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Iowa · Central Iowa · #449
Story County, Iowa
On the central Iowa prairie, Story County's Ames and Iowa State University have built one of the Midwest's most distinguished combinations of agricultural research, engineering excellence, and a college town quality of life that regularly draws residents who came for the university and stayed for everything else.
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Office: Story County Emergency Management – confirm current contact via storycountyiowa.gov.
Sheriff: Story County Sheriff’s Office – Story County Justice Center, 1315 S. B Avenue, Nevada, IA 50201 | (515) 382-6566. A full-service agency with 90 full-time employees serving roughly 97,000-101,000 residents across 576 square miles; Sheriff Paul H. Fitzgerald has served since 1993.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-35 and US-30 serve the county; Nevada is the county seat, while Ames, home to Iowa State University, is the largest city and center of the Ames Metropolitan Statistical Area (part of the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines Combined Statistical Area).
Notes: Story County’s boundaries were established in 1846; the county was named in 1853 for Joseph Story, a preeminent U.S. Supreme Court justice. Three legislature-appointed commissioners selected Nevada as county seat on June 27, 1853. Ames grew prominent in part due to its busy railroad depot, historically a popular train-transfer point for travelers.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Story County Justice Center – 1315 S. B Avenue, Nevada, IA (built 2002, architects Wells, Kastner, Schipper; the fifth building the county has used for court/administrative functions, following a wooden 1854 original, an 1856 courthouse that burned in 1863, an 1877 replacement, and a 1967-68 Administration Building that still houses many county offices – the latter displays a Civil War-era cannon on its lawn).
Notes: Story County is home to Iowa State University in Ames, one of the nation’s leading land-grant research universities and a defining institution for the county’s identity and economy. Early European settlement came primarily from Indiana, New York, and Pennsylvania, with later waves of Norwegian, German, and Danish immigrants arriving directly from overseas.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Story County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via storycountyiowa.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Ames Public Library (Ames) and Nevada Public Library (Nevada) – confirm current addresses/phones via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Iowa State University’s campus (including the Reiman Gardens and the Brunnier Art Museum) and downtown Ames’ cultural district are the county’s premier institutional and recreational attractions.
Notes: As home to a major research university, Story County anchors a distinctive academic and cultural identity within this project’s Iowa coverage.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Story County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via storycountyiowa.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Ames Animal Shelter & Control Services – 325 Billy Sunday Road, Ames, IA 50010 | (515) 239-5530 or (515) 231-1080. Story County Animal Control – (515) 382-3338.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Story County Environmental Health – confirm current contact via storycountyiowa.gov.
NOTES: Story County is the ninetieth county in Iowa’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. As home to Iowa State University, Story County anchors a distinctive academic identity within this project’s Iowa coverage. 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 Story County
Story County is a university county in the most complete sense. Iowa State University in Ames, with about 30,000 students and a long-standing position among the nation’s premier land-grant research universities, defines the county’s economy, demographics, and civic character. ISU’s strengths in agriculture, engineering, veterinary medicine, and science have made Ames a significant research hub – the Ames Laboratory, operated by Iowa State for the Department of Energy, conducts fundamental materials science research that serves national defense and clean energy priorities. The university’s extension service has shaped Iowa agricultural practice for more than a century.
The county seat, Nevada (pronounced Nuh-VAY-duh by all Iowans who know what’s good for them), is a small city that functions independently of the Ames university orbit. The two communities represent the county’s dual character: Ames as a cosmopolitan, education-focused city; the surrounding Story County as productive corn-and-soybean farming country with small-town communities that have their own distinct identities. Ames consistently ranks highly in quality-of-life surveys for mid-sized cities, driven by the university’s cultural programming, the city’s trails and parks, and the economic stability that a major research university provides. Mary Greeley Medical Center provides regional healthcare.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Iowa assesses property at 100% of actual value biennially (odd years). Property owners may appeal to the local Board of Review by April 25 or within 20 days of notice; further appeal goes to the Iowa Property Assessment Appeal Board or District Court. Iowa offers a homestead credit for owner-occupied primary residences and a military service property tax exemption. Iowa has no estate or inheritance tax.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
SENIOR SERVICES
Central Iowa Area Agency on Aging
100 Army Post Road, Des Moines, IA 50315
Phone: (515) 255-1310
Senior transportation, Meals on Wheels, caregiver support, and long-term care options counseling for Story County residents.
Senior Services
Central Iowa Area Agency on Aging
100 Army Post Road, Des Moines, IA 50315
Phone: (515) 255-1310
Senior transportation, Meals on Wheels, caregiver support, and long-term care options counseling for Story County residents.
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)
900 6th St., Nevada, IA 50201
(515) 382-7410
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Story County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Iowa State University Special Collections and University Archives, Ames, holds significant regional historical materials.
Local societies
No dedicated Story 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
Story County District Court, 2nd Judicial District 1315 South B Avenue, Nevada, IA 50201 (515) 382-7410
Story County is home to Iowa State University in Ames, its largest city, though the county seat remains Nevada.
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 Story 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
126 S. 3rd Ave. E., Nevada, IA 50201
(515) 382-6566
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY AUDITOR (Records, Elections, Finance)
900 6th St., Nevada, IA 50201
(515) 382-7210
ELECTIONS (County Auditor)
900 6th St., Nevada, IA 50201
(515) 382-7210
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Story County Health Dept
(515) 382-6221
Iowa DHHS — Region 2
(800) 338-8366
Iowa Medicaid
(800) 338-8366
Mary Greeley Medical Center (Ames)
mgmc.com (quality regional hospital; Level II Trauma)
Office: Story County Public Health – confirm current contact via storycountyiowa.gov.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Nevada
Population: 100,000
Area: 573 sq mi
Established: 1846
Tier: 3
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Story County facilities via Amazon.
