U.S. Route 75 (US 75) is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs for from Dallas, Texas to Kittson County, Minnesota where it ends just short of the Canada–United States border. Within the State of Nebraska it is a state highway that enters Nebraska on the Kansas state line about south of Dawson and travels north across the extreme eastern portion of the state, to the Nebraska–Iowa border in South Sioux City where it crosses the Missouri River along a concurrency with Interstate 129. The northern of the route generally travels parallel to the Missouri River. The section between the I-680 interchange in Omaha and the Interstate 129 interchange is designated the Lewis & Clark Scenic Byway, one of nine scenic byways in the state.
The travel corridor along the Missouri River in Nebraska has always been an important thoroughfare. It was the primary exploration route taken by the Lewis and Clark Expedition as they traveled up the Missouri River in 1804. There are several locations along the US 75 corridor that feature former campsite locations of the expedition. Other cities and towns along the corridor were starting points for travelers and freight headed west on the Oregon Trail. US 75 was one of the original U.S. highways from the initial 1926 plan, however its route has gone through dramatic changes throughout its lifetime. Prior to 1984, the highway left the state in Omaha as it traveled east through the city along the present-day I-480/US 6 corridor across the Missouri River into Iowa. In 1984, with the completion of Interstate 29 in Iowa, a series of transfers between Iowa and Nebraska brought the US 75 designation from the I-29 corridor into Nebraska from Omaha north to replace the routing of US 73 which was truncated back to Dawson at the same time.
Route description Kansas to Nebraska City
US 75 enters Nebraska along the Kansas state line south of Dawson in Richardson County. The highway travels north through agricultural fields the comes to an intersection with N-8. After crossing the south and north forks of the Big Nemaha River the highway enters Dawson a small village founded as Noraville in 1872 along the Atchison and Nebraska Railroad. The highway continues north out of Dawson and less than later has a junction with the northern terminus of U.S. Route 73. The highway then makes a sweeping turn to jog west before resuming a northerly course as it approaches an intersection with N-4. About later, the highway comes to a junction with N-62. Continuing due north, US 75 travels through the rolling hills of eastern Nebraska before entering the city of Auburn. Here, the highway has an intersection with US 136, the Heritage Scenic Byway. The highway continues north out of Auburn and travels before coming to an intersection with N-67. The two routes run concurrently for before N-67 diverges to the west towards Brock. US 75 maintains its northerly heading for the next before transitioning to a divided highway at an intersection with N-128. The highway then travels past the Nebraska City Municipal Airport as it heads towards a junction with N-2 on the south side of Nebraska City. Here, a business route of US 75 continues north into the city while mainline US 75 turns westerly and runs concurrently with N-2 along the Julius Sterling Morton Beltway as the highway bypasses the city on the southwest side. West of the city, the two highways diverge as N-2 heads west towards Lincoln and US 75 resumes its northerly trek as a standard two-lane highway.
Nebraska City to Bellevue
After leaving Nebraska City, the highway has a junction with Business Route US 75 northwest of the city along G Road. From this point, continuing north, US 75 generally runs parallel to, and within of the Missouri River for the duration of length. For the next the highway travels through rural agricultural fields before coming to an intersection with US 34 near Union. Here, US 34 joins up with US 75 and the two highways run concurrently to the north for the next before they come to a junction with N-1 just east of Murray. Continuing north, the concurrent highways travel west of Beaver Lake, then come to a junction with N-66 on the southwest side of Plattsmouth. US 34 formerly turned east into Plattsmouth here to cross the Missouri River into Iowa via a tolled bridge, however a new bridge was opened upstream in October 2014 and US 34 was realigned to utilize the new crossing on the north side of the Platte River near La Platte. As such, US 34 continues concurrent with US 75 along the western side of Plattsmouth, acting as a bypass as the road widens to four lanes. The highway crosses the Platte River then comes to an interchange where US 34 departs to the east along the aforementioned new alignment while US 75 continues north into Bellevue. On the south side of Bellevue, US 75 becomes a limited access freeway known as the Kennedy Freeway. The freeway passes to the west of Offutt Air Force Base just before it comes to an interchange with N-370.
