Schools in Urbandale, Iowa - Where the District Lines Fall

Two school districts have buildings inside Urbandale. Urbandale Community runs the high school, the middle school and four elementaries; Waukee Community runs three more - Walnut Hills, Waterford and Radiant - inside the same city limits. And Waukee-district addresses in Urbandale have no Waukee building in town past fifth grade. Which district you're in comes down to the address, not the city name - and the City of Urbandale says six local school districts serve its residents.

The Urbandale Community School District at a Glance

Urbandale Community serves 4,208 students (2024-25, NCES Common Core of Data) from six buildings - a high school, a middle school and four elementaries, all inside the city. But it is not the only district in Urbandale: Waukee Community runs three more elementaries inside the same city limits, and those students leave the city entirely from sixth grade on.

Public schools located in Urbandale

The buildings inside Urbandale belong to 2 school districts: Urbandale CSD, Waukee CSD. Four more - Johnston CSD, West Des Moines CSD, Des Moines Public Schools and Dallas Center-Grimes CSD - serve parts of the city from buildings outside it. Every building physically inside the city limits is listed below, with the district that operates it. Attendance is assigned by address, not by city line - verify the zone for the exact property before you write an offer.

Source: Iowa Department of Education, 2026-27 public school building directory.

No high-school or middle-school building sits inside Urbandale for Waukee CSD students. Those grades are served from: Northwest High School (10-12) in Waukee · Prairieview School (9-9) in Waukee · Trailridge School (9-9) in Waukee · Waukee High School (10-12) in Waukee · North Middle School (6-8) in Waukee · South Middle School (6-8) in Waukee · Timberline Middle School (6-8) in Waukee · Waukee Middle School (6-8) in Waukee.

Waukee CSD's other elementary buildings and preschools are in Clive, Waukee and West Des Moines. An Urbandale address can feed those too.

What actually decides which school you get

Which district the address falls in. Urbandale Community and Waukee Community both operate elementaries inside Urbandale city limits, four more districts serve other parts of the city, and the district determines everything afterward - Urbandale-district students continue to Urbandale Middle and Urbandale High in town, while Waukee-district students leave the city entirely from sixth grade on. Same city, completely different twelve-year paths. Verify with the district office.

Comparing Urbandale to Neighboring Districts

Urbandale vs Johnston: Both are established west-metro districts - Johnston enrolls 7,373 students and Urbandale 4,208 (2024-25, NCES Common Core of Data); compare both on the Iowa DOE School Performance Profiles.

Urbandale vs Waukee: Waukee enrolls 13,917 students and Urbandale 4,208 (2024-25, NCES Common Core of Data), and Waukee also runs elementaries inside Urbandale. For outcomes, compare both on the Iowa DOE School Performance Profiles.

Real Estate Tips for Urbandale School-Zone Buyers

1. Verify which district the address is in first, then the elementary zone. Urbandale Community and Waukee Community both operate elementaries inside city limits, and that answer changes everything after grade five.
2. The Olmsted and Webster areas draw the strongest competition. Be prepared for it.
3. New construction on the far north edge near 156th Street is most likely to sit on a moving boundary. Ask the builder which district the plat falls in.
4. Entry-level runs about $325K-$475K. Have financing pre-approved and your offer strategy ready.

Where to check this yourself

9 buildings sit inside Urbandale across 2 districts, which is why the district office - not the city name - is the authority on any given address.

• Urbandale CSD - buildings in Urbandale. Boundary maps, enrollment and calendars; the only authority on which building an address feeds.
• Waukee CSD - buildings in Clive, Urbandale, Waukee, West Des Moines. Boundary maps, enrollment and calendars; the only authority on which building an address feeds.
• Johnston CSD, West Des Moines CSD, Des Moines Public Schools, Dallas Center-Grimes CSD - no buildings inside Urbandale, but each serves part of the city. Their boundary maps are the authority for those addresses.
• Iowa DOE School Performance Profiles - state-published outcomes and enrollment data. Go here instead of a reputation.
• Iowa DOE building directory (2026-27) - source for every name, grade span and location above. It files schools by postal city, which is not always the municipal boundary.

Questions buyers ask about schools here

What school district serves Urbandale, Iowa?

The City of Urbandale says six local school districts serve its residents. US Census Bureau school-district maps place them as: Urbandale (most of the Polk County side), Johnston (an area on the east side), West Des Moines and Des Moines Public Schools (a band just north of Hickman Road), Waukee (most of the Dallas County side) and Dallas Center-Grimes (areas in the middle and northwest of the city). Only Urbandale and Waukee have buildings inside the city. District lines run through the city, so which district applies depends on the exact address rather than the city name.

What schools are located in Urbandale, Iowa?

9 public school buildings sit inside Urbandale. The high and middle schools are Urbandale High School (grades 9-12), Urbandale Middle School (grades 6-8), plus 7 elementary and early-learning buildings listed in full on this page. This list comes from the Iowa Department of Education 2026-27 building directory.

Which elementary school will my child attend in Urbandale?

First the address decides the district, then the district decides the building. Urbandale CSD runs Karen Acres Elementary School, Olmsted Elementary School, Valerius Elementary School, Webster Elementary School; Waukee CSD runs Radiant Elementary School, Walnut Hills Elementary School, Waterford Elementary School. Verify both with the district office before you write an offer.

What grades does the high school serve for Urbandale students?

Waukee CSD splits the upper grades. Ninth graders attend a dedicated building - Prairieview School, Trailridge School - and grade 10 begins at Northwest High School (10-12) or Waukee High School (10-12), all in Waukee.

Schools in nearby cities

Buyers weighing Urbandale usually have one or two other towns on the list. Each of these is the same guide for that city, built from the same state directory:

• Clive schools - also in Waukee CSD.
• Waukee schools - also in Waukee CSD.
• West Des Moines schools - also in Waukee CSD.
• Johnston schools - compared on this page.
• Living in Urbandale - the wider guide to the town itself: housing, commute and what the market is doing.
• All 24 Central Iowa city guides

Ready to find a home in a Urbandale school zone?

Wherever you land, I'm happy to help you weigh the school zones and the trade-offs that come with each - no pressure, no sales pitch. A quick 15-minute conversation is often all it takes to point you in the right direction:

• 📱 Call or text Jackson - 515-490-8614
• ✉️ Jackson@FlandersTeam.com
• 🏠 Full Urbandale real estate guide
• 🏠 The Central Iowa Buyer's Guide
• 🏠 Jackson's Hub - everything else

Jackson Krile is a REALTOR® on the Flanders Team at RE/MAX Real Estate Center. Licensed in Iowa #S66867000. DMAAR + CIBR member.