Interstate 80 in Nebraska

Interstate 80
I-80 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by NDOR
Length:	455.31 mi (732.75 km)
Existed:	1957 – present
Major junctions
West end:	I-80 at Wyoming state line
	I-76 near Big Springs US 26 in Ogallala US 83 in North Platte US 34 / US 281 in Grand Island US 81 near York US 77 in Lincoln I-180 / US 34 in Lincoln US 6 near Waverly I-680 in Omaha I-480 / US 75 in Omaha
East end:	I-80 at Iowa state line
Location
Counties:	Kimball, Cheyenne, Deuel, Keith, Lincoln, Dawson, Buffalo, Hall, Hamilton, York, Seward, Lancaster, Cass, Sarpy, Douglas
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Nebraska State Highway System Interstate US State Link Spur Recreation ← N-79 US 81 →

Interstate 80 (I-80) in the U.S. state of Nebraska runs east from the Wyoming state border across the state to Omaha. When it completed construction of the stretch of I-80 spanning the state on October 19, 1974, Nebraska was the first state in the nation to complete its mainline Interstate Highway System.

Nebraska has over 80 exits along Interstate 80. According to The New York Times there are several notable tourist attractions along Nebraska's section of I-80. It is the only Interstate Highway to go from one end of the state to another, as Nebraska has no major north–south interstate route. Except for a 3-mile-long (4.8 km) portion of I-76 near the Colorado state line, I-80 is the only primary (two-digit) Interstate Highway in Nebraska.

Built along the pathway of the Great Platte River Road, I-80 in Nebraska follows the same route as many historic trails, including the Oregon Trail, the California Trail, and the Mormon Trail. Starting in 1957 after federal funding was allotted, Nebraskans began planning their Interstate construction. Led by the Nebraska State Highway Commission, there were hearings across the state to decide where the route was going to be. Aside from the federally mandated "control points" in Omaha and Scottsbluff, the route could vary across the state. Dozens of meetings were held in Grand Island, Kearney, and North Platte, among other locations. The commission addressed issues of whether the highway would be north or south of the Platte River or whether it would follow U.S. Highway 30 US-30. The South Platte Chamber of Commerce and various cities were very active in these sessions, and debate over where the Interstate would be constructed continued into the 1960s.