Rochester, Iowa

Rochester is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Rochester Township, Cedar County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 133.

History
Rochester was named after Rochester, New York, known for its flour mills, due to its location on the Cedar River. Rochester's population was 53 in 1902.

Geography
Rochester is located in eastern Iowa in south-central Cedar County, along the north bank of the Cedar River. County Road F44 crosses the river just south of the community, and Interstate 80 at Exit 265 is 2 mi to the south.

Notable sites
Rochester Cemetery is one of the largest and most notable cemetery prairies in the United States. More than 350 species of indigenous American plants, some quite uncommon, are found in Rochester Cemetery, which contains one of the few remaining original North American prairie remnants in the state of Iowa. The cemetery has divided many in the community that think that it looks overgrown, while others appreciate the native feel.