Cedar Rapids IA

UPDATE: Check out our new 2023 Best Cities to Live in the U.S. list.

#2. Cedar Rapids, IA

Why Cedar Rapids is an Awesome Place to Live: Cedar Rapids was named one of Livability’s Top 100 Best Places to Live thanks to affordable housing (the median home price here is $134,0000) paired with amazing job opportunities at Fortune 500 companies, quirky startups and everything in between. This cool, growing city is also home to 74 public parks and plenty of spots to run, walk and ride your bike when you’re not hitting the open road. 

Easy Places to Get To From Cedar Rapids: St. Louis, Des Moines, Minneapolis, Chicago, Kansas City, Iowa City and the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.

Best Roadside Attraction Near Cedar Rapids: Oh, how about the ACTUAL Field of Dreams? The famous baseball field, farmhouse and whole bunch of Kevin Costner’s magical corn are located in Dyersville, IA, a little over an hour from Cedar Rapids. Bring your mitt.

Our Favorite Road Trip Route: Cedar Rapids to Iowa City, with a detour to Coralville Lake to enjoy the private beach and the Devonian Fossil Gorge. Iowa City to Davenport, stopping for a meal at The Machine Shed restaurant. Davenport to Dubuque to ride the Fenelon Place Elevator (“the world’s shortest, steepest scenic railway”) and the Dubuque Arboretum — the country’s only volunteer-run arboretum. Then Dubuque back to Cedar Rapids!

Read More:

5 Presidential Campaign Stops That Are Also Awesome Places to Live

11 Reasons to Start a Business in Cedar Rapids Right Now

The Best Places to Live in Iowa

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