Cedar Falls is a city in Black Hawk County,

Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 40,713. It is home to the University of Northern Iowa, a public university.

History

Cedar Falls was first settled in March 1845 by brothers-in-law William Sturgis and Erasmus D. Adams. Initially, the city was named Sturgis Falls. The city was called Sturgis Falls until it was merged with Cedar City (another city on the other side of the Cedar River), creating Cedar Falls. The city's founders are honored each year with a week long community-wide celebration named in their honor – the Sturgis Falls Celebration. Because of the availability of water power, Cedar Falls developed as a milling and industrial center prior to the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polic ...

. The establishment of the Civil War Soldiers' Orphans Home in Cedar Falls changed the direction in which the city developed when, following the war, it became the first building on the campus of the Iowa State Normal School (now the University of Northern Iowa).

Geography

Cedar Falls is located at (42.523520, −92.446402). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy An economy is an area of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Natural forest, prairie and wetland areas are found within the city limits at the

Hartman Reserve Nature Center Hartman Reserve Nature Center is a nature reserve located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The reserve is dedicated to teaching youth about nature through hands on experiences and preservation. It is the largest undisturbed wooded area in Black Hawk County ...

Demographics

Cedar Falls is part of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metropolitan area.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 39,260 people, 14,608 households, and 8,091 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 15,477 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.4%

White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 2.1%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.2% Native American, 2.3% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 2.0% of the population. There were 14,608 households, of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.6% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age in the city was 26.8 years. 17.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 29.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.5% were from 25 to 44; 20.1% were from 45 to 64; and 12.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 36,145 people, 12,833 households, and 7,558 families living in the city. The population density was 1,277.2 people per square mile (493.1 per km²). There were 13,271 housing units at an average density of 468.9 per square mile (181.1 per km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.14%

, 1.57%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

, 0.15% Native American, 1.61% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...

, 0.41% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. 1.08% of the population were

or Latino of any race. There were 12,833 households, out of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.1% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.91. Age spread: 18.0% under the age of 18, 30.6% from 18 to 24, 20.5% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $70,226, and the median income for a family was $85,158. Males had a median income of $60,235 versus $50,312 for females. The per capita income for the city was $27,140. About 5.6% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.5% of those under age 18, and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

In 1986, the City of Cedar Falls established the Cedar Falls Art and Culture Board, which oversees the operation of the City's Cultural Division and the James & Meryl Hearst Center for the Arts.

Library

The Cedar Falls Public Library is housed in the Adele Whitenach Davis building located at 524 Main Street. The 47,000 square foot (4,400 m²) structure, designed by Struxture Architects, replaced the Carniege-Dayton building in early 2004. As of the 2016 fiscal year, the library's holdings included approximately 8,000 audio materials, 12,000 video materials, and 104,000 books and periodicals for a grand total of approximately 124,000 items. Patrons made 245,000 visits which took advantage of circulation services, adult, teen, and youth programming. Circulation of library materials for fiscal year 2016 was 543,134. The library also provides public access to more than 30 public computers which provide internet access, office software suites, high resolution color printing, wi-fi, and various games. The library also offers digital loaning through Libby, Hoopla, and other platforms. The mission of the Cedar Falls Public Library is to promote literacy and provide open access to resources which facilitate lifelong learning. The library is a member of the Cedar Valley Library Consortium. Cedar Falls Public Library shares an Integrated Library System (SirsiDynix Symphony) with the Waterloo Public Library. Library management is provided by Kelly Stern, Director of the Cedar Falls Public Library.

Historical Society

The Cedar Falls Historical Society has its offices in the Victorian Home and Carriage House Museum. It preserves Cedar Falls' history through its five museums, collection, archives, and public programs. Besides the Victorian House, the Society operates the Cedar Falls Ice House, Little Red Schoolhouse, and Behrens-Rapp Station.

Retail

The city's major shopping mall is College Square Mall, built in 1969.

Theatre

The Oster Regent Theatre in downtown Cedar Falls originally opened in 1910 as the Cotton Theatre. It is currently the home of the Cedar Falls Community Theatre which was founded in 1978. The company produces approximately seven to eight shows per season. The Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center on the University of Northern Iowa campus hosts many professionally touring Broadway plays and musicals throughout the year. The facility's Great Hall can seat 1,680 patrons.

Education

It hosts one of three public universities in Iowa, University of Northern Iowa (UNI).

Cedar Falls Community Schools Cedar Falls Community School District or Cedar Falls Community Schools is a public school district for Cedar Falls, Iowa. Its headquarters is located at 1002 West First Street in Cedar Falls. The district is in Black Hawk County, Iowa, Black ...

, which covers most of the city limits, includes

Cedar Falls High School Cedar Falls High School is a high school located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It is a part of Cedar Falls Community School District. The school principal is Jason Wedgebury. The associate principals are Rafael Benítez and Lindsay Spears. All three are ...

