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Downtown Papillion, NebraskaPapillion, #1 on this list · Photo: Atomic Energy505 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Nebraska rankings · Outdoors

Best towns for the outdoors in Nebraska

Papillion ranks first on outdoors among Nebraska’s 57 towns of 2,500+; 12 of the 57 grade A− or better on outdoors nationally.

The Outdoors grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): the share of land conserved and the trail miles per square mile. How grades work

#1

Papillion

Sarpy County · 25,127 people
A+

Outdoors grade, better than 95% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #15 of 57 in NE

#2

Gretna

Sarpy County · 9,207 people
A

Outdoors grade, better than 94% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #10 of 57 in NE

#3

Ashland

Saunders County · 3,483 people
A

Outdoors grade, better than 90% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #1 of 57 in NE

All 57 towns

Outdoors grade, best first (the letter is national). Towns with the same score share a rank; the overall grade and state rank are beside each.

57 towns ranked. Not here? See why a town may be missing.

#TownGradeOverall
1PapillionSarpy County · 25,127 peopleA+better than 95% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #15 of 57
2GretnaSarpy County · 9,207 peopleAbetter than 94% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #10 of 57
3AshlandSaunders County · 3,483 peopleAbetter than 90% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #1 of 57
4RalstonDouglas County · 6,382 peopleAbetter than 86% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #41 of 57
5ChadronDawes County · 4,975 peopleA−better than 83% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #31 of 57
6OmahaDouglas County · 488,797 peopleA−better than 82% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #50 of 57
7LincolnLancaster County · 301,522 peopleA−better than 82% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #46 of 57
8BlairWashington County · 7,997 peopleA−better than 81% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #8 of 57
9WaverlyLancaster County · 4,533 peopleA−better than 80% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #5 of 57
10GothenburgDawson County · 3,430 peopleA−better than 79% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #9 of 57
11YorkYork County · 8,284 peopleA−better than 77% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #28 of 57
12Broken BowCuster County · 3,507 peopleA−better than 76% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #18 of 57
13WayneWayne County · 6,338 peopleB+better than 75% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #26 of 57
14GeringScotts Bluff County · 8,535 peopleB+better than 75% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #44 of 57
15ScottsbluffScotts Bluff County · 14,259 peopleB+better than 73% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #56 of 57
16HoldregePhelps County · 5,555 peopleB+better than 73% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #36 of 57
17West PointCuming County · 3,411 peopleB+better than 72% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #24 of 57
18PlattsmouthCass County · 6,955 peopleB+better than 71% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #16 of 57
19BellevueSarpy County · 64,863 peopleB+better than 71% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #43 of 57
20BeatriceGage County · 12,318 peopleB+better than 70% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #33 of 57
21Nebraska CityOtoe County · 7,512 peopleB+better than 70% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #37 of 57
22SchuylerColfax County · 6,800 peopleB+better than 69% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #20 of 57
23La VistaSarpy County · 16,543 peopleB+better than 69% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #22 of 57
24South Sioux CityDakota County · 14,158 peopleB+better than 69% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #54 of 57
25KearneyBuffalo County · 34,782 peopleB+better than 68% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #32 of 57
26North PlatteLincoln County · 22,524 peopleB+better than 67% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #55 of 57
27LexingtonDawson County · 11,176 peopleB+better than 66% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #48 of 57
28NorfolkMadison County · 26,677 peopleBbetter than 65% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #42 of 57
29HastingsAdams County · 25,121 peopleBbetter than 62% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #53 of 57
30Chalcounincorporated, Sarpy County · 10,595 peopleBbetter than 62% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #11 of 57
31McCookRed Willow County · 7,157 peopleBbetter than 62% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #19 of 57
32AuroraHamilton County · 4,787 peopleBbetter than 62% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #3 of 57
33ValentineCherry County · 2,635 peopleBbetter than 59% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #23 of 57
34David CityButler County · 3,068 peopleBbetter than 59% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #6 of 57
35ColumbusPlatte County · 25,248 peopleBbetter than 59% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #38 of 57
36FairburyJefferson County · 3,812 peopleBbetter than 58% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #39 of 57
37O'NeillHolt County · 3,567 peopleBbetter than 58% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #25 of 57
38Falls CityRichardson County · 3,988 peopleBbetter than 56% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #34 of 57
39SewardSeward County · 7,892 peopleB−better than 54% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #4 of 57
40CreteSaline County · 7,747 peopleB−better than 52% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #49 of 57
41Township 1Washington County · 4,517 peopleB−better than 51% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #27 of 57
42OgallalaKeith County · 4,698 peopleB−better than 50% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #35 of 57
43WahooSaunders County · 5,023 peopleB−better than 50% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #2 of 57
44CozadDawson County · 3,924 peopleB−better than 50% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #30 of 57
45AllianceBox Butte County · 7,914 peopleB−better than 49% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #47 of 57
46Offutt AFBunincorporated, Sarpy County · 6,074 peopleB−better than 49% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #45 of 57
47FremontDodge County · 28,350 peopleB−better than 48% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #51 of 57
48SidneyCheyenne County · 6,432 peopleB−better than 48% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #52 of 57
49Grand IslandHall County · 53,943 peopleB−better than 48% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #57 of 57
50HickmanLancaster County · 3,663 peopleC+better than 40% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #13 of 57
51MindenKearney County · 3,133 peopleC+better than 38% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #14 of 57
52AuburnNemaha County · 3,498 peopleCbetter than 34% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #29 of 57
53Columbus TownshipPlatte County · 3,360 peopleCbetter than 32% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #40 of 57
54Central CityMerrick County · 3,184 peopleCbetter than 30% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #21 of 57
55Township 2Washington County · 3,213 peopleCbetter than 28% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #17 of 57
56ValleyDouglas County · 3,412 peopleCbetter than 25% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #12 of 57
57Township 7Washington County · 2,760 peopleD−better than 3% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #7 of 57
Quick answers

