Cedar Falls

Home to University of Northern Iowa, the third-largest public university in the state of Iowa. The city gets its name from the Cedar River which flows on the city's eastern side. On the other side of the river is the more populous Waterloo; collectively these two are known as the "Cedar Valley".
In 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate was 36,940, while the Cedar Valley has a population of more than 100,000.

Visitor's center

Cedar Falls Visitors and Tourism Bureau

By plane

Waterloo Regional Airport

Delta Air Lines has flights available.().

By bus

• Greyhound Bus Lines

  phone: +1 319 234-2833
  address: 4116 Sycamore St., Waterloo

• Metropolitan Transit Authority

  phone: +1 319 234-5713
  address: 1515 Blackhawk St., Waterloo

By car

Traveling east/west on U.S. Highway 20 or north/south on U.S. 218 are the most common routes.

• Ice House Museum

  phone: +1 319 273-5149
  address: 1st and Clay Streets
  Built in 1921, this unique round structure was originally home to the flourishing Cedar Falls Ice and Fuel Company. It stored six to eight thousand tons of ice each year cut right from the frozen Cedar River.

• Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center

  phone: +1 319 273-4849
  address: 8201 Dakota St.
  Gallagher-Bluedorn hosts over 150 performances each year from major stars like Bill Cosby and Kathy Mattea to hit Broadway shows like "Cats" and "Mamma Mia".

• Hearst Center for the Arts

  phone: +1 319 273-8641
  address: 304 West Seerley Blvd.
  The center's permanent collection was started by farmer poest James Hearst and has a variety of regional, national, and international exhibitions.

• Oster Regent Theatre

  phone: +1 319 277-5283
  address: 103 Main Street
  Built in 1910 and restored in 1994, this 500 seat theatre is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places. It houses a resident theatre company producing five plays and hosting several other presentations and events each year.

The university has all the things you'd expect a public university to have, including music events, theater, sports, and guest speakers. The campus is home to over 90 undergraduate majors, including Iowa's No. 1 teaching program, and 50 graduate programs. The major venues on campus are Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, UNI-Dome and McLeod Center.

• Cedar Valley TrailsOver 106 miles of hard-surfaced trails configured in a series of loops offers users a variety of experiences through wooded areas and along our lakes and streams.

• College Hill Arts FestivalThis festival showcases 75 Midwest artists, presenting original works and offering demonstrations in various media.

• Sturgis Falls CelebrationThe original name for the city was Sturgis Falls, and for over 35 years, locals have been celebrating the city with a parade, carnival, talent shows and food.

• UNI-Dome

  phone: +1 319 273-3664
  address: 2401 Hudson Rd
  This 16,400 seat multi-purpose venue hosts an estimated 125 events each year including UNI Panther Football, indoor track and field meets, Iowa High School Football Playoffs, and other trade shows and concerts.

Cedar Falls is known for its selection of unique, locally owned gift shops. At the same time, it offers national retail chains including Von Maur, Aeropostale, Buckle, and Scheels.

The closest restaurants to campus are on The Hill on College St., northeast of campus. Popular standbys include Sub City (where they say the meat is piled high and they don't lie), Beck's, and the Other Place (O.P.) for pizza. Main Street downtown is a popular spot for a variety of restaurants, those of which are finer dining. Many restaurants, mostly chains, are located on University Ave.

• The Brown Bottle

  phone: +1 319 266-2616
  address: 1111 Center St.
  A long-time favorite serving Italian fare. After a meal one can stroll alongside the river just across the street. Gluten-free menu available.

• Pepper's Grill and Sports Pub

  phone: +1 319 266-9394
  address: 620 E 18th St.
  2 floors with 40+ TVs to watch your favorite game. Wings, sandwiches and a wide range of alcoholic drinks.

• Mulligans Brick Oven Grill and Pub

  phone: +1 319 277-3426
  address: 205 E 18th St.
  Another popular place to both eat and watch sporting events. Mulligan's Brick Oven combines old world hearth baking techniques with some of the perks of modern pizza ovens.

College Hill

• Beck's Sports Grill on the Hill

  phone: +1 319 277-2646
  address: 2208 College St
  Winner of the area's best burger for eight consecutive years and best sports bar five years.

• The Library

  phone: +1 319 277-3962
  address: 2222 College St
  Sit and relax with a patio out back and jukebox available for tunes.

• Octopus

  address: 2205 College St
  Small bar with a great beer selection that features vinyl records.

• Sharky's

  phone: +1 319 277-3019
  address: 2223 College St
  Bar by day, dance club by night.

• Suds

  phone: +1 319 277-9961
  address: 2223 1/2 College St
  Small bar with adjoining outside beer garden. Jukebox and pool tables.

Main Street

• The Hub

  phone: +1 319 266-2360
  address: 406 Main St
  Pool table, dart board, TV's, and acoustic stage. Features the area's best live music 6-7 nights per week.

• Montage

  phone: +1 319 268-7222
  address: 222 Main St
  Award-winning wine cellar with 1,000 plus bottles.

• The Stuffed Olive

  phone: +1 319 266-0868
  address: 117 Main St
  Over 100 martini choices.

• Blackhawk Hotel

  phone: +1 319 277-1161
  address: 115 Main St.
  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

• Comfort Suites

  phone: +1 319 273-9999
  address: 7402 Nordic Dr.
  Oversized, all suite rooms, a family friendly zero-depth entry pool, and a free hot breakfast.

• Hilton Garden Inn

  phone: +1 319 266-6611
  address: 7213 Nordic Dr.
  Opened in 2012 with meeting space, restaurant, bar, pool, and spa.

Area code is 319.

Wireless

Most buildings on UNI's campus offer Wi-Fi. One of the most popular places is Maucker Union, which has food and drink vendors.

• Panera Bread Bakery & Cafe

  address: 6403 University Ave

• Starbucks Coffee Company

  address: 6421 University Ave