Western vs. eastern Nebraska: Two worlds in one state

By now most of us have an idea of what Nebraska is like. Though I think what many of us from outside of Nebraska fail to realize is just how different parts of Nebraska are compared to others. See, Nebraska is a rather large state. In comparison, Nebraska is only a little smaller than Romania. Now I know what you’re probably thinking: 200,000 square miles of nothing but cornfields and the irrational fear of waking up one day in the Land of Oz. But wait! 200,000 square miles must mean that there’s something different in each part of the state. Namely the west and east sides. Here’s just a little comparison of the two:

Eastern Nebraska

East Nebraska is the side of Nebraska most of us are accustomed to. You have the Capitol and university town of Lincoln with both Union College and the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Venture about 45 minutes northeast and you’ll find yourself in Nebraska’s largest city, Omaha. Omaha is the financial center of Nebraska. It’s no St. Louis or Denver, but it is a decent sized city. If someone tells you that they’re from Nebraska, then chances are they’re from this area of the state, as one in three Nebraskans live in it’s two major cities.

Western Nebraska

West Nebraska is the part of the state that many believe to be desolate. If you’re attending Union and your home state is a western state, such as Colorado or California, then you’ve likely seen this part. I visited this part of Nebraska back in May of 2021. I was with my senior class en route to Rapid City from Denver. I probably spent about three to four hours riding through this part of the state. I can safely say that it’s like a ghost town compared to the east side. The cow to human ratio is so one-sided that if the cows ever decided to violently revolt against their human counterparts, they’d win. If you’re ever in an accident out there, you might as well just accept your fate because even the EMTs would get too bored of the drive and give up. The ride seemed like it would never end and that Andrew Garfield would catch Gwen Stacy before this leg of the journey would be over. It’s basically a corn maze, but with cars and no enjoyment.

You can see that the two sides of this state are very different from each other. I’m sure most of us would prefer the eastern side because there’s actually traces of human civilization within this area as opposed to the west, which is basically a glorified Montana.

By Evan Majors