Lincoln, Nebraska

Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The city covers Template:Convert and had a population of 291,082 as of the 2020 census. It is the state's second-most populous city and the 72nd-most populous in the United States. The county seat of Lancaster County, Lincoln is the economic and cultural anchor of the Lincoln, Nebraska metropolitan area, home to approximately 345,000 people.

Lincoln was founded in 1856 as the village of Lancaster on the wild salt marshes and arroyos of what became Lancaster County. Renamed after President Abraham Lincoln, it became Nebraska's state capital in 1869. The Bertram G. Goodhue–designed state capitol building was completed in 1932, and is the nation's second-tallest capitol. As the city is the seat of government for the state of Nebraska, the state and the U.S. government are major employers. The University of Nebraska was founded in Lincoln in 1869. The university is Nebraska's largest, with 26,079 students enrolled, and the city's third-largest employer. Other primary employers fall into the service and manufacturing industries, including a growing high-tech sector. The region makes up a part of what is known as the Midwest Silicon Prairie.

Designated as a "refugee-friendly" city by the U.S. Department of State in the 1970s, the city was the 12th-largest resettlement site per capita in the country by 2000. Refugee Vietnamese, Karen (Burmese ethnic minority), Sudanese and Yazidi (Iraqi ethnic minority) people, as well as refugees from Iraq, the Middle East and Afghanistan, have resettled in the city. During the 2018–19 school year, Lincoln Public Schools provided support for about 3,000 students from 150 countries, who spoke 125 different languages. Template:TOC limit

History

Natives

Before the expansion westward of settlers, the prairie was covered with buffalo grass. Plains Indians, descendants of indigenous peoples who occupied the area for thousands of years, lived in and hunted along Salt Creek. The Pawnee, which included four tribes, lived in villages along the Platte River. The Great Sioux Nation, including the Ihanktowan-Ihanktowana and the Lakota, to the north and west, used Nebraska as a hunting and skirmish ground, but did not have any long-term settlements in the state. An occasional buffalo could still be seen in the plat of Lincoln in the 1860s.<ref name="1889 chapter 11" />

Founding

File:Lincoln, Nebraska, USA (1868).jpg

Lincoln, 1868

Lincoln was founded in 1856 as the village of Lancaster and became the county seat of the newly created Lancaster County in 1859.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The village was sited on the east bank of Salt Creek.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The first settlers were attracted to the area due to the abundance of salt. Once J. Sterling Morton developed his salt mines in Kansas, salt in the village was no longer a viable commodity.<ref name="Lincoln History UNL">Template:Cite web</ref> Captain W. T. Donovan, a former steamer captain, and his family settled on Salt Creek in 1856. In 1859, the village settlers met to form a county. A caucus was formed and the committee, which included Donovan, selected Lancaster as the county seat. The county was named Lancaster. After the passage of the 1862 Homestead Act, homesteaders began to inhabit the area. The first plat was dated August 6, 1864.<ref name="1889 chapter 11">Template:Cite web</ref>

By the end of 1868, Lancaster had a population of approximately 500.<ref name="1889 chapter 12">Template:Cite web</ref> The township of Lancaster was renamed Lincoln, with the incorporation of the city of Lincoln on April 1, 1869. In 1869, the University of Nebraska was established in Lincoln by the state with a land grant of about 130,000 acres. Construction of University Hall, the first building, began the same year.Template:Sfn

State capital

File:Nebraska State Capitol (at night, 2016), Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.jpg

Nebraska State Capitol

Nebraska was granted statehood on March 1, 1867. The capital of the Nebraska Territory had been Omaha since the creation of the territory in 1854. Most of its population lived south of the Platte River. After much of the territory south of the Platte was considered annexation to Kansas, the territorial legislature voted to place the capital south of the river and as far west as possible.Template:Sfn Before the vote to remove the capital from Omaha, Omaha Senator J. N. H. Patrick made a last-ditch effort to derail the move by having the future capital named after recently assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. Many of the people south of the Platte had been sympathetic to the Confederate cause in the recently concluded Civil War. It was assumed that senators south of the river would not vote to pass the measure if the future capital was named after Lincoln. In the end, the motion to name the future capital Lincoln was ineffective in blocking the measure and the vote to move the capital south of the Platte was successful, with the passage of the Removal Act in 1867.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Removal Act called for the formation of a Capital Commission to site the capital on state-owned land. On July 18, 1867, the Commission, composed of Governor David Butler, Secretary of State Thomas Kennard, and State Auditor John Gillespie, began to tour sites for the new capital. The village of Lancaster was chosen, in part due to its salt flats and marshes.<ref name="founding">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Lancaster had approximately 30 residents. Disregarding the original plat of the village of Lancaster, Kennard platted Lincoln on a broader scale. The plat of the village of Lancaster was not dissolved nor abandoned; it became Lincoln when the Lincoln plat files were finished on September 6, 1867.Template:Sfn To raise money for the construction of a capital, an auction of lots was held.Template:Sfn

File:Thomas P. Kennard & John Gillespie Houses (1872), Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.jpg

Kennard and Gillespie houses, 1872

Newcomers began to arrive and Lincoln's population grew. The Nebraska State Capitol was completed on December 1, 1868, a two-story building constructed with native limestone with a central cupola. The Kennard house, built in 1869, is the oldest remaining building in the original plat of Lincoln.<ref name="Kennard">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1888, a new capitol building was constructed on the site of the first to replace the structurally unsound former capitol. The second building was a classical design by architect William H. Willcox.<ref name=Capitol>Template:Cite web</ref> It, too, had significant structural issues that, by the 1920s, made clear the need for the construction of a replacement. Construction began on a third capitol building in 1922. Bertram G. Goodhue was selected in a national competition as its architect. By 1924, the first phase of construction was completed and state offices moved into the new building. In 1925, the Willcox-designed capitol building was razed. The Goodhue-designed capitol was constructed in four phases, with the completion of the fourth phase in 1932.<ref name="journalstar1">Template:Cite news</ref> It is the second-tallest capitol building in the United States.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Growth and expansion

