Photo: Gcardinal101 · CC BY 4.0Living in Charles City, IA: what to set up and who to call
Charles City Water Supply has a clean five-year EPA record, but its latest lead result, 6.2 ppb, was higher than 95% of similar systems’ (the action level is 15). The closest ER is Floyd County Medical Center, 0.9 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Charles City, 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 Charles City.
Power comes from MidAmerican Energy
MidAmerican Energy (MidAmerican Energy Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Charles City. Its homes paid an average of 11.2¢ per kWh in 2025, about $93 a month (its average across Iowa).
Start or move service: midamericanenergy.com · (888) 427-5632
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Charles City Water Supply
Charles City Water Supply supplies almost all of Charles City. It draws ground water and serves 7,446 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 80% of the 5,012 systems serving 3,301–10,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, was 6.2 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 95% of similar systems’ latest results.
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 (EPA’s estimate). Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. IA3405012.
7 home internet providers serve Charles City
100% of 3,324 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 24% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mediacom Xtream | Cable, Fiber | 99% | 1,000/50 |
| CenturyLink | DSL | 59% | 10/1 |
| OmniTel Communications | Fiber | 21% | 8,000/8,000 |
| Router12 Networks | Fixed wireless | 94% | 100/20 |
| Rise Broadband | Fixed wireless | 75% | 100/20 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 68% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Curbside recycling in Charles City: every other week
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Charles City, from the town’s own site.
We couldn’t find pickup days or drop-off hours. Check cityofcharlescity.org →
From cityofcharlescity.org, the town’s official site, checked Oct 21, 2026. 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.
Charles City is in Charles City Community School District.
DSchool 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 Jul 2026; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Charles City is in ZIP code 50616
ZIP codes where Charles City residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Charles City | ZIP’s residents in Charles City |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50616 | Charles City, IA | 100% | 74% |
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 Charles City
Who supplies Charles City’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Charles City Water Supply (EPA ID IA3405012). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 80% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 6.2 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Charles City?
MidAmerican Energy (MidAmerican Energy Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 11.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Charles City?
Mediacom Xtream, CenturyLink, OmniTel Communications, Router12 Networks, Rise Broadband, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Charles City?
50616. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Charles City in?
Charles City Community School District.
How do I register to vote in Charles City?
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 Floyd 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: Charles City’s own website (cityofcharlescity.org), read Oct 21, 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.