Ely, IA

Ely is a small Iowa town 15 miles north of Cedar Rapids on Highway 151, home to about 2,200 people surrounded by farmland. Most visitors drive up from Cedar Rapids in 20 minutes, though some arrive via Interstate 380 from Iowa City or Des Moines. The Eastern Iowa Airport sits 25 miles southeast. Ely runs its own municipal electric utility, offering residents some of Iowa's lowest electricity rates.