The worldwide economic depression of 1890 saw Lincoln's population fall from 55,000 to 40,169 by 1900 (per the 1900 census). Volga-German immigrants from Russia settled in the North Bottoms neighborhood and as Lincoln expanded with the growth in population, the city began to annex nearby towns. Normal was the first town annexed in 1919.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bethany Heights, incorporated in 1890, was annexed in 1922.<ref name="Lincoln History UNL" /> In 1926, the town of University Place was annexed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> College View, incorporated in 1892, was annexed in 1929. Union College, a Seventh Day Adventist institution, was founded in College View in 1891. In 1930, Lincoln annexed the town of Havelock. Havelock actively opposed annexation to Lincoln and only relented due to a strike by the Burlington railroad shop workers which halted progress and growth for the city.<ref name="Lincoln History UNL" />

The Burlington and Missouri River Railroad's first train arrived in Lincoln on June 26, 1870, and the Midland Pacific (1871) and the Atchison and Nebraska (1872) soon followed. The Union Pacific began service in 1877. The Chicago and North Western and Missouri Pacific began service in 1886. The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific extended service to Lincoln in 1892. Lincoln became a rail hub.<ref name="Lincoln History UNL" />

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Detroit-Lincoln-Denver (D-L-D) Highway monument

As automobile travel became more common, so did the need for better roads in Nebraska and throughout the U.S. In 1911, the Omaha-Denver Trans-Continental Route Association, with support from the Good Roads Movement, established the Omaha-Lincoln-Denver Highway (O-L-D) through Lincoln. The goal was to have the most efficient highway for travel throughout Nebraska, from Omaha to Denver.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1920, the Omaha-Denver Association merged with the Detroit-Lincoln-Denver Highway Association. As a result, the O-L-D was renamed the Detroit-Lincoln-Denver Highway (D-L-D) with the goal of having a continuous highway from Detroit to Denver. The goal was eventually realized by the mid-1920s; Template:Convert of constantly improved highway through six states.<ref name="idot">Template:Cite web</ref> The auto route's success in attracting tourists led entrepreneurs to build businesses and facilities in towns along the route to keep up with the demand. In 1924, the D-L-D was designated as Nebraska State Highway 6. In 1926, the highway became part of the Federal Highway System and was renumbered U.S. Route 38. In 1931, U.S. 38 was renumbered as a U.S. 6/U.S. 38 overlap and in 1933, the U.S. 38 route designation was dropped.<ref name="nhhs">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In the early years of air travel, Lincoln had three airports and one airfield.<ref name="arrow">Template:Cite web</ref> Union Airport, was established northeast of Lincoln in 1920. The Lincoln Flying School was founded by E.J. Sias in a building he built at 2145 O Street.Template:Sfn Charles Lindbergh was a student at the flying school in 1922. The flying school closed in 1947.Template:Sfn Some remnants of the Union Airport are still visible between N. 56th and N. 70th Streets, north of Fletcher Avenue; mangled within a slowly developing industrial zone.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Arrow Airport was established around 1925 as a manufacturing and test facility for Arrow Aircraft and Motors Corporation, primarily the Arrow Sport. The airfield was near Havelock; or to the west of where the North 48th Street Small Vehicle Transfer Station is today. Arrow Aircraft and Motors declared bankruptcy in 1939 and Arrow Airport closed roughly several decades later.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> An Arrow Sport is on permanent display, hanging in the Lincoln Airport's main passenger terminal.<ref name="arrow" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

As train, automobile, and air travel increased, business flourished and the city prospered. Lincoln's population increased 38.2% from 1920 to a population of 75,933 in 1930.<ref name="population 1930 to 1980">Template:Cite web</ref> In 1930, the city's small municipal airfield was dedicated to Charles Lindbergh and named Lindbergh Field for a short period as another airfield was named Lindbergh in California. It was north of Salt Lake, in an area known over the years as Huskerville, Arnold Heights and Air Park; and was approximately within the western half of the West Lincoln Township.<ref name="airpark">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="trailblazer aviation">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=freeman>Template:Cite web</ref> The air field was a stop for United Airlines in 1927 and a mail stop in 1928.<ref name=Branting>Template:Cite web</ref>

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Arrow Sport, Lincoln Airport

In 1942, the Lincoln Army Airfield was established at the site. During World War II, the U.S. Army used the facility to train over 25,000 aviation mechanics and process over 40,000 troopers for combat. The Army closed the base in 1945, but the Air Force reactivated it in 1952 during the Korean War. In 1966, after the Air Force closed the base, Lincoln annexed the airfield and the base's housing units.<ref name="airpark" /> The base became the Lincoln Municipal Airport, and later the Lincoln Airport, under the Lincoln Airport Authority's ownership. The two main airlines that served the airport were United Airlines and Frontier Airlines. The Authority shared facilities with the Nebraska National Guard, who continued to own parts of the old Air Force base.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1966, Lincoln annexed the township of West Lincoln, incorporated in 1887. West Lincoln voters rejected Lincoln's annexation until the state legislature passed a bill in 1965 that allowed cities to annex surrounding areas without a vote.<ref name="westlincoln">Template:Cite news</ref>

Revitalization and growth

File:Government Square, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.jpg

Government Square: U.S. Post Office and Courthouse (1879–1906), City Hall (1906–1969).

