Falls City is quilted together in the prairies of Southeast Nebraska
In the 1800s, Falls City was a vital stop on the Underground Railroad. Today, it is a quaint Midwestern community of about 4,000 residents centered around Stone Street, which is reminiscent of a commercial district from the Gilded Age. The town center has a mural called the “Quilted Truck,” depicting several locals standing around a colorful pickup truck. Its poem highlights the area’s diverse residents, quilted together in a small-town community surrounded by farmland prairies. "I’ve been here my whole life. It’s a great place to live, and it’s a good place to raise your kids," says Sherri Howard, a lifelong local and salesperson at Poppe Realty & Management. "Everybody’s close and willing to help each other in hard times."
Wide-ranging architecture and historic houses along shady brick roads
Historic homes rest along tree-lined brick streets, shaded by mature hackberry trees. Falls City has a collection of eclectic architectural styles, and its median year of construction is 1920. The area primarily features Craftsman bungalows, Tudor and prairie-style homes. While pricing data is somewhat limited due to a lack of available listings, prices range from $50,000 to $320,000. "Young people come back to the community after leaving because their family is established here," Howard says. "People come here to get away from big cities and because it’s more affordable. To people from out of state, our prices are a bargain."
Stone Street features historic charm and hometown dining
The downtown area has red-brick roads from the 1800s on Stone Street, a center for locally owned restaurants and brownstone boutiques. A & G Restaurant is a local steakhouse serving salads, pizza and cuts of steak cooked in a signature Jack Daniels-based glaze. The One Stop Cafe serves breakfast dishes and pastries like homemade cinnamon rolls. Residents can pick up groceries at supermarkets like Dollar Fresh Market and Family Fare.
Public schools have dual enrollment and extracurricular activities
Falls City North Elementary School serves PK-2 students with a Professional Learning Community and a Multi-Tier System of Supports, which monitors student progress. Grades 3-5 attend Falls City South, which has student testing through the NSAS Standards Assessments, with about 19 students per classroom. Falls City Middle offers elective classes in media productions, esports and coding. Falls City North, South and Middle all earn C-plus grades from Niche. Falls City Senior High School scores a C and was a 2011 Blue Ribbon School. It offers dual enrollment classes and extracurricular activities like mock trial and speech team.
Residents enjoy lakeside fishing and an aquatic center
The area’s most well-known recreation space is Stanton Lake Park, which features a circular walking trail around a fishing lake. It also has a 9-hole disc golf course and a dog park. During the summer, residents can cool off at the Aquatic Center, an outdoor facility with water slides and a lap pool. Grandview Park is a shady green space with tennis and pickleball courts. The Fiedler Family Ball Complex provides softball diamonds and a splash pad, while the Falls City Golf Course has a 9-hole layout with 18 tee boxes.
U.S. 159 links Falls City to I-29 and major metro areas
Falls City is bike-friendly and pedestrian-friendly, providing many ways for locals to get around. Community Medical Center is one of the area's largest employers, with a hospital and emergency room about 2 miles north of downtown. U.S. Highway 159 connects to Interstate 29, leading to multiple cities along the Missouri-Kansas border. Saint Joseph , Missouri, is 55 miles southeast, and Kansas City is 110 miles south. The Kansas City International Airport is approximately 90 miles south with nonstop flights to nearly every major U.S. city and several international cities.
