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Gretna was founded in 1886 on 80 acres of land that was purchased from the Lincoln Land Company for $560 along the new Burlington Northern Railroad line. This new rail line essential moved the town of Forrest City to what is now Gretna. Incorporated on July 10th, 1889 Gretna’s name is inspired by Scotland’s Gretna Green, many of the early settlers of the village came from Scottish backgrounds/ancestry.
Gretna is nestled just off Interstate 80 and Hwy 370 and Hwy 6/31 about 10 miles southwest of Omaha and 40 miles northeast of Lincoln, NE. The Platte and Elkhorn Rivers are only a few miles to the west giving Gretna residents easy access to some of the Nebraska’s best outdoor recreation as well as the State’s two largest employment centers.
Gretna is one of the fastest growing cities in the State of Nebraska since 2000. Gretna has the advantages of small-town living with the convenience of a major metropolitan area only minutes away. Gretna’s small town atmosphere, exceptional school district, growing business community, and wide variety of community activities all stand as a testament to Gretna’s successful growth.
Community Statistics
Population within Gretna City Limits
2000 Census………2,355
2005 Estimate……..4,860
Population in The Gretna School District
December 2003…….8,353
December 2006…..11,323
*Gretna City Limits includes only those neighborhoods annexed by the city. There are many neighborhoods surrounding the city that are still in Sanitary Improvement Districts that have not yet been annexed into the city. Therefore many of our stats are given for the school district. Some of the rapid increase of population within the city limits was due to annexation.
New subdivisions currently being built within the school district have a total of 5435 lots. Of these lots 1327 have been started or completed. There remain 4108 available lots in the school district.
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