The downtown core retail district from 1959 to 1984 saw profound changes as retail shopping moved from downtown to the suburban Gateway Shopping Mall. In 1956, Bankers Life Insurance Company of Nebraska announced plans to build a $6 million shopping center next to their new campus on Lincoln's eastern outskirts. Gateway Shopping Center, now called Gateway Mall, opened at 60th and O streets in 1960.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By 1984, 75% of Lincoln's revenue from retail sales tax came from within a one-mile radius of the Mall. The exodus of retail and service businesses led the downtown core to decline and deteriorate.Template:Sfn

In 1969, the Nebraska legislature legislated laws for urban renewal. Soon afterward, Lincoln began a program of revitalization and beautification. Most of the urban renewal projects focused on downtown and the near South areas. Many ideas were considered and not implemented. Successes included Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, designed by Philip Johnson; new branch libraries, new street lighting, the First National Bank Building and the National Bank of Commerce Building designed by I.M. Pei.Template:Sfn

In 1971, an expansion of Gateway Mall was completed. 1974 marked a new assembly facility in Lincoln, a subsidiary of Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Japan to produce motorcycles for the North American market.<ref name="MCN 13 Feb 74"/> Lincoln's first woman mayor, Helen Boosalis, was elected in 1975. Mayor Boosalis was a strong supporter of the revitalization of Lincoln with the downtown beautification project being completed in 1978. In 1979, the square-block downtown Centrum was opened and connected to buildings with a skywalk. The Centrum was a two-level shopping mall with a garage for 1,038 cars. With the beautification and urban renewal projects, many historic buildings were razed in the city.Template:Sfn In 2007 and 2009, the city of Lincoln received beautification grants for improvements on O and West O Streets, west of the Harris Overpass, commemorating the history of the D-L-D.<ref name="idot" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

After the fall of Saigon in 1975, Vietnamese refugees created a large residential and business community along the 27th Street corridor alongside Mexican eateries and African markets.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Lincoln was designated as a "Refugee Friendly" city by the U.S. Department of State in the 1970s. In 2000, Lincoln was the twelfth-largest resettlement site per capita in the country.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As of 2011, Lincoln had the second largest Karen (Burmese ethnic minority) population in the United States (behind Omaha),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with an estimated 1,500 in 2019.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> As of the same year, Nebraska was one of the largest resettlement sites for the people of Sudan, mostly in Lincoln and Omaha.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2014, some social service organizations estimated that up to 10,000 Iraqi refugees had resettled in Lincoln.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In recent years, Lincoln had the largest Yazidi (Iraqi ethnic minority) population in the U.S.,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with over 2,000–3,000 having settled within the city (as of late 2017).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In a three-year period, the immigrant and refugee student population at Lincoln Public Schools increased 52% - from 1,606 students in 2014, to 2,445 in 2017.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The decade from 1990 to 2000 saw a significant rise in population from 191,972 to 225,581. North 27th Street and Cornhusker Highway were redeveloped with new housing and businesses built. The boom housing market in south Lincoln created new housing developments including high end housing in areas like Cripple Creek, Willamsburg and The Ridge. The shopping center Southpointe Pavilions was completed in competition of Gateway Mall.Template:Sfn

Into the 21st Century

File:Downtown Lincoln 2024.jpg

Skyline, 2024

In 2001, Westfield America Trust purchased the Gateway Mall<ref name="gateway">Template:Cite news</ref> and named it Westfield Shoppingtown Gateway. In 2005, the company renamed it the Westfield Gateway.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Westfield made a $45 million makeover of the mall in 2005 including an expanded food court, a new west-side entrance and installation of an Italian carousel.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2012, Westfield America Trust sold Westfield Gateway to Starwood Capital Group. Starwood reverted the mall's name from Westfield Gateway to Gateway Mall and has made incremental expansions and renovations.<ref name="gateway" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2021, Gateway Mall was sold to a subsidiary of Strategic Value Partners.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2015, ALLO Communications announced it would bring ultra-high speed fiber internet to the city. Speeds up to 1 Gigabit per second were available for business and households by building off of the city's existing fiber network. Construction on the citywide network began in March 2016 and was estimated to be complete by 2019,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> making it one of the largest infrastructure projects in the United States.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Telephone and cable TV service were also included,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> making it the third company to compete for such services within the same Lincoln footprint. In April 2016, Windstream Communications announced that 2,300 customers in Lincoln had 1 Gigabit per second fiber internet with an expected expansion of services to 25,000 customers by 2017.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On November 29, 2017, Lincoln was named a Smart Gigabit Community by U.S. Ignite Inc.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and in early 2018, Spectrum joined the ranks of internet service providers providing 1 gigabit internet within the city.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2021, Lincoln's second-tallest skyscraper was completed downtown. Second in height to the State Capitol by law, the Lied Place Residences was 250 feet, or 20 floors.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Lied Place Residences surpassed the U.S. Bank Tower (formerly the First National Bank Building), completed in 1970, by 30 feet.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A least one taller building had been proposed since 2021, but any construction had been delayed due to inflation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2022, the City of Lincoln adopted a new flag, called "All Roads Lead to Lincoln".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In late 2022, Nebraska Highway 2 was diverted onto a newly constructed 11-mile long freeway, dubbed the South Beltway, on the Lincoln's south edge.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The realignment marked the first time the eastern segment of Nebraska 2 was largely outside of the city in its history. A planned upgrade of U.S. Highway 77 (a.k.a. the Homestead Expressway) to freeway standards was planned to begin in 2025.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Geography

File:2007 ISS Lincoln, Nebraska 1.jpg

East Lincoln from International Space Station, 2007

Lincoln has an area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert is water, according to the United States Census Bureau in 2020.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer">Template:Cite web</ref>

Lincoln is one of the few large cities of Nebraska not along either the Platte River or the Missouri River. The city was originally laid out near Salt Creek and among the nearly flat saline wetlands of northern Lancaster County.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The city's growth has led to development of the surrounding land, much of which is composed of gently rolling hills. In recent years, Lincoln's northward growth has encroached on the habitat of the endangered Salt Creek tiger beetle.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Metropolitan area

