Historical Markers
Man hands sandwich through a window to customer - roadside americana

By car · metro area, Iowa

Roadside Americana in Cedar Rapids, IA

Motor courts, filling stations, diners and drive-ins from the age of the two-lane highway, listed where they still stand.

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Photo: Josh Keys on Unsplash

The Cedar Rapids, IA metro area has about 279,285 residents, ranking 183rd in the country. Reading about this period is one thing. Standing where it happened, with the record in your hand, is how it stops being a date on a test.

A diner with cars parked in front of it - roadside americana
Photo: Visual Laurence on Unsplash
A motel sign in the middle of a desert - roadside americana
Photo: Leo_Visions on Unsplash
A statue of a cowboy holding a surfboard in front of a gas station - roadside americana
Photo: Mick Haupt on Unsplash

On the record near Cedar Rapids, IA

The 7 nearest

7 listed sites on the record match roadside americana within 60 miles of Cedar Rapids, IA, out of 177 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles.

  1. Best Oil and Refining Company Service Stationunder a mile from the center of Cedar Rapids · Building · Cedar Rapids · listed 2014National Register of Historic Places
  2. Youngville Cafe19 miles from the center of Cedar Rapids · Building · Watkins · listed 2007National Register of Historic Places
  3. Kreinbring Phillips 66 Gas Station39 miles from the center of Cedar Rapids · Building · Lowden · listed 2000National Register of Historic Places
  4. Lincoln Highway Bridge46 miles from the center of Cedar Rapids · Structure · Tama · listed 1978National Register of Historic Places
  5. Master Service Station50 miles from the center of Cedar Rapids · Building · Waterloo · listed 2011National Register of Historic Places
  6. Hotel Hurst Garage52 miles from the center of Cedar Rapids · Building · Maquoketa · listed 1989National Register of Historic Places
  7. Pioneer Oil Company Filling Station57 miles from the center of Cedar Rapids · Building · Grinnell · listed 2013National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Cedar Rapids, IA. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Roadside Americana in Cedar Rapids, step by step

  1. 1

    Set the loop so you never double back

  2. 2

    Check pull-offs and parking at each stop

  3. 3

    Read the record for each stop before you arrive

  4. 4

    Pull over safely, step out, and see it in person

  5. 5

    Collect the stops and save the loop for another season

What people in Cedar Rapids, IA ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Cedar Rapids, IA?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are the hard parts of this history included?

Yes. The record is shown as published, and the stories behind the markers include what happened, who it happened to, and how it was remembered. Leaving the hard parts out would make the stop less worth the trip.

Why are there so many of these sites near Cedar Rapids, IA?

Most areas have more than people expect, because the registers list every surviving building and site tied to a period, not just the famous ones. The list on this page shows exactly what is on the record nearby.

How a visit works in Cedar Rapids

  1. Step 1

    Find the place

    Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Cedar Rapids, IA the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.

  2. Step 2

    Read the story

    The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.

  3. Step 3

    Get there under your own power

    Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Cedar Rapids, IA are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.

  4. Step 4

    Collect it and come back

    Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.

The rules that make it work

The record comes first

Every site on these pages comes from a published register or marker program, with its source named. Nothing is listed that is not on the record.

Read the whole story

A marker is a few lines on a post. The story behind it is longer, and it includes the hard parts. Both are worth the stop.

Movement makes it stick

People remember the places they walked to. A route through five markers teaches more than fifty marker pages read on a couch.

Local beats famous

The marker two streets over usually has a better story than the one in the guidebook, and nobody else is standing in front of it.

Respect the ground

Many sites are private homes, working churches or cemeteries. View from the public way, follow posted hours, and leave it as you found it.

Every visitor can improve it

Markers go missing, get moved, or carry mistakes. A photo or a location fix from the person standing there is how the record stays right.

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Roadside Americana near Cedar Rapids

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