Cedar Rapids is Iowa's second largest city and the industrial capital of the state. A variety of events, nightclubs, museums, and attractions are accessible via skywalks. Main entertainment venues downtown include the Paramount Theatre which hosts Broadway shows and the area's symphony orchestra, and the U.S. Cellular Center, which presents many of the area's biggest concerts and sporting events. State, city and county parks offer unlimited recreational activities including golfing, camping, and access to the Cedar River for boating, swimming, and fishing. Facilities for BMX biking, ice skating, snowmobiling, disc golf, sledding, skateboarding, and in-line skating round out an excellent mix of outdoor venues.

Davenport and Bettendorf are Iowa's part of the Quad Cities region. Along with East Moline, Moline, and Rock Island, Illinois, they form a metropolitan area with a population of more than 400,000. The Quad Cities have a rich Native American and Mississippi River heritage. Many of the things to see and do in Davenport and Bettendorf are on or along the Mississippi. Visitors can take a riverboat cruise or ferry boat ride or enjoy riverboat gaming at one of the area's casinos. Islands in the Mississippi River between Iowa and Illinois provide a variety of recreational and historical attractions.

The Mississippi River forms the eastern border of Missouri. In the past the river carried Native Americans, explorers, early settlers and Lewis and Clark. Today this historic river transports agricultural products, provides recreational venues and scenic views, and is home to many historical sites and communities.

Waterloo is an industrial city and home to John Deere tractor. The Cedar River flows through the middle of Waterloo. To the west, Cedar Falls is a university town. The metropolitan area provides a variety of entertainment and outdoor recreational activities for east central Iowa. Both Waterloo and Cedar Falls have downtown shopping and entertainment districts. The Cedar River and many small area lakes provide fishing, boating, sailing, windsurfing, and swimming spots.