The Lincoln Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of Lancaster County and Seward County. Seward County was added to the metropolitan area in 2003. Lincoln is also in the Lincoln-Beatrice Combined Statistical Area which consists of the Lincoln metropolitan area and the micropolitan area of Beatrice. The city of Beatrice is the county seat of Gage County. The Lincoln-Beatrice combined statistical area is home to 363,733 people (2021 estimate)<ref name="csa" /> making it the 104th-largest combined statistical area in the United States.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Neighborhoods

File:View of South Lincoln.jpg

South Lincoln from top of Nebraska State Capitol, 2012

Lincoln's neighborhoods include both old and new development. Some neighborhoods in Lincoln were formerly small towns that Lincoln later annexed, including University Place in 1926, Belmont, Bethany (Bethany Heights) in 1922, College View in 1929, Havelock in 1930, and West Lincoln in 1966.<ref name="Lincoln History UNL"/> A number of Historic Districts are near downtown Lincoln, while newer neighborhoods have appeared primarily in the south and east.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As of December 2013, Lincoln had 45 registered neighborhood associations within the city limits.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

One core neighborhood that has seen rapid residential growth in recent years is the downtown Lincoln area. In 2010, there were 1,200 downtown Lincoln residents; in 2016, there were 3,000 (an increase of 140%).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Around the middle of the same decade, demand for housing and rent units began outpacing supply. With Lincoln's population expected to grow to more than 311,000 people by 2020, prices for homes and rent costs have risen. Home prices rose 10% from the first quarter of 2015 to the first quarter of 2016; rent prices rose 30% from 2007 to 2017 with a 5–8% increase in 2016 alone.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Climate

Located in the Great Plains far from the moderating influence of mountains or large bodies of water, Lincoln has a highly variable four season humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa, Trewartha Dcao): winters are cold and summers are hot.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> With little precipitation during winter, precipitation is concentrated in the warmer months, when thunderstorms frequently roll in, often producing tornadoes. Snow averages Template:Convert per season but seasonal accumulation has ranged from Template:Convert in 1967–1968 to Template:Convert in 2018–2019.<ref name= NOAA/> Snow tends to fall in light amounts, though blizzards are possible. There is an average of 38 days with a snow depth of Template:Convert or more. The average window for freezing temperatures is October 7 thru April 25, allowing a growing season of 164 days.<ref name= NOAA/>

The monthly daily average temperature ranges from Template:Convert in January to Template:Convert in July. However, the city is subject both to episodes of bitter cold in winter and heat waves during summer, with 10.1 nights of Template:Convert or lower lows, 41.8 days of Template:Convert+ highs, and 3.5 days of Template:Convert+ highs.<ref name= NOAA/> The city straddles the boundary of USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5b and 6a.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Temperature extremes have ranged from Template:Convert on January 12, 1974, up to Template:Convert on July 25, 1936.<ref name = NOAA/> Readings as high as Template:Convert or as low as Template:Convert occur somewhat rarely; the last occurrence of each was August 24, 2023 and February 16, 2021.<ref name= NOAA/> The second lowest temperature ever recorded in Lincoln was Template:Convert on February 16, 2021, which broke the monthly record of Template:Convert last set a day earlier.<ref name= NOAA/> It occurred during the wider February 13–17, 2021 North American winter storm, which impacted the Midwestern and Northeastern United States as a whole.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref>

Based on 30-year averages obtained from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center for December, January and February, the Weather Channel ranked Lincoln the seventh-coldest major U.S. city in a 2014 article.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2014, the Lincoln-Beatrice area was among the "Cleanest U.S. Cities for Ozone Air Pollution" in the American Lung Association's "State of the Air 2014" report.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On May 5, 2019, an EF2 tornado hit parts of western Lincoln, although no major injuries occurred.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Demographics

Lincoln is Nebraska's second-most-populous city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 1970s, The U.S. government designated Lincoln a refugee-friendly city due to its stable economy, educational institutions, and size. Initially, refugees from Vietnam settled in Lincoln. Later, more refugees came from other countries, including Mexico, Guatemala and India, as well as the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Africa, Iraq,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Afghanistan and Myanmar.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2013, Lincoln was named one of the "Top Ten Most Welcoming Cities in America" by Welcoming America.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

2020 census

Lincoln, Nebraska – Racial and ethnic composition
Template:Nobold

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	% 2000	% 2010	Template:Partial
White (NH)	198,087	214,739	222,749	87.81%	83.11%	76.52%
Black or African American (NH)	6,803	9,541	13,224	3.02%	3.69%	4.54%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	1,354	1,611	1,644	0.60%	0.62%	0.56%
Asian (NH)	7,006	9,711	13,765	3.11%	3.76%	4.73%
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH)	127	128	162	0.06%	0.05%	0.06%
Some other race (NH)	326	353	1,282	0.14%	0.14%	0.44%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	3,724	6,114	13,322	1.65%	2.37%	4.58%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	8,154	16,182	24,934	3.61%	6.26%	8.57%
Total	225,581	258,379	291,082	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

The 2020 United States census<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> counted 291,082 people, 115,930 households, and 67,277 families in Lincoln. The population density was 2,937.6 per square mile (1,134.2/kmTemplate:Sup). There were 122,048 housing units at an average density of 1,231.7 per square mile (475.6/kmTemplate:Sup). The racial makeup was 78.66% (228,956) White, 4.67% (13,605) Black or African-American, 0.89% (2,589) Native American, 4.77% (13,871) Asian, 0.07% (196) Pacific Islander, 3.5% (10,175) from other races, and 7.45% (21,690) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 7.0% (22,321) of the population.

Of the 115,930 households, 26.9% had children under the age of 18; 43.8% were married couples living together; 27.1% had a female householder with no husband present. 31.0% of households consisted of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.4 and the average family size was 3.0.

21.9% of the population was under the age of 18, 15.7% from 18 to 24, 26.8% 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 32.9 years. For every 100 females, the population had 100.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 99.4 males.

