Cedar Rapids weather in October

In October, Cedar Rapids sees average daytime highs of 61°F and overnight lows near 42°F, with 2.9 in of precipitation across 8.6 wet days and about 10.9 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 68°F in the first days to 55°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time in October, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 36 min at the start of October to 10 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Cedar Rapids's 4th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Cedar Rapids's year-round climate.

Daytime high
61°
6th warmest
Overnight low
42°
7th coldest
Precipitation
2.9 in
8.6 wet days
Daylight
10 h 48 min
6:26 AM – 5:17 PM
Cloud cover
54%
4th clearest
Wind
10 mph
6th windiest
Solar energy
3.13 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.3
out of 10

Cedar Rapids is city in and seat of Linn County, Iowa, United States.

Density
699/km²
people per km²
Founded
1849

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in October

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 68°F in the first days to 55°F by the end.

A typical October day in Cedar Rapids reaches about 61°F in the afternoon and slips back to 42°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 48°F and 75°F. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 13°F cooler than September and about 15°F warmer than November.

20°40°60°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16848
26848
36847
46747
56746
66646
76646
86545
96545
106444
116444
126444
136343
146243
156243
166242
176142
186041
196041
206041
215940
225840
235840
245839
255739
265638
275638
285638
295537
305537
315436

How October really feels in Cedar Rapids

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 6 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
6
wind chill below the day's low

The story in October is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Cedar Rapids weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 6th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 13°1.575.39.30.0
Feb33° / 17°1.66.34.410.30.0
Mar46° / 28°2.68.62.911.71.4
Apr60° / 40°4.411.80.913.14.4
May70° / 51°5.013.2014.36.0
Jun79° / 62°5.111.90156.3
Jul82° / 65°3.99.9014.76.2
Aug81° / 62°3.79.3013.76.8
Sep74° / 54°3.98.4012.37.1
Oct61° / 42°2.98.60.410.95.3
Nov47° / 30°2.37.41.69.61.5
Dec34° / 19°1.86.94.790.0

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 10% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 50%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15743
25743
35743
45743
55644
65743
75644
85545
95446
105446
115446
125347
135347
145149
155149
165050
174951
184852
194753
204654
214555
224555
234456
244456
254456
264357
274357
284357
294357
304357
314357

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitationSnow

Cedar Rapids gets around 2.9 in of rain and snow over 8.6 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 27% and peaks near 29% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1290
2280
3280
4280
5280
6280
7280
8280
9280
10280
11280
12270
13270
14270
15270
16270
17271
18271
19271
20271
21271
22272
23272
24272
25272
26272
27273
28263
29263
30263
31263

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of October feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, October lands in the dry band about 90% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1791263
2801163
3811153
4831052
584952
684952
786842
886842
987742
1088741
1189731
1290631
1390631
1490631
1591531
1691531
1792530
1892530
1993520
2093520
2193520
2294420
2394420
2494420
2594420
2694420
2795320
2895320
2996310
3096310
3197210

Wind in October

Winds average 10 mph in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 9 mph on the calmest days to 10 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
19light breeze
29light breeze
39light breeze
49light breeze
59light breeze
69light breeze
79light breeze
89light breeze
910light breeze
1010light breeze
1110light breeze
1210light breeze
1310light breeze
1410light breeze
1510light breeze
1610light breeze
1710light breeze
1810light breeze
1910light breeze
2010light breeze
2110light breeze
2210light breeze
2310light breeze
2410light breeze
2510light breeze
2610light breeze
2710light breeze
2810light breeze
2910light breeze
3010light breeze
3110light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 36 min at the start of October to 10 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 84 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:09 AM to 6:45 AM, and sunset from 5:42 PM to 4:56 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.66:095:42
211.56:105:40
311.56:115:39
411.46:125:37
511.46:135:35
611.36:155:33
711.36:165:32
811.26:175:30
911.26:185:28
1011.16:195:27
1111.16:205:25
1211.06:225:23
1311.06:235:22
1410.96:245:20
1510.96:255:19
1610.86:265:17
1710.86:275:15
1810.86:295:14
1910.76:305:12
2010.76:315:11
2110.66:325:09
2210.66:345:08
2310.56:355:06
2410.56:365:05
2510.46:375:04
2610.46:385:02
2710.46:405:01
2810.36:414:59
2910.36:424:58
3010.26:434:57
3110.26:454:56

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 3.13 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.73 kWh/m² to a high of 6.38 kWh/m² in July across the year — October's 3.13 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.8Moderate
23.8Moderate
33.8Moderate
43.7Moderate
53.7Moderate
63.6Moderate
73.6Moderate
83.5Moderate
93.5Moderate
103.5Moderate
113.4Moderate
123.4Moderate
133.3Moderate
143.3Moderate
153.2Moderate
163.1Moderate
173.1Moderate
183.0Moderate
193.0Moderate
203.0Moderate
212.9Moderate
222.9Moderate
232.8Moderate
242.8Moderate
252.7Moderate
262.7Moderate
272.7Moderate
282.6Moderate
292.6Moderate
302.6Moderate
312.5Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit Cedar Rapids?

Our two travel scores rate October for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

5.3
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
1.3
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

October is a reasonable time to visit Cedar Rapids for sightseeing.

What to pack for Cedar Rapids in October

From October's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In October, Cedar Rapids sees daytime highs around 61°F and nights near 42°F. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Cedar Rapids in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 3 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Cedar Rapids peaks around June 18 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 18UV 9Dec 22UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Low

Air quality in Cedar Rapids in October

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where October falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Cedar Rapids is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.2× the cleanest month (October, 8 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModerateGoodJul 1916 µg/m³Oct 218 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan12Moderate
Feb14Moderate
Mar14Moderate
Apr11Good
May13Moderate
Jun13Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct8Good
Nov8Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Cedar Rapids?

Cedar Rapids sits at 42.0°N, 91.6°W, 810 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Marion, 3.1 mi away.

Topography around Cedar Rapids

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Cedar Rapids.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Cedar Rapids has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 272 ft around an average of 814 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 446 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 738 ft.

The land around Cedar Rapids is covered by artificial surfaces (46%) and trees (32%) within 2 miles, cropland (46%), trees (20%) and grassland (20%) within 10 miles, and cropland (76%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
272 ft
10 miles
446 ft
50 miles
738 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
October weather nearby: Marion 3.1 mi · North Liberty 18 mi · Coralville 23 mi · Iowa City 25 mi · Waterloo 49 mi · Muscatine 51 mi · Cedar Falls 55 mi · Dubuque 60 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Cedar Rapids (42.0083°, -91.6441°, elevation 810 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).