Moving to Grimes?
Utilities, Polk vs. Dallas County paperwork, trash schedules, schools, snow rules and the practical stuff worth knowing when you're getting settled in Grimes, Iowa.
Your first-week checklist.
Grimes rewards one simple strategy: check the exact address before assuming anything. County lines, newer subdivisions and utility territories have little interest in making moving paperwork elegant.
Local help for your move.
A growing network of businesses that can make the before, during and after parts of moving a little easier.
Local resources are independently owned businesses. PackBetter does not charge businesses to be featured.
Utilities & Home Services
Grimes runs water and sewer. Electricity and natural gas are separate calls, because apparently one utility company would have made the checklist too short.
City of Grimes
Grimes provides municipal water and sanitary-sewer service. Utility Billing is 515-986-3036. Residential renters currently must appear at City Hall with valid ID and a $100 security deposit. Bills are due on the 20th.
SET UP CITY UTILITIES →MidAmerican Energy
The City's current service directory identifies MidAmerican for electric service. Verify the exact address when starting or transferring service.
MIDAMERICAN ENERGY →Black Hills Energy
Grimes identifies Black Hills Energy for natural gas service, not MidAmerican. Verify the exact property address, particularly around newer development.
BLACK HILLS ENERGY →Trash, Recycling & Getting Rid of Stuff
Highway 44 is the useful dividing line for weekly collection. Newer residents should learn that before confidently rolling the cart out on the wrong morning.
Current City information lists Monday garbage collection south of Highway 44 and Tuesday north of Highway 44. Recycling is every other week on the same geographic day.
Residential garbage is coordinated through the City and Metro Waste Authority and is established with City utility service.
TRASH INFO →Recycling runs every other week. Use the City's live information for the current calendar rather than hard-coding alternating weeks into your brain.
RECYCLING INFO →Grimes participates in seasonal Compost It! curbside yard-waste service and also runs seasonal local drop-off opportunities. Dates change year to year.
YARD WASTE →MWA large-item procedures apply, and the nearby Metro Northwest Transfer Station provides a local hazardous-waste resource. Check accepted materials before loading the vehicle.
HAZARDOUS WASTE →License, Voting, Vehicles & County Offices
Like Clive, Grimes crosses Polk and Dallas counties. Find the property's county before choosing a treasurer, auditor or assessor.
Vehicle registration, elections and property assessment depend on the physical location of the residence. A Grimes mailing address alone does not choose the office for you.
Iowa DOT
Driver licensing is handled by Iowa DOT and is separate from county vehicle registration. Use the current DOT requirements and location finder when establishing Iowa residency.
IOWA DRIVER'S LICENSE →Polk County Treasurer
Polk-side Grimes residents use Polk County for vehicle title and registration. New Iowa residents generally have 30 days to title/register.
POLK COUNTY VEHICLES →Dallas County Treasurer
Dallas-side residents use Dallas County. Dallas County currently requires appointments for title transfers and out-of-state move-ins.
DALLAS COUNTY VEHICLES →Use the Polk or Dallas County Auditor for elections and the corresponding county assessor for parcel records. County boundaries and school boundaries are separate, so do not use one to guess the other.
Schools, Library & Around Town
Rapid growth makes exact-address checks especially useful for school assignment, broadband and newer subdivisions.
Dallas Center–Grimes CSD
Dallas Center–Grimes is the primary public district serving Grimes. Use the district's current registration process and exact home address to confirm building assignment.
SCHOOL REGISTRATION →Grimes Public Library
The City operates the Grimes Public Library. Check its current page for hours, card requirements and resident programs after you get settled.
GRIMES PUBLIC LIBRARY →Permits + County Records
Parcel records depend on Polk or Dallas County. City permitting is separate from county assessment, so review Grimes requirements before exterior improvements or construction.
CITY RESIDENT RESOURCES →Moving With Pets
Grimes requires licensing for dogs and cats older than six months. Check the City's current pet page for the current fee and documentation requirements.
Add pet licensing to the first-few-days list instead of discovering it later through the less charming mechanism of enforcement.
A little planning goes a long way.
Street access matters on an ordinary moving day. In winter, the City's declared snow ordinance matters a lot more.
The research did not establish a routine residential moving-truck or portable-container permit. If the move will obstruct a public street, sidewalk or right-of-way, contact the City before delivery rather than assuming permission.
When Grimes declares a snow ordinance, no parking is allowed on City streets for the announced enforcement window. Sign up for WENS so the first notification is not your vehicle meeting municipal snow-removal policy.
Medications, chargers, toiletries, clothes, paperwork and anything you'll want before the rest is unpacked. One small bag beats opening twelve totes because the toothbrush has achieved witness protection.
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 Grimes.
A few reliable starting points for City services, utilities, collection information and emergency alerts.
Explore another local guide.
Pack better.
Move easier.
PackBetter delivers complete moving kits throughout our service area, then picks everything back up when you're done. Check your ZIP to confirm delivery for your Grimes address.