The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> estimates show that the median household income was $60,063 (with a margin of error of +/- $1,248) and the median family income $79,395 (+/- $1,992). Males had a median income of $37,646 (+/- $1,251) versus $27,411 (+/- $805) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $31,869 (+/- $455). Approximately, 7.5% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.4% of those under the age of 18 and 6.2% of those ages 65 or over.

Economy

File:Linc 2008 2.jpg

Fort Western store

Lincoln's economy is fairly typical of a mid-sized American city; most economic activity is derived from the service and manufacturing industries.<ref name="npr">Template:Cite news</ref> Government and the University of Nebraska are both large contributors to the local economy. Other prominent industries in Lincoln include finance, insurance, publishing, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, telecommunications, railroads,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> high technology,<ref name="npr" /> information technology, medical, education and truck transport.

For October 2021, the Lincoln Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) preliminary unemployment rate was 1.3% (not seasonally adjusted).<ref name="unemplrate">Template:Cite web</ref> With a tight labor market, Lincoln has seen rapid wage growth. From the summer of 2014 to the summer of 2015, the average hourly pay for both public and private employees have increased by 11%. From October 2014 to October 2015, wages were also up by 8.4%.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

One of the largest employers is Bryan Health, which consists of two major hospitals and several large outpatient facilities across the city. Healthcare and medical jobs account for a large portion of Lincoln's employment: as of 2009, full-time healthcare employees in the city included 9,010 healthcare practitioners in technical occupations, 4,610 workers in healthcare support positions, 780 licensed and vocational nurses, and 150 medical and clinical laboratory technicians.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Several national business were originally established in Lincoln; these include student lender Nelnet, Ameritas, Assurity, Fort Western Stores, CliffsNotes and HobbyTown USA. Several regional restaurant chains began in Lincoln, including Amigos/Kings Classic,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Runza Restaurants,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Valentino's.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Lincoln area makes up a part of what is known as the greater Midwest Silicon Prairie.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The city is also a part of a rapidly growing craft brewing industry.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Principal employers

According to the city's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the principal employers of the city are:

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	State of Nebraska	8,300
2	Lincoln Public Schools	7,780
3	University of Nebraska-Lincoln	7,500
4	Bryan Health	4,900
5	US Government	3,300
6	City of Lincoln	2,766
7	Kawasaki Motors Mfg. Corp.	2,450
8	Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center	1,825
9	B&R Stores, Inc.	1,800
10	Duncan Aviation	1,750
11	Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital	1,500
12	BNSF Railway	1,450

Automotive and technology

1974 saw the establishment of a Kawasaki motorcycles assembly facility named the American Kawasaki Motors Corporation (KMC), to complete Japan-produced components into finished products for the North American market.<ref name="MCN 13 Feb 74">Kawasaki's US factory. Motorcycle News, 13 February 1974, p.7. Retrieved March 14, 2022</ref><ref>Kawasaki's Plant in Lincoln, Nebraska cycleworld.com, July 11, 2016. Retrieved March 11, 2022</ref> Incorporated in 1981, Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp. (KMM) and assumed control of KMC. As of 2022, their webpresence named tallies "All-Terrain Vehicles, Utility Vehicles, Personal Watercraft, Recreation Utility Vehicles, and Passenger Rail Cars" as their range.<ref>Kawasaki Plans $200M Expansion That Would Add 550 New Jobs U.S. News & World Report, July 19, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2022</ref><ref>Welcome to Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A. kawasakilincoln.com Retrieved March 11, 2022</ref>

Kawasaki is one of Lincoln's largest private employers with over 2,400 employees, and it has the largest square footage of manufacturing space. Newer product lines are rail cars and aircraft cargo doors.<ref>Kawasaki to expand in Lincoln, add hundreds of jobs Lincoln Journal Star, February 7, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022</ref>

Military

Template:See also The Nebraska Air and Army National Guard's Joint Force Headquarters are in Lincoln along with other major units of the Nebraska National Guard.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During the early years of the Cold War, the Lincoln Airport was the Lincoln Air Force Base;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the Nebraska Air National Guard and the Nebraska Army National Guard now have joint-use facilities with the Lincoln Airport.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Alongside the National Guard, the 55th Wing of Offutt Air Force Base was temporarily headquartered in Lincoln through September 2022.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Arts and culture

File:14th and O facing east.JPG

Downtown Lincoln, 14th and O Streets

Since Pinnacle Bank Arena opened in 2013, Lincoln's music scene has grown to the point where it is sometimes called a "Music City".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Primary venues for live music include Pinnacle Bank Arena,<ref name="pinnacle">Template:Cite web</ref> Bourbon Theatre, Duffy's Tavern, and the Zoo Bar. The Pla-Mor Ballroom is a classic Lincoln music and dance scene with its in-house Sandy Creek Band. Pinewood Bowl hosts a range of performances, from national music performances to local plays, during the summer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Lied Center is a venue for national tours of Broadway productions, concert music, and guest lectures, and regularly features its resident orchestra, the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lincoln has several performing arts venues. Plays are staged by UNL students in the Temple Building;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> community theater productions are held at the Lincoln Community Playhouse,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the Loft at The Mill, and the Haymarket Theater.

Lincoln has a growing number of arts galleries, including the Sheldon Museum of Art, Burkholder Project and Noyes Art Gallery.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

For movie viewing, Marcus Theatres owns 32 screens at four locations, and the University of Nebraska's Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center shows independent and foreign films.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Standalone cinemas in Lincoln include the Joyo Theatre and Rococo Theater. The Rococo Theater also hosts benefits and other engagements.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The downtown section of O Street is Lincoln's largest bar and nightclub district.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> There is also the Bourbon Theatre, which is primarily used for bands in the metal rock and other related genres.

Lincoln is the hometown of Zager and Evans, known for their international hit record "In the Year 2525" (1969).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is also the hometown of several notable musical groups, such as Remedy Drive, VOTA, For Against, Lullaby for the Working Class, Matthew Sweet, Dirtfedd, The Show is the Rainbow and Straight. Lincoln is home to Maroon 5 guitarist James Valentine.