Freeway through Omaha
The freeway continues north through dense residential areas as it enters South Omaha. As the highway passes Chandler Road and bends to the northwest it crosses over the railroad before becoming a depressed freeway just before its interchange with Q Street. Shortly after another interchange, this time with US 275 and N-92. Just later, the highway comes to a complex interchange with I-80 and I-480 near the Hanscom Park area in Midtown Omaha. Here, US 75 joins Interstate 480 where it becomes known as the Gerald Ford Freeway. Together, the two freeways run concurrently past the Gerald R. Ford Birthsite and Gardens, where U.S. President Gerald R. Ford lived for a couple of weeks after his birth in 1913. The freeway continues north towards the newly developed Midtown Crossing at Turner Park. Opened in 2010, it's a seven building, mixed-use development containing luxury condominiums, apartments, and more than of dining, entertainment, and shopping. Here, Interstate 480 departs to the east where it heads into Downtown Omaha before crossing the Missouri River into Council Bluffs. US 75 continues as the North Freeway past Creighton University into North Omaha where it has an incomplete interchange with N-64. The freeway then has an interchange with the Sorensen Parkway and the Storz Expressway which heads east to Eppley Airfield. Shortly after, the freeway becomes a surface four-lane street as it travels through the Miller Park area and the Minne Lusa Residential Historic District, a large single-family residential development that was built by a single firm between 1915 and 1941. The highway then continues north through the Florence neighborhood, one of the oldest cities in Nebraska. Shortly after, the highway turns west just prior to I-680 and runs alongside it for about along McKinley Street before turning north and passing beneath the interstate. Here the highway leaves the city and continues on its path to the north.
Lewis and Clark Scenic Byway Omaha to Sioux City, Iowa
The portion of US 75 north of Omaha to Interstate 129 is designated as the Lewis and Clark Scenic Byway begins. Throughout the remainder of the highway's length parallel to the Missouri River, the highway passes near the locations of former campsites of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. As US 75 continues north beyond the Omaha City Limits, the highway winds its way through rolling hills before entering the Missouri River plain just south of Fort Calhoun. From here, the highway continues its northward travel along the edge of the river plain towards Blair. Here, in Blair, US 75 comes to a junction with US 30, The Lincoln Highway, and together the two routes run concurrently along Washington Street for before coming to an intersection with N-91. Here, US 30 diverges to the southwest towards Fremont while US 75 resumes heading north. About later the highway passes through the small village of Herman and later enters the city of Tekamah where it has an intersection with N-32 just after crossing Tekamah Creek. The highway continues north out of Tekamah, still following the edge of the rolling hills and Missouri River plain passing through rich agricultural fields, for before coming to an intersection with N-51 on the south edge of Decatur just west of the Onawa Materials Yard and Middle Decatur Bend State Wildlife Areas, both enclaves of Nebraska that are situated on the eastern side of the Missouri River and are only accessible via roads in Iowa. US 75 and N-51 run concurrently through Decatur for before N-51 departs to the east to cross the Missouri River into Iowa while US 75 continues north out of town. Heading out of Decatur, the highway climbs back into the rolling hills as it turns northwest into the Omaha Reservation towards the tribal seat of Macy. North of Macy, the highway comes to a junction with N-94 and later intersects US 77 just south of Winnebago. Here the two highways run concurrently to the north as they emerge from the rolling hills back into the Missouri River plain as they pass through the village of Homer. About later, the two-lane highway becomes a four-lane divided highway as it approaches Dakota City. On the west side of Dakota City, the highways intersect N-35 before continuing on to the north. later the highway approaches an interchange with I-129 and US 20 on the southwest side of South Sioux City. Here, US 20 heads west towards O'Neill while US 77 heads north into Sioux City, Iowa. US 75 joins I-129 and US 20 to head east across the southern portion of South Sioux City to the Sergeant Floyd Memorial Bridge which crosses the Missouri River and continues into Iowa.
History Lewis and Clark Expedition
Prior to the state highway system, travel across Nebraska was accomplished via foot, horseback, and horse-drawn wagons. Many important historical routes passed through or along the present day US 75 corridor. After the acquisition of vast territory in the Louisiana Purchase, President Thomas Jefferson commissioned an expedition to explore and map the newly acquired territory. A select group of U.S. Army volunteers led by Captain Meriweather Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark, The Lewis and Clark Expedition, which began on May 14, 1804 near St. Louis, reached southeastern Nebraska in July of that year. As they traveled northwest along the Missouri River the expedition would set up camp at sites on land in present-day Nebraska at several locations. Many of these campsites are recognized by monuments established by the Nebraska Historical Society along the US 75 corridor near the towns of Rulo, Brownville, Plattsmouth, Omaha, Fort Calhoun, Blair, and Jackson. US 75 parallels the Missouri River for the majority of its length in Nebraska and provides access to many historical sites related to the expedition, as such the highway from Omaha north to Interstate 129 is designated the Lewis and Clark Scenic Byway, one of nine scenic byways in the state of Nebraska.
Oregon Trail Discovery of gold in Colorado and Montana promoted Nebraska City to a central hub for freight between 1858 and 1865 as thousands of wagons transported supplies via the Nebraska City Cutoff of the Oregon Trail west to Fort Kearny. As the shortest distance between Fort Kearny and the Missouri River, this plowed furrow extended over between Nebraska City and Fort Kearny and during the peak of its use in 1865, over of supplies were shipped before the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad provided a superior means of transportation.
United States Numbered Highway System