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Jacksonville IowaPhoto: Mostly Iowa Edits · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Jacksonville handbook

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

Jacksonville has no town government of its own, so Shelby County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Harlan Community School District. The nearest library is Elk Horn Public Library, 6.0 miles away.

Which school will my kid attend?How do I register to vote?ZIP codes
Jacksonville has no town government. It’s a census-designated place in Shelby County, so the county and regional agencies provide most services. This page answers what we can; the same answers appear on Jacksonville’s town page under “Getting set up”.

I’m new in town

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

PowerMidAmerican Energyinvestor-owned utility · 11.2¢/kWhMore →Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsMore →Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Jacksonville’s trash rules yetMore →SchoolHarlan Community School DistrictWhich school depends on grade and addressMore →Register to voteOnlineRules from vote.govMore →ZIP code51537Where people live, not P.O. boxesMore →
Home services

Power, water and internet

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

Electricity

Power comes from MidAmerican Energy

MidAmerican Energy (MidAmerican Energy Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Jacksonville. 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.

Internet

3 home internet providers serve Jacksonville

100% of 17 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.

ProviderTechnologyAddressesFastest (Mbps)
Marne & Elk Horn Telephone CompanyFiber76%1,000/1,000
Farmers Mutual Coop TelephoneFiber71%400/100
Western Iowa WirelessFixed wireless6%150/50

FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.

Trash & recycling

We don’t have Jacksonville’s trash rules yet

Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Jacksonville.

Trash, recycling and bulk pickupNot on fileJacksonville has no town government of its own, so look for trash and recycling rules on the county’s site.
Schools

Where your child goes to school

Public school districts and the school path by grade.

Jacksonville kids go to
PK–2Harlan Primaryin Harlan
3–5Harlan Intermediate Schoolin Harlan
6–8Harlan Community Middle Schoolin Harlan
9–12Harlan High Schoolin Harlan

Jacksonville is in Harlan 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

No town hall: the county runs things

Jacksonville is unincorporated, so Shelby County is the local government.

Local governmentShelby CountyJacksonville is a census-designated place: no town hall of its ownCensus
Who runs elections hereShelby County AuditorElections here are run by Shelby County (county election office). 612 Court Street, Harlan, IA 51537 · (712) 755-3831 · [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

Jacksonville is in ZIP code 51537

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

ZIPPost office nameShare of JacksonvilleZIP’s residents in Jacksonville
51537Harlan, IA100%0%

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 roomMyrtue Medical Center9 miles awayGet a library cardElk Horn Public Library2027 Washington · (712) 764-2013

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

Questions about living in Jacksonville

Who provides electricity in Jacksonville?

MidAmerican Energy (MidAmerican Energy Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 11.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).

What internet providers serve Jacksonville?

Marne & Elk Horn Telephone Company, Farmers Mutual Coop Telephone, Western Iowa Wireless (FCC, as of December 2025).

What ZIP codes are in Jacksonville?

51537. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.

What school district is Jacksonville in?

Harlan Community School District.

How do I register to vote in Jacksonville?

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 Shelby 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 National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.