Polk City, Iowa
Polk City is a city of 6,037 people in Polk County, Iowa, founded in 1846.
Why visit Polk City
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 15 parks and trails, 11 places to eat and 1 place to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Big Creek Schoolhouse, Kids Create and Big Creek State Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 85°F; January lows average 13°F, and about 38 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Polk City
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Polk City
Polk City is a city in Polk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,543 in the 2020 census, an increase from 3,418 in 2010. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From the Wikipedia article Polk City, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks3
Big Creek Schoolhouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Rathaus in Iowa, United States of America
Parks, trails and playgrounds15
Big Creek State Park
Park · 3.0 mi
Park in Polk County, Iowa, United States of America
3 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes11
Rising Sun Cafe
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Donut, Burger, American, Breakfast · 0.9 mi
107 South 2nd Street, Polk City
Mo-Fr 07:00-14:00; Sa 07:00-13:00
Polk City Pub
Bar and pub · 0.9 mi
217 West Broadway Street, Polk City
11:00-21:00
The Creamery
Ice cream · 0.8 mi
221 West Broadway Street, Polk City
Mo-Fr 16:00-21:00; Sa-Su 12:00-21:00
Waters Edge Bar & Grill
Restaurant · 0.9 mi
103 East Broadway Street, Polk City
Mo-Fr 14:30-02:00; Sa 10:30-02:00; Su 11:30-02:00
Where to stay1
History
Polk City was settled in 1846 and incorporated as a city on March 13, 1875. It was an early contender for the seat of Polk County before Des Moines was ultimately chosen. The city was named after President James K. Polk, who was president at the time of its founding. Polk City is also known for having the only "town square" in all of Polk County.
From the History section of Polk City, Iowa on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship3
Lakeside Fellowship
Church · Protestant · 1.1 mi
1121 West Bridge Road, Polk City
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries10
Woodward-Granger Early Learning Center
School · 5.2 mi
2200 State Street, Granger
Map of Polk City
47 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30°F | 13°F | 1.0 in | 9.7 in |
| Feb | 35°F | 17°F | 1.2 in | 10.5 in |
| Mar | 49°F | 29°F | 2.1 in | 5.0 in |
| Apr | 62°F | 40°F | 4.0 in | 1.6 in |
| May | 72°F | 52°F | 4.8 in | 0.2 in |
| Jun | 81°F | 62°F | 5.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 66°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 83°F | 64°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 55°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 63°F | 42°F | 2.5 in | 0.5 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 30°F | 1.9 in | 2.2 in |
| Dec | 35°F | 19°F | 1.5 in | 8.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Des Moines Wsfo-Johnston (3 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Polk County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-09-01: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2024-05-24: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2024-05-14: Severe Storms And Tornadoes (Tornado)
- 2020-08-17: Severe Storms (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-23: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Ames Municipal Airport (AMW) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 16 miles away.
- Granger 5 mi west, about 8 min by car
- Johnston 6 mi south, about 10 min by car
- Ankeny 7 mi southeast, about 12 min by car
- Slater 7 mi north, about 11 min by car
- Grimes 8 mi southwest, about 13 min by car
- Madrid 8 mi northwest, about 13 min by car
- Saylorville 9 mi southeast, about 14 min by car
- Urbandale 10 mi south, about 17 min by car
- Huxley 10 mi northeast, about 17 min by car
- Clive 12 mi south, about 20 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- USACE Barrier Dam Lake Saylorville, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not specified or unknown, Public domain
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.