Center Point: a trail town north of the city

An old interurban town with a mix of pre war houses and 2000s streets, sixteen miles up the trail from Cedar Rapids.

Foundation and basement help in Center Point, Iowa, means dealing with two kinds of house: 222 homes from before 1940 near the old depot and 214 from the 2000s on the newer streets, out of 1,063 in all. Linn County Planning and Development is listed as the permit authority, and City Hall is at 200 Franklin Street.

Where Center Point sits

Center Point is in northern Linn County, about 16 miles north of downtown Cedar Rapids, with Interstate 380 running past its east side. The town grew along the Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Northern interurban line, which by 1914 linked Cedar Rapids and Waterloo. The line was abandoned in 1973, and the corridor became the Cedar Valley Nature Trail, opened in 1983. The brick depot is now a trailside museum and rest stop, and was added to the National Register in 2018.

Two generations of houses

The Census 2020 to 2024 survey counts 1,063 homes and a median build year of 1977. The spread is wide. There are 222 homes from 1939 or earlier and another 109 from the 1950s, mostly in the grid near the depot and Franklin Street. Then 214 were added in the 2000s and 131 in the 1990s, on the subdivisions toward the interstate. Almost all are detached single family houses, and about 78 percent of occupied homes are owned.

That split matters for basements. An older house may have a block, tile or stone wall that was never waterproofed on the outside. A 2000s house will usually have a poured wall with a drain tile and sump, and the questions there are more often about a shrinkage crack, a sump that cycles too often, or a window well that fills in a storm.

Who to call about a permit

A permit guide lists Linn County Planning and Development, Jean Oxley Public Service Center, 935 2nd Street SW, Cedar Rapids, phone (319) 892-5130, as the permit authority for Center Point, with the county issuing the permit and doing the inspections (permit guide, read by search summary 14 November 2026). City Hall is at 200 Franklin Street, PO Box 299, phone (319) 849-1508 in the Iowa League of Cities directory. Call the city first if you are unsure; it can confirm whether your job goes to the county.

A note on the sump

In a newer Center Point house, the sump pump is often the most important part of the foundation. Pour a bucket of water into the pit once a season and watch it start, stop and discharge. Check that the outlet pipe ends well away from the wall and is not frozen shut in January.

South toward Cedar Rapids, Robins has its own page.

Questions people ask

Who handles building permits in Center Point?

A permit guide names Linn County Planning and Development, phone (319) 892-5130, as the authority. City Hall, (319) 849-1508, can confirm before you start.

Are older Center Point basements different from newer ones?

Usually. Homes from before 1940 often have block, tile or stone walls with no outside waterproofing. Homes from the 1990s and 2000s usually have poured walls with drain tile and a sump.

How do I test a sump pump?

Pour water into the pit until the float lifts. The pump should start, empty the pit and stop. Then check that the discharge line runs well away from the house.

How far is Center Point from Cedar Rapids?

About 16 miles north of downtown, by Interstate 380 or along the Cedar Valley Nature Trail.

See the full town list, the permit table and basement wall cracks.