Iowa

Distance from Cedar Rapids to Des Moines

Straight-line distance

103.1mi

Cedar Rapids, IA and Des Moines, IA are 103.1 miles (166.0 km) apart in a straight line. From Cedar Rapids, the shortest path starts out heading WSW (255°).

kilometers
166.0
nautical miles
89.6
heading from Cedar Rapids
255° WSW
heading from Des Moines
74° ENE
Cedar RapidsDes Moines

Orange line: great-circle path · ring: midpoint · thin lines: county borders

How far Cedar Rapids is from Des Moines

The great-circle distance between the Census internal points of Cedar Rapids and Des Moines is 103.1 miles, 166.0 km or 89.6 nautical miles. That is the shortest path over the Earth's surface, computed with the haversine formula on a sphere with the mean Earth radius, 6,371.0 km. A course held on one compass bearing (a rhumb line) would be 103.1 miles, practically the same at this range.

Measurements

Miles
103.1
Kilometers
166.0
Nautical miles
89.6
Bearing from Cedar Rapids
255.4° WSW
Bearing arriving at Des Moines
254.1°
Bearing from Des Moines
74.1° ENE

Halfway between Cedar Rapids and Des Moines

The great-circle midpoint is at 41.772442, -92.647647 (41°46'20.79"N 92°38'51.53"W). The nearest incorporated place of 1,000 or more people is Grinnell, IA, with 9,495 residents, 4.7 miles from the midpoint. To find towns near the midpoint of any two places, use the halfway tool.

Time zones and daylight

Both use America/Chicago, so there is no time difference. On June 21, Cedar Rapids gets 15 h 14 min of daylight and Des Moines 15 h 12 min; on December 21, 9 h 07 min and 9 h 10 min. The two sit at nearly the same latitude, so their day lengths match closely all year.

Population compared

Des Moines has 1.5 times the population of Cedar Rapids. From July 2020 to July 2024, Cedar Rapids changed by +0.0% and Des Moines by -0.3%. Both are in Iowa.

  1. 01Cedar Rapids, IA137,904 (+0.0%)
  2. 02Des Moines, IA213,096 (-0.3%)
July 1, 2024 population and change since July 2020, Census Vintage 2024.

Questions people ask

How far is Cedar Rapids from Des Moines?

103.1 miles, 166.0 km or 89.6 nautical miles along the great circle between the two Census internal points. Road distance is longer.

Which direction is Des Moines from Cedar Rapids?

WSW. The great-circle path leaves Cedar Rapids on a bearing of 255.4° and arrives at Des Moines on 254.1°. The return trip starts on 74.1°.

What is halfway between Cedar Rapids and Des Moines?

The midpoint is at 41.772442, -92.647647. The nearest incorporated place of 1,000+ is Grinnell, IA, 4.7 miles from it.

Is there a time difference between Cedar Rapids and Des Moines?

Both use America/Chicago, so there is no time difference.

Which is bigger, Cedar Rapids or Des Moines?

Des Moines, with 213,096 residents in July 2024 against 137,904 for Cedar Rapids, 1.5 times as many.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census 2024 Gazetteer internal points and Vintage 2024 estimates; time zones from Open-Meteo.

  1. 01Census 2024 Gazetteer, places
  2. 02Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  3. 03SunCalc library (Vladimir Agafonkin), algorithms after Jean Meeus
  4. 04IANA time zone database (clock times and daylight saving rules)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.