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Every guide we've built for Ankeny, now 80+ deep and growing - organized so you can find what you need fast, whether you're deciding where to eat tonight, moving to town, or just trying to figure out your trash day. Curious who is behind this? About the Brief. Updated September 2026.

Food & drink · 9 guides

What Should We Eat Tonight? →Can't decide? Pick a craving and a vibe and let it choose a real Ankeny restaurant for you. A Night Out in Ankeny →Build the evening stage by stage: a drink to start, dinner, dessert, and something fun after, plus ready-made date-night and out-of-town-guest plans. Best Restaurants in Ankeny →The highest-rated spots by review score, plus picks by cuisine and the best patios. Best Coffee in Ankeny →The drive-thru lineup and the local cafes worth a slow morning. Breweries & Bars →Taprooms, patios, and happy hours around town. Best Breakfast & Brunch →The local cafes and brunch spots worth the trip. Best Pizza →Local favorites by style - NY, Chicago, and Iowa taco pizza. Mexican Restaurants →Family kitchens, birria tacos, cantinas, and the food trucks worth chasing. Ice Cream & Dessert →The local scoop shops, custard, and the metro classics worth the drive.

Things to do & entertainment · 13 guides

Iowa State Fair 2026: Complete Guide →Aug 13-23. Tickets, discount days, what to see and do, free entertainment, the Grandstand lineup, food, rides and getting there. Iowa State Fair Parking & Shuttles →Every lot and price, the new free park-and-ride, DART fares, and which one to use from Ankeny. Where to Eat Near the Iowa State Fair →Fair-food classics on the grounds, the closest sit-down spots on E Grand, and Des Moines institutions worth the drive. Ankeny Daily Trivia →A new local trivia question every day. Keep your streak, test how well you really know Ankeny. Things to Do in Ankeny →Trails, breweries, family outings, and the complete local rundown. The Ankeny Activity Finder →Can't decide? Filter 40+ local ideas by mood (free, kids, indoor, date night), or let it pick for you. Free Finders & Tools →All the Brief's interactive tools in one place: the Activity, Fish, Trail, and Campground Finders, plus Daily Trivia. What's On This Week →Ankeny's weekly rhythm, night by night: trivia, live music, bingo, run club, the Saturday market, and where each one happens. Ankeny Events Calendar →SummerFest, the farmers market, Beats & Eats, and the annual traditions, by season. Prairie Trail & The District →The town square: where to eat and play, the movie theater and bowling, and how it was built. Ankeny High School Sports →Hawks & Jaguars: 2026 schedules, the crosstown rivalry, recent results, and where to find scores and tickets, all sports. Ankeny High School Football →The Hawks, the Jaguars, the cross-town rivalry, and where to find this week's schedule and tickets. Sports Complexes & Youth Sports →The Prairie Ridge fields, the Prairie Trail FieldHouse, and where the tournaments happen. Movie Theater & Bowling →B&B Ankeny 12 - movies, bowling, arcade, and a kids' play area. Live Music →Beats & Eats, SummerFest, and the taprooms with bands. Hotels in Ankeny →Where to stay, and which hotel fits your trip. Day Trips from Des Moines →Weekend getaways and easy drives within a couple hours.

Parks, trails & the outdoors · 19 guides

Ankeny Outdoors →Trails, Saylorville Lake, parks, and hunting seasons. Trails & Bike Paths →Where the High Trestle, Gay Lea Wilson, and Neal Smith trails meet. High Trestle Trail →The famous glowing bridge: when the lights are on, where to park, and how to ride it from Ankeny. Neal Smith Trail →The 26-mile paved ride from Des Moines along Saylorville to Big Creek, and how it links to Ankeny. Saylorville Lake →Beaches, the marina, boat ramps, campgrounds, and the trail, minutes northwest of town. Saylorville & River Levels →Live river flow below the dam, how much the Corps is releasing, and the official flood-forecast gauges. Big Creek State Park →One of Iowa's biggest beaches, a calm no-wake lake, and boat rentals just north of Ankeny. Jester Park →Free bison and elk, a nature center, an equestrian center, golf, cabins, and trails. Fishing in Ankeny →Ankeny Lake at DMACC, the park ponds, and license rules. The Ankeny Fish Finder →Every pond & lake within 30 min, filtered by fish - with real DNR survey sizes. The Ankeny Trail Finder →Every bike & hiking trail within 30 min, filtered by paved vs. natural, dogs, loops & views. The Ankeny Campground Finder →Every campground within ~45 min - full hookups to rustic/primitive, filtered by what you need. The Ankeny Dog Park →7.5 fenced acres with a pond - permit cost and rules. Pets in Ankeny: Vets & More →The vet clinics in town, emergency care, grooming and boarding, dog parks, and where to adopt. Disc Golf →The 21-hole Heritage Park course and a free 9-holer at DMACC. Pickleball →12 lighted courts at the Rally Complex, plus Greentree Park. Golf Courses →Otter Creek, the city's public course, and the country club. Parks & Playgrounds →The 40+ parks, the splash-pad parks, and the skate park. Pools & Splash Pads →Prairie Ridge, Cascade Falls, hours, and the free morning window. Uptown Farmers Market →Saturday mornings at the AMP - day, time, and season. Camping Near Ankeny →The Saylorville campgrounds and cabins - and why Big Creek is day-use.

