Camel and Pyramid in Cairo, Nebraska

Cairo, Egypt is known for its great pyramids (and, well, camels). Cairo, Nebraska just might be known for the same thing.

Cairo (pronounced KAIR-oh) is a 0.77 square mile town with a population of about 785 (2010) that’s located in Hall County, Nebraska. It was established in 1886 and took it’s name after that other Cairo, the capital of Egypt.

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The town embraces its Middle-Eastern namesake with street names that call back to Africa: Egypt, Mecca, Nile, Medina, Syria, Nubia, Berber, Thebes, Alexandria, and Suez.

The star roadside attraction in Cario, Nebraska is a big camel statue that stands next to a metal pyramid inscribed with “Welcome to Cairo.” It’s located next to the train tracks at the corner of (the decidedly non Egypt-inspired) S High Street and E Kansas Street in front of the baseball field.

Along with a couple of Sinclair dinosaurs and Carhenge, it’s one of several Nebraska roadside attractions along the Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway that runs from Grand Island to Alliance.

But the big camel and pyramid are not the only things to see in Cairo. Adjacent to the Cairo Camel Statue is a tall black way marker pole with arrows pointing to major cities in the United States and around the world, such as Seattle, New York, Phoenix, Athens, London, Paris, and Minneapolis.

Way marking signs in Cairo, Nebraska | Roadside Attractions in Nebraska

There’s also a colorful mural that celebrates the history of the town on the side of Cairo Flowers, next to the Pump & Pantry on the other side of the train tracks. The street art declares “A Golden Past, A Brighter Future.”