Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Cotter

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Cotter IowaPhoto: Billwhittaker at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Cotter handbook

Living in Cotter, IA: what to set up and who to call

All of Cotter gets its mail under one ZIP code, 52738. The nearest library is Columbus Junction Public Library, 5.3 miles away.

Which school will my kid attend?How do I register to vote?ZIP codes

I’m new in town

What to set up in Cotter, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.

PowerInterstate Power and Lightinvestor-owned utility · 17.8¢/kWhMore →
InternetWhich providers serve CotterData pending · FCC map (D4)
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Cotter’s trash rules yetMore →SchoolColumbus Community School DistrictWhich school depends on grade and addressMore →Register to voteOnlineRules from vote.govMore →ZIP code52738Where people live, not P.O. boxesMore →
Home services

Power, water and internet

Who to call to start service at a new address in Cotter.

Electricity

Power comes from Interstate Power and Light

Interstate Power and Light (Interstate Power and Light Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Cotter. 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.

Internet

Which providers serve Cotter

Data pending · D4

This card will list the home internet providers the FCC’s National Broadband Map shows in Cotter, the share of addresses that can get 100/20 Mbps and the share with fiber, with the map’s “as of” date.

Source to come: FCC Broadband Data Collection.

Trash & recycling

We don’t have Cotter’s trash rules yet

Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Cotter.

Trash, recycling and bulk pickupNot on fileOpenStreetMap lists no public drop-off in Cotter or within 5 miles (as of Oct 9, 2026); map coverage varies by town.
Schools

Where your child goes to school

Public school districts and the school path by grade.

Cotter kids go to
PK–6Roundy Elementary Schoolin Columbus Junction
7–8Columbus Community Junior High Schoolin Columbus Junction
9–12Columbus Community High Schoolin Columbus Junction

Cotter is in Columbus Community School District.

Test scores and every school: see Schools →

U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.

Government & voting

Town hall and registering to vote

Who to call, and how to register.

Town HallBudget, officials, electionsCotter’s government in one page
Who runs elections hereLouisa County AuditorElections here are run by Louisa County (county election office). PO Box 186, Wapello, IA 52653 · (319) 523-3373 · [email protected]FVAP, Nov 2025
Register to voteOnlineIn 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).vote.govCheck your registration and polling placesos.iowa.govThe state’s voter lookup

Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Nov 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

ZIP codes & area codes

Cotter is in ZIP code 52738

ZIP codes where Cotter residents live, with the share of the town in each.

ZIPPost office nameShare of CotterZIP’s residents in Cotter
52738Columbus Junction, IA100%1%

Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.

Everyday places

Getting around, the ER and the library

One line each; the subject pages have the rest.

Nearest emergency roomWashington County Hospital and Clinics11.8 miles awayGet a library cardColumbus Junction Public Library232 2nd St. · (319) 728-7972

ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.

Questions about living in Cotter

Who provides electricity in Cotter?

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 ZIP codes are in Cotter?

52738. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.

What school district is Cotter in?

Columbus Community School District.

How do I register to vote in Cotter?

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 Louisa County Auditor. Check your registration at sos.iowa.gov.

Sources & dates

Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.

  • Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
  • Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
  • 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): pending.