as the [[Council Bluffs Express]]) of the [[American Professional Football League]] played at the Mid-America Center from 2004 until 2012. The Mid-America Center was also home to the [[Omaha Lancers]] from 2002 until 2008. 
Iowa Rampage Arena Football to kick-off in 2024 with relaunch of Arena Football League <ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=http://www.iowarampage.com |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240510004322/https://www.iowarampage.com/ |archive-date=2024-05-10 |access-date= |website=Iowa Rampage}}</ref>

Council Bluffs hosted two [[minor league baseball]] teams. The [[Council Bluffs Rails]] played in 1935 and were preceded by the 1903 [[Council Bluffs Bluffers]]. The Bluffers played as members of the [[Class D (baseball)|Class D]] level [[Iowa-South Dakota League]] in 1903 and the 1935 Rails were members of the [[Class A (baseball)|Class A]] level [[Western League (1900–1958)|Western League]].<ref name="encyc">{{cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball |editor-first1=Lloyd |editor-last1=Johnson |editor-first2=Miles |editor-last2=Wolff |edition=Third |publisher=[[Baseball America]] |date=2007 |isbn=978-1-932391-17-6}}</ref> The teams hosted minor league home games at Broadway Park in 1935 and the Lake Manawa Ballpark in 1903.

==Education==
Public education in the city of Council Bluffs is provided by two [[List of school districts in Iowa|school districts]]: [[Council Bluffs Community School District]]<ref>[http://www.council-bluffs.k12.ia.us/ Welcome to Council Bluffs Community School District]. Council-bluffs.k12.ia.us. Retrieved on July 12, 2013.</ref> and [[Lewis Central Community School District]].<ref>[http://www.lewiscentral.org/ Lewis Central Community Schools]. Lewiscentral.org. Retrieved on July 12, 2013.</ref> Most of the city is located within the Council Bluffs Community School District which operates these public schools: 10 elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools ([[Abraham Lincoln High School (Council Bluffs, Iowa)|Abraham Lincoln]] and [[Thomas Jefferson High School (Council Bluffs, Iowa)|Thomas Jefferson]]), Tucker Career & College Center, Anne E. Nelson Early Learning Center, and Kanesville Alternative Learning Center. As of the 2008–2009 school year, the district had a total enrollment of 9,246.<ref name="IowaPS">{{cite web|url=http://www.iowa.gov/educate/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=6422&Itemid=55 |title=2008–2009 Iowa Public School PreK-12 Enrollments by District, Grade, Race and Gender |format=[[Microsoft Excel|XLS]] |publisher=[[Iowa Department of Education]], Bureau of Planning, Research, and Evaluation |date=February 4, 2009 |access-date=May 21, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090802044223/http://www.iowa.gov/educate/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=6422&Itemid=55 |archive-date=August 2, 2009 }}</ref> The Lewis Central Community School District (one high school, one middle school, and two elementary schools) serves the southern portion of Council Bluffs and enrolled 3,047 students as of the 2008–2009 school year.<ref name="IowaPS"/>

There are several private schools in Council Bluffs including Community Christian School, [http://heartlandchristiancbia.org/heartland/welcome Heartland Christian School], Liberty Christian School, [[Saint Albert Catholic Schools]] (of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines]]), and Trinity Lutheran Interparish School.

The [[Iowa School for the Deaf]] moved to the south edge of Council Bluffs in 1870 along what is now [[Iowa Highway 92]]. It is open to all students in both Iowa and Nebraska who are younger than 21 and whose hearing loss places them at a disadvantage in the public schools.

[[Iowa Western Community College]] is located on the eastern edge of Council Bluffs near the intersection of [[Interstate 80 in Iowa|Interstate 80]] and [[U.S. Route 6 in Iowa|U.S. Route 6]] and is the home of the radio station [[KIWR]]. [[Buena Vista University]] also has a location in Council Bluffs and partners with Iowa Western Community College to offer bachelor's degree completion programs to IWCC graduates.

