Overview
Council Bluffs is a city in Southwest Iowa, just across the Missouri River from Omaha. It is known for its casinos and ties to the transcontinental railroad. It is sometimes called "Iowa's Leading Edge."
6 sights · 4 things to do · 1 bars & cafés · 2 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Council Bluffs
Historic Squirrel Cage Jail
One of the last lazy Susan style-rotary jails in existence.
Kanesville Tabernacle
Mormon Trail Historic Site has a museum and monuments to the migration that the Mormons took.
Grenville M. Dodge House
House museum.
RailsWest Railroad Museum
Ameristar Casino Hotel
Harrah's Casino and Hotel
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Apr–Oct. Summer highs reach about 88°F; winter lows dip to about 15°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: May and Aug. (climate data from nearby Omaha)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- OMA Eppley Airfield, Omaha — 3 mi away (major hub). Directions
- LNK Lincoln Airport, Lincoln — 55 mi away. Directions
Visitors from an easterly city, like Des Moines will continue west on I-80, or from the west through Omaha until crossing over the Missouri River. To the north and south are Sioux City and Kansas City, respectively, which connect to Council Bluffs via I-29/I-680 and I-29/US-59.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 2-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Union Pacific Museum, Grenville M. Dodge House, RailsWest Railroad Museum
- Afternoon Horseshoe Casino, Ameristar Casino Hotel
- Evening Buck Snort
Day 2
- Morning Historic Squirrel Cage Jail, Lewis and Clark Monument
- Afternoon Kanesville Tabernacle
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
By plane
By car
Visitors from an easterly city, like Des Moines will continue west on I-80, or from the west through Omaha until crossing over the Missouri River. To the north and south are Sioux City and Kansas City, respectively, which connect to Council Bluffs via I-29/I-680 and I-29/US-59.
By bus
Omaha Metro operates the blue and yellow routes to Council Bluffs. These routes run from 19th street and Douglas in Downtown Omaha to downtown Council Bluffs, Iowa Western Community College, Mall of the Bluffs and Mid America Center. The westbound buses stop on Dodge street before going to the 16th street Mall and 19th street and Douglas in Omaha.
By train
Amtrak serves neighboring Omaha via its California Zephyr route, running between Emeryville (in the San Francisco Bay Area) and Chicago.
Get around
By bus
Omaha Metro has two routes that serve Council Bluffs: blue and yellow. The blue route stops at the Iowa Western Community College, Mall of the Bluffs. The yellow route goes to the Mid America Center.
See
Do
Plenty to do for the gambler. Most of the casinos can be seen along I-80. Since the state of Nebraska doesn't allow gambling, Omaha dwellers cross the state border and do their gambling here.
Other
Do Taco Ride
Billed as the world's largest weekly group bicycle ride. Every Thursday night in the summer, hundreds of cyclists ride the Wabash Trace through Iowa to a restaurant in Mineola, Iowa to consume thousands of tacos and margaritas. The trail begins in the parking lot of Lewis Central High School.
Learn
Place Buena Vista University Council Bluffs Campus
Satellite campus of BVU which is based in Storm Lake.
Drink
Drink Buck Snort
Sports bar. Nine different deep-fried appetizers (the "combo" is sized for one person), plus hamburgers and chicken sandwiches. Kids' menu.
Sleep
Go next
- Loess Hills State Forest, 40 mi north in Pisgah, offers a sort of oasis in the farmlands of Iowa. Camping and fishing are available. This is one of the state's most interesting state parks or forests.
- Elk Horn is 50 mi east and the nation's largest rural Danish settlement from the prairie days. The Danish Windmill is a state treasure.
Nearby
Omaha
City / town · 121 listings · 7 mi away
Bellevue
City / town · 24 listings · 8 mi away
Papillion
City / town · 16 listings · 12 mi away
Missouri Valley
City / town · 2 listings · 21 mi away
Gretna
City / town · 9 listings · 22 mi away
Ashland
City / town · 20 listings · 31 mi away
Fremont
City / town · 3 listings · 35 mi away
Atlantic
City / town · 6 listings · 45 mi away
My experience
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