Omaha climbs west from the Missouri River bluffs, and its freeways tie the city to Iowa across the water. I-80 runs east-west through the southern part of the city, crossing into Council Bluffs on the east and heading toward Lincoln on the west. I-480 loops off I-80 through downtown and across the river, and I-680 forms a beltway along the north and west sides, crossing the river on the Mormon Bridge. US 75 runs north as the North Freeway and south as the Kennedy Freeway toward Bellevue. Dodge Street is the city's main east-west spine, becoming the West Dodge Road expressway past I-680, and 72nd Street is the busiest north-south arterial.
The I-80 and I-480 interchange near downtown, the junction of I-80 and I-680 and West Dodge at rush hour are the usual trouble spots. Omaha keeps growing west toward Elkhorn and beyond, so commutes into the city from the newer subdivisions are long, and breakdowns stack up on the expressways at the busiest times. Older neighborhoods east of 72nd sit on a regular grid with alleys behind many blocks, while west Omaha is a sprawl of curving subdivision streets.
Eppley Airfield sits on the river flats northeast of downtown, close enough that its lots are a common place to find a dead battery after a trip. Metro buses, including the rapid line along Dodge Street, connect downtown, Midtown and the west side, but most households drive everywhere.
Every June the College World Series fills downtown and the riverfront with visitors, and parking and traffic around the ballpark and the Old Market tighten for weeks.