Urbandale, Iowa
Encyclopedia
Urbandale is a city in Polk
and Dallas
counties in the U.S. state
of Iowa
. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 29,072; a special census taken by the city in 2005 counted 35,904 residents and the United States Census Bureau
estimated that 38,369 residents lived there in 2008. It is part of the Des Moines
–West Des Moines
Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
of Des Moines
with four coal mines. Urbandale served as the end of the "Urbandale Line" after plans to build a railroad from Des Moines to Woodward
were abandoned because of right-of-way issues. The coal mines had closed by the end of the 1940s while streetcar service ended in 1951.
In 1920, shortly after the city incorporated, Urbandale had 298 people. Its population in 1950 was 1,777, but the city grew rapidly after that along with the rest of Des Moines' suburbs. By 1970 Urbandale had 14,434 people, and in 2000 it had 29,072. Although most of the city's developed area is in Polk County, Urbandale has expanded westward into Dallas County in recent years.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 20.7 square miles (53.6 km²), of which, 20.7 square miles (53.6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.10%) is water.
of 2000, there were 29,072 people, 11,484 households, and 8,038 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,404.9 people per square mile (542.5/km²). There were 11,869 housing units at an average density of 573.6 per square mile (221.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.18% White, 1.53% African American, 0.09% Native American, 1.73% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races
, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.60% of the population.
There were 11,484 households out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples
living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $59,744, and the median income for a family was $70,548 (these figures had risen to $69,269 and $86,885 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $45,470 versus $32,631 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $29,021. About 2.5% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.7% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
s along I-35
/I-80
.
The Multi-State Lottery Association
(MUSL), which oversees operations for its multi-state games is located in Urbandale, although Powerball
is now drawn in Florida
.
In July 2005, Money
magazine ranked Urbandale 53rd on its list of the "100 Best Places to Live" in the United States. The July 2006 Money Magazine list dropped the city from the list. Urbandale reappeared on the list in the July 2007 issue of Money Magazine as the 39th best place to live.
A September 2008 Business Week magazine survey ranked Urbandale 12th among the nation’s top 20 communities likely to face trouble ahead from the still-brewing Wall Street financial crises. This was due to the large number of mortgage and banking based facilities in the city.
Urbandale features 850 acres (3.4 km²) of parks and 33 miles (53.1 km) of recreational trail
s that connect to other trails in the Des Moines area.
Urbandale is the home of Living History Farms
, where Pope John Paul II
spoke to a crowd estimated at 350,000 on October 4, 1979 and the Buccaneer Arena, home to the Des Moines Buccaneers
hockey team.
form of government. The city council consists of the mayor and five council members, all of which are elected to four-year terms.
, one middle school
, and one high school
(Urbandale High School
. Portions of Urbandale are also in the Dallas Center
-Grimes
, Des Moines
, Johnston
, Waukee
, and West Des Moines
school districts.
Polk County, Iowa
Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 430,640 in the 2010 census, an increase from 374,601 in the 2000 census. The county seat is Des Moines, which is also the capital city of Iowa...
and Dallas
Dallas County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 66,135 in the county, with a population density of . There were 27,260 housing units, of which 25,240 were occupied.-2000 census:...
counties in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 29,072; a special census taken by the city in 2005 counted 35,904 residents and the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
estimated that 38,369 residents lived there in 2008. It is part of the Des Moines
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
–West Des Moines
West Des Moines, Iowa
West Des Moines is a city in Polk, Dallas, and Warren counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 46,403; a special census taken in the spring of 2005 counted 51,744 residents and the United States Census Bureau estimated that 53,889 residents lived there in...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Des Moines metropolitan area
The Des Moines metropolitan area, officially known as the Des Moines-West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area , consists of five counties in central Iowa, United States: Polk, Dallas, Warren, Madison, and Guthrie...
.
History
Urbandale was incorporated as a city on April 16, 1917. In its early days, Urbandale served as a streetcar suburbSuburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Des Moines
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
with four coal mines. Urbandale served as the end of the "Urbandale Line" after plans to build a railroad from Des Moines to Woodward
Woodward, Iowa
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,200 people, 490 households, and 309 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,319.1 people per square mile . There were 528 housing units at an average density of 580.4 per square mile...
were abandoned because of right-of-way issues. The coal mines had closed by the end of the 1940s while streetcar service ended in 1951.
In 1920, shortly after the city incorporated, Urbandale had 298 people. Its population in 1950 was 1,777, but the city grew rapidly after that along with the rest of Des Moines' suburbs. By 1970 Urbandale had 14,434 people, and in 2000 it had 29,072. Although most of the city's developed area is in Polk County, Urbandale has expanded westward into Dallas County in recent years.
Geography
Urbandale is located at 41°38′11"N 93°44′10"W (41.636421, -93.736121).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 20.7 square miles (53.6 km²), of which, 20.7 square miles (53.6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.10%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 29,072 people, 11,484 households, and 8,038 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,404.9 people per square mile (542.5/km²). There were 11,869 housing units at an average density of 573.6 per square mile (221.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.18% White, 1.53% African American, 0.09% Native American, 1.73% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.60% of the population.
