Cedar Rapids, Iowa

"Cedar Rapids" redirects here. For other uses, see Cedar Rapids (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Cedar Falls, Iowa or Cedar County, Iowa.

Cedar Rapids
City
Downtown Cedar Rapids
Czech Village
Flag of Cedar Rapids
Flag
Official seal of Cedar Rapids
Seal
Motto(s): 
The fifth season is a time to enjoy life, to enjoy the other four seasons.[1]
Map
Interactive map of Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids is located in Iowa
Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids is located in the United States
Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids
Coordinates: 41°58′59″N 91°40′7″W / 41.98306°N 91.66861°W / 41.98306; -91.66861
Country United States
State Iowa
CountyLinn
Incorporated1849
Government
 • TypeHome Rule
 • MayorTiffany O'Donnell (R)[2]
Area
[3]
 • City74.26 sq mi (192.32 km2)
 • Land73.03 sq mi (189.14 km2)
 • Water1.23 sq mi (3.18 km2)
Elevation
810 ft (247 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City137,710
 • Rank204th in the United States
2nd in Iowa
 • Density1,885.72/sq mi (728.08/km2)
 • Urban
[5]
192,844 (US: 200th)
 • Urban density2,241.6/sq mi (865.5/km2)
 • Metro
276,520 (US: 178th)
 • CSA
455,756 [4]
GDP
[6][7]
 • Metro$34.909 billion (2022)
Time zoneUTC−6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
52227, 52228, 52233, 52324, 52338, 52401-11, 52497-99
Area code319
FIPS code19-12000
GNIS feature ID0465941
Websitecedar-rapids.org

Cedar Rapids is a city in and the county seat of Linn County, Iowa, United States. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, 20 miles (32 km) north of Iowa City and 128 miles (206 km) northeast of Des Moines, the state's capital. The population was 137,710 at the 2020 census, making it the second-most populous city in Iowa.[8][9] The population of the three-county Cedar Rapids metropolitan area, which includes the nearby cities of Marion and Hiawatha, was 276,520 in 2020. Cedar Rapids is the economic hub of Eastern Iowa, located at the core of the Interstate 380 corridor.[10] The Cedar Rapids metropolitan area is also part of a combined statistical area with the Iowa City metropolitan area.

Cedar Rapids is nicknamed the "City of Five Seasons", for the so-called "fifth season", which is time to enjoy the other four.[1] This slogan is often satirized by residents as the "City of Five Smells", as a result of the smell combinations in the 1970s from the city's Quaker Oats and Penford factories, a hog slaughterhouse, and the municipal sewage plant and landfill.[11] The symbol of the five seasons is the Tree of Five Seasons sculpture in downtown along the north river bank. The name "Five Seasons" and representations of the sculpture appear throughout the city in many forms.[1]

A flourishing center for arts and culture in Eastern Iowa, the city is home to the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, the Paramount Theatre, Orchestra Iowa, Theatre Cedar Rapids, the African American Museum of Iowa, and the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance. In the 1990s and 2000s, several Cedar Rapidians became well-known actors, including Ashton Kutcher, Elijah Wood, Terry Farrell, and Ron Livingston. The city is the setting for the musical The Pajama Game and the comedy film Cedar Rapids.

  1. ^ a b c "What is the "City of Five Seasons"?". City of Cedar Rapids. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  2. ^ "IECDB-WRS" (PDF). webapp.iecdb.iowa.gov.
  3. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  4. ^ "Cedar Rapids - Iowa City (Combined Statistical Area, Combined Metropolitan Areas, USA) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location".
  5. ^ "List of 2020 Census Urban Areas". census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  6. ^ "Total Gross Domestic Product for Cedar Rapids, IA (MSA)". Federal Reserve Economic Data. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
  7. ^ "Total Gross Domestic Product for Iowa City, IA (MSA)". Federal Reserve Economic Data. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
  8. ^ "2020 Census State Redistricting Data". United states Census Bureau. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  9. ^ "Population Estimates and Rankings for Population, Numerical Change, and Percent Change for Iowa's Incorporated Places: 2000–2008" (PDF). Iowa Data Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 19, 2011. Retrieved July 11, 2009.
  10. ^ Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Technology Corridor. "About the Corridor". Archived from the original on July 27, 2007. Retrieved May 29, 2007.
  11. ^ "Cedar Rapids' legacy of smells plays in Penford debate". www.thegazette.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024.