
Escape Iowa’s Frigid Cold at These Warming Centers in Linn County
If you haven't noticed, it's a little chilly outside. When I first lived in Cedar Rapids almost twenty years ago, I lived downtown, and my apartment was above the bus station. The station was right next door, and I could take the skywalk to work. I didn't have to go outside, which was quite nice on some days. Therefore, maybe you don't know it's super cold out.
If you need a place to warm up, there are many places to hang out in Linn County. The locations are listed below. Be safe.
What Are the Signs of Hypothermia?
The Mayo Clinic says hypothermia is when the body loses heat faster than it can produce it, causing the core body temperature to drop, and can be fatal if left untreated. The signs of hypothermia can be:
- Shivering: shivering is a common sign, though it may not be present in severe cases
- Skin Color: skin may appear pale, cold, and dry, and may turn blue or gray. With infants, the skin could appear bright red
- Movement: movement could be slow or uncoordinated
- Speech: slow or slurred
- Breathing: slow, shallow, or absent
- Heart Rate: slow or weak
- Mental state: The person may appear drowsy, confused, or have impaired judgment
- Other Symptoms: numbness, glassy stare, apathy, exhaustion, or loss of consciousness
Where Can You Go to Warm Up in Linn County?
If you find yourself in that position, needing to warm up, there are places you can go around Linn County that will welcome you to warm yourself.

The Linn County Warming Centers are at these locations. Some of the hours could be impacted by holidays:
- Alburnett City Hall, 120 N. Main Ave Mon - Fri 9 am - 2 pm
- Cedar Rapids Lindale Mall, 4444 1st Ave NE, Mon - Thurs 11 am - 7 pm Fri-Sat 10 am - 8 pm, Sun 12 pm - 6 pm
- Cedar Rapids Downtown Library, 450 5th Ave SE, Mon - Thurs 9 am - 8 pm, Fri - Sat 9 am - 5 pm, Sun 1 pm - 5 pm
- Cedar Rapids Ladd Library, 3750 Williams Blvd SW, Mon - Thurs 9 am - 8 pm, Fri - Sat 9 am - 5 pm, Sun 1 pm - 5 pm
- Cedar Rapids Salvation Army, 1000 C Ave NW, Mon - Fri 8 am - 4 pm
- Cedar Rapids Cedar Valley Community Support Services, 2515 18th Street SW Suite A, Mon - Fri 8 am - 4 pm
- Center Point Fire Department, 170 Franklin St., Mon - Fri 8 am - 4 pm
- Central City, City Hall, 137 4th Street, Mon - Fri, 7:30 am - 4 pm
- Ely Community Center/City Hall, 1570 Rowley St., Mon - Fri 7 am - 3 pm
- Ely Public Library, 1595 Dows St, Mon - Thurs 9 am - 7 pm, Fri 9 am - 5 pm, Sat 9 am - 4 pm
- Ely St. John Lutheran Church, 1420 Walker St., Tues - Thurs 8 am - ?PM
- Fairfax City Hall, 300 80th Street Ct, Mon - Fri 7:30 am - 4 pm
- Fairfax Public Library, 313 Vanderbilt St, Mon - Tues 12 pm - 7 pm, Wed - Thurs 10 am - 7 pm, Fri 12 pm - 6 pm, Sat 9 am - 2 pm
- Hiawatha City Hall, 101 Emmons St, Mon - Fri 7:30 - 4 pm
- Hiawatha Library, 150 West Willman St, Mon - Thurs 9 am - 8 pm, Wed - Thurs 10 am - 7 pm, Fri 9 am - 5 pm, Sat 9 am - 2 pm
- Lisbon City Hall, 115 N Washington, Mon - Fri 8 am - 4:30 pm
- Marion City Hall Lobby, 1225 6th Avenue, Mon - Fri 8 am - 5 pm
- Marion Lowe Park Arts & Environment Center, 4500 N. 10th St, Mon - Fri 7 am - 4 pm
- Marion Thomas Park Safe Room, 343 Marion Boulevard, Mon - Fri 7 am - 4 pm
- Marion Police Department Lobby, 6315 Highway 151, Mon - Fri 8 am - 5 pm
- Marion Public Library, 1101 6th Ave, Mon - Thurs 9 am - 8 pm, Fri - Sat 9 am - 5 pm, Sun 1 pm - 5 pm
- Mount Vernon City Hall Basement, 213 1st Street NW, Mon - Fri 7 am - 4pm (May be open 24 hours during severe cold temperatures)
- Mt. Vernon/Lisbon Police Station, Secondary use only, 380 Old Lincoln Highway, Mon - Fri 8 am - 5 pm
- Mt. Vernon Lester Buresh Center, 855 Palisades Rd, Mon - Fri 8 am - ?pm, Sat 10 am - 6 pm, Sun 12 pm - 6 pm
- Palo Community Center, 2800 Hollenback Rd, Mon - Fri 8 am - 4 pm
- Robins Community Room, 265 S Second St, Mon - Fri 8 am - 4 pm
- Springville Community Romn & Library, 265 Broadway MTW 11 am - 6 pm, Thurs 10 am - 8 pm, Fri 11 am - 5 pm, Sat 11 am - 3 pm
- Springville United Methodist Church, 169 Broadway, M & Thurs 8:30 am - 1 pm, T & W 8:30 am - 11 am
- Walker North Pavilion, 398 Park St, Mon - Fri 8 am - 4:30 pm
- Walford Community Room, 120 5th Street N, Mon - Fri 7 am - 3pm
What Are the Signs of Frostbite?
Johns Hopkins Medicine says frostbite and hypothermia occur when skin is exposed to cold and body temperature falls. The signs they say are
- Redness or pain in a skin area
- White or grayish-yellow skin area
- Numbness
- Blisters
- Black, dead skin and tissue
Yes, There is Help for Those in Iowa Without Heat
If you know someone who is elderly and relies on others for help, now might be a good time to check on them. Sometimes, if you're on a fixed income, things go by the wayside, and heat might be one of those things.
Iowa has a program that can help those individuals, and that program is LIHEAP. You can apply at these links if you are in need of assistance.
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