There were 11,484 households out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $59,744, and the median income for a family was $70,548 (these figures had risen to $69,269 and $86,885 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $45,470 versus $32,631 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $29,021. About 2.5% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.7% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
While Urbandale is primarily a residential city, other development has increased in recent years, particularly in industrial parkIndustrial park
An industrial park is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development...
s along I-35
Interstate 35
Interstate 35 is a north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. I-35 stretches from Laredo, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border to Duluth, Minnesota, at Minnesota Highway 61 and 26th Avenue East. Many interstates used to have splits or spurs indicated with suffixed letters , but I-35...
/I-80
Interstate 80
Interstate 80 is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, following Interstate 90. It is a transcontinental artery running from downtown San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey in the New York City Metropolitan Area...
.
The Multi-State Lottery Association
Multi-State Lottery Association
The Multi-State Lottery Association is a non-profit, government-benefit association owned and operated by agreement of its 33 member lotteries MUSL was created to facilitate the operation of multi-jurisdictional lottery games, including Powerball, Mega Millions), video lottery, and instant ...
(MUSL), which oversees operations for its multi-state games is located in Urbandale, although Powerball
Powerball
Powerball is an American lottery game sold in 44 jurisdictions as a shared jackpot game. It is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association , a non-profit organization formed by an agreement with lotteries. Powerball is a game whose advertised jackpot starts at $20 million and can roll into...
is now drawn in Florida
Florida Lottery
The Florida Lottery is a government-run organization in Florida, USA. With numerous on-line and scratch-off games available, players have a wide variety of prize levels to choose from. Since it began, the Florida Lottery has continued to add variety to its portfolio of games...
.
In July 2005, Money
Money (magazine)
Money is published by Time Inc. Its first issue was published in October 1972. Its articles cover the gamut of personal finance topics ranging from investing, saving, retirement and taxes to family finance issues like paying for college, credit, career and home improvement...
magazine ranked Urbandale 53rd on its list of the "100 Best Places to Live" in the United States. The July 2006 Money Magazine list dropped the city from the list. Urbandale reappeared on the list in the July 2007 issue of Money Magazine as the 39th best place to live.
A September 2008 Business Week magazine survey ranked Urbandale 12th among the nation’s top 20 communities likely to face trouble ahead from the still-brewing Wall Street financial crises. This was due to the large number of mortgage and banking based facilities in the city.
Parks and recreation
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
s that connect to other trails in the Des Moines area.
Urbandale is the home of Living History Farms
Living History Farms
Living History Farms is a 500-acre open air museum located in Urbandale, Iowa. The museum's mission is to educate visitors and demonstrate the past 300 hundred years of Iowa's agricultural history...
, where Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
spoke to a crowd estimated at 350,000 on October 4, 1979 and the Buccaneer Arena, home to the Des Moines Buccaneers
Des Moines Buccaneers
The Des Moines Buccaneers are a Tier 1 junior ice hockey team of the United States Hockey League . The team played in the West Division starting in the 2009 - 2010 season....
hockey team.
Government
Urbandale uses the council-managerCouncil-manager government
The council–manager government form is one of two predominant forms of municipal government in the United States; the other common form of local government is the mayor-council government form, which characteristically occurs in large cities...
form of government. The city council consists of the mayor and five council members, all of which are elected to four-year terms.
Education
The Urbandale Community School District consists of six elementary schoolsPrimary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
, one middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
, and one high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
(Urbandale High School
Urbandale High School
Urbandale High School is a high school in Urbandale, Iowa. It is the home of the Urbandale J-Hawks and they are the 2nd smallest 4-A school in the Central Iowa Metro league, or CIML.- History :...
. Portions of Urbandale are also in the Dallas Center
Dallas Center, Iowa
Dallas Center is a city in Dallas County, Iowa, USA. The population was 1,595 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Dallas Center is located at ....
-Grimes
Grimes, Iowa
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,098 people, 1,887 households, and 1,437 families residing in the city. The population density was 569.4 people per square mile . There were 1,958 housing units at an average density of 218.7 per square mile...
, Des Moines
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
, Johnston
Johnston, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 17,278 in the city, with a population density of . There were 6,618 housing units, of which 6,369 were occupied....
, Waukee
Waukee, Iowa
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,126 people, 1,927 households, and 1,445 families residing in the city. The population density was 610.9 people per square mile . There were 2,087 housing units at an average density of 248.7 per square mile...
, and West Des Moines
West Des Moines, Iowa
West Des Moines is a city in Polk, Dallas, and Warren counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 46,403; a special census taken in the spring of 2005 counted 51,744 residents and the United States Census Bureau estimated that 53,889 residents lived there in...
school districts.
Notable people
- Eddie BerlinEddie BerlinEdward Walton Berlin , is an American football wide receiver. He was originally drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL Draft out of the University of Northern Iowa...
, NFL Wide ReceiverWide receiverA wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible... - Paul Gray, former bassistBassistA bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
for the metal band SlipknotSlipknot (band)Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray... - Sean RunyanSean RunyanSean David Runyan is a former Major League Baseball player.After attending Urbandale High School in Urbandale, Iowa, Runyan was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 5th round of the 1992 amateur draft...
, Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player
External links
- Official City Website
- Chamber of Commerce
- Urbandale Community School District
- City-Data Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Urbandale