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Iowa County
Dallas County, Iowa
Waukee and West Des Moines growth corridor - from the booming suburban communities of Waukee, West Des Moines, and Urbandale to Dallas County's position as Iowa's fastest-growing county (Dallas County's population has nearly doubled since 2000, driven by Des Moines metro suburban expansion, strong school systems, and major corporate relocations including the nationally recognized Waukee school district).
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Office: Dallas County Emergency Management Agency – 25747 N Avenue, Suite F, Adel, IA 50003 | (515) 993-9894 | Fax (515) 993-6864 | Email: [email protected]. Dallas County Communications Division dispatchers have been certified Emergency Medical/Fire Dispatchers since 2005; operates a 6-channel Motorola P25 700MHz dispatch system.
Sheriff: Dallas County Sheriff’s Office – 28985 Thin Blue Line Lane, PO Box 187, Adel, IA 50003 | (515) 993-4771 | Fax (515) 993-6966 | Email: [email protected]. Dispatch (24-hour non-emergency): (515) 993-4567. Text-a-Tip: (515) 559-7790. Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4:30 PM.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-80, US-6, and US-169 serve Adel, the county seat, in central Iowa, roughly 25-27 miles west of downtown Des Moines.
Notes: Dallas County was founded January 13, 1846, named for George M. Dallas, Vice President under James K. Polk. Dallas County was the fastest-growing county in Iowa (and one of the fastest in the U.S.) between 2010 and 2020, and new Census Bureau data shows it as the fastest-growing county in the Midwest, adding nearly 18,000 residents in five years; population grew from roughly 99,678 in 2020 to an estimated 118,457 in 2025, making it Iowa’s sixth-most populous county. The county includes fast-growing Des Moines suburbs such as Waukee (the county’s largest city), West Des Moines, Clive, Urbandale, and Grimes.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Dallas County Courthouse – Town Square, Adel, IA (built 1902 for $109,000 by contractors Jones, Rowson and Son, designed by Proudfoot and Bird, white Bedford stone construction reminiscent of a French château; National Register of Historic Places since 1973, part of the Adel Public Square Historic District). It is the fourth courthouse building in county history, following an 1848 cottonwood-log double cabin, an 1853 frame structure, and an 1858 two-story brick building.
Notes: Adel was the first relay station on the stagecoach line running from Des Moines into “the wild west.” Notable Dallas County natives include Nile Kinnick, the University of Iowa football star and 1939 Heisman Trophy winner for whom Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City is named, and Bob Feller, the Hall of Fame baseball pitcher.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Dallas County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via dallascountyiowa.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Adel Public Library (Adel) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Adel Public Square Historic District, the Raccoon River Valley Trail (passing through Adel), Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Van Meter, and the Adel Family Aquatic Center are the county’s premier heritage and recreational attractions.
Notes: The genuine, well-documented status of Dallas County as one of the fastest-growing counties in the entire Midwest is among the most significant demographic stories covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Dallas County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via dallascountyiowa.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Animal Rescue League of Iowa (ARL) – 5452 NE 22nd Street, Des Moines, IA 50313 | (515) 262-9503 | arl-iowa.org. Iowa’s largest nonprofit animal shelter (founded 1926), serving Dallas County among other central Iowa counties; adoptions are first-come, first-served, in person only.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Dallas County Environmental Health – confirm current contact via dallascountyiowa.gov.
NOTES: Dallas County is the twenty-fifth county in Iowa’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, well-documented status of Dallas County as one of the fastest-growing counties in the entire Midwest is among the most significant demographic stories covered in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Dallas County
Dallas County is Iowa’s fastest-growing county and the western suburban anchor of the Des Moines metropolitan area – rapid residential development in Waukee, West Des Moines, and Urbandale has transformed the county from a small agricultural community into one of the Midwest’s premier suburban growth corridors.
Adel (the county seat, population ~4,500) serves as the governmental center of Dallas County while the county’s economic weight is concentrated in the larger suburban cities of Waukee and the portions of West Des Moines within county lines.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Dallas County Assessor at 801 Court Street, Adel, IA 50003, phone 515-993-5816. IA assessed at 100% market value with residential rollback.
Courts & Legal
Dallas County District Court at 801 Court Street, Adel, IA 50003, phone 515-993-5808, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK OF DISTRICT COURT (Court Records, Marriage Licenses)
801 Court St., Adel, IA 50003
(515) 993-5808
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Dallas County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Dallas County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Dallas County District Court, 5th Judicial District 801 Court Street, Adel, IA 50003 (515) 993-5816
Dallas County was founded January 13, 1846, named for Vice President George M. Dallas. It is Iowa’s 6th-most-populous county and was the fastest-growing county in Iowa between 2010-2020 (Des Moines metro suburbs, including Waukee, its largest city). The 1902 Dallas County Courthouse (National Register of Historic Places) anchors the Adel Public Square Historic District.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Iowa has its own comprehensive probate code (Iowa Code Chapter 633) and has not formally adopted the Uniform Probate Code. Iowa offers several tracks depending on estate size and complexity:
Distribution by Affidavit (“very small estates”) – for estates where the gross value of personal property is $50,000 or less and there is no real estate, available 40 days after death under Iowa Code § 633.356. A sworn affidavit is presented directly to banks and other institutions. No court filing is required.
Small Estate Administration – a simplified probate process under Iowa Code Chapter 635 for estates with a gross value of $200,000 or less, with reduced notice requirements and court costs compared to full administration.
Regular (Full) Probate – standard administration through the district court for larger or more complex estates, which can be independent (unsupervised) or supervised.
Supervised Administration – closer court oversight, typically used for contested estates.
Step 2: filing for formal probate
File a Petition for Probate of Will and Appointment of Executor (if there’s a will) or a Petition for Administration (if intestate) with the Dallas County District Court.
The court admits the will (if any) and issues Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (intestate) appointing the personal representative.
Publish notice to creditors; under independent administration, creditors generally have 4 months from the date of first publication to file claims.
The personal representative inventories assets, pays valid debts and expenses, and – under independent administration – largely acts without ongoing court check-ins.
After the creditor period closes and debts are paid, the personal representative distributes assets to heirs or beneficiaries.
File a final accounting/final report; the court closes the estate upon approval.
What it costs
Personal representative fees are capped by statute at 3% of the gross value of the probate estate (excluding life insurance) unless services are itemized; attorney fees follow a similar framework.
Recording fees at the county recorder run about $7 for the first page of a document and $5 for each additional page.
Typical timelines: Distribution by Affidavit – a minimum 40-day wait; independent (unsupervised) probate typically closes in 6-12 months, with the 4-month creditor period as the primary timing constraint.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
1000 N. 14th St., Adel, IA 50003
(515) 993-4926
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY AUDITOR (Records, Elections, Finance)
801 Court St., Adel, IA 50003
(515) 993-5816
ELECTIONS (County Auditor)
801 Court St., Adel, IA 50003
(515) 993-5816
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Dallas County Health Dept
(515) 993-3750
Iowa DHHS — Region 6
(800) 338-8366
Iowa Medicaid
(800) 338-8366
MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center
mercyone.org/westdesmoines (West Des Moines — adjacent)
UnityPoint Health — Iowa Methodist (Des Moines)
unitypoint.org/desmoines
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Dallas County Health Department – confirm current contact via dallascountyiowa.gov.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Adel
Population: 115,000
Area: 587 sq mi
Established: 1846
Tier: 2
Public Records
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