Cedar Rapids, Iowa

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Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Flag of Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Flag		 Official seal of Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Seal
Nickname: City of Five Seasons, CR
Location in the State of Iowa
Location in the State of Iowa
Coordinates: 41°58′59″N 91°40′7″W / 41.98306, -91.66861
Country United States
State Iowa
County Linn
Incorporated 1849
Government
 - Mayor Kay Halloran
Area
 - City 64.4 sq mi (166.8 km²)
 - Land 63.1 sq mi (163.5 km²)
 - Water 1.3 sq mi (3.3 km²)
Elevation 810 ft (247 m)
Population (2006)
 - City 124,417
 - Density 1,912.6/sq mi (738.4/km²)
 - Metro 246,412
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
 - Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes 52400-52499
Area code(s) 319
FIPS code 19-12000
GNIS feature ID 0465941
Website: http://www.cedar-rapids.org/

Cedar Rapids is the county seat of Linn County, Iowa, United States. The population was 120,758 at the 2000 census, with an estimated 2006 population of 124,417[1], making it the second largest city in Iowa after Des Moines; the 2006 estimated population of the three-county metropolitan area is 249,320.[2] Combined with the Iowa City area to the immediate south, this area is commonly referred to as the "Corridor", and the combined population of the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City corridor brings the area's population to 360,326. The city is named after the Cedar River.

Cedar Rapids has been residence to famous figures, including American artist Grant Wood, the Wright brothers[3][4], journalist and historian William L. Shirer, writer and photographer Carl Van Vechten, actors Ashton Kutcher, Elijah Wood, Ron Livingston, and Dr. Alexander Lippisch. See also Notable natives on this page.

A unique attribute of Cedar Rapids is that its city hall and county courthouse are located on Mays Island, an island on the Cedar River running through the city.

Cedar Rapids is known as the City of Five Seasons; the traditional four seasons and a "fifth season" is "a time to enjoy" the other four.[5] The symbol of the five seasons is the Tree of Five Seasons sculpture in downtown Cedar Rapids. The name "Five Seasons" and representations of the sculpture appear in many forms.

Contents

Cedar Rapids is located at 41°58′59″N, 91°40′7″W (41.983100, -91.668529)GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 64.4 square miles (166.8 km²), of which, 63.1 square miles (163.5 km²) of it is land and 1.3 square miles (3.3 km²) of it (1.99%) is water.

Cedar Rapids is divided into fourteen ZIP Codes. Mays Island and the downtown area are covered by 52401. The northeast quadrant is covered by 52402 and 52411. The southeast quadrant is covered by 52403. The southwest quadrant is covered by 52404. The northwest quadrant is covered by 52405. Post office boxes are covered by ZIP codes 52406, 52407, 52408, 52409, and 52410. Several other ZIP codes are for specific business (Aegon USA, Rockwell Collins, etc.).

The city is divided into four quadrants. For addresses, from north to south the city is divided by 1st Avenue (Business Highway 151), and east to west by the Cedar River. A street address in Cedar Rapids usually consists of the house number, the street name, and the quadrant. For example, 123 Example St NW. The quadrants are one of four labels; NE, SE, SW, or NW. The only exception would be government addresses on Mays Island, which have no quadrant label.

1st Avenue and the Cedar River (as well as the downtown area) tend to run diagonally instead of straight north/south/east/west. (In fact, 1st Avenue runs directly west-east on the west side of the city, SW to NE in the middle, and south-north on the east side.) Thus, the area designated NE is geographically the northern section from east to west. NW is a small western contingent, SE is the eastern contingent, and SW is the southern contingent. There are some areas in western Cedar Rapids where some NW addresses are actually south of some SW addresses.

Cedar Rapids is served by The Eastern Iowa Airport (formerly known as the Cedar Rapids Municipal Airport), a regional airport that connects with other regional and international airports.

Interstate 380, part of the Avenue of the Saints, runs north-south through Cedar Rapids. U.S. Highways 30, 151, and 218 and Iowa Highway 13 and Iowa Highway 100 also serve the city.

Cedar Rapids is served by four major railroads. They are the Union Pacific, the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway (Crandic), the Canadian National, and the Iowa Northern Railway Company [IANR]. The Iowa Northern Railway has its headquarters in the historic Paramount Theater Building. The Crandic and the Iowa Interstate Railroad also are headquartered in Cedar Rapids. The Iowa Interstate reaches the city via the Crandic tracks, running a daily train from Rock Island, Illinois to Cedar Rapids.

The city is also served by public transportation consisting of buses and taxis, as well as a series of skywalks connecting several downtown buildings for foot traffic.

Czech Village November 18, 2006.
Czech Village November 18, 2006.

The Czech Village in Cedar Rapids is located on 16th Avenue SW. It is home to such Czech-related businesses as Zindrick's Czech Restaurant, Sykora Bakery, Polehna's Meat Market, Boženka's, Czech Feather & Down Company, and Czech Cottage. The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library is one of the major tourist attractions in Cedar Rapids.