Annual cultural events

Annual events in Lincoln have come and gone throughout time, such as Band Day at the University of Nebraska's Lincoln campus<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Star City Holiday Parade.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, some events have never changed while new traditions have been created. Current annual cultural events in Lincoln include the Lincoln National Guard Marathon and Half-Marathon in May,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Celebrate Lincoln in early June,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the Uncle Sam Jam around July 3,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Boo at the Zoo in October.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A locally popular event is the Haymarket Farmers' Market, running from May to October in the Historic Haymarket,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> one of several farmers markets throughout the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Tourism

Tourist attractions and activities include the Sunken Gardens,<ref name="sunken">Template:Cite web</ref> basketball games at Pinnacle Bank Arena,<ref name="pinnacle" /> the Lincoln Children's Zoo, the dairy store at UNL's East Campus,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Mueller Planetarium on the city campus.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Nebraska State Capitol,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which is also the tallest building in Lincoln,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> offers tours.

The Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed preserves, interprets, and displays physical items significant in racing and automotive history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The National Museum of Roller Skating extends public knowledge of roller skating history and seeks to preserve its legacy for future generations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Library

The city's public library system is Lincoln City Libraries, which has eight branches.<ref name="libraries">Template:Cite web</ref> Lincoln City Libraries circulates more than three million items per year to the residents of Lincoln and Lancaster County. Lincoln City Libraries is also home to Polley Music Library and the Jane Pope Geske Heritage Room of Nebraska authors.<ref name="libraries" />

Sports

Memorial Stadium

Memorial Stadium

Lincoln is home to the University of Nebraska's sports teams, the Cornhuskers. In total, the university fields 22 men's and women's teams in 14 NCAA Division I sports.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Nebraska football began play in 1890.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Of the 128 Division I-A football teams, Nebraska is one of nine to have won 900 or more games.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Notable coaches include Tom Osborne and Bob Devaney. Devaney coached from 1962 to 1972; the university's indoor arena, the Bob Devaney Sports Center, is named for him. Osborne coached from 1972 to 1997.

Other sports teams are the Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves, an NCAA Division III University;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the Lincoln Saltdogs, an American Association independent minor league baseball team;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the Lincoln Stars, a USHL junior ice hockey team;<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref> and the No Coast Derby Girls, a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Lincoln Airpark hosts SCCA Solo Nationals each September.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Parks and recreation

Lincoln has an extensive park system, with over 131 individual parks<ref name="rec">Template:Cite web</ref> connected by a Template:Convert system of recreational trails, a Template:Convert system of bike lanes and a Template:Convert system of cycle tracks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The MoPac Trail is a bicycling, equestrian and walking trail built on an abandoned Missouri Pacific Railroad corridor which runs for Template:Convert from the University of Nebraska's Lincoln campus eastward to Wabash, Nebraska.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Regional parks include Antelope Park from S. 23rd and "N" Streets to S. 33rd Street and Sheridan Boulevard,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Bicentennial Cascade Fountain,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Hamann Rose Garden,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lincoln Children's Zoo,<ref name="zoo">Template:Cite web</ref> Veterans Memorial Garden,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Holmes Park at S. 70th Street and Normal Boulevard.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Pioneers Park includes the Pioneers Park Nature Center at S. Coddington Avenue and W. Calvert Streets.<ref name="pioneers">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Community parks include Ballard Park, Bethany Park, Bowling Lake Park, Densmore Park, Erwin Peterson Park, Fleming Fields, Irvingdale Park, Mahoney Park, Max E. Roper Park, Oak Lake Park, Peter Pan Park, Pine Lake Park, Sawyer Snell Park, Seacrest Park, Tierra Briarhurst, University Place Park and Woods Park.<ref name="parks">Template:Cite web</ref>

Other notable parks include Iron Horse Park,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lincoln Community Foundation Tower Square,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Nine Mile Prairie owned by the University of Nebraska Foundation,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sunken Gardens,<ref name="sunken" /> Union Plaza,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Wilderness Park.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Smaller neighborhood parks are scattered throughout the city.<ref name="parks" /> Additionally, there are five public recreation centers, nine outdoor public pools and five public golf courses not including private facilities in Lincoln.<ref name="rec" />

Government

File:County-City Building, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.jpg

County-City Building

Lincoln has a mayor–council government. The mayor and a seven-member city council are selected in nonpartisan elections. Four members are elected from city council districts; the remaining three members are elected at-large.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lincoln's health, personnel, and planning departments are joint city/county agencies; most city and Lancaster County offices are in the County/City Building. The most recent city general election was held on May 2, 2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Since Lincoln is the state capital, many Nebraska state and United States Government offices are in Lincoln. The city lies within the Lincoln Public Schools school district.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Lincoln Fire and Rescue Department shoulders the city's fire fighting and emergency ambulatory services while private companies provide non-emergency medical transport<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and volunteer fire fighting units support the city's outlying areas.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Education

File:Lincoln Public School District Office (new), Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.jpg

Lincoln Public Schools district office

Primary and secondary education

Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) is the public school district which includes the majority of the city limits.<ref name=Censusschoolmap2020>Template:Cite web</ref> It includes eight traditional high schools: Lincoln High, East, Northeast, Northwest, North Star, Southeast, Southwest, and Standing Bear. LPS is also home to special interest high school programs, including the Arts and Humanities Focus Program, the Bryan Community School, The Career Academy and the Science Focus Program (Zoo School). Other programs include the Pathfinder Education Program, the Yankee Hill Program<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Lincoln Air Force JROTC.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Some outerlying sections of Lincoln are in other school districts: Norris School District 160 and Waverly School District 145.<ref name=Censusschoolmap2020/>