Schools, kids & seasonal · 10 guides

Ankeny Schools →The district, school boundaries, and open enrollment. Back to School 2026 →First day, registration, supply lists, tax-free weekend, hours, and shots. School Calendar 2026-27 →Every no-school day, teacher day, and break from the official district calendar, month by month, with a printable PDF. School Lunch & Meal Accounts →SchoolCafe, meal prices, free & reduced meals, and the F.U.E.L. fund that keeps every kid fed. Daycare & Preschool →What child care costs, the district preschool, waitlists, and how to find and vet a licensed provider. Things to Do With Kids →Indoor and outdoor family picks, sorted by weather. Trick-or-Treat & Holiday Lights →Halloween times and the end of Beggars' Night, the joke-for-candy tradition, and where to see Christmas lights. Christmas Lights Near Ankeny →Gingerbread Lane, the Jolly Holiday Lights drive-through, Reiman Gardens, and the best neighborhood displays. Pumpkin Patches & Apple Orchards →Center Grove, Iowa Orchard, Howell's and more: the fall patches near Ankeny, with drive times and what each offers. Winter in Ankeny →The ice rink, sledding, and warm indoor options.

Moving & living here · 10 guides

Moving to Ankeny →Population, home prices, schools, commute, and what it's really like. Ankeny Neighborhoods →Prairie Trail, Uptown, and the four quadrants, with real median home prices. Cost of Living in Ankeny →What it actually costs: homes, rent, income, and the lowest metro tax levy. Is Ankeny a Good Place to Live? →Rankings, safety, schools, cost - the honest local answer. Jobs & Largest Employers →Casey's HQ, John Deere, DMACC, and who else employs the town. Apartments & Rent →What a one or two bedroom costs, where the apartments are, and what to budget beyond rent. Senior Living →Independent living, assisted living, and memory care, what they cost, and how to choose. Ankeny to Des Moines Commute →The distance, the I-35 drive time, rush-hour reality, and getting around. Public Transit & DART →DART On Demand, what happened to the Ankeny Express bus, and car-free options. Housing Market Dashboard →Home sales, median prices, and trends, updated weekly.

City services & everyday · 11 guides

Setting Up Utilities →Power, water, trash, and internet - who to call. Trash & Recycling →Why there's no city pickup, and how to find your day. Is Trash Delayed This Week? →Holiday pickup delays, and how to check your hauler. Is the Water Safe to Drink? →Tap water quality, where it comes from, and why it's hard. The Ankeny Library →Kirkendall Public Library hours, location, and a free card. Urgent Care →The walk-in clinics, and when it's urgent care, the ER, or 911. The Ankeny DMV →Driver's license station hours - and what it doesn't do. Property Taxes & Appeals →How they work and how to protest your assessment. Sales Tax Rate →Why Ankeny is 6% and the only Polk County city with no local option, plus the 2026 vote that passed (7% from Jan 1, 2027). Elected Officials: Who Represents You →The mayor, city council, county supervisor, state legislators, Congress, and school board, with how to reach them and what's on the ballot. Snow Ordinance →Parking rules when it's declared, the sidewalk rule, and how to avoid a ticket or tow. Fireworks Rules →The one day you can legally light them in Ankeny.

Town Hall & civic · 8 guides

Ankeny Voter Guide →Nonpartisan hub: how to vote, the 2026 ballot, who represents you, and the Sept 8 sales-tax result. How to Vote in Ankeny →Register, vote early or by mail, voter ID, and finding your polling place for Nov 3, 2026. What's on Your 2026 Ballot →Every race Nov 3: U.S. Senate, IA-03, governor, statewide, statehouse, and Polk County. Flock Cameras →Ankeny's license-plate readers, the data, and the privacy debate. Speed & Red-Light Cameras →Does Ankeny have them? The short answer and the law. Crime Maps & Public Records →Look up crime, file a report, and request records. New Businesses →What's opening around Ankeny, tracked from city records. Road Work & Construction →Where the orange barrels are and what's being built. Severe Weather & Tornado Sirens →When the sirens sound, the monthly test, how to get Polk County alerts, and where to shelter.

About Ankeny · 3 guides

About Ankeny (Almanac) →The stats, the lay of the land, and how the town works. Ankeny Fast Facts →ZIP codes (50021 & 50023), area code 515, county, and the quick reference numbers. The History of Ankeny →How a rail-stop land deal became a city of 80,000.

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