Cedar Rapids, IA Metro Area
The Cedar Rapids, IA metro area is made up of 3 counties in Iowa: Linn, Benton, and Jones, largest first. About 279,285 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), 1.0% more than in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 279,285 1.0% more than in April 2020
- Type
- Metropolitan statistical area
- Counties
- 3: 1 central, 2 outlying
- Land area
- 2,009 sq mi (5,203 km²)
- Time zone
- Central TimeUTC-06:00 in January; UTC-05:00 in July
- State
- Iowa
- Combined statistical area
- Cedar Rapids-Iowa City, IA
- CBSA code
- 16300
Counties in the Cedar Rapids, IA metro area, largest first
| County | Role | Population, July 2025 | Share of the area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linn County | Central | 232,028 | 83.1% |
| Benton County | Outlying | 26,004 | 9.3% |
| Jones County | Outlying | 21,253 | 7.6% |
A central county holds the area’s core, an urban area of at least 50,000 people. An outlying county is in the area because of commuting: at least a quarter of its workers have jobs in the central county, or at least a quarter of the people working there live in them. A county belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal city
- Cedar Rapids137,264 people
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Part of the Cedar Rapids-Iowa City, IA combined statistical area
OMB joins neighboring metro and micro areas into a combined statistical area when enough people commute between them. The other area in this one is
- Iowa City, IA Metro Area182,711 people
Bordering metro and micro areas, nearest first
Areas with a county on this area’s edge. Distances are straight lines between the areas’ largest cities.
- Iowa City, IA Metro Area23 mi south
- Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA Metro Area50 mi northwest
- Dubuque, IA Metro Area62 mi northeast
- Clinton, IA Micro Area74 mi east
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
Find the metro area where you are now, find your county, or see every metro and micro area by population.