==Infrastructure==
===Transportation===
The city is well served by [[Interstate 80]], Interstate 29, U.S. Route 6, and the Loess Hills [[National Scenic Byway]]. The [[Union Pacific]], [[BNSF]], [[Iowa Interstate]], and [[Canadian National]] Railroads all connect in Council Bluffs and carry important freight traffic. [[MidAmerican Energy Company|MidAmerican Energy]] has a large coal-burning power plant near the southern city limits.

An extensive system of off-street paved trails aids in walking and bicycling around the city, including the currently under construction FIRST AVE trail spanning the city's West End. Walking, bicycling, and other active transportation access across the Missouri River into [[Omaha, Nebraska|Omaha]] currently exists at two points: the [[Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge]] and a trail connection across the [[South Omaha Veterans Memorial Bridge]] on [[U.S. Route 275|US-275]].

[[file: Airfield at Council Bluffs Iowa.jpg|thumb| Airfield at Council Bluffs Iowa]]
Transit access around Council Bluffs is available via two [[Metro Transit (Omaha)|Metro]] bus lines, the blue and yellow routes. Each route originates in downtown Omaha and provides access across the Missouri River as well as between various points around Council Bluffs. According to city plans it is possible that a streetcar line may be constructed along the First Avenue right-of-way. The streetcar line would terminate near Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital in the east and in downtown Omaha in the west; it would have a connection to the planned [[Omaha Streetcar]]. In order to facilitate streetcar access across the Missouri River, plans call for a new multimodal bridge to be constructed just south of the existing [[Interstate 480 (Nebraska–Iowa)|I-480]] bridge. The multimodal bridge would be built approximately where the [[Ak-Sar-Ben Bridge]] once stood and carry multimodal traffic between Council Bluffs and Omaha.

Commercial air travel for Council Bluffs occurs primarily out of Omaha's [[Eppley Airfield]]. The [[Council Bluffs Municipal Airport]] also serves the [[general aviation]] needs of Council Bluffs and surrounding areas.

==Notable people== <!--consensus reached to standardize this heading per WikiProject Cities/US Guideline-->

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===Academics===
* [[Nathan M. Pusey]]: educator and former [[president of Harvard University]]

===Arts===
* [[Walter Cassel]]: opera singer
* [[Janet Dailey]], romance novelist
* [[John Durbin]]: actor
* [[Addison Farmer]]: jazz musician
* [[Art Farmer]]: jazz musician
* [[Louise Fitch]] (1914–1996): actress 
* [[Joan Freeman (actress)|Joan Freeman]]: actress, co-starred with [[Elvis Presley]] in ''[[Roustabout (film)|Roustabout]]''
* [[Peg Hillias]]: actress
* [[Harry Langdon]]: [[silent movie]] comedy actor
* [[Sagan Lewis]]: actress (''[[St. Elsewhere]]'')<ref name=thr>{{cite news|first=Mike|last=Barnes |title=Sagan Lewis, Actress and Wife of Emmy Winner Tom Fontana, Dies at 63 |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sagan-lewis-dead-actress-tom-918366 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=August 9, 2016 |access-date=August 16, 2016}}</ref>
* [[James Millhollin]]: character actor
* [[Lula Greene Richards]]: poet
* [[Charles Roscoe Savage]]: photographer
* [[Ernest Schoedsack]]: film director, including the original ''[[King Kong (1933 film)|King Kong]]'' and ''[[Mighty Joe Young (1949 film)|Mighty Joe Young]]''
* [[David Yost]]: actor

===Business===
* [[Abraham Harry Blank]] (1879–1971), founder of the Central States Theater Corporation and a major philanthropist
* [[Jonathan Browning (inventor)|Jonathan Browning]]: gunsmith
* [[Martin Burns]]: championship [[wrestler]], founder of mail-order "Farmer Burns Scientific School of Wrestling"
* [[Millard Seldin]] (1926–2020), real estate developer, banker, basketball investor, and horsebreeder.
* [[Joseph Faust]]
Founder and CEO of Joseph Faust Enterprises LLC, entrepreneur, real estate investor.

