Offutt AFB dates to 1918, and 2 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 33% of U.S. towns · #47 of 57 in Nebraska. What drives it
Most of Offutt AFB was built recently: 5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1996. 2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 23 buildings. Below: maps from 1956 on.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Offutt AFB is more historic than 33% of U.S. towns, #47 of 57 in Nebraska. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Offutt AFB’s overall grade.
Nebraska towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Nebraska town has 16.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Offutt AFB’s 39.5 sits above most of its state (78% of Nebraska towns have fewer) while its 24 historic buildings outnumber those of 80% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1918.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to B. The pre-1940 share (±2.3 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Offutt AFB’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Offutt AFB is named in honor of First Lieutenant Jarvis Jenness Offutt (26 October 1894 – 13 August 1918). The first native of Omaha to become a casualty in World War I, Lieutenant Offutt died of injuries sustained when his SE-5 fighter crashed during a training flight near Valheureux, France. The airfield portion of Fort Crook was designated Offutt Field on 6 May 1924.
Offutt's history began with the commissioning by the War Department in 1890 of Fort Crook. Located some 10 miles south of Omaha and two miles west of the Missouri River, the fort was constructed between 1894 and 1896. The fort's namesake was Major General George Crook, a veteran of the Civil War and Indian Wars.
Offutt AFB is more historic than 33% of U.S. towns, #47 of 57 in Nebraska. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Offutt AFB?
Two places: the Fort Crook Historic District (listed 1976) and the Blacksmith Shop (1978).
How old are the homes in Offutt AFB?
5% of Offutt AFB’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.3 points), against a typical 18% for a Nebraska town; the median home was built in 1996.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
