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Elevation

Elevation of Cedar Rapids

808ft

above sea level · 246 m

Cedar Rapids is a city in Iowa with 137,935 people, the 2nd most populous in the state. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, it’s the 79th highest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
42.01° N · 91.64° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 42° 0′ 30″ N · 91° 38′ 39″ W
UTM coordinates
15T · 612,281 E · 4,651,591 N
Zone 15 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Linn County
Where the city’s reference point falls
State
Iowa
IA · capital: Des Moines
Time zone
Central Time
UTC−6 · UTC−5 in summer (daylight saving time)
Population (2025)
137,935 people
74.8 sq mi of land · 1,844 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from October 2020: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Cedar Rapids had 137,935 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, about the same as in April 2020 (137,742). Its 74.8 sq mi of land work out to 1,844 people/sq mi; the state average is 58 people/sq mi.

It’s the 2nd most populous of the 1,026 places the Census counts in Iowa (cities, towns and CDPs), after Des Moines (212,086), and holds 4.3% of the state’s population.

It lies entirely within Linn County. Its reference point in the USGS gazetteer is 3.5 mi from the geographic center the Census gives for the city.

Compared with US cities of 100,000 to 250,000

Cedar Rapids sits at 808 ft (246 m) above sea level. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, the highest is Lakewood (5,520 ft) and the lowest is Fort Lauderdale (3 ft). The average is 862 ft: Cedar Rapids is 54 ft below it.

The state capital, Des Moines, is 105 mi away in a straight line and 64 ft higher than Cedar Rapids.

The nearest city with more than 250,000 people is Madison (Wisconsin), 136 mi away in a straight line and 67 ft higher.

Of the 3 cities in Iowa with a page, Cedar Rapids is the 2nd highest. The others are Des Moines (872 ft) and Davenport (588 ft).

The highest point in Iowa is Hawkeye Point, at 1,670 ft according to the USGS: 862 ft above Cedar Rapids, 229 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 77 Killeen 822 ft
  2. 78 Fishers 816 ft
  3. 79 Cedar Rapids 808 ft
  4. 80 Simi Valley 771 ft
  5. 81 Broken Arrow 756 ft

Each color band is 500 m (1,640 ft), the same colors as the map. See the full list

Nearest cities with a page

Tools for this place

Elevation profile Draw a route from Cedar Rapids and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Cedar Rapids with any other point on the map. Map of Linn County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Cedar Rapids and its clock changes. What county am I in? See which county, city and ZIP code you’re in, from your location. Blank map of Iowa counties Print it blank, with names or to color in.

Frequently asked questions

What people most often ask about the elevation of Cedar Rapids.

What is the elevation of Cedar Rapids?

Cedar Rapids is 808 feet (246 m) above sea level. That’s the ground height from the USGS 3DEP elevation model at the city’s reference point in the official gazetteer (GNIS). The city doesn’t have a single elevation: it rises and falls from one neighborhood to another.

What are the coordinates of Cedar Rapids?

Latitude 42.00833 and longitude -91.64407, in decimal degrees (42° 0′ 30″ N · 91° 38′ 39″ W). In UTM, zone 15: 612,281 E and 4,651,591 N, on NAD83.

How does Cedar Rapids rank among the highest US cities of its size?

It’s the 79th highest of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people. The highest is Lakewood (5,520 ft) and the lowest is Fort Lauderdale (3 ft).

What county is Cedar Rapids in?

Linn County, Iowa.

Which is higher, Cedar Rapids or Des Moines?

Des Moines. Cedar Rapids sits at 808 ft and Des Moines at 872 ft: a difference of 64 ft, 105 mi apart in a straight line.

How is elevation measured?

Elevation is the height above mean sea level. In the US the official reference is the NAVD88 vertical datum. Summits are surveyed on the ground, with leveling and precise GPS. The USGS 3DEP is an elevation model of the whole country, largely from 1-meter lidar: it gives the ground height at every point. That’s why it can differ by a few feet from the official figure of a sharp summit.

Sources

  • USGS 3DEP (EPQS service) The elevation: the ground height at the reference point. Public domain.
  • USGS GNIS (official gazetteer) The city’s reference point (“Populated Place”). Public domain.
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 estimates Population, land area (2025 Gazetteer) and counties. Public domain.
  • TIGERweb (U.S. Census Bureau) Which county and city the point falls in. Public domain.
  • timezone-boundary-builder The point’s time zone (ODbL, © OpenStreetMap contributors).
  • Terrain Tiles, OpenStreetMap and OpenFreeMap The relief shading and the base map (ODbL).

Methodology and sources · Spotted a mistake? Let us know