City comparison
Ames, IA is about 100 miles (150 km) from Cedar Rapids, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 125 miles, or about 2 h behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Ames, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA takes about 12 min, covering roughly 100 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Cedar Rapids has a population of 136,929, vs 66,265 in Ames — about 2.1× larger by population. By land area, Cedar Rapids covers about 75 sq mi vs 28 sq mi for Ames.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Ames | Cedar Rapids | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,011/mo | $886/mo | 14.1% higher in Ames |
| Median home value | $247,500 | $167,900 | 47.4% higher in Ames |
| Median household income | $57,428 | $66,895 | 16.5% higher in Cedar Rapids |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 83.8 | 84.7 | 1.1% higher in Cedar Rapids |
| Transportation index | 93.3 | 93.3 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 93.5 | 93.5 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Ames, you'd need $100,701 in Cedar Rapids to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Ames, IA is about 0.7% cheaper overall than Cedar Rapids, IA, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Ames, you'd need about $80,561 in Cedar Rapids to keep the same standard of living.