Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. Until massive flooding in 2008, the city's government was headquartered in the Veterans Memorial Building, near the Linn County Courthouse and jail on Mays Island in the Cedar River. Cedar Rapids was one of the few cities in the world with governmental offices on a municipal island.

A flourishing center for arts and culture in Eastern Iowa, the city is home to the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library, the Paramount Theatre, Theatre Cedar Rapids, and the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance. Cedar Rapids is an economic hub of the state, located in the core of the Interstate 380 Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Corridor. The estimated population of the three-county Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes the nearby cities of Marion and Hiawatha, was 255,452 in 2008. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was to 126,326.

Cedar Rapids is nicknamed the "City of Five Seasons", for the "fifth season", which is time to enjoy the other four. The name "Five Seasons" and representations of the sculpture appear thoughout the city in many forms.

History
The location of present-day Cedar Rapids was in the territory of the Fox and Sac tribes.

The first permanent settler, Osgood Shepard, arrived in 1838. Cedar Rapids was then incorporated on January 15, 1849.

The economic growth of Cedar Rapids increased in 1871 upon the founding of the Sinclair meatpacking company.

In 1960, the Census Bureau reported Cedar Rapids' population as 98.6% white and 1.2% black.

Flood of 2008:
During the Iowa flood of 2008, the Cedar River reached a record high of 31.12 feet (9.49 m) on June 13, 2008. The previous record was 20 feet (6.1 m), surpassing the 500-year flood plain. It is estimated 1,300 or more properties are to be demolished in the Cedar Rapids area because of the flood.

Geography
The city is divided into four quadrants, used in addressing.

In the downtown area, 1st Avenue and the Cedar River tend to run diagonally instead of along the cardinal directions.

Cedar Rapids is divided into fourteen ZIP Codes.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 72.07 square miles (186.66 km), of which, 70.8 square miles (183.37 km) is land and 1.27 square miles (3.29 km) is water.

Neighborhoods
Czech Village is located along 16th Avenue SW, which is south of the Cedar River.

The Cedar Rapids Czech Heritage Foundation is one of many local orginizations working to promote and preserve Czech heritage in Cedar Rapids.

Olga Drahozal is the famed band leader of the Czech Plus Polka Band, a performing group that frequently performs at the Kosek Band Stand.

In 2003, the African-American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa opened its doors.

There are 12 active neighborhood associations in Cedar Rapids. The neighborhood nearest downtown include Wellington Heights and Oakhill Jackson in the southeast quadrant and Moundview in the northeast quadrant. Also, farther north in the northeast quadrant is the Kenwood Park which was independant until it was incorporated into the Cedar Rapids city limits and Noelridge Park neighborhood. The boundaries of Kenwood are 32nd Street to Oakland Road to Old Marion Road to C Avenue to 40th Street then 1st Avenue between 40th street and 32nd Street.

In addition to the neighborhood associations in Cedar Rapids, there are many informal, unofficial neighborhoods, such as Bowman Woods, Vernon Heights, Stoney Point, NewBo, and Wilderness Estates.

In 2009, Cedar Rapids was rated one of the top 10 cities to Grow Up In" in the United States, partly due to a low crime rate and a good public school system.

Demographics
The Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of Linn, Benton, and Jones county. The MSA had 2000 census population of 237,230, with an estimated 2008 population of 255,452.

As a growing job center, Cedar Rapids pulls commuters from nearby Marion and Hiawatha.

Based on the 2010 American Community Survey 1 Year Estimates, the median income for a household in the city was $51,186, and the median income for a family was $63,265.

2010 census:
As of the census of 2010, there were 126,326 people, 53,236 households, and 30,931 families residing in the city.

There were 53,236 households out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were married couples living together, 11% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families.

In the city, the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.3 years. For every 100 females there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males.

2000 Census:
In the 2000 census, Cedar Rapids was 91.9% non-Hispanic white, with well over half the population claiming a specific ethinic European ancestry, such as Germans (35.5%), Irish (17.1%), English (9.4%), Czechs (7.8%), Norwegians (5.1%), and French from either France or Canada (3.2%). The city also has a growing minority population. For example, in the three-year period from 2006 to 2008, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that 4.9% of the Cedar Rapids population identified as African Americans, up from 3.7% in the 2000 census.

