Curious Iowa finally examines the evergreen inquiry that has persisted for years. Why does Cedar Rapids have so many Mexican restaurants? Are they all the same?

If there’s something you’ve seen or heard around the state and thought, “I wonder what’s that all about?”
That’s what Curious Iowa aims to answer. Curious Iowa stories originate with questions submitted by the public and we investigate. Submit your questions today.
Submit your questions or what you are curious about and we’ll review submissions to investigate. Reader-submitted story topics will be posted here and included in a periodic newsletter. Our investigations can come in the form of videos, long-form articles and podcasts.
Elijah Decious Curious Iowa Mar. 10, 2025 7:25 am278d ago
Curious Iowa finally examines the evergreen inquiry that has persisted for years. Why does Cedar Rapids have so many Mexican restaurants? Are they all the same?
Bailey Cichon Curious Iowa Mar. 3, 2025 5:30 am285d ago
These four scientists studied Iowa’s flora, preserved prairie, and drafted legislation to establish Iowa’s state park system.
John Steppe Curious Iowa Feb. 24, 2025 8:05 am292d ago
The Iowa athletic department’s support of athletes includes everything from meeting with an athletics academic coordinator, to help finding tutors and support outside the classroom “to really try and focus on the overall person.”
Bailey Cichon Curious Iowa Feb. 25, 2025 2:39 pm291d ago
More than a century ago, a Civil War cannon proudly sat in Greene Square in Cedar Rapids. Today, the park is cannon-less and Scott Huffman of Cedar Rapids wants to know where the cannon went.
Bailey Cichon Curious Iowa Feb. 10, 2025 8:50 am306d ago
The museum originated with members of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Cedar Rapids in the 1990s.
Curious Iowa Feb. 3, 2025 7:35 am313d ago
Freezing water expands, causing pipes to burst
Curious Iowa Jan. 27, 2025 8:08 am320d ago
In this week’s installment of Curious Iowa, The Gazette answers a question about the work of county public health departments, which touch the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat.
Curious Iowa Jan. 20, 2025 2:04 pm327d ago
The Very Long Baseline Array, or VLBA, studies black holes, among other things, in incredible detail.
Curious Iowa Jan. 13, 2025 7:48 am334d ago
Iowans are summoned each year to serve on juries in the county where they live, but how is someone selected to fulfill this civic duty? And how often will they have to serve? These are questions court clerks receive every day.
Curious Iowa Jan. 6, 2025 9:15 am341d ago
And how do you track bills throughout the legislative session?
Curious Iowa Dec. 30, 2024 5:30 am348d ago
What were readers’ favorite questions answered in 2024?
Curious Iowa Dec. 23, 2024 5:30 am355d ago
Known for its gymnastics competitions and mass calisthenics displays, the Czech-born organization has promoted athletics and cultural programming since 1862.
Curious Iowa Dec. 16, 2024 7:50 am362d ago
Prescribed burns are used to eliminate invasive plant species and help sunlight reach prairie plant roots. But how do they work? And what happens during a burn?
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