Papillion, Nebraska

Papillion is a city in and the county seat of Sarpy County, Nebraska, United States. The city developed in the 1870s as a railroad town and suburb of Omaha. The city is part of the larger five-county metro area of Omaha. Papillion's population was 24,159 at the 2020 census, making it the 7th most populous city in Nebraska. Its growth since the late 20th century has reflected Omaha's.

Google and Meta Platforms have several data centers in Papillion.

The city was part of territory claimed by France through the eighteenth century. Early French explorers named it after the creek of the same name which flows through its center. The name Papillion is derived from the French term (papillon) for butterfly. According to local tradition, the explorers named the creek Papillon because they saw so many butterflies along its grassy banks. The spelling was changed through a transliteration of the French word.

Papillion was platted in 1870 when the railroad was extended to that point. Papillion (sometimes referred to as "Papio" by its residents) is one of the last of the late 19th-century, Paris-inspired frontier cities left in the Midwestern United States.

Halleck Park, a recreation area in the heart of the city, includes many trails, open spaces, trees and a number of areas of interest, including Papio Fun Park, Papio Bay Aquatic Park, Papio Pool, and Papio Bowl. The park also offers tennis courts, volleyball courts, playgrounds, "The Duck Pond", Monarch Field ("The Pit"), and E.A. Fricke Field.

It also has nine other softball diamonds within the park for youth. The diamonds are sited on three fields: Halleck, Blonde, and Papio Bay. Village Park, Papio Bay Aquatic Center (including two water slides and a zero depth pool) and Walnut Creek recreational park are among the other recreational amenities in the city.

Papillion Middle School is in the downtown area south of Papio Creek; the building formerly was used as the high school until August 1971. The former junior high was located directly west, across the street.

Also downtown are the Old A.W. Clarke banking house, Sump Memorial Library, Portal One-Room School House, Papillion Municipal Building (Sarpy County Courthouse until 1970), and the John Sautter House. Other areas of interest in Papillion include the Sarpy County Court House and Jail, Shadow Lake Towne Center, and Midlands Hospital, all along Nebraska Highway 370 in the southern portion of the city.