Questions people ask

Which Nebraska town is best for the outdoors?

Papillion (Sarpy County) ranks first on outdoors among 57 towns, with an A+; Gretna and Ashland follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The Outdoors grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): the share of land conserved and the trail miles per square mile. Towns are sorted on the grade’s score; the letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

The list covers towns of 2,500+ residents with a outdoors grade (57 in Nebraska). Smaller towns have the grade on their page but no rank. Every town is on the Nebraska page.

Go deeper

More Nebraska lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All Nebraska rankings →
Best places to live57 towns · #1 AshlandBest small towns40 towns · #1 AshlandMost affordable towns57 towns · #1 SchuylerSafest towns37 towns · #1 ValleyTowns with the best schools57 towns · #1 SewardHealthiest towns57 towns · #1 HickmanBest towns for jobs & income57 towns · #1 WaverlyMost walkable towns57 towns · #1 LincolnTowns with the lowest natural-hazard risk57 towns · #1 ChadronMost historic towns57 towns · #1 Township 7Towns with the most civic life55 towns · #1 ChadronTowns with the least snow57 towns · #1 BeatriceDescribed, no lettersSnowiest towns57 towns · #1 ChadronDescribed, no lettersTowns with the mildest winters61 towns · #1 Falls City and OgallalaDescribed, no lettersTowns with the hottest summers61 towns · #1 McCookDescribed, no lettersTowns with the coolest summers61 towns · #1 WayneDescribed, no lettersTowns with the highest incomes57 towns · #1 Township 1Described, no lettersTowns with the lowest property taxes56 towns · #1 ValentineDescribed, no lettersFastest-growing towns55 towns · #1 HickmanDescribed, no lettersTowns with the most-used libraries41 towns · #1 St. PaulDescribed, no letters
Other states

Best towns for the outdoors in other states

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