Cedar Rapids is the 2nd biggest city in Iowa. It is situated on both banks of the Cedar River, 32 km or 20 miles north of Iowa City and 160 m or 100 miles east of the state's largest city and capital, Des Moines. Cedar Rapids forms the county seat of Linn County. The City Hall and the Linn County Courthouse are both situated on Mays Island in the Cedar River. This makes it one of the few cities in the globe who has government offices situated on a municipal island.
The city is located in the core of the Interstate 380 Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Technology Corridor of Linn, Washington, Johnson, Jones and Benton counties. The city of Cedar Rapids forms the economic center of the state of Iowa and is a major center for culture and art within Eastern Iowa. The city of Cedar Rapids is home to the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance, the Paramount Theatre, the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art and the Theatre Cedar Rapids.
The nickname of Cedar Rapids is the "City of Five Seasons." The 5th season is the time to enjoy the other traditional four seasons. Within the downtown area along the north river bank, the city of Cedar Rapids symbolizes this with a sculpture called the Tree of Five Seasons. In various forms, the representation of the sculpture and the name "Five Seasons" appear through Cedar Rapids in numerous ways.
The Fox and Sac Tribes inhabited the region around the existing Cedar Rapids City, prior to the arrival of Osgood Shepard. He was the first permanent settler, when he arrived during 1838. When the town was first established, Mr. William Stone named the town Columbus. Later on in the year 1841, it was renamed and resurveyed by N.B. Brown along with his associates. The new name of Cedar Rapids was named for the rapids in the Cedar River at the site. The river was named to honor the huge red cedar trees which profusely grew along its banks. On January 15, the year 1849, Cedar Rapids became incorporated.
There are various big businesses that call Cedar Rapids home. Like for example, GE Commercial Finance, Cargill, General Mills, Quaker Oats, Rockwell Collins, Archer Daniels Midland, and Allient Energy are amongst the top businesses. Rockwell Collins is the area's largest employer. The company produces communication technology and aviation electronic technology for the government, aircraft manufacturers and airline customers.
In the area's Technology Corridor are numerous high-tech industries and companies. This area is a key sector in the country's defense electronics business. The city as a whole has more than 275 manufacturing facilities currently in operation. Food processing and manufacturing as well as agribusiness are important parts of the economy. Telecommunications and telemarketing likewise provide many jobs within the region. There are local businesses specializing in system planning, equipment manufacturing and electronic design and manufacturing.
The area likewise supports a lot of development and research facilities as the abundant amount of highly educated workers in combination with the mid-nation location has made Cedar Rapids a terrific area for new industries and companies. The productivity rate of the workforce is considerably higher than the rate of average of the United States.