Waukee, Iowa

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title: "Waukee, Iowa" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["cities-in-iowa", "cities-in-dallas-county,-iowa", "des-moines-metropolitan-area", "1869-establishments-in-iowa", "populated-places-established-in-1869"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waukee,_Iowa" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
official_name	Waukee, Iowa
settlement_type	City
motto	"The Key To Good Living"
image_skyline	Waukee Triangle Park.jpg
image_caption	Triangle Park in Downtown Waukee
image_flag	WaukeeIAflag.gif
image_map
map_caption	Interactive location map of Waukee
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	United States
subdivision_type1	State
subdivision_name1	Iowa
subdivision_type2	County
subdivision_name2	Dallas
government_footnotes
leader_title	Mayor
leader_name	Courtney Clarke
leader_party	D
leader_title1	Mayor Pro-Tem
leader_name1	Charlie Bottenberg
leader_title2	City Council
leader_name2	Anna Pierce
Chris Crone
Ben Sinclair
Rob Grove
leader_title3	Iowa Senate
leader_name3	Sarah Trone Garriott (D)
leader_title4	Iowa House
leader_name4	Kenan Judge (D)
leader_title5	U.S. House
leader_name5	Zach Nunn (R)
established_title	Founded
established_date	1869
established_title1	Incorporated
established_date1	July 2, 1878
unit_pref	Imperial
area_footnotes
area_total_km2	56.985
area_land_km2	56.738
area_water_km2	0.246
area_total_sq_mi	22.002
area_land_sq_mi	21.907
area_water_sq_mi	0.095
area_water_percent	0.43
population_as_of	2020
population_est	34420
pop_est_as_of	2024
pop_est_footnotes
population_footnotes
population_total	23940
population_density_km2	auto
population_density_sq_mi	auto
population_urban	542486
population_urban_footnotes
population_metro	753913
timezone	Central (CST)
utc_offset	–6
timezone_DST	CDT
utc_offset_DST	–5
elevation_footnotes
elevation_m	319
elevation_ft	1047
coordinates
postal_code_type	ZIP Code
postal_code	50263
area_code	515
blank_name	FIPS code
blank_info	19-82695
blank1_name	GNIS feature ID
blank1_info	2397221
website
::

Waukee is a city in Dallas County, Iowa, United States. The population was 23,940 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 34,420 in 2024, making it the 16th-most populous city in Iowa. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.

In 2017, Apple Inc. chose Waukee as the location of a massive $1.38 billion data center campus.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/FI0004841.jpg" caption="Main Street, Waukee, Iowa (1968)" alt="Main Street, Waukee, Iowa"] ::

Waukee was laid out as a town in 1869. It is thought to be named after The Milwaukee Road Railroad. Waukee was incorporated on December 23, 1878.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.002 sqmi, of which 21.907 sqmi is land and 0.095 sqmi (0.43%) is water. It is known for its Waukee Stadium.

Climate

Humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. The Köppen climate classification subtype for this climate is "Dfa" (Hot summer, continental climate).

Education

The Waukee Community School District is the fastest-growing school district in the state of Iowa with more than 2,200 staff members serving more than 13,600 students in grades preschool through twelfth grade.

Its schools serve students from Clive, Urbandale, Waukee, and West Des Moines as well as open enrollment students from other communities outside the 55 square miles of its district boundaries.

There are currently ten elementary schools, two middle schools (grades 6/7), and two middle schools (grades 8/9) in Waukee as well as the Waukee High School and Waukee Northwest High School.

The Vincent Meyer Learning Center.

The district built a second high school, called Waukee Northwest High School, which opened in the 2021 school year. The Waukee warriors got the name after the Norwalk Warriors had to give them jerseys because they did not have any.

Demographics

|1880= 245 |1890= 240 |1900= 292 |1910= 340 |1920= 375 |1930= 445 |1940= 473 |1950= 501 |1960= 687 |1970= 1577 |1980= 2227 |1990= 2512 |2000= 5126 |2010= 13790 |2020= 23940 |estyear=2024 |estimate=34420 |estref= |align-fn=center |footnote=U.S. Decennial Census 2020 Census

According to realtor website Zillow, the average price of a home as of November 30, 2025, in Waukee is $336,914.

As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 10,652 estimated households in Waukee with an average of 2.52 persons per household. The city has a median household income of $106,728. Approximately 7.3% of the city's population lives at or below the poverty line. Waukee has an estimated 75.0% employment rate, with 56.7% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 95.9% holding a high school diploma. There were 11,023 housing units at an average density of 503.17 /sqmi.

The top five reported languages (people were allowed to report up to two languages, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (85.0%), Spanish (2.9%), Indo-European (5.2%), Asian and Pacific Islander (3.7%), and Other (3.2%).

The median age in the city was 34.4 years.

