Photo: Bill Whittaker · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Clear Lake, IA: what to set up and who to call
Every home in Clear Lake is in ZIP code 50428. Almost every address in Clear Lake can get fiber (100%, by the FCC’s map).
I’m new in town
What to set up in Clear Lake, 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 Clear Lake.
Power comes from Interstate Power and Light
Interstate Power and Light (Interstate Power and Light Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Clear Lake. Its homes paid an average of 17.8¢ per kWh in 2025, about $131 a month (its average across Iowa).
Start or move service: alliantenergy.com · (319) 786-4411
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Clear Lake Water Department
Clear Lake Water Department supplies almost all of Clear Lake. It draws ground water and serves 7,687 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 3.6 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 5.9 ppb. That’s higher than 86% 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. IA1716076.
7 home internet providers serve Clear Lake
100% of 4,021 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clear Lake Independent Telephone Company | Fiber | 100% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Mediacom Xtream | Cable, Fiber | 98% | 1,000/50 |
| GigFire | Fixed wireless | 92% | 150/130 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 44% | 300/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 38% | 100/20 |
| Router12 Networks | Fixed wireless | 37% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Absolute Waste Removal picks up trash in Clear Lake
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Clear Lake, from the town’s own site.
We couldn’t find pickup days or drop-off hours. Check cityofclearlake.com →
From cityofclearlake.com, the town’s official site, checked Oct 23, 2026; pages dated 09/11/2023, 9/11/2023, 9/11/23. 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 Clear Lake (97%) is in Clear Lake Community School District; parts are in Garner-Hayfield-Ventura Community School District (3%).
A−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 Aug 2019; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Clear Lake is in ZIP code 50428
ZIP codes where Clear Lake residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Clear Lake | ZIP’s residents in Clear Lake |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50428 | Clear Lake, IA | 100% | 83% |
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 Clear Lake
Who supplies Clear Lake’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Clear Lake Water Department (EPA ID IA1716076). 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 3.6 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Clear Lake?
Interstate Power and Light (Interstate Power and Light Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 17.8¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Clear Lake?
Clear Lake Independent Telephone Company, Mediacom Xtream, GigFire, Verizon, T-Mobile, Router12 Networks (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Clear Lake?
50428. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Clear Lake in?
Clear Lake Community School District. Parts of the city are in Garner-Hayfield-Ventura Community School District.
How do I register to vote in Clear Lake?
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 Cerro Gordo 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: Clear Lake’s own website (cityofclearlake.com), 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.