===Journalism===
* [[William Pfaff]]: journalist
* [[Jack L. Treynor|Jack Lawrence Treynor]] (February 21, 1930 – May 11, 2016): editor of Financial Analysts Journal

===Military===
* [[Frank F. Everest]]: [[U.S. Air Force|Air Force]] general and Commander in Europe during the [[Cold War]]
* [[John S. McCain Jr.]]: Navy Admiral, father of U.S. Senator and presidential candidate [[John McCain|John S. McCain III]]
* [[Raymond R. Wright (USMC)|Raymond R. Wright]]: Marine Corps General during [[World War II]]

===Politics===
* [[Amelia Bloomer]] (1818–1894): 19th century [[suffragist]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gonfishn/bhopci/b/bloomera.html|title=Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa|publisher=Mrs. Amelia Bloomer|access-date=December 8, 2010}}</ref>
* [[Thomas Bowman (Iowa politician)|Thomas Bowman]]: businessman and U.S. Congressman
* [[Sam Brown (activist)|Sam Brown]]: organizer [[Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam]], former [[Colorado]] state treasurer
* [[Grenville Dodge]]: U.S. Congressman, Civil War general, chief engineer of the [[Union Pacific]] during construction of the [[transcontinental railroad]]
* [[Michael Gronstal]]: former [[Minority Leader]], present [[Majority Leader]] [[Iowa Senate]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=6430|title=Project Vote Smart|publisher= Senator Michael Gronstal |access-date=December 8, 2010}}</ref>
* [[Septimus J. Hanna]] (1845–1921): [[Christian Science|Christian Scientist]], appointed judge of County Court (then in Council Bluffs) at age 23<ref>[http://journal.christianscience.com/issues/1989/12/107-12/they-answered-the-call-septimus-j.-hanna "They answered the call: Septimus J. Hanna"] ''[[Christian Science Journal]]'' (December 1989). Retrieved July 9, 2013 {{subscription required}}</ref>
* [[Clem F. Kimball]]: [[Lieutenant Governor of Iowa]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://iowajones.org/bio/bioKIM.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512165328/http://iowajones.org/bio/bioKIM.htm|title=Biographical Sketch of Clem F. Kimball|archive-date=May 12, 2012}}</ref>
* [[Joseph Lyman]]: Civil War soldier, lawyer, judge, U.S. Congressman
* [[William Henry Mills Pusey]]: State Senator and U.S. Congressman
* [[Coleen Seng]]: former Mayor of [[Lincoln, Nebraska]]
* [[Walter I. Smith]] Circuit Court Judge and U.S. Congressman

===Religion===
* [[Gladden Bishop]]: [[Succession crisis (Latter Day Saints)|contender]] for the [[President of the Church|presidency]] of the [[Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints)|Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints]] after [[Joseph Smith]]'s [[Death of Joseph Smith|death]] on June 27, 1844.
* [[Phineas F. Bresee]] (1838–1915): founder of the [[Church of the Nazarene]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyctr/books/3301-3400/HDM3385.pdf|title=Wesley Center Online of Northwest Nazarene University|publisher=Nazarene Publishing House|work=MAN OF THE MORNING|last=Brickley|first=Donald P.|year=1960|access-date=December 16, 2010}}</ref>
* [[Pierre-Jean De Smet]]: [[Jesuit]] [[missionary]]
* [[Arnold Potter]]: leader of an [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|LDS]] splinter group and self-proclaimed Messiah

===Science and engineering===
* [[Lee De Forest]]: [[inventor]], the "Grandfather of Television"
* [[William Harrison Folsom]]: architect
* [[J. Chris Jensen]]: architect
* [[Hans Schlegel]]: [[astronaut]]

