Photo: Dirk DBQ · CC BY 2.0Living in Ames, IA: what to set up and who to call
Ames runs its own electric utility, City of Ames; its homes paid 12.1¢ per kWh in 2025. Ames has its own drop-off, Arnold O. Chantland Resource Recovery Plant, on 110 Center Avenue.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Ames, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Ames.
Power comes from City of Ames
City of Ames (City of Ames - (IA)), a municipal utility, serves 95.6% of Ames residents. Its homes paid an average of 12.1¢ per kWh in 2025, about $72 a month (its average across Iowa).
Start or move service: cityofames.org · (515) 239-5101
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Ames Water Treatment Plant
Ames Water Treatment Plant supplies Ames: about 86% of residents live in its service area. About 13% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws ground water and serves 55,177 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 90% of the 597 systems serving 50,001–100,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 3.0 ppb. Results below detection are reported as 0, so 0 doesn’t mean no lead at any tap.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. IA8503039.
7 home internet providers serve Ames
100% of 14,667 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 75% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mediacom Xtream | Cable, Fiber | 100% | 1,000/50 |
| Metronet | Fiber | 86% | 5,120/5,120 |
| CenturyLink | DSL, Fiber | 53% | 100/10 |
| Quantum Fiber | Fiber | 5% | 2,000/1,000 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 91% | 300/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 68% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Curbside recycling in Ames: every other week
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Ames, from the town’s own site.
Arnold O. Chantland Resource Recovery Plant
110 Center Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010
We couldn’t find its opening hours.
Single-stream recycling
All your recyclables go in one bin, no sorting.
- Plastics (#1 and #2)
- Cardboard
- Mixed Paper
- Metal Containers
- Glass Containers
From cityofames.org, the town’s official site, checked Oct 23, 2026; pages dated 11-18-25. Rules change: the town’s page is the last word. .
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Most of Ames (87%) is in Ames Community School District; parts are in Gilbert Community School District (9%) and Nevada Community School District (3%).
B−School gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jun 2026; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ames spans 4 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Ames residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Ames | ZIP’s residents in Ames |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50010 | Ames, IA | 46% | 95% |
| 50014 | Ames, IA | 44% | 92% |
| 50013 | Ames, IA | 6% | 100% |
| 50012 | Ames, IA | 3% | 100% |
A few homes fall in 50201. 50011 is P.O. box or single-organization ZIP with no homes.
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Ames
Who supplies Ames’ drinking water, and has it had violations?
Ames Water Treatment Plant (EPA ID IA8503039). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 90% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Ames?
City of Ames (City of Ames - (IA)), a municipal utility. Its homes paid about 12.1¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Ames?
Mediacom Xtream, Metronet, CenturyLink, Quantum Fiber, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Ames?
50010 (46%), 50014 (44%), 50013 (6%), 50012 (3%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Ames in?
Ames Community School District. Parts of the city are in Gilbert Community School District and Nevada Community School District.
How do I register to vote in Ames?
In Iowa you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before). Elections here are run by the Story County Auditor. Check your registration at sos.iowa.gov.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: Ames’ own website (cityofames.org), read Oct 23, 2026, pickup and drop-off facts extracted and checked against the page they came from.
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.