, two junior high schools, seven elementary schools.

Waterloo Community School District Waterloo Community School District (WCSD) is a public school district headquartered in Waterloo, Iowa. It is entirely in Black Hawk County. In addition to almost all of Waterloo the municipalities of Elk Run Heights, Evansdale, Gilbertville, ...

covers a small section of Cedar Falls. There is a private Christian school, Valley Lutheran High School. Additionally there is a private Catholic elementary school at St. Patrick Catholic Church, under the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque The Archdiocese of Dubuque ( la, Archidiœcesis Dubuquensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. Hist ...

. A significant renovation occurred beginning in May 2014. The Malcolm Price Lab School/ Northern University High School, was a state-funded K–12 school run by the university. It closed in 2012 following cuts at UNI.

Utilities and internet access

The city owns its power, gas and water, and cable TV service. Because of this, Cedar Falls Utilities provides

gigabit The bit is the most basic unit of information in computing and digital communications. The name is a portmanteau of binary digit. The bit represents a logical state with one of two possible values. These values are most commonly represent ...

speeds to residents, this became available on January 14, 2015. Cedar Falls has the power to do so because, unlike 19 other states,

does not prohibit municipal broadband from competing with the private cable TV

monopoly A monopoly (from Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situation where a speci ...

. In 2020, Cedar Falls Utilities was recognized by PC Magazine as having the nation's fastest internet, by a factor of three.

Transportation

Cedar Falls has public transportation provided by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Black Hawk County.

Media

;FM radio * 88.1

KBBG KBBG (88.1 FM) is a non-commercial educational radio station licensed to serve the community of Waterloo, Iowa. KBBG is owned by Afro American Community Broadcasting, Inc and is organized as a 501(C)3 tax-exempt organization. Jimmie Porter fo ...

* 88.9 KWVI * 89.5 KHKE * 90.9 KUNI (FM) * 92.3 KOEL-FM – Licensed to Oelwein with main studios in Waterloo * 93.5

KCVM KCVM (93.5 FM broadcasting, FM) is a commercial radio station located in Evansdale, Iowa serving the Waterloo, Iowa, Waterloo/Cedar Falls, Iowa area. The station broadcasts a hot adult contemporary music format. KCVM is licensed to James Coloff' ...

* 94.5

KULT-LP KULT-LP (94.5 FM, "The Kult") is a college radio station broadcasting an alternative rock radio format. Licensed to Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States, the station serves the University of Northern Iowa The University of Northern Iowa (UNI) ...

* 97.7 KCRR – Licensed to Grundy Center with main studios in Waterloo * 98.5 KKHQ-FM * 99.3

KWAY-FM KWAY-FM (99.3 FM, "Y 99.3") is a radio station broadcasting a Contemporary Hit Radio music format and KWAY Country AM 1470 FM 96.3 has country music ranging from modern to classic. Licensed to Waverly, Iowa, United States, the station serves th ...

– Located in Waverly * 101.9 KNWS-FM * 105.1 KCFI * 105.7

KOKZ KOKZ (105.7 FM) is a radio station serving the Waterloo and Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids () is the second-largest city in Iowa, United States and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Io ...

* 107.9 KFMW ;AM radio * 600 WMT – Located in Cedar Rapids * 640 WOI – Located in Ames * 950

KOEL The true koels, ''Eudynamys'', are a genus of cuckoos from Asia, Australia and the Pacific. They are large sexually dimorphic cuckoos that eat fruits and insects and have loud distinctive calls. They are brood parasites, laying their eggs ...

– Located in Oelwein * 1040 WHO – Located in Des Moines * 1090

KNWS KNWS may refer to: * KNWS (AM), a radio station (1090 AM) licensed to Waterloo, Iowa, United States * KNWS-FM, a radio station (101.9 FM) licensed to Waterloo, Iowa, United States * KNWS-LD, a television station (channel 27, virtual 64) licensed ...

* 1250 KCFI * 1330 KPTY * 1540 KXEL * 1650 KCNZ ;Broadcast television *2 KGAN 2 ( CBS) – Located in Cedar Rapids *7 KWWL 7 ( NBC,

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

on DT2, Me-TV on DT3) - Located in

Waterloo Waterloo most commonly refers to: * Battle of Waterloo, a battle on 18 June 1815 in which Napoleon met his final defeat * Waterloo, Belgium, where the battle took place. Waterloo may also refer to: Other places Antarctica *King George Island (S ...

*9 KCRG 9 ( ABC) – Located in Cedar Rapids *12 KIIN 12 ( PBS/

IPTV Internet Protocol television (IPTV) is the delivery of television content over Internet Protocol (IP) networks. This is in contrast to delivery through traditional terrestrial, satellite, and cable television formats. Unlike downloaded med ...