::data[format=table title="Waukee, Iowa – racial and ethnic composition
{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}"] | Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) | Pop. 1990 | title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Waukee city, Iowa |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALSF12000.P004?g=160XX00US1982695 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=December 13, 2025}} | title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Waukee city, Iowa |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2010.P2?q=p2&g=160XX00US1982695 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=December 13, 2025}} | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | White alone (NH) | 2,496 | 5,006 | 12,681 | 19,553 | 99.36% | 97.66% | | Black or African American alone (NH) | 0 | 22 | 173 | 890 | 0.00% | 0.43% | | Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 1 | 0 | 10 | 35 | 0.04% | 0.00% | | Asian alone (NH) | 7 | 29 | 361 | 1,264 | 0.28% | 0.57% | | Pacific Islander alone (NH) | — | 1 | 8 | 15 | — | 0.02% | | Other race alone (NH) | 0 | 5 | 12 | 83 | 0.00% | 0.10% | | Mixed race or multiracial (NH) | — | 25 | 133 | 847 | — | 0.49% | | Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 8 | 38 | 412 | 1,253 | 0.32% | 0.74% | | Total | 2,512 | 5,126 | 13,790 | 23,940 | 100.00% | 100.00% | ::

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 23,940 people, 9,107 households, and 6,208 families residing in the city. The population density was 1151.01 PD/sqmi. There were 9,831 housing units at an average density of 472.67 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 83.13% White, 3.73% African American, 0.25% Native American, 5.30% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.53% from some other races and 5.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 5.23% of the population.

There were 9,107 households, 40.2% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples living together, 6.8% were cohabitating couples, 24.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present and 14.1% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 31.8% of all households were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals, 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older.

The median age in the city was 33.9 years. 31.0% of the residents were under the age of 20; 5.3% were between the ages of 20 and 24; 32.5% were from 25 and 44; 20.0% were from 45 and 64; and 11.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 13,790 people, 5,154 households, and 3,689 families living in the city. The population density was 1063.2 PD/sqmi. There were 5,378 housing units at an average density of 414.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 93.86% White, 1.26% African American, 0.15% Native American, 2.64% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.92% from some other races and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.99% of the population.

There were 5,154 households, of which 44.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.4% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.19.

The median age in the city was 31.8 years. 32% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 36.3% were from 25 to 44; 18.5% were from 45 to 64; and 8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 5,126 people, 1,927 households, and 1,445 families residing in the city. The population density was 610.9 PD/sqmi. There were 2,087 housing units at an average density of 248.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 98.17% White, 0.43% African American, 0.00% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from some other races and 0.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 0.74% of the population.

There were 1,927 households, out of which 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.8% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.4% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 36.4% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $58,024, and the median income for a family was $64,362. Males had a median income of $38,958 and females had a median income of $30,898. The per capita income for the city was $24,351. About 2.1% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

HIRTA provides demand response service in Waukee. However, as of 2023, Waukee is the largest city in Iowa without fixed-route public transit service. Des Moines Area Regional Transit serves Clive approximately half a mile from Waukee with the Route 92 express service.

Notable people

Only people who already have a Wikipedia article may appear here as Notable people. This establishes notability. The biographical article should say how they are associated with THIS CITY examples = born, raised, residing etc. An external reliable source of their association with THIS CITY should be cited in their Article and MUST be cited HERE. All others will be deleted without further explanation. Alphabetical by last name please. Use a short one line description of Notability. If the person you think is Notable and does not have a Wikipedia Article for themselves create one. Guidelines for the Notability of a person can be found by entering WP:PEOPLE in the wiki search. Guidelines on what is needed and how to write the Article can be found by entering WP:MOSBIO in the wiki search. END OF NOTICE * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * END OF NOTICE * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *END OF NOTICE --

Paul Gregory — film, Television and stage producer
Joey Jordison — former drummer for the band Slipknot
Jake Knott — former Iowa State and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker
Talia Leman — CEO and a founder of RandomKid, an organization that empowers young people to do good deeds
Hal Manders — relief pitcher in Major League Baseball; born in Waukee
Anthony Nelson - former Iowa and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker
Ken Smith — internationally acclaimed landscape architect; born in Waukee

References

"Mayor & Council". City of Waukee, Iowa.
"Find Your Legislator". The Iowa Legislative.
"2025 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
(December 29, 2022). "2020 Census Qualifying Urban Areas and Final Criteria Clarifications". [[Federal Register]].
{{GNIS. 2397221
"Explore Census Data". [[United States Census Bureau]].
(August 25, 2017). "7 things to know about the Apple data center in Waukee".
(1879). "The History of Dallas County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, &c". Higginson Book Company.
"Des Moines, Iowa Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)".
"About".
"Schools".
"Home".
"City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau.
"Decennial Census of Population and Housing". United States Census Bureau.
"Waukee, IA Housing Market". [[Zillow]].
"U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Waukee city, Iowa".
"Iowa: 1990". United States Census Bureau.
"P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Waukee city, Iowa". [[United States Census Bureau]].
"P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Waukee city, Iowa". [[United States Census Bureau]].
"P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Waukee city, Iowa". [[United States Census Bureau]].
"U.S. Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". United States Census Bureau.
"How many people live in Waukee city, Iowa". [[USA Today]].
"Waukee Public Transportation".
"Waukee Community School District About". Baseball-Reference.com.
"Internationally renowned landscape architect Ken Smith to receive Christian Petersen Design Award at ISU". Iowa State University.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::