Cedar Rapids is a city in Eastern Iowa. In 2016, it was the second largest city in Iowa by population and is home to about 137,000 residents. Largely known as an industrial, working class city, Cedar Rapids has begun to grow and expand employment opportunities in the service sector, attracting new residents to the area. While out of the way of most major travel routes and destinations, a stop in Cedar Rapids may uncover a great taste of the Midwest. Typical Iowa hospitality is not lost here.
Originally home to the Fox and Sac people, white settlers thought the river rapids were suitable for building a mill, and the river itself was handy for exporting goods. Later, a major meatpacking industry used ice taken from the river plus the rail networks to sustain its growth. The city attracted Czech immigrants in the latter part of the 19th century.
All addresses in the city are based upon a quadrant system. The system divides the city into four directional quadrants with addresses that may look something like this: 500 33rd Ave SW The quadrant system's base is the intersection of the Cedar River and 1st Avenue. Although seemingly simple to an observer, this system is nearly useless to visitors since the intersecting lines essentially form an "X" on a map rather than a "+". Along I-380 (North/South interstate corridor) and the surrounding downtown area, traffic cameras are used to enforce speed and red-light laws.
Cedar Rapids Downtown District. Cedar Rapids History Center. 1 Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, 410 Third Ave SE, ☏ +1 319-366-7503. Features collection of works by Iowa natives Grant Wood and Marvin Cone, and a collection of 21 Roman portrait busts. 2 National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, 1400 Inspiration Place SW, ☏ +1 319-362-8500. M-Sa 9:30AM-4PM, Su noon-4PM. General $10; seniors (65+) $9; active military, veterans, and students $5; youth (6-13) $3, children (5 & under) free. (updated Oct 2021) 3 African American Museum of Iowa (AAMI), 55 12th Ave. SE (on the northwest bank of the river, by the 12th Ave SE bridge), ☏ +1 319-862-2101. Closed until 2023.
Cedar Rapids Kernels, 950 Rockford Road SW. Class A minor league baseball team in Cedar Rapids. $8-11. Cedar Valley Nature Trail. Great paved trail for bicycling, running, etc. Winds around the Cedar River, beautiful farm fields and wooded areas. 1 Indian Creek Nature Center, 5300 Otis Rd SE, ☏ +1 319-362-0664, NatureCenter@indiancreeknaturecenter.org. Stop in the barn museum to learn about Iowa's plants and wildlife, then check out any of their several miles of nature trails. (updated Oct 2021) Orchestra Iowa. Theatre Cedar Rapids, 102 3rd St SE, ☏ +1 319-366-8591, tickets@theatrecr.org. Box office: M-F noon-5PM. (updated Oct 2021)
The Flying Wienie, 103 8th Ave SW, ☏ +1 319-861-3036. The roof is adorned with a full-sized, bright yellow bi-plane. Serves hot dogs and other greasy short order food, homemade Polish sausage and gyros. The Irish Democrat, 1st Ave and 32nd St, ☏ +1 319-364-9896. 11AM-?. Irish pub and grill. $7-15. The Starlite Room, 3300 1st Ave NE, ☏ +1 319-362-4759, thestarliteroomcr@gmail.com. 11AM-midnight. Small-town Iowa atmosphere with greasy food. Known for its half-pound Superburger. (updated Oct 2021)
R.G. Books, 3611 1st Ave NE, ☏ +1 319-363-7550. Small, cozy, intimate place with a variety of drinks. Books line the walls. Bartenders have unique personalities. Third Base Brewery, 500 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, ☏ +1 319-378-9090. Great hand crafted ales, including five year round beers and three rotating seasonal tap handles. Diverse food menu, tons of TVs, party room, patio. (updated Oct 2021) Cliff's Dive Bar and Grill, 227 2nd Ave S.E, ☏ +1 319-200-1131.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
In Aug, Cedar Rapids typically sees ~27°C daytime highs and 8 rainy days.
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