Cedar Falls, Iowa | |
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City | |
Downtown Main Street, 2010
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Location of Cedar Falls, Iowa |
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Location in the United States | |
Coordinates: 42°31′25″N 92°26′47″W / 42.523520°N 92.446402°WCoordinates: 42°31′25″N 92°26′47″W / 42.523520°N 92.446402°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Iowa |
County | Black Hawk |
Government | |
• Mayor | Jim Brown as of 2016 |
Area | |
• Total | 29.61 sq mi (76.69 km2) |
• Land | 28.75 sq mi (74.46 km2) |
• Water | 0.86 sq mi (2.23 km2) |
Elevation | 879 ft (268 m) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 39,260 |
• Estimate (2013) | 40,566 |
• Density | 1,365.6/sq mi (527.3/km2) |
Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC−6) |
• Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC−5) |
ZIP code | 50613 |
Area code(s) | 319 |
FIPS code | 19-11755 |
GNIS feature ID | 0455240 |
Website | City Website |
Cedar Falls is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 39,260 and has the smaller population of the two principal cities in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metropolitan area. It is home to the University of Northern Iowa, a public university.
Cedar Falls was founded in 1845 by William Sturgis. It was originally named Sturgis Falls, for the first family who settled the site. The Sturgis family moved on within a few years and the city was renamed Cedar Falls because of its proximity to the Cedar River. However the city's founders are honored each year with a three-day 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. 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).
Cedar Falls is located at 42°31′24″N 92°26′45″W / 42.52333°N 92.44583°W (42.523520, −92.446402). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.61 square miles (76.69 km2), of which, 28.75 square miles (74.46 km2) is land and 0.86 square miles (2.23 km2) is water.
Natural forest, prairie and wetland areas are found within the city limits at the Hartman Reserve Nature Center.
As of the census of 2010, there were 39,260 people, 14,608 households, and 8,091 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,365.6 inhabitants per square mile (527.3/km2). There were 15,477 housing units at an average density of 538.3 per square mile (207.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.4% White, 2.1% African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.3% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.0% of the population.