There are several private parochial elementary and middle schools throughout the community.<ref name="parochial">Template:Cite web</ref> Like Lincoln Public Schools, these schools are broken into districts, but most will allow attendance outside of boundary lines. Lincoln's private high schools are College View Academy, Lincoln Christian, Lincoln Lutheran, Parkview Christian School and Pius X High School.<ref name="parochial" />

Colleges and universities

Lincoln has twelve colleges and universities. The University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the main campus of the University of Nebraska system, is the largest university in Nebraska, with 20,830 undergraduate, 4,426 postgraduate students and 564 professionals enrolled in 2018. Out of the 25,820 enrolled, 2,187 undergraduate and 1,040 postgraduate students/professionals were international. With 135 countries outside of the U.S. represented, the five countries with the highest international enrollment were China, India, Malaysia, Oman and Rwanda.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Nebraska Wesleyan University, as of 2020, has 1,924 undergraduate and 151 postgraduate students.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The school teaches in the tradition of a liberal arts college education. It remains affiliated with the United Methodist Church.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Union Adventist University is a private Seventh-day Adventist four-year coeducational college with 911 students enrolled 2013–14.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Bryan College of Health Sciences offers undergraduate degrees in nursing and other health professions; a Masters in Nursing; a Doctoral degree in nurse anesthesia practice, as well as certificate programs for ancillary health professions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Universities with satellite locations in Lincoln are Bellevue University,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Concordia University (Nebraska)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Doane University.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lincoln also hosts the College of Hair Design and Joseph's College of Cosmetology.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Southeast Community College is a community college system in southeastern Nebraska, with three campuses in Lincoln and an enrollment of 9,505 students as of spring 2024. The two-year Academic Transfer program is popular among students who want to complete their general education requirements before they enroll in a four-year institution. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is the most popular transfer location.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Media

File:Nebraska Educational Telecommunications (NET), Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.jpg

Headquarters of Nebraska Public Media

Television

Lincoln has four licensed broadcast full power television stations; and one serving the city, but licensed to an area outside its limits:<ref name="tv">Template:Cite web</ref>

• KSNB-TV (Channel 4; 4.1 DT) - NBC/MyNetworkTV affiliate<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
  • Ion Television affiliate 4.3
• KLKN (Channel 8; 8.1 DT) – ABC affiliate
  • Grit affiliate 8.2
  • Escape affiliate 8.3
  • Laff affiliate 8.4<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• KOLN (Channel 10; 10.1 DT) – CBS affiliate
  • KSNB-TV Simulcast/NBC 10.2
  • MeTV/MNTV 10.3<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• KUON (Channel 12; 12.1 DT) – PBS affiliate, Nebraska Public Media Television flagship station
  • NET-W (World) 12.2
  • NET-C (Create) 12.3
  • NET-K (PBS Kids) 12.4<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• KFXL (Channel 15; 51.1 DT) – Fox affiliate

The headquarters of Nebraska Public Media, which is affiliated with the Public Broadcasting Service and National Public Radio, are in Lincoln.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The city has two low power digital TV stations in Lincoln area: including the translator KFDY-LD (simulcast of (KOHA-LD)) owned by Flood Communications of Nebraska LLC, including for main Spanish-language network affiliate Telemundo on 27.1, NCN (Ind.) on 27.2, and religious network affiliate 3ABN on 27.3 in Lincoln area only, on virtual channel 27, digital channel 27; and another low power digital KCWH-LD on CW+ affiliate, owned by Gray on channel 18.1 included sub-channels like Ion on 18.2, and CBS (Simulcast of KOLN) on 18.3.<ref name="tv" />

Radio

File:US Navy 110906-N-CI293-168 Rear Adm. Douglas J. McAneny, commandant of the National War College, is interviewed by Dennis Kellog of KLIN News Talk.jpg

Radio station studio KLIN-AM

There are 18 radio stations licensed in Lincoln, not including radio stations licensed outside of the city that serve the Lincoln area. Most areas of Lincoln also receive radio signals from Omaha and other surrounding communities.

FM stations include:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

• KLCV (88.5) – Religious talk
• KZUM (89.3) – Independent Community Radio
• KRNU (90.3) – Alternative / College radio UNL
• KUCV (91.1) – National Public Radio
• K220GT (91.9) – Contemporary Christian
• K233AN (94.5) – Top 40
• KNNA-LP (95.7) – Christian
• K255CS (98.9) – Christian
• KFOR (101.5) – News/Talk
• KLMS (103.3) – Hot AC
• KLNC (105.3) – Classic Rock
• KFRX (106.3) – Top-40
• K294DJ (106.7) – Christian
• KBBK (107.3) – Hot AC
• KJTM-LP (107.9) – Contemporary Christian

AM stations include:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

• KFOR (1240) – News/Talk
• KLIN (1400) – News/Talk
• KLMS (1480) – HOT AC

Print

The Lincoln Journal Star is the city's major daily newspaper.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Daily Nebraskan is the official monthly magazine of the University of Nebraska's Lincoln campus and The DailyER is the university's biweekly satirical paper.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Other university newspapers include the Reveille, the official periodical campus paper of Nebraska Wesleyan University and the Clocktower, the official weekly campus paper of Union College.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Infrastructure

Transportation

Major highways

Lincoln is served by Interstate 80 via seven interchanges, connecting the city to San Francisco in the west and Teaneck, New Jersey in the New York City metropolitan area in the east.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Other Highways that serve the Lincoln area are Interstate 180, U.S. Route 6, U.S. Highway 34, U.S. Highway 77 and nearby Nebraska Highway 79. The eastern segment of Nebraska Highway 2 is a primary trucking route that connects the Kansas City metropolitan area (Interstate 29) to the I-80 corridor in Lincoln.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A few additional minor State Highway segments are located within the city as well.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Mass transit

