Cedar Falls, Iowa
12 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1984. It stands in Cedar Falls City. It lies in ZIP code area 50613. It stands on Dry Run. The Survey maps it on the Cedar Falls quadrangle. 40,713 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 879 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Cedar Falls
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 10 records
Black Hawk Hotellisted 2002
Cedar Falls Downtown Historic Districtlisted 2017
Cedar Falls Ice Houselisted 1977
Cedar Falls Independent Order of Odd Fellowslisted 1997
Cedar Falls Post Officelisted 2016
Cotton Theaterlisted 1993
C. A. Rownd Round Barnlisted 1986- James Newell Barnlisted 1976
- Wild Historic Districtlisted 2019
- Daniel and Margaret Wild Houselisted 2017
Population over time
2 figuresCedar Falls grew from 39,260 to 40,713 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 39,260 | |
| 2020 | 40,713 | +1,453 (+4%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
4 surveys from 12 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1954 USGS Waterloo quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1955 USGS Waterloo quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1963 USGS Cedar Falls quadrangle1:24000, 4 printings
- 1984 USGS Waverly quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
8 since 2002Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 8 fires within 5 miles of Cedar Falls between 2002 and 2011, burning about 82 acres in total. None started naturally. 2 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 4 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 2 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 2002 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Iowa State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 21 July 2002 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Iowa State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 3 June 2002 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Iowa State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 28 April 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | 310 ST. SPRUCE AVE, IA |
| 23 March 2002 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Iowa State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 18 March 2002 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Iowa State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 8 November 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 75 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 29 November 2002 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 5.0 acres | Iowa State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 14 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 14 workings within 5 miles of Cedar Falls: 13 past producers, 1 producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Clay. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burton Avenue Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Stead Bros. and Guenther Clay Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Waterloo and Cedar Falls Brick Co. | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 111 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Cedar Falls in 111 storm reports between 1996 and 2025: 45 hail, 38 thunderstorm wind, 14 heavy rain, 4 lightning. The reports record 1 death and 25 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2000 | Tornado (F3) | Cedar Falls | 1 killed, 25 hurt, $1,750,000 | Multi-vortex, regerative tornado |
| April 2010 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $1,000,000 | The ground was covered by 1 to 3.5 inch diameter hail. |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cedar Falls | $750,000 | Six inch diameter tree branches were down and a radio station tower collapsed. |
| July 2007 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $300,000 | no account filed |
| July 2007 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $200,000 | no account filed |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cedar Falls | $100,000 | Many trees were down in the residential areas of the Cedar Falls and Waterloo areas. Dime to nickel size hail was also reported. |
| April 2010 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $100,000 | no account filed |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cedar Falls | $75,000 | no account filed |
| September 2011 | Lightning | Cedar Falls | $50,000 | A building and two trees were set ablaze by lightning. |
| April 2010 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $50,000 | no account filed |
| August 2010 | Lightning | Cedar Falls | $50,000 | no account filed |
| July 2007 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $35,000 | no account filed |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cedar Falls | $25,000 | Trees were blown down, the power was out, and fences were blown down. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cedar Falls | $25,000 | Numerous trees were downed by high winds in the town of Cedar Falls. |
| April 2010 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Flash Flood | Cedar Falls | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 2007 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $25,000 | no account filed |
| September 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cedar Falls | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $25,000 | no account filed |
| April 2010 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $20,000 | Hail was reported at the intersection of 6th and Main. |
| April 2008 | Flash Flood | Cedar Falls | $20,000 | Sandbagging operations were being done around the fire station due to flooding from the Dry Run Creek. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cedar Falls | $20,000 | Numerous reports of trees down in the Cedar Falls and Waterloo areas. Reports began at 2206 CST. |
| July 2007 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $20,000 | no account filed |
| July 2007 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $20,000 | no account filed |
| July 2007 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $20,000 | no account filed |
| May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cedar Falls | $15,000 | Public reported a tree fell on their house. Time estimated by radar. |
| April 2010 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $15,000 | no account filed |
| April 2010 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $15,000 | no account filed |
| August 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cedar Falls | $15,000 | no account filed |
| September 2018 | Flash Flood | Cedar Falls | $10,000 | KWWL relayed images of stalled cars in around 1 to 2 feet of water. The water did not look to be moving. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cedar Falls | $10,000 | Power lines were reported down. |
| June 2010 | Flash Flood | Cedar Falls | $10,000 | Water over the road at Hudson and 23rd St. |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cedar Falls | $10,000 | A tree and large branches blown down along Franklin St in Cedar Falls. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cedar Falls | $10,000 | Trees were uprooted and power lines blown down. |
| April 2013 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $10,000 | no account filed |
| April 2013 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $10,000 | no account filed |
| April 2013 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $10,000 | no account filed |
| March 2007 | Flood | Cedar Falls | $10,000 | no account filed |
| July 2007 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $10,000 | no account filed |
| July 2007 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $10,000 | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cedar Falls | $6,000 | Tree down on power lines resulting in power outages around Cedar Falls. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cedar Falls | $5,000 | Power poles were blown down at 19th and Summit. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cedar Falls | $5,000 | Power pole was blown down. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cedar Falls | $5,000 | Trees were downed at 9th and college. |
| April 2013 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $5,000 | no account filed |
| April 2010 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 2007 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $5,000 | no account filed |
| February 2007 | Lightning | Cedar Falls | $5,000 | no account filed |
| September 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cedar Falls | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cedar Falls | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cedar Falls | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 1998 | Lightning | Cedar Falls | $5,000 | no account filed |
| August 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cedar Falls | $3,000 | Winds toppled trees at the corner of Orchard Drive and Laurinda in Cedar Falls. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cedar Falls | $3,000 | Numerous tree branches down. |
| May 2008 | Hail | Cedar Falls | $3,000 | Quarter size hail was reported. |
| June 2001 | Tornado (F0) | Cedar Falls | $3,000 | Brief touchdown on the edge of town. |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar City | 0.9 miles | 12 | |
| Lamplighter Villa | 1.7 miles | 12 | |
| North Cedar | 1.9 miles | 12 | |
| Norris Siding | 2.4 miles | 12 | |
| Castle Hill | 2.8 miles | 12 | |
| Benson | 5.2 miles | 9 | |
| Cedar Falls Junction | 5.9 miles | 10 | |
| Waterloo | 5.9 miles | 11 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Cedar Falls | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q582212 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 455240. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.