The Cedar Rapids Czech Heritage Foundation [1] is one of many local organizations working to promote and preserve Czech heritage in Cedar Rapids. They support and sponsor many programs and events throughout the year. One of these programs is the Miss Czech-Slovak Iowa pageant.

Two Miss Czech-Slovak USA queens can claim this community as home: Lisa Volesky and Stasia Krivanek. Olga Drahozal is the famed band leader of the Czech Plus Polka Band, a performing group that frequents the Kosek Band Stand. She, along with Bessie Duggena and Leona Poduška, taught Czech School (Česká škola) at Wilson Middle School.

In addition, there are twelve active neighborhood associations in Cedar Rapids. These neighborhoods include Wellington Heights, and Moundview Heights, two neighborhoods in the south side of Cedar Rapids. These neighborhoods have low mean incomes, and are commonly known as the "ghetto" of Cedar Rapids. In addition to the neighborhood associations in Cedar Rapids, there are many informal, unofficial neighborhoods, such as Bever Woods, and Vernon Heights.

The Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of Linn, Benton, and Jones counties. The MSA had a 2000 census population of 237,230, with an estimated 2006 population of 249,320.[2] (Linn County was the only county in the MSA before MSA definitions were redefined after the 2000 census.)

Cedar Rapids' main suburbs are Marion and Hiawatha. A number of small towns have experienced growth as bedroom communities of Cedar Rapids. These include Ely, Swisher, Shueyville, Palo, Fairfax, Walford, Robins and Bertram.

Although a separate MSA, the Iowa City/Coralville/North Liberty area to the south in adjacent Johnson County add another 111,006 (2000 pop. estimate) bringing the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City corridor area population to 360,326 and one of the few population areas in Iowa that is steadily growing.

Tree of Five Seasons sculpture, downtown Cedar Rapids.
Tree of Five Seasons sculpture, downtown Cedar Rapids.

The Tree of Five Seasons sculpture is the city's centerpiece, located where 1st Avenue crosses the Cedar River. It was constructed in the mid-nineties by a local businessman who commissioned a three-dimensioned version of the city's logo. Also located near the center of the city along the Cedar River is the historical Czech Village, a business district composed of several ethnic businesses and historical buildings, thus helping to maintain the city's Czech heritage. Cedar Rapids is also home to National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library. In 2003, the African-American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa opened its doors. Cedar Rapids is also home to the historical 26 acre (105,000 m²) Brucemore Estate, on which sits a 21-room mansion. Cedar Rapids is home to the Iowa Masonic Library and Museum.

The downtown includes a Science Center and an Art Museum housing the largest collection of Grant Wood paintings in the world. The 1920s Paramount Theatre is home to the Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra, the Cedar Rapids Area Theatre Organ Society and Community Concerts. Concerts and events such as high school graduations, sporting events, exhibitions, and political rallies are held in The U.S. Cellular Center, formerly known as The Five Seasons Center, located in the heart of downtown Cedar Rapids. Cedar Rapids is also home to the Mother Mosque of America (built in 1934), which is believed to be the oldest purpose-built mosque in the U.S.

In spite of all this, Cedar Rapids is still a boring city with nothing to do but drink alcohol. Some bad folks choos to get high.

Historical populations
Census Pop.  %±
1860 1,830
—
1870 5,940 224.6%
1880 10,104 70.1%
1890 18,020 78.3%
1900 25,656 42.4%
1910 32,811 27.9%
1920 45,566 38.9%
1930 56,097 23.1%
1940 62,120 10.7%
1950 72,296 16.4%
1960 92,035 27.3%
1970 110,642 20.2%
1980 110,243 -0.4%
1990 108,772 -1.3%
2000 120,758 11.0%
Total Population of Iowa's Incorporated Places 1850-2000

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 120,758 people, 49,820 households, and 30,838 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,912.6 people per square mile (738.4/km²). There were 52,240 housing units at an average density of 827/sq mi (319/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.86% White, 3.71% African American, 0.25% Native American, 1.77% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.55% from other races, and 1.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.71% of the population.

There were 49,820 households out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $43,704, and the median income for a family was $54,286. Males had a median income of $37,217 versus $26,251 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,589. About 4.9% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.

City Hall, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
City Hall, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

From April 6, 1908, to December 31, 2005, Cedar Rapids used the city commission form of government. It was one of the few larger cities remaining to operate under this model. Under this form of government, the council was made up of a public safety commissioner, a streets commissioner, a finance commissioner, a parks commissioner, and a mayor. The council members worked on a full-time basis, and served two year terms, and were considered department heads. The last mayor of Cedar Rapids under this form of government was Paul Pate. After 2005 the city changed to a mayor-council-manager form of government.

