The City of Urbandale, located on the Northwest corner of Des Moines, was incorporated in 1917. At the time of the incorporation of Urbandale, there was considerable farmland between the developed areas of Des Moines and Urbandale, even though the two cities shared a common boundary. A monastery and a dairy farm were located where Merle Hay Mall now stands.

Urbandale was originally a streetcar suburb and coal mining town with four mines in operation. The last one closed in 1940. These were the Des Moines Ice and Fuel Mine where the Karen Acres Elementary School now stands, the Urbandale Coal Mine at 78th and Hickman, the Rider Coal Mine on West Meredith Drive, and the Beck Coal Mine at Merle Hay and Meredith Drive.

The town was served by a streetcar which ran from downtown Des Moines west on Urbandale Avenue, which was then only a streetcar track with a turnaround at 70th and Roseland. This was the location of the town’s first business building. The Olmsted/Urban House on 70th north of Douglas and a residence located on the northwest corner of 72nd and Douglas are two of the oldest remaining homes, dating to the early 1900’s.

On May 3, 1917, an election was held for the first Town Officials. Elected as the first Mayor of Urbandale was Otto Laverrenz. Elected councilmen were C. C. Olmsted, E. F. Botsford, Mark Stuart, G. W. Mead, and J. C. Witmer. From 1917 until 1965, the city operated under the mayor/council form of government. In June of 1965, the form of government was changed to a council/manager form of government.

The first census after incorporation counted 298 persons in 1920. The population grew steadily to 1,777 in 1950. Development of the Karen Acres area, beginning in 1956, initiated a period of rapid growth. The population increased to 5,821 by 1960, and to 14,343 1970. The population had grown to 27,565 persons by 1996 according to a special census. Future projections are 39,500 to 50,100 by the year 2020, with about 46,000 most likely. The city’s “ultimate” population will be about 75,000 persons within the present city limits. The city generally averages 260 to 330 new homes each year.

The Urbandale Sanitary Sewer District and the Urbandale Windsor Heights Sanitary District provide service throughout Urbandale, with sewage treatment provided by the Metropolitan treatment plant.

The present Comprehensive plan was adopted in 1988, and is being updated. Newer residential developments including Country /Club North, Deer Ridge Estates, Timberline, Bestland Estates, Foxdale, Bristol Cove, and many others. Most future residential growth will be located to the west of the interstate. As population projections indicate, Urbandale has substantial opport7unities for continued growth. Urbandale is one of the fastest growing cities in Iowa. Recent years have marked increased commercial and industrial constructions in response to high incomes and an aggressive stance by the city in attracting clean, quality development of this type. Commercial/industrial expansion has averaged 814,500 square feet per year from 1995-1998, with over one million square feet in 1995 and 1998. Each 5-year period has shown a significant increase over the previous five years. With recent and planned access improvements, economic development is expected to continue.

The City has an excellent park and open space system which has been prompted by the Comprehensive Plan and by the Parks and Open Space Plan. Federal funds were used to acquire and develop two parks, while many others were obtained through dedication required by the Parkland Ordinance or from planned unit developments. Many of the parks, and thereby the residential areas, are connected by an extensive trail system which is being expanded as development continues. Urbandale currently has 424 acres of parkland, and is connected to the trail systems of surrounding communities.

Trails encircle the city, along with shorter loops through individual neighborhoods, and provide a wealth of opportunities for walking, jogging, bicycling, and rollerblading.

Virtually all of the city’s streets are paved, except for outlying “county” roads along the north and west edges that have “temporary” paving. The city’s capital improvements program lists proposed street pavings and widenings and other proposed city improvements. The city now has an area of 20.88 square miles in Polk County and Dallas County.

As the city has grown, the number of building used for the various departments has also increased. The earliest city offices were located at 3816 70th Street, and shared a facility with the Fire Station. The current City Hall at 3315 70th was completed in 1961, and originally housed City Hall, the Police Department, Public Works, and the Public Library. The Police Department and Public Works were relocated in 1965 to a joint facility at 9401 Hickman Road.

In 1974, property was purchased for a new civic complex at the southwest corner of 86th and Douglas. The current police facility was built on this site in 1982, after it’s bond issue in 1980 passed by a margin of only eight votes. The Water Department was completed in 1986, and the Parks Maintenance facility was completed in 1990. The Urbandale Public library, previously located adjacent to the High School, and the Community Development Building, located directly south of the Water Department Building, were both completed in 2001. Currently, construction is underway to add City Hall to the Community Development building.