) – Located in Iowa City *17 K17ET 17 / K31PO-D 44 ( TBN) *20 KWKB 20 ( Court TV Mystery) – Located in Iowa City *28 KFXA 28 (

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelv ...

) – Located in Cedar Rapids *32 KRIN 32 ( PBS/

) *40 KFXB-TV 40 ( CTN) – Located in

Dubuque Dubuque (, ) is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. At the time of the 2020 census, the population of Dubuque was 59,667. The city lies at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a r ...

;Print * '' The Courier'', daily newspaper * The Cedar Falls Times, weekly newspaper * ''The Cedar Valley What Not'', weekly advertiser ;Music The underground music scene in the Cedar Falls area from 1977 to present-day is well documented. The Wartburg College Art Gallery in Waverly, Iowa hosted a collaborative history of the bands,

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the prod ...

s, and music venues involved in the Cedar Falls music scene which ran from March 17 to April 14, 2007. This effort has been continued as a wiki-style website called ''The Secret History of the Cedar Valley''.

Notable people

;Actors *

Annabeth Gish Anne Elizabeth "Annabeth" Gish (born March 13, 1971) is an American actress. She has played roles in films '' Shag'', '' Hiding Out'', ''Mystic Pizza'', '' SLC Punk!'', '' The Last Supper'' and '' Double Jeopardy''. On television, she played Spe ...

– actress * Gary Kroeger – actor, ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serve ...

'' 1982–1985 *

Michael Mosley Michael Hugh Mosley (22 March 1957 – 5 June 2024) was a British television and radio journalist, producer, presenter and writer who worked for the BBC from 1985 until his death. He presented television programmes on biology and medicine a ...

– actor, '' Scrubs'' * Mark Steines – co-host, '' Entertainment Tonight'', alumnus of University of Northern Iowa *

Joe Trotter Joe Trotter (born September 23, 1963 in Cedar Falls, Iowa) is an American actor. Joe was discovered by John Frankenheimer for the cast of ''Andersonville'' (1996), a TNT 4-hour miniseries, as a northern sergeant in a southern prison of war cam ...

— actor/comedian, Andersonville ;Athletes * Trev Alberts – football player, 1993 Butkus Award (for best linebacker in NCAA Division I), All-American at

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the so ...

; a No. 1 draft choice of

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 20 ...

, broadcaster, former Director of Athletics at University of Nebraska-Omaha 2009-2021
Vice Chancellor, and Director of Athletics
at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2021–present. * Don Denkinger – Major League Baseball umpire, made controversial call in 1985 World Series * Travis Fulton – UFC fighter * David Johnson – running back for NFL's

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division, an ...

, UNI alumnus *

Bryce Paup Bryce Eric Paup (born February 29, 1968) is an American former professional football player who was an outside linebacker for eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars ...

– NFL player, UNI alumnus *

Chad Rinehart Chad Rinehart (born May 4, 1985) is a former American football guard. He played college football at Northern Iowa, and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the third round with the 96th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. Rinehart has been ...

– NFL player, Boone High School, UNI * Nick Ring – UFC fighter *

Edgar Seymour Edgar Duff Seymour (June 25, 1912, Cedar Falls, Iowa – April 30, 2011) was an American bobsledder who competed in the late 1950s. He attended the Pennsylvania State University from 1934 to 1938. At the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampez ...

– Olympic bobsledder * Terry Stotts – NBA player and coach * Dedric Ward – NFL wide receiver, UNI alumnus *

Kurt Warner Kurtis Eugene Warner (born June 22, 1971) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals. His career, which saw him ascend ...

– NFL quarterback for St. Louis Rams,

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...

and

, Super Bowl champion, UNI alumnus * Ross Pierschbacher – NFL player *

Isaac Boettger Isaac "Ike" Boettger (born October 5, 1994) is an American football guard who is a free agent. He played college football at Iowa. High school career At Cedar Falls High School in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Boettger played tight end, wide receiv ...

– NFL player ;Military * Robert Hibbs –

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor ...

recipient ;Musicians * Karen Holvik – classical soprano, currently on the faculty of the

Eastman School of Music The Eastman School of Music is the music school of the University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York. It was established in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman. It offers Bachelor of Music ...

Nilo Hovey Nilo W. Hovey (September 22, 1906 – March 14, 1986) was a clarinetist, composer, conductor, music educator, and author of many musical instrument method books.Victor William Zajec"33. Nilo W. Hovey, President 1970" ''American Bandm ...

– acclaimed instrumental music pedagogue, author of numerous instrument method books *

House of Large Sizes House of Large Sizes (sometimes known as HOLS) was an American alternative rock band from Cedar Falls, Iowa, formed in 1986. The band was led by singer/guitarist Dave Deibler and singer/bassist Barb Schilf, with three different drummers during th ...

