Quality of Life

Waukee offers a safe and family-friendly environment featuring quality parks, schools and trails. Frequent community events draw thousands of residents and visitors each year. Waukee Parks & Recreation and the Waukee Public Library consistently deliver engaging programs for people of all ages. Due to recent commercial growth, Waukee residents also have more access to nearby personal and professional services than ever before.

Waukee Community School District

The Waukee Community School District (WCSD) is the sixth-largest school district in Iowa serving more than 13,000 students from Waukee, Clive, Urbandale and West Des Moines, as well as open enrolled students from other communities outside the 55 square miles of district boundaries. For more than 100 years, the district has been committed to delivering a curriculum that is rigorous, relevant and promotes high levels of engagement. The student body ranks high nationally on every measure of academic progress, and the WCSD has one of the highest graduation rates in the state at 99 percent. The WCSD’s Apex Program students also add value to business partners while exploring career possibilities identified by economic trends within our metro area and state. Learn more about APEX.

Dining and Entertainment

The City of Waukee continues to break commercial development records year after year. In 2000, Waukee had approximately 5,000 residents and was considered a "bedroom community". With a current population nearing 25,000, more dining and entertainment establishments have recognized the business potential in what is becoming more of a destination community. Waukee’s Kettestone Development features a variety of dining options and will soon be the home of a 40-acre entertainment district called "KeeTown Loop," including a new 3,000 seat concert venue set to open in 2023. The Hickman Road Corridor is also bustling with new personal and professional service businesses and is home to the popular Palms Theatres & IMAX which offers a one-of-a-kind movie and dining experience.

Outdoor Recreation and Sports

Whether biking along the Raccoon River Valley Trail, fishing at the Kettlestone ponds, teeing off at Sugar Creek Municipal Golf Course, tiptoeing through the Fox Creek Splash Pad or participating in one of the community’s fantastic festivals, outdoor enthusiasts will find that Waukee is a breath of fresh air. Half of Waukee’s Dallas County Local Option Sales Tax Revenues are distributed each year to improve existing parks/trails and build new ones to keep up with the booming population’s recreational needs.