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C−History
History · Papillion

Papillion’s post office opened in 1867, and 2 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 23% of U.S. towns · #50 of 57 in Nebraska. What drives it

Its Register listings are the Sautter, John, Farmhouse and the Third Sarpy County Courthouse. Most of Papillion was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1991. Below: maps from 1956 on and the census since 1880.

1867first post office
2on the National Register
2%homes built before 1940
7famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Papillion began

When was Papillion founded?

1867

The Papillion post office opened in 1867, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1870.

First census: 444 in 18802020 census: 24,159159 years

How historic is Papillion?

C−

More historic than 23% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Papillion post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1870.
History grade

What drives Papillion’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Papillion is more historic than 23% of U.S. towns, #50 of 57 in Nebraska. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Papillion’s overall grade.
Founding era1867, from the first post office: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19402.0% of homes (±1.2) · typical NE town 17.8% · U.S. 8.4%C−National Register2 listings, 0.8 per 10,000 residents · typical NE town 16.3 · U.S. 2.4C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 23%
NewerOlder
Nebraska towns of 2,500+ (57)Ahead of 12%

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 Papillion’s 0.8 sits below most of its state (23% of Nebraska towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to C. The pre-1940 share (±1.2 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1870 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.

Founding year: the first post office (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 Papillion’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Papillion are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Papillion’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Papillion’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story so far

Papillion, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Papillion yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Papillion is a city in and the county seat of Sarpy County, Nebraska, United States. The city developed in the 1870s as a railroad town and is a southwest suburb of Omaha. The city is part of the larger five-county metro area of Omaha. Papillion's population was 24,159 at the 2020 census, making it the 7th most populous city in Nebraska. Its growth since the late 20th century has reflected Omaha's.

Its first post office opened in 1867. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 18,894 to 24,159 (+28%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

Timeline

Papillion, 1866 to 1994

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1866BuiltSautter, John, Farmhouse is built
  3. 1867Post officeThe Papillion post office opens
  4. 1897Born hereMerle Eugene Curti is born here
  5. 20th century
  6. 1922BuiltThird Sarpy County Courthouse is built
  7. 1956On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  8. 1974Born hereAllison Weston is born here
  9. 1976Born hereBecca Swanson is born here
  10. 1984Post officeThe Papillion post office closes
  11. 1994Born hereAmber Rolfzen is born here
By decade

Papillion, decade by decade

Today7 recent
Jamie Puls Bonkiewicz and Karin Waggoner at Papillion Days Parade2024Jamie Puls Bonkiewicz and Karin Waggoner at Papillion…Michael Iaccarino - 20182018Michael Iaccarino - 2018USMS-Omaha-442016USMS-Omaha-44US Navy 110909-N-YM440-276 Musician 3rd Class Michelle Werner, member of the U.S. Navy Band Great Lakes, Horizon, sings…2011US Navy 110909-N-YM440-276 Musician 3rd Class Michell…Shadow Lake Towne Center2009Shadow Lake Towne CenterPapio High20052006Papio High2005NEMap-doton-Papillion2005NEMap-doton-Papillion
On the map

Papillion on the map, 1956 to 1984

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Papillion. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Papillion on the 1956 USGS mapPapillion on the 1969 USGS mapPapillion on the 1975 USGS mapPapillion on the 1984 USGS map1956Ralston sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Papillion.

On the National Register

2 historic places in Papillion

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
2
each building in a district counts
first listed
1980
Sautter, John, Farmhouse
Sautter, John, Farmhouse, built 1866Third Sarpy County Courthouse, built 1922
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Classical Revival1
Sautter, John, FarmhouseBuilt 1866
Third Sarpy County CourthouseClassical Revival · Built 1922

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Papillion, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,0001880190019201940196019802000202024,159

Grew from 444 people in 1880 to 24,159 in 2020, more than tenfold.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Papillion’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

7 famous people were born in Papillion

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
M
Merle Eugene CurtiAmerican historian · b. 1897
A
Amber RolfzenAmerican volleyball player · b. 1994
A
Allison WestonFormer volleyball player · b. 1974
Becca SwansonAmerican strongwoman and professional wrestler · b. 1976
B
Brandon CurranAmerican soccer player · b. 1980
A
Alonzo MartinezAmerican mixed martial arts fighter · b. 1984
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, places now gone and burying grounds

Papillion had its own post office from 1867 to 1984.

Papillion
1867–1984
18601940today
Gone or out of use
South Omaha Airportairport
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Papillion
Cedar DalePapillion

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

La Vista1 historic placeD

Questions about Papillion’s history

What year was Papillion founded?

The Papillion post office opened in 1867, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1870.

How does Papillion rank for history?

Papillion is more historic than 23% of U.S. towns, #50 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 Papillion?

Two places: the Sautter, John, Farmhouse (listed 1980) and the Third Sarpy County Courthouse (1990).

How old are the homes in Papillion?

2% of Papillion’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.2 points), against a typical 18% for a Nebraska town; the median home was built in 1991.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 Wikimedia Commons (7), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) 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.