– an alternative rock band * Bonnie Koloc – folk singer, songwriter and musician, born in

Waterloo, Iowa Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 67,314, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. The city is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Fall ...

, attended UNI * * *

Spirit of the Stairway ''L'esprit de l'escalier'' or (, , ; ) is a French term used in English for the predicament of thinking of the perfect reply too late. Origin This name for the phenomenon comes from French encyclopedist and philosopher Denis Diderot's descri ...

– Mathcore band * Bill Stewart – jazz drummer and composer, attended UNI * Tracie Spencer – singer ;Politicians * Marv Diemer – Iowa state legislator *

Charles Grassley Charles Ernest Grassley (born September 17, 1933) is an American politician serving as the president pro tempore emeritus of the United States Senate, and the senior United States senator from Iowa, having held the seat since 1981. In 2022, ...

– U.S. Senator, attended UNI * Gil Gutknecht – former Minnesota congressman *

Roger Jepsen Roger William Jepsen (December 23, 1928 – November 13, 2020) was an American politician from the state of Iowa. A Republican, he served in the United States Senate and as Lieutenant Governor of Iowa. Early life Jepsen was born on Decemb ...

– former U.S. Senator ;Scientists * Gerald Guralnik – physicist, co-discoverer of the "Higgs Mechanism" ;Writers * Bess Streeter Aldrich (1881–1954) – novelist * R.V. Cassill – novelist and short story writer * James Hearst – poet, farmer, professor of creative writing at UNI between 1941 and 1975 *

Helen Markley Miller Helen Catherine Knapp Markley Miller (December 4, 1896 – November 1984) was an American writer of historical and biographical fiction for children taking place in the Western United States. Biography Helen Markley Miller was born in Cedar Falls ...

(1896 – 1984), writer of historical and biographical fiction for children about the Western United States. * Ruth Suckow Nuhn (1892–1960) – author of short stories and novels (including ''Country People'', ''The Folks'', ''New Hope'') *

Ferner Nuhn Ferner Nuhn (July 25, 1903 – April 15, 1989) was an American writer, literary critic, and artist born in Cedar Falls, Iowa, the son of William C. and Anna R. Nuhn. He described his background as Middle Western of mixed German, Swiss and Penns ...

(1903–1989) – literary critic, author of articles and essays, artist, Quaker activist * Nancy Price – author of '' Sleeping with the Enemy'' *

Leland Sage Leland Livingston Sage (April 23, 1899 – February 16, 1989) was an American professor emeritus of history at the University of Northern Iowa. He was deeply interested in Iowa history, and wrote two books on it, both of which won national rec ...

– professor at UNI and historian *

Robert James Waller Robert James Waller (August 1, 1939 – March 10, 2017) was an American author best known for ''The Bridges of Madison County'', an enormously successful book in 1993. He was also a photographer and musician. Life Robert James Waller Jr. was ...

– author of ''

The Bridges of Madison County ''The Bridges of Madison County'' (also published as ''Love in Black and White'') is a 1992 best-selling romance novel by American writer Robert James Waller that tells the story of a married Italian-American woman ( WWII war bride) living on ...

'', attended UNI ;Other *

Marc Andreessen Marc Lowell Andreessen ( ; born July 9, 1971) is an American entrepreneur, investor, and software engineer. He is the co-author of Mosaic, the first widely used web browser; co-founder of Netscape; and co-founder and general partner of Silicon ...

– co-founder,

Netscape Corporation Netscape Communications Corporation (originally Mosaic Communications Corporation) was an American independent computer services company with headquarters in Mountain View, California and then Dulles, Virginia. Its Netscape web browser was onc ...

* Raja Chari – astronaut *

Adelia M. Hoyt Adelia M. Hoyt (December 3, 1865 – April 1, 1966) was an American librarian, writer, and advocate for blind people. Early life Adelia M. Hoyt was born near Cedar Falls, Iowa, in a sod house, the daughter of Caroline Mix DeGroff Hoyt and her sec ...

(1865–1966) – Braille librarian, Library of Congress * John H. Livingston – aviator and air racer * Randy & Vicki Weaver – parents, John Deere Employee, Ruby Ridge incident *

Tim Dodd The logo of "Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut" Tim Dodd (born February 27, 1985), also known as Everyday Astronaut, is an American science communicator, YouTube content creator, photographer, and musician. After becoming popular with his space- ...

– popular STEM communicator and YouTube Creator known as the "Everyday Astronaut"

References

External links

City of Cedar Falls

Cedar Falls Chamber of Commerce

Cedar Falls Tourism and Visitors Bureau

Cedar Falls Historical Society
{{Authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Black Hawk County, Iowa Waterloo – Cedar Falls metropolitan area 1845 establishments in Iowa Territory Populated places established in 1845