Find the community that feels like home.
Central Iowa offers everything from established city neighborhoods and growing suburbs to smaller communities with more space and a quieter pace. Explore the areas we serve and discover what makes each community a little different.
Different places. Different lifestyles.
There isn't one right Central Iowa community. The best fit depends on the kind of home, surroundings, conveniences, space and day-to-day experience that matter most to you.
Room to grow with the metro close by.
Ankeny has grown into one of the larger communities in the Des Moines metro while still offering a wide variety of residential settings. You'll find established neighborhoods, newer developments, townhomes, larger single-family homes and areas that feel distinctly suburban while remaining within easy reach of Des Moines.
It can be a natural place to explore for people who want access to shopping, recreation, trails, restaurants and newer housing options without living in the urban core.
Neighborhood variety you simply don't get anywhere else.
Des Moines offers one of the widest ranges of housing and neighborhood styles in Central Iowa. Depending on where you look, the experience can range from urban living near downtown to mature residential neighborhoods with tree-lined streets, historic homes, mid-century properties and newer construction.
For people who value variety, proximity to major employers, restaurants, entertainment, arts and established neighborhoods, Des Moines offers many different ways to live within one city.
Established neighborhoods meet continued growth.
West Des Moines offers a broad mix of housing, from mature residential areas to newer development farther west. Its location puts residents near a large share of the metro's shopping, dining, employment, recreation and major roadways.
It can appeal to people who like suburban living while still wanting convenient access to much of Greater Des Moines.
A growing western suburb with plenty of newer options.
Waukee has seen substantial residential growth and offers many newer neighborhoods and housing options. Recreation, trails, commercial development and residential construction continue to shape the community.
People interested in newer construction or a growing suburban environment often include Waukee in their search.
Northwest metro living with a more residential feel.
Johnston sits just northwest of Des Moines and offers a residential environment with convenient access to many parts of the metro. Housing ranges from established areas to newer neighborhoods, with parks and trails woven throughout the community.
Its location can work well for people who want suburban space while remaining close to both Des Moines and the northwest metro.
Mature neighborhoods with newer options farther west.
Urbandale stretches across both established and newer parts of the northwest metro. You'll find mature neighborhoods, newer construction, townhomes, single-family homes, parks, trails and convenient connections to surrounding communities.
The range of housing makes it worth exploring for people who want options without moving far from the center of the metro.
East-metro convenience with continued residential growth.
Altoona gives people an option on the eastern side of the metro with both established residential areas and newer development. The community offers convenient interstate access along with shopping, entertainment, recreation and a variety of housing styles.
Adventureland and the surrounding entertainment district are among the recognizable landmarks associated with the community.
Growing northwest metro with recreation at its center.
Grimes has grown significantly while still feeling smaller than some of the metro's largest suburbs. Newer neighborhoods, residential development and convenient access to nearby communities have helped shape its growth.
Sports are also a visible part of the community, with multiple athletic complexes and extensive baseball, softball, soccer and multi-sport facilities.
Small-city character with access back to the metro.
Adel offers a noticeably different feel from the larger suburbs closer to Des Moines. The community includes historic character, established homes, newer residential growth and properties that can offer more space as you move outside the city itself.
The historic Dallas County Courthouse helps give downtown Adel a recognizable sense of place.
A community with its own identity south of Des Moines.
Indianola is large enough to offer its own downtown, residential neighborhoods, recreation, shopping and community amenities while still feeling distinct from the Des Moines suburbs.
Simpson College is one of Indianola's recognizable anchors and adds a collegiate presence to the community.
Sometimes the right fit is a little farther out.
Smaller communities surrounding the metro can offer a different pace, more space, older homes with character, newer growth or simply a location that better fits the way you want to live. Select any community below to explore it further.
Des Moines Metro
Communities closely connected to Greater Des Moines.
Bondurant
50035An east-metro community that has experienced residential growth while maintaining a smaller-community feel.
EXPLORE BONDURANT ↗Clive
50325A west-metro community positioned between several of the area's major suburban centers.
EXPLORE CLIVE ↗Pleasant Hill
50327East of Des Moines with suburban neighborhoods and convenient access to both the city and surrounding communities.
EXPLORE PLEASANT HILL ↗Polk City
50226A smaller community north of the metro with a distinctly different pace from the larger suburbs.
EXPLORE POLK CITY ↗Windsor Heights
50324A compact, centrally located community surrounded by the larger Des Moines metro.
EXPLORE WINDSOR HEIGHTS ↗West & Southwest
Smaller communities extending west of the metro.
Booneville
50038An unincorporated Dallas County community southwest of the metro surrounded by areas with a more rural residential feel.
EXPLORE BOONEVILLE ↗Dallas Center
50063A smaller Dallas County community offering an alternative to the faster pace of the western suburbs.
EXPLORE DALLAS CENTER ↗De Soto
50069West of the metro with interstate access nearby and a smaller-community setting.
EXPLORE DE SOTO ↗Van Meter
50261A smaller community southwest of the metro for people looking beyond the larger western suburbs.
EXPLORE VAN METER ↗South Metro & Warren County
Communities extending south of Des Moines.
Bevington
50033A very small community south of the metro with a more rural residential setting.
EXPLORE BEVINGTON ↗Carlisle
50047Southeast of Des Moines with a smaller-community environment and access back toward the metro.
EXPLORE CARLISLE ↗Cumming
50061Southwest of the metro near areas experiencing continued residential growth.
EXPLORE CUMMING ↗Martensdale
50160A smaller Warren County community southwest of Des Moines with a distinctly small-town setting.
EXPLORE MARTENSDALE ↗St. Marys
50241A small Warren County community representing the more rural side of the Central Iowa service area.
EXPLORE ST. MARYS ↗Madison County
Southwest of the Des Moines metro.
Communities we know and serve.
Our work extends throughout Greater Des Moines and surrounding Central Iowa communities. Select any community below to explore additional local information.
Selected community imagery is sourced from public or Creative Commons media and displayed with cropping and overlays.