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Red Oak, IAPhoto: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Red Oak handbook

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

Every home in Red Oak is in ZIP code 51566. The nearest library is Red Oak Public Library, 0.5 miles away.

I’m new in town

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

Home services

Power, water and internet

Who to call to start service at a new address in Red Oak.

Electricity

Power comes from MidAmerican Energy

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

Drinking water · reported to EPA

Water comes from Red Oak Water Supply

Red Oak Water Supply supplies almost all of Red Oak. It draws ground water and serves 5,596 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.

Lead, 90th percentile2.7 ppb
015 ppb action level20

The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, was 2.7 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 4.6 ppb. That’s higher than 78% 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. IA6950075.

Internet

4 home internet providers serve Red Oak

100% of 2,644 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 65% can get fiber.

ProviderTechnologyAddressesFastest (Mbps)
Mediacom XtreamCable, Fiber99%1,000/50
CenturyLinkDSL58%10/1
FMTC of Stanton IowaFiber52%1,000/1,000
Farmers Telephone CompanyFixed wireless99%10/1

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

Trash & recycling

We don’t have Red Oak’s trash rules yet

Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Red Oak.

Schools

Where your child goes to school

Public school districts and the school path by grade.

Red Oak kids go to
K–6Inman Elementary SchoolRed Oak Community School District
7–12Red Oak Junior/Senior High SchoolRed Oak Community School District

Red Oak is in Red Oak Community School District.

CSchool gradeSee 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.

Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jun 2023; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

ZIP codes & area codes

Red Oak is in ZIP code 51566

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

ZIPPost office nameShare of Red OakZIP’s residents in Red Oak
51566Red Oak, IA100%83%

51591 is P.O. box or single-organization ZIP with no homes.

Area code712Wikidata

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.

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

Questions about living in Red Oak

Who supplies Red Oak’s drinking water, and has it had violations?

Red Oak Water Supply (EPA ID IA6950075). 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 2.7 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.

Who provides electricity in Red Oak?

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

What internet providers serve Red Oak?

Mediacom Xtream, CenturyLink, FMTC of Stanton Iowa, Farmers Telephone Company (FCC, as of December 2025).

What ZIP codes are in Red Oak?

51566. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.

What school district is Red Oak in?

Red Oak Community School District.

How do I register to vote in Red Oak?

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 Montgomery 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: 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.