Muslim Heritige:
Cedar Rapids has played an important role in Muslim culture in the United States. Haj. Yahya William Aossey donated 12 acres (49,000 m) of land for the National Muslim Cemetary in 1948. Graves in the cemetary face Mecca. The Mother Mosque of America, dedicated on June 16, 1934, is the longest standing mosque in North America and the second oldest after the 1929 mosque built in Ross, North Dakota. In 1972, another mosque was built and the original mosque was sold and fell into disrepair before being purchased in 1990 by the Islamic Council of Iowa and renovated.

Muslim presence in the area dates to 1895 when the first immigrants arrived from the Beqaa Valley in today's Lebanon and Syria. Islamic Services of America (I.S.A.) was esablished in Cedar Rapids in 1975 and provides Halal Certification and supervision throughout the world.



Economy
Cedar Rapids is one of the largest cities in the world for corn processing. The grain processing industry is Cedar Rapids' most important sector, directly providing 4,000 jobs that pay on average $85,000, and also providing 8,000 indirectly. Fortune 500 company Rockwell Collins is based in Cedar Rapids, and Aegon has its United States headquarters located in Cedar Rapids. Other large companies that have facilities in Cedar Rapids include Archer Daniels Midland, Cargill, General Mills, and Nordstorm.

Top Employers:
According to Cedar Rapids' 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the area are:

Arts and Culture
Cedar Rapids is home to Orchestra Iowa, the Paramount Thratre, Theatre Cedar Rapids, and Brucemore, a National Trust Historic Site, among others.

Cedar Rapids is also home to the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Leigon Art's CSPS Hall, the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library, the African American Historical Museum, Kirkwood Community College's Iowa Hall Gallery, and the legendary Grand Wood Studio.

The Cedar Rapids Museum of Art houses the largest collection of Grant Wood paintings in the world.

Many art centers in Cedar Rapids sustained sever damage during the June 2008 flood. The Cedar Rapids Museum of Art suffered minor damage. It is expected to cost $25 million to repair the Paramount Theatre. Theatre Cedar Rapids reopened in February 2010.

Sports
Cedar Rapids is home of the minor-league baseball team Cedar Rapids Kernels, a member of the Midwest league since 1962.

Parks and Recreation
Cedar Rapids has over 3,360 acres (13.6 km) of city owned property for undeveloped green space and recreational use. The various trail systems in Cedar Rapids have a total of 24 miles (39 km) for walking, running, or bicycling.

Government
From April 6, 1908, to December 31, 2005, Cedar Rapids used the city commission form of government. Don Canney, the longest serving major in city history, served for 22 years under this system.

In 2005 the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce spearheaded a movement to change from a commision form of government.

On June 14, 2005, voters went to the polls to decide whether to adopt a new form of government or continue the commission form. 28,818 of the 83,514 registered voters (29.72%) cast ballots on the issue. 68.80% of the voters decided to adopt a new form of government.

Cedar Rapids now has an Iowa "Home Rule" charter which established a weak mayor system with a part-time City Council and Mayor both on four-year terms.

The Council and Major hired Jim Prosser as City Manager in the summer of 2006.

Education
Cedar Rapids is home to two four-year colleges: Coe College and Mount Mercy University. The University of Iowa also has an evening MBA facility located in Cedar Rapids.

The Cedar Rapids Community School District is the largest school district in the metropolitan area with an enrollment of 17,263 in the 2006-2007 school year. The district contains 24 elementart schools, six middle schools, and four high schools: Jefferson, Washington, Kennedy, and Metro High School. The Linn-Mar Community School District serves part of the northeast quadrant of the city and has seven elementary schools inside the city limits. Located in a central campus off Interstate 380 are College Community's four elementary schools: Prarie Creek Intermediate, Prairie Point Middle School, Ninth Grade Academy, and Prairie High School.

The Cedar Rapids Metro Catholic Education System, which is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque, consists of six elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school (Xavier).

The city hosts several private schools, including Cedar Valley Christian School, Trinity Lutheran School, and Isaac Newton Christian Academy.

Radio:
Cedar Rapids' radio market, which consists of Linn County, is ranked 211th by Arbitron with 172,000 listeners aged 12 and older.

