Cosmetic Dentist near Ankeny, Iowa

More Information about Ankeny, Iowa

Des Moines, Iowa, the capital of Iowa and home to over 600,000 residents, is surrounded by a number of middle sized communities that each boast their own unique character. The city to the north of Des Moines is Ankeny, IA, and it has as much character as all the sister cities around Des Moines. One item that makes Ankeny stand alone is that it is the major trailhead for the High Trestle Trail, which heads north out of Ankeny and travels 25 miles to a little town called Woodward. The High Trestle Trail has been designated as one of the eight amazing  footbridges in the world by the BBC. More on that later.

The History

Ankeny was originally founded by John and Sarah Ankeny in 1875 and was incorporated in 1903. Like so many Midwestern towns it grew around the railroad and in Ankeny’s case, also two coalmines. In the early 1900s over 100,000 tons of coal were mined out of the two large mines in the immediate area. With our country’s participation in World War II Ankeny saw a large federal ordinance plant come to town manufacturing ammunition. At the end of the war Deere and Company bought the plant and are now a major employer in the area.

Commercial Expansion driving growth.

Ankeny now is home to close to 60,000 residents. Many are employed at Deere, Tone’s Spices, and Casey’s General Stores corporate offices, Sysco Food Service, Praxair and Mrs. Clark’s Foods. Another growing entity is the Des Moines Area Community College. DMACC currently has over 36,000 students in class for credits and another 22,000 in noncredit classes. That makes for a large campus and a lot of
bodies!

Awards

Ankeny has been recognized as one of the top ten towns for families by Family Circle magazine. Money magazine ranked Ankeny number 62 in its top 100 places to live and for nine years in a row it has been designated as a playful city by the KaBoom Foundation. Ankeny indeed has character!

Location, location

Depending on the route taken Ankeny can be less than 10 miles from downtown Des Moines. Not only do you have the amenities and character of this small town but you have all the amenities of this large city. Defining the eastern edge of Ankeny is Interstate 35 running north and south. On the southern edge of Ankeny is Interstate 80 running east and west. The Des Moines regional airport is but a stones’ throw away as well.

The High Trestle Trail

To get back to this very unique feature, this recreational trail was opened in 2011 and continues to grow in popularity, providing outdoor enjoyment to now over 3,000 people a week. A former Union Pacific railroad right of way, the trail is entirely paved with very little grade rise. The breath-taking feature is the
12 story tall bridge across the Des Moines River. Illuminated in the evening hours, it gives hikers and bikers a stunning view of the river valley. Surely this can’t be Ankeny, Iowa!