===Sports===
* [[Stan Bahnsen]]: pitcher for six [[Major League Baseball]] teams
* [[Don Chandler]]: [[National Football League|NFL]] [[American football|football]] player<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/players/donchandler/profile?id=CHA243096|title= National Football League|publisher=player-Don Chandler|access-date=December 8, 2010}}</ref>
* [[Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen]]: diver, [[1948 Summer Olympics]] silver medalist, 1952 Summer Olympics bronze medalist<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ol/zoe-ann-olsen-jensen-1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418000819/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ol/zoe-ann-olsen-jensen-1.html|archive-date=April 18, 2020|title=SPORTS-REFERENCE/Olympic sports|publisher=Zoe Ann Olsen-Jensen|access-date=December 16, 2010}}</ref>
* [[Ben Leber]]: professional football player
* [[Jon Lieber]]: professional baseball player
* [[Carlos Martínez (American football)|Carlos Martinez]]: professional football player
* [[Ted Monachino]]: outside linebackers coach for the [[Atlanta Falcons]]
* [[Brian O'Connor (baseball coach)|Brian O'Connor]]: [[2015 College World Series|National Championship-winning]] baseball coach at the [[Virginia Cavaliers baseball|University of Virginia]]
* [[Bob Smith (halfback)|Bob Smith]]: football player
* [[Jerry Smith (golfer)|Jerry Smith]]: professional golfer<ref name="espn">{{cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/players/profile?playerId=396|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030210085228/http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/players/profile?playerId=396|archive-date=February 10, 2003|title=Jerry Smith|publisher=ESPN Internet Ventures.|access-date=June 18, 2010}}</ref>
* [[William Smith (wrestler)|William Smith]]: Olympic gold medalist in [[Wrestling at the 1952 Summer Olympics|wrestling]] at [[1952 Summer Olympics]]
* [[Ron Stander]]: [[boxing|boxer]], the "Bluffs Butcher" who fought [[Joe Frazier]] in 1972 for the heavyweight title
* [[Joshua Turek]] (born April 12, 1979) is an American [[wheelchair basketball]] player and a member of the [[United States men's national wheelchair basketball team]].
* [[Jake Waters]]: football player
* [[Max Duggan]]: football player and 2022 [[Heisman Trophy]] Finalist
* [[Cole Jensen]], soccer player in [[Major League Soccer]]

===Other===
* [[Robert Ben Rhoades]]: serial killer
* [[Sauganash]] or [[Billy Caldwell]]: [[Potawatomi]] spokesman, son of [[William Caldwell (ranger)|William Caldwell]]
* [[Marjabelle Young Stewart]]: [[etiquette]] expert
* [[Watseka]]: niece of [[Potawatomi]] Chief, married to [[Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard]] and [[Noel Le Vasseur]]
* [[Farrah Abraham]]: reality television star, known for MTV's [[16 and Pregnant|16 And Pregnant]] and [[Teen Mom]]

==Sister cities==
Council Bluffs' [[Sister city|sister cities]] are:<ref>{{cite web |title=Karadah Project and Sister Cities, a Winning Combination|url=http://www.karadahproject.com/blog/karadah-project-and-sister-cities-a-winning-combination|website=karadahproject.com|publisher=The Karadah Project|date=April 1, 2018|access-date=April 30, 2021}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|MAR}} [[El Hajeb]], Morocco
*{{flagicon|AFG}} [[Herat]], Afghanistan
*{{flagicon|AFG}} [[Kandahar]], Afghanistan
*{{flagicon|IRQ}} [[Karrada|Karrada (Baghdad)]], Iraq
*{{flagicon|KOS}} [[Prizren]], Kosovo
*{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Tobolsk]], Russia

==See also==
{{Portal|Iowa}}
* [[Fort Atkinson (Nebraska)]] - describes 1820s United States Army outpost
* [[History of Omaha]]
* [[Mormon Trail]]
* [[Route of the Oregon Trail]]
* [[Winter Quarters, Nebraska|Winter Quarters]], Nebraska

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Council Bluffs, Iowa}} <!-- for current and future use if material is uploaded -->
{{Wikivoyage|Council Bluffs}}
{{EB1911 poster|Council Bluffs}}
* [https://www.councilbluffs-ia.gov/ City of Council Bluffs – Official Website]
* [https://www.councilbluffsiowa.com/ Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce]

{{Pottawattamie County, Iowa}}
{{Omaha-Council Bluffs metro}}
{{Iowa county seats}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Council Bluffs, Iowa| ]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1853]]
[[Category:Cities in Iowa]]
[[Category:County seats in Iowa]]
[[Category:Mormon Trail]]
[[Category:Cities in Pottawattamie County, Iowa]]
[[Category:Iowa populated places on the Missouri River]]
[[Category:1853 establishments in Iowa]]