The Grimes Brief
Grimes has gone from a small railroad town to one of the fastest-growing cities in Iowa in a single generation. If you are weighing a move, here is the honest picture: what draws people, what it costs, where the kids go to school, and how far it really is from everything.
Grimes is a northwest suburb of Des Moines, about 20 minutes from downtown, anchored by the well-regarded Dallas Center-Grimes schools and newer construction that tends to run more affordable than Waukee or West Des Moines. The population has nearly doubled in a decade, which is the whole story in one number.
Most of Grimes feeds the Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District, about 3,500 students across four elementaries, a middle school, an intermediate building, and DCG High School. The Mustangs compete in the Little Hawkeye Conference and have banked recent state titles in boys basketball and cross country. The northeast edge of Grimes, toward Johnston, sits in the Johnston school district instead, so confirm your address when you buy.
Grimes is roughly 20 minutes to downtown Des Moines and about 15 minutes to West Des Moines, with quick access to Interstates 35 and 80 nearby. It borders Johnston to the east, Urbandale to the south, and Waukee to the west, so most of the metro's jobs and shopping are a short drive.
Grimes is new-construction heavy, with subdivisions still going up across town. That is a big part of the draw: buyers get newer homes at prices that generally undercut Waukee, West Des Moines, and Ankeny for comparable square footage. The city has logged well over a hundred million dollars in new-construction value in a single year during the boom. Add the schools and the parks, and you have the recipe that has kept the moving trucks coming.
The Grimes Brief is a free weekly email that catches you up on the town: what is on, the new places, the schools, and the local decisions that affect your street.
It is one of Iowa's fastest-growing towns, drawing families with the DCG schools, newer and relatively affordable homes, and a short Des Moines commute.
About 20 minutes to downtown Des Moines and 15 to West Des Moines. It borders Johnston, Urbandale, and Waukee.
Mostly Dallas Center-Grimes (the Mustangs). The northeast edge, toward Johnston, is in the Johnston district.