A public bus transit system, StarTran, operates in Lincoln. StarTran's fleet consists of 67 full-sized buses and 13 Handi-Vans. The transit system has 18 bus routes, with a circular bus route downtown. Annual ridership for the fiscal year 2017–18 was 2,463,799.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

StarTran also offers a door-to-door van service called VANLNK to customers with the mobile app. The service has vehicles that are smaller than StarTran's buses. Departures can only be in the Lincoln city limits, and the service is a shared-ride service, meaning it optimizes trips to carry people along routes on the same schedule. All VANLNK vehicles are accessible by disabled people using lifts and ramps. However, although service animals are allowed, non-service animals must be on a pet carrier.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Intercity transit

File:Lincoln Airport (Neb., USA) - New Terminal 2023.jpg

Lincoln Airport passenger terminal

The Lincoln Airport (KLNK/LNK) provides passengers with daily non-stop service to Chicago O'Hare International Airport, and Denver International Airport. General aviation support is provided through several private aviation companies.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Lincoln Airport was among the emergency landing sites for the NASA Space Shuttle.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The site was chosen chiefly because of a Template:Convert runway; the longest of three at the airport.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Lincoln is served by both Express Arrow and Burlington Trailways for regional bus service between Omaha, Denver and points beyond.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Megabus, in partnership with Windstar Lines, provides bus service between Lincoln and Chicago with stops in Omaha, Des Moines, Iowa City and Moline.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Amtrak provides service to Lincoln station, operating its California Zephyr daily in each direction between Chicago and Emeryville, California, using BNSF's Lincoln – Denver route through Nebraska.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The city is an Amtrak crew-change point.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Rail freight

Rail freight travels coast-to-coast, to and through Lincoln via BNSF Railway, the Union Pacific Railroad, Lincoln's own Omaha, Lincoln and Beatrice Railway Company and an Omaha Public Power District rail line.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lincoln was once served by the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (Rock Island), the Missouri Pacific Railroad (MoPac) and the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company (C&NW). The abandoned right-of-way of these former railroads have since been turned into bicycle trails.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Cycling modes

Lincoln has a third-generation dock-based bike share program that began in mid-April 2018, called BikeLNK. The first phase of the program included 19 docks and 100 bicycles, scattered throughout downtown and around the UNL City, UNL East & Nebraska Innovation campuses.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A second phase in 2019 increased the number of docks to 21, total bicycles to 105 and expanded to a location outside of downtown.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Lincoln also has a fleet of commercial pedicabs that operates in the downtown area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Modal characteristics

In 2016, 80.5 percent of working Lincoln residents commuted by driving alone, 9.6 percent carpooled, 1.1 percent used public transportation, and 3.1 percent walked. About 2.4 percent used all other forms of transportation, including taxis, bicycles, and motorcycles as well as ride-sharing services such as Lyft and Uber which entered the Lincoln market in the summer of 2014. About 3.3 percent worked at home.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2015, 6.3 percent of city of Lincoln households were without a car, which decreased slightly to 5.8 percent in 2016. The national average was 8.7 percent in 2016. Lincoln averaged 1.78 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8 per household.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Utilities

Power in Lincoln is provided by the Lincoln Electric System (LES). The LES service area covers Template:Convert, serving Lincoln and several other communities outside of the city. A public utility,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> LES's electric rates are the 8th lowest in the nation, according to a nationwide survey conducted by LES in 2018.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Current LES power supply resources are 35% oil and gas, 34% renewable and 31% coal.<ref name="LES facts">Template:Cite web</ref> Renewable resources have increased with partial help from the addition of an LES-owned five Megawatt solar energy farm put into service June, 2016.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The solar farm produces enough energy to power 900 homes.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> LES also owns two wind turbines in the northeast part of the city.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Water in Lincoln is provided through the Lincoln Water System.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 1920s, the city of Lincoln undertook the task of building the Lincoln Municipal Lighting and Waterworks Plant (designed by Fiske & Meginnis). The building worked as the main hub for water from nearby wells and power in Lincoln for decades until it was replaced and turned into an apartment building.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Most of Lincoln's water originates from wells along the Platte River near Ashland, Nebraska.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Wastewater is in turn collected by the Lincoln Wastewater System. The city of Lincoln owns both systems.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Natural gas is provided by Black Hills Energy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Landline telephone service has had a storied history within the regional Lincoln area with the Lincoln Telephone & Telegraph Company, founded in 1880. In its history, LT&T introduced the first rotary dial telephone exchange in the U.S. in 1904; the first Radiotelephone in 1946; and piloted the first 911 system in the nation in 1968.<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref> Many years later, LT&T was renamed Aliant Communications and shortly thereafter merged in 1998 with Alltel.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2006, Windstream Communications was formed with the spinoff of Alltel and a merge with VALOR Communications Group.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Windstream Communications provides telephone service both over VoIP and conventional telephone circuits to the Lincoln area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Spectrum<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> offers telephone service over VoIP on their cable network.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In addition, ALLO Communications provides telephone, television and internet service over their underground fiber network to all parts of the city.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Health care

Template:Multiple image Lincoln has three major hospitals within two health care systems serving the city: Bryan Health and CHI Health St. Elizabeth. Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital is a geriatric facility and a physical medicine & rehabilitation center. Lincoln has two specialty hospitals: Lincoln Surgical Hospital<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Nebraska Heart Institute.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) is in Lincoln (Lincoln VA Clinic, part of the Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Police

The Lincoln Police Department has just over 350 police officers. The police per capita rate is extremely low at 1.2 officers per 1,000 people (the average being 1.94), and the violent crime rate of 522 per 100,000 people. The department is nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies and was the first law enforcement agency in Nebraska to become so. The LPD shares its headquarters with the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office.Template:Citation needed

See also

• Charles Starkweather
• List of people from Lincoln, Nebraska
• List of mayors of Lincoln, Nebraska
• History of Lincoln, Nebraska

References

Cited works

• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book

External links

• Official website