Mayor From To
Don Canney 1969 1992
Larry Serbousek 1992 1995
Lee Clancey 1995 2002
Paul Pate 2002 2005
Kay Halloran 2005 present
  • Under Iowa law, municipal elections are non-partisan.

In 2005, a movement began to change the commission form. A panel was created to study the issue, and has recommended that voters be presented with three options:

  • Stay with the current commission form of government.
  • Adopt a "strong mayor form" where the council would be part time, the mayor would be full time, and a city manager would run the day to day affairs of the city.
  • Adopt a "weak mayor form" of government, in this form the mayor and council would both work on a part-time basis. A full-time city manager would run the day-to-day operations of the city.

In 1994, voters were also asked if they would like to change the form of government. At that time, voters decided to keep the commission form.

On June 14, 2005, voters went to the polls to decide whether to adopt a new form of government or continue with the commission form. This time, with very low turnout, voters decided to change the government — 17,064 voted to change the government to 7,741 who wanted to stay with the commission form.

The new form of government features a part-time council made of eight members and a part-time mayor. The city has been divided into five districts, with one council member elected from each district. The remaining three members were elected on an at-large basis. Initially the terms for some of the council members will be shorter so that the elections will be staggered. In the following election cycle the term for the council members will be four years long. The mayor will also have a four-year term. The mayor will be paid $30,000 and the members of the council will be paid $15,000.

The current city council divided the city into five districts. Once that was done over 30 candidates ran for election on November 8, 2005. Kay Halloran, a retired attorney and state legislator, became the first mayor elected under the new system. Several members of the city council were elected outright; however, the remaining races were close enough to require a runoff election, which took place in December.

The new council and mayor hired Jim Prosser as city manager in the summer of 2006. Prior to hiring Prosser, Mr. James Flitz, formerly the city attorney, served as interim city manager. Department directors will report to the city manager, who will have the authority to hire and fire these heads except in the case of the police and fire chiefs, which would require council approval for hiring and firing. The new council met officially for the first time on January 3, 2006.

Cedar Rapids is home to several large businesses and industries, including General Mills, Cargill, Alliant Energy, GE Commercial Finance, Rockwell Collins, Quaker Oats, AEGON, McLeodUSA, Archer Daniels Midland, Qwest, GreatAmerica Leasing, RuffaloCODY and Cedar Rapids Steel Transport (CRST). Square D has a major factory facility south of town. Although many of these companies have been located in Cedar Rapids for quite some time, a larger number of high-tech industries are locating in or around Cedar Rapids because it is part of the Technology Corridor, a region of the state that also includes the Iowa City metro area to the south. Much of Iowa's technological businesses and industries operate from this corridor. The unemployment rate is an astonshing 3.5%, meaning the job market is extremely good in C.R. Employers are hurting for good workers.

Cornell College in Mount Vernon and the University of Iowa's main campus in Iowa City are both within 30 miles of Cedar Rapids.

High Schools

Middle School

The largest school district serving the metropolitan area is the Cedar Rapids Community School District. Its high schools include

Middle Schools include

Elementary Schools include

Includes stations in Iowa City

Includes stations in Iowa City

Cedar Rapids is home of the minor-league baseball team Cedar Rapids Kernels, a member of the Midwest League since 1962. The Kernels are a Class-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The ice hockey team Cedar Rapids RoughRiders are a member of the USHL and were once Clark Cup Champions. There is also a junior hockey league, the Cedar Rapids Hockey Association, with mini-mite-high school teams. Sports facilities include Veterans Memorial Stadium for baseball, Kingston Stadium for football and track, the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena for hockey, and the U.S. Cellular Center (formerly the Five Seasons Center) for basketball. This arena also hosts the Iowa High School volleyball championships and many concerts.

Cedar Rapids is home to The Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra, The Paramount Theatre, Theatre Cedar Rapids, and Brucemore-A National Trust Historic Site, among others.

Cedar Rapids is also home to the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Legion Art's CSPS Museum, the National Czech & Slovak Museum, the African American Historical Museum, Kirkwood Community College's Iowa Hall Gallery, and the legendary Grant Wood Studio at 5 Turner Alley. These Cedar Rapids venues have recently hosted world class and award nominated exhibitions, including the works of Andy Warhol, Grant Wood, and the Iowa Biennial, among others.

People from Cedar Rapids and the surrounding area.

  1. ^ Iowa Data Center. Population Estimates and Rankings for Population, Numerical Change, and Percent Change for Iowa's Incorporated Places: 2000-2006. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.
  2. ^ a b Iowa Data Center. Population Estimates and Components of Population Change for Iowa's Metropolitan Areas (2003 Definition): 2000-2006. Retrieved on 2007-04-06.
  3. ^ The Eastern Iowa Airport. About the Airport.
  4. ^ EAA. Countdown to Kitty Hawk:Wright Brothers-Full:Chapter 3.
  5. ^ City of Cedar Rapids. We Are the City of Five Seasons.... Retrieved on 2007-03-04.

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