Clear Channel Communications owns four stations in the Cedar Rapids area, including WMT 600 AM, a news/talk station that has broadcast since 1922. Clear Channel also owns KKSY-FM 96.5, a modern country music station, KMJM 1360 AM, a classic country station, and KWMG 95.7 FM, a simulcast of WMT. Cumulus media owns four stations in Cedar Rapids: KDAT 104.5 FM (adult contemporary), KHAK 98.1 KM (country music), KRNA 94.1 FM (active rock), and KRQN 107.1 (contemporary hits). Three other radio stations in Cedar Rapids are independantly owned: KZIA 102.9 FM (contemporary hits), KGYM 1600 AM (sports radio), and KMRY 1450 (adult standards). Several stations from Waterloo and Iowa City also figure into rating in Cedar Rapids.

The only non-commercial station lisenced to Cedar Rapids is KCCK-KM 88.3 FM, a jazz station lisenced to Kirkwood Community College. KXGM-FM 89.1 is a non-commerical contemporary Christian music station lisensed to neighboring Hiawatha. NPR stations from Cedar Falls (KUNI 90.9 FM) and Iowa City (KSUI 91.7 FM and WSUI 910 AM) reach Cedar Rapids.

Television:
The Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City-Dubuque media market consists of 21 eastern Iowa counties: Allamakee, Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchannan, Butler, Cedar, Chickasaw, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Grundy, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Keokuk, Linn, Tama, Washington, and Winnieshiek. It is ranked 88th by Nielsen Media Research for the 2008-2009 television season with 346,330 television households.

Cedar Rapids is home to four network-affiliated stations: KGAN channel 2 (CBS), KCRG channel 9 (ABC), KFXA channel 28 (Fox), and KPXR-TV channel 48 (ION).

Print:
The Gazette is the primary daily newspaper for Cedar Rapids. The Cedar Rapids Gazette won a Pulitzer Prize in 1936, under editor Verne Marshall and primarily due to his efforts and articles, for its campaign against corruption and misgovernment in the State of Iowa.

Film:
Cedar Rapids is an American comedy film about a naive insurance agent Ed Helms who is sent to represent his company at a regional confrence center in big town Cedar Rapids. Although the film is set in Cedar Rapids, it was actually shot in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Transportation:
Cedar Rapids is served by The Eastern Iowa Airport (formerly known as the Cedar Rapids Airport), a regional airport that connect with other regional and international airports. Cedar Rapids Transit and private bus lines also connect at the airport.

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

Cedar Rapids is served by four major railroads.

Cedar Rapids is linked to other Midwestern cities by the Burlington Trailways bus hub at the Eastern Iowa Airport.

The city is also served by Cedar Rapids Transit, consisting of an extansive bus system and taxis. Cedar Rapids Transit operates scheduled bus service throughout the city and to Marion and Hiawatha. A series of enclosed pedestrian skywalks connect several downtown buildings.

Health Care:
There are two hospitals in Cedar Rapids, St Luke's and Mercy Medical Center.

Notable People

 * Adrian Arrington (born 1985): American football player.
 * Arthur A. Collins (1909-1987): Inventor and founder of Collins Radio Company.
 * Salvatore Giunta US Army: First living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War.
 * Bourke B. Hickenlooper (1896-1971): Lieutenant governor, 29th Governor of Iowa, 4 term U.S. Senator.
 * Zach Johnson (born 1976): American professional golfer on the PGA Tour and the 2007 Masters champion.
 * Larry N. Jordyn (born 1952): Publisher, journalist, and author. Launched the weekly Cedar Rapids Press-American as a 15-year old student.
 * Danielle Kahle (born 1989): American figure skater.
 * Aaron Kampman (born 1979): Two time All-Pro and Pro Bowl American football player.
 * Alexander Lippisch (1894-1976): Aerodynamics pioneer and aircraft designer.
 * George Nissen (1914-2010): National AAU Champion in 1935, 1936, and 1937; developer of the modern trampoline.
 * Kurt Warner (born 1971): American football quarterback, played in three Super Bowls, won Super Bowl XXXIV as Super Bowl MVP.
 * Wright Brothers Orville (1871-1948) and Wilbur (1867-1912): Aviation partners, resided in Cedar Rapids in their youth.