Cedar Rapids: It's Just What You're Looking For
 The Cedar Rapids area enjoys a diverse economy, balancing our historical agribusiness base with technology-based industries.
The diversity has created a stable local economy, able to weather downturns in certain sectors, and making Cedar Rapids an
important link in the global economy. We have more than 275 different manufacturing plants, some two dozen Fortune 500 companies,
international exports reaching record numbers and ties with companies from around the world including Canada, France, Germany,
Ireland, Korea, Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Technology Corridor
Economic development organizations and local governments in Linn County have teamed with colleagues to the south in Johnson
County to market the region as an ideal location for companies using the highest level of technology within their given industries.
The Technology Corridor™, encompassing a wide region including the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City metropolitan areas and several
surrounding communities, is a “high tech prairie powerhouse,” according to the Milken Institute in California. The economic
think tank dedicated to explaining and exploring the dynamics of a global economy rated Cedar Rapids as one of the top five
areas of the country capturing the growth in high technology jobs. Employing more than 2,500 scientists and engineers, Rockwell
Collins has the state's largest technical workforce.
The Technology Corridor has a dynamic line-up of tech-based companies like Rockwell Collins, ACT, Integrated DNA, Genencor
International and NCS/Pearson. In addition to the synergies with existing companies, new businesses can look forward to abundant
energy, public utilities, telecommunications infrastructure and a talented, educated and hard-working workforce. The corridor
also competes nicely with other areas of the country in comparisons of taxes, regulations and transportation.
Enhanced Quality of Life
Here, we call ourselves the City of Five Seasons. The fifth season is a time to enjoy life, to enjoy the other four seasons.
Our quality of life has not gone unnoticed as numerous magazines and organizations have ranked Cedar Rapids among elite cities
in a variety of categories. Cedar Rapids has placed among the top 20 Forbes Magazine Best Places and was named the No. 2 kid-friendly
city in the country by an organization looking at factors such as education, crime and arts and culture. Rockwell Collins
supports the teaching of math and science in schools with a well-established K-12 education partnership program.
Cedar Rapids is the manufacturing capital of Iowa and the state’s second largest city. More than 120,000 people live in Cedar
Rapids and the surrounding towns make Linn County a community of more than 190,000 residents. The 2000 Census showed this
area as one of the strongest growth areas in Iowa.
 Regional Hub for Eastern Iowa
This is a regional hub for Eastern Iowa because of its proximity to several of the country’s largest metropolitan areas and
major interstate highways. We have direct access to cities in the Midwest like Chicago, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Omaha, St.
Louis and Kansas City. However, most of the necessities of life are found right in our own backyard—great jobs, safe neighborhoods,
theaters, museums, schools, symphonies, shopping, sports and recreation. Cedar Rapids is large enough to offer all the amenities
of life and far enough away from the hubbub of metropolitan life to ensure a life filled with enrichment and quality.
Many more small communities surround Greater Cedar Rapids. People who have lived here for years and those new to the area
find that we do indeed have something for everyone. We do not measure commuting distance in miles; we measure it in minutes.
 Rich Cultural Heritage and Diverse Leisure Activities
From our rich cultural heritage to our diverse leisure activities, the Cedar Rapids area is the perfect place to raise a family.
Quality education has long been a priority for our area. Our educational standards are among the highest in the country, and
we have an educational system that guarantees these standards are met for all students. Our neighborhoods are safe and provide
the necessary social interaction we all need to feel a part of the community.
Shopping and entertainment venues are abundant. Theater and culture are deep-rooted in our history and our expectations. We
have celebrated history with the preservation of our grand Paramount Theatre and the reinvention of the riverfront of the
Cedar River. We also have raced to the future with our state-of-the-art IMAX Theater and new hockey arena.
Business and trade flourish in the Cedar Rapids area. With its diverse industry providing a base for thousands of business
opportunities and insulation from tough economic times, the Cedar Rapids area offers a low cost of living and plentiful jobs.
Combine a strong work ethic with high paying jobs and you have a prosperous community – a community of security, hope, possibility
and belonging.
 Additional community information:
Cedar Rapids Chamber of Commerce
Cedar Rapids Convention and Visitors Bureau
Money Magazine's Top 100 Best Cities
Iowa City Coralville Convention and Visitors Bureau
Cedar Rapids Community Schools
University of Iowa
Iowa State University
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