Movers Ankeny
Movers in Ankeny, Iowa
Local movers serving Iowa’s fifth-largest city — from the historic Uptown district to the planned neighborhoods of Prairie Trail to the John Deere corridor. Hourly pricing, real itemized quotes, same crew start to finish.
2024 Special Census
76,207
people now call Ankeny home — up from 67,887 in the 2020 Census. That makes Ankeny the 5th largest city in Iowa.
Ankeny is a city of distinct eras
Ankeny doesn’t feel like a typical Iowa suburb. The city grew in waves, and you can still see each one in the architecture. The Uptown district along the railroad tracks is the original commercial main street, mostly built before 1940. The neighborhoods around the John Deere Des Moines Works expanded the city in the late 1940s and 1950s, when the factory opened and the population doubled in a decade. DMACC moved in during 1967 and Faith Baptist Bible College the same year, anchoring a wave of mid-century residential growth. The 2005 launch of the 1,031-acre Prairie Trail planned community kicked off the modern boom — from about 28,000 residents in 2000 to over 76,000 by 2024.
That growth has made Ankeny the fifth-largest city in Iowa. The city added more than 8,000 new residents between the 2020 Census and the 2024 Special Census — about 12% growth in four years. Most of that new growth is on the north and northwest sides, where active subdivisions are still being built. The older parts of the city, by contrast, have been settled for decades and have the mature trees, established yards, and original-era housing to show for it.
For families and businesses moving in or out, that history shapes everything about the work. An Uptown bungalow built in 1935 moves nothing like a Heritage Village townhouse built in 2019. A move from a 1950s ranch on the east side to a new build in north Ankeny crosses two construction eras and two different layouts of furniture access. Older homes need more disassembly. Newer homes load faster. Same city, different work.
Midwest Moving Pros serves all of Ankeny. We’re a family-owned local moving company based in Des Moines. The crew that loads in Ankeny is the crew that unloads at the new place. The lead who quotes the move is the lead on move day. The price on the quote is the price on the invoice. No brokers, no consolidated shipments, no swapping crews mid-move.
Neighborhoods we move across in Ankeny
Ankeny’s neighborhoods tell the city’s growth story. Each era has its own housing stock, layout, and the kind of moves that happen there.
Uptown Ankeny
The historic main street district along SW Walnut Street. Saturday farmers market May through September, classic Iowa storefronts, restaurants like Leaning Tower of Pizza and Trailside Tap, coffee shops, and walkable original housing nearby. Tighter doorways and older construction shape the move — we plan for that.
East Ankeny near John Deere Works
The neighborhoods that grew up around the John Deere Des Moines Works after Deere bought the plant in 1947. Ranch homes, split-levels, mature trees, established yards. Steady, quiet, with a workforce-heritage feel and easy commute to the plant.
Briarwood & Otter Creek
North Ankeny neighborhoods with golf courses, mature subdivisions, and family-sized homes. Briarwood and Otter Creek are common upsize destinations for families who started elsewhere in Ankeny and want more space without leaving the school district.
Prairie Trail & The District
The 1,031-acre planned community launched in 2005 — new urbanism design with walkable streets, mixed-use blocks, and four traditional architectural styles. The District at Prairie Trail anchors the center with restaurants like Jethro’s BBQ Lakehouse and an amphitheater. Newer homes, easier move-day access.
Northwest Ankeny
Newer subdivisions on the northwest side, close to the Neal Smith Trail, Saylorville Lake, and Big Creek. Plenty of new construction in this area, with full basements, three-car garages, and wide-doorway access. A common destination for first-home and family-upsize moves.
The Switchyard & central corridor
The Switchyard mixed-use development has become a newer downtown hub with apartments, retail, and dining. Apartment-to-home moves often involve The Switchyard or other newer complexes along the central corridor. Elevator coordination is usually part of the planning.
What makes Ankeny moves different
Two high school feeder districts
The Ankeny Community School District has two high schools: Ankeny High and Centennial High. Each draws from different parts of the city, and families often move within Ankeny to stay in a preferred feeder pattern when their kids are about to enter middle school or high school.
If schools are part of your move, confirm the feeder for your new address — the district website has an address lookup. Iowa’s open enrollment system has a March 1 deadline for the following school year.
John Deere shift schedules
John Deere Des Moines Works is one of the largest employers in the area. A lot of Ankeny moves are scheduled around shift work — we can plan a move around an early morning start, an overnight load, or a weekend window if that’s what your schedule needs.
Just tell us during the walkthrough what the time constraints look like and we’ll work with them.
DMACC student housing turnover
The Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny campus has more than 15,000 students. End of spring semester and start of fall semester are the heaviest move windows in town. Apartment-to-apartment, apartment-to-home, and student-to-first-job moves all cluster in those weeks.
Trail-connected neighborhoods
The High Trestle Trail, a 25-mile recreational trail, starts in Ankeny. Many newer neighborhoods are designed to connect directly to the trail system, which means tight community streets and limited truck staging in some areas. We confirm parking and access for trail-adjacent addresses during the walkthrough.
Planning a move in or out of Ankeny
A few practical things make an Ankeny move go more smoothly.
Book before the end-of-month rush
End-of-month Fridays are the most-booked moving day in the Des Moines metro, and Ankeny’s share of that demand is heavy because of how many home closings happen here. Summer (May through August) is the peak family-moving season. The earlier you book, the more flexibility you get on timing.
Confirm the school feeder, not just the city
Ankeny has two high schools, and the feeder split runs through the city in ways that aren’t always obvious by address. If schools are a reason for your move, check the Ankeny Community School District website to confirm the feeder for the specific address before move day.
Older Uptown homes need disassembly planning
Homes in the Uptown district and the older 1940s-50s neighborhoods often have narrow stairwells and original-construction doorways. We bring disassembly tools to every move — bed frames, table legs, sectional couches, sometimes a dresser top — whatever needs to come apart to get through tight spaces.
Apartment complexes near The Switchyard
The newer mixed-use apartment buildings around The Switchyard and the central corridor have move-in policies that vary by complex. Some require elevator booking ahead of time, some restrict parking windows. Let us know which building during the walkthrough and we plan around the requirements.
What an Ankeny move costs
Our pricing is the same for Ankeny as for the rest of the metro. Hourly rate. No trip charges. No stair surcharges. No surge pricing for weekends or end-of-month dates.
$160 per hour covers the crew, truck, fuel, pads, dollies, and basic moving insurance.
Flat $100 add for items too heavy for our standard crew (large gun safes, heavy pianos). That’s the only extra.
$50 deposit holds your local move date and applies to the final invoice. Long-distance moves use a $300 deposit.
Most Ankeny moves fall between $370 (small apartment) and $1,810 (4-bedroom home). The written quote you get after the walkthrough is tighter than these ranges.
Moving in or out of Ankeny?
Itemized written quote within 24 hours. Same crew start to finish. The price on the quote matches the price on the invoice.