Moving to Ankeny?
Utilities, city services, schools, moving requirements and the practical stuff worth knowing when you're getting settled.
Your first-week checklist.
Not everything needs to happen on move-in day. These are the things worth getting on your radar first.
Local help for your move.
We're building a small group of useful Ankeny-area resources for the parts of moving PackBetter doesn't do. As we get to know great local businesses, we'll share them here.
As PackBetter gets to know businesses serving Ankeny, we'll add local resources that can make moving a little easier, from organizing and cleaning to junk removal, real estate and moving help.
Local resources are independently owned businesses. PackBetter does not charge businesses to be featured.
Utilities & Home Services
Start here for the things that make the lights turn on, the faucets work and civilization continue functioning.
Water & Sewer
The City of Ankeny handles water and wastewater service. Existing customers can also transfer service when moving between Ankeny addresses.
START OR TRANSFER SERVICE →Electricity
Most Ankeny properties are served by MidAmerican Energy. Some northern properties may be served by Consumers Energy. Confirm the provider for your address before starting service.
CHECK ELECTRIC SERVICE →Natural Gas
Natural gas service within Ankeny may be provided by MidAmerican Energy or Black Hills Energy depending on the property.
CHECK GAS SERVICE →Garbage
Ankeny uses subscription garbage collection. Residents contract directly with an approved private garbage hauler for service, rates and pickup schedules.
VIEW GARBAGE HAULERS →Trash, Recycling & Getting Rid of Stuff
Because every move eventually produces a mysterious pile of cardboard, dead batteries and one chair nobody admits owning.
Residential curbside recycling is provided through Metro Waste Authority's Curb It! program.
RECYCLING INFO →Ankeny provides free corrugated-cardboard drop-off locations, useful when moving boxes overwhelm the recycling cart.
CARDBOARD DROP-OFF →Contact your garbage provider about furniture, appliances and other oversized-item pickup procedures and fees.
VIEW DISPOSAL OPTIONS →Metro Waste Authority handles disposal resources for household hazardous materials and other special waste.
SAFE DISPOSAL INFO →Address, License, Voting & Vehicles
The thrilling administrative portion of moving. Fortunately, most of what you need starts in only a few places.
Iowa requires new residents to title and register their motor vehicles within 30 days of establishing residency, even if an out-of-state registration is still valid.
New Iowa Residents
Driver's license and ID requirements, documentation, testing information and appointment guidance.
NEW TO IOWA →Vehicle Registration
Title and registration guidance for new Iowa residents, including documents to bring and appointment information.
REGISTER A VEHICLE →Change Your Address
Update your Iowa driver's license or ID information after moving to a new address.
ADDRESS CHANGE INFO →Update Your Voter Registration
Moved recently? Check that your Iowa voter registration is current, update your address if needed and confirm your polling place before the next election.
Iowa's pre-registration deadline for the November 3, 2026 general election is October 19. If you miss that deadline, Iowa also allows eligible voters to register or update their registration when voting early in person or on Election Day.
POLK COUNTY 2026 VOTER INFO →Schools & Families
A few useful starting points once the boxes are mostly where they're supposed to be.
Ankeny Community School District
Families can begin enrollment through the district's online registration resources.
SCHOOL REGISTRATION →Kirkendall Public Library
Ankeny's public library offers resident library cards, programs, digital resources and community services.
LIBRARY INFORMATION →Explore Ankeny
Find city parks, trails, recreation programs, facilities and community activities.
PARKS & RECREATION →Moving With Pets
One small local requirement that's easy to miss while you're changing everything else.
All dogs and cats within the City of Ankeny must be licensed each calendar year. Current rabies vaccination documentation is required when licensing a pet.
A little planning goes a long way.
The city paperwork matters. So does not discovering at 9:40 p.m. that your phone charger is buried in Tote 27.
Confirm parking, building access, stairs, elevators or HOA rules before the first load arrives.
Medications, chargers, toiletries, clothes, paperwork and anything you'll want before the rest is unpacked.
Totes handle what you can pack. Mattresses, furniture and awkward pieces need their own moving-day plan.
Totes handle what you can pack.
Move+ helps with what you can't.
Add extra moving equipment for the bigger, awkward parts of the move: mattress protection, lifting straps, extra blankets, furniture sliders, corner protection, stretch wrap, doorstops and organization pouches, plus the extra tote it all comes in.
Getting settled in Ankeny.
You don't need every city department bookmarked. These are useful places to start when you need something local.
Explore another local guide.
Pack better.
Move easier.
PackBetter delivers complete moving kits throughout Ankeny and the surrounding area, then picks everything back up when you're done. Check your ZIP using the delivery-area tool we've already built.