Self-guided · metro area, Iowa
World War II Sites in Cedar Rapids, IA
Airfields, training camps, ordnance plants and home-front sites from the Second World War, many still standing in plain sight.
The Cedar Rapids, IA metro area has about 279,285 residents, ranking 183rd in the country. World War II Sites are spread across the country in places most people would not guess. The list below shows how close the nearest ones are to Cedar Rapids, IA.
On the record near Cedar Rapids, IA
The 7 nearest
7 listed sites on the record match world war ii sites within 300 miles of Cedar Rapids, IA, out of 177 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles.
- Fairfield Public Library68 miles from the center of Cedar Rapids · Building · Fairfield · listed 1983National Register of Historic Places
- Administration Building, U.S. Naval Air Station Ottumwa72 miles from the center of Cedar Rapids · Building · Ottumwa · listed 2013National Register of Historic Places
- Civilian Conservation Corps--Prisoner of War Recreation Hall78 miles from the center of Cedar Rapids · Building · Eldora · listed 2012National Register of Historic Places
- Hangar 1, Naval Air Station--Glenview197 miles from the center of Cedar Rapids · Building · Glenview · listed 1998National Register of Historic Places
- Mansion Street WWII Defense Housing Historic District249 miles from the center of Cedar Rapids · District · De Pere · listed 2021National Register of Historic Places
- Armour Boulevard Post-World War II Apartment Building Historic District253 miles from the center of Cedar Rapids · District · Kansas City · listed 2007National Register of Historic Places
- Lincoln Army Air Field Regimental Chapel276 miles from the center of Cedar Rapids · Building · Lincoln · listed 1993National 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.
World War II Sites in Cedar Rapids, step by step
- 1
Read the short history of the period for this area
- 2
Open the map filtered to the sites from that chapter
- 3
Visit the nearest site and read its full record
- 4
Ask what the marker leaves out and look for the rest
- 5
Add the site to a route that follows the period in order
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
More ways in around Cedar Rapids, IA
World War II Sites near Cedar Rapids
- World War II Sites in Linn County, IA
- World War II Sites in Benton County, IA
- World War II Sites in Johnson County, IA
- World War II Sites in Iowa City, IA
- World War II Sites in Jones County, IA
- World War II Sites in Iowa County, IA
- World War II Sites in Cedar County, IA
- World War II Sites in Buchanan County, IA
- World War II Sites in Delaware County, IA
- World War II Sites in Washington County, IA