Van Meter Iowa Map
Explore Van Meter, Iowa, with this interactive street and satellite map.
Interactive Map of Van Meter, Iowa
| City | Van Meter |
| State | Iowa (IA) |
| County | Dallas County |
| Country | United States of America |
| Timezone | Central Time (America/Chicago) |
| Latitude | 41.524638 |
| Longitude | -93.94418 |
| Population | 1,484 |
| Density | 247.7 /km² |
| Incorporated | Yes |
| ZIP Code | 50261 |
| Area Code | 515 |
| County Seat | Adel |
| School District | Van Meter Community School District |
About Van Meter, Iowa
Van Meter is a locality in Dallas County, Iowa, United States. It has a population of approximately 1,484. The population density is 247.7 people per km². Van Meter is located at 41.5246°N, 93.9442°W. It observes the Central Time (America/Chicago) timezone. Van Meter is an incorporated locality. ZIP code: 50261.Van Meter anchors itself to the alluvial bottomlands where the Raccoon River carves a deliberate, wide arc through the dark, loamy soil of the Iowa plains. It lies 6.6 miles south-southwest of Waukee, IA (from Waukee, IA: bearing 213°T), and is situated 6.6 miles south-southeast of Adel. The landscape surrounding Van Meter unfolds in endless, orderly geometric patterns of corn and soybean, a vast expanse of tilled earth that holds the morning frost with a stubborn, quiet intensity. Trindle Park offers a localized sanctuary of green amidst this agricultural expanse, providing a modest clearing where the horizon seems to press closer against the sky. On clear, crisp days, the distant silhouette of Buffalo Ridge might be imagined as a hazy suggestion of height against the western light, though the immediate terrain remains defined by the rhythmic, low-slung undulations of the prairie floor.
Economic life in Van Meter remains tethered to the cycles of the harvest and the steady, quiet passage of regional commerce that flows alongside the Raccoon River. The history of the place is etched into the modest architecture of its center, reflecting a legacy of industrious settlement that favors practical utility over ornamental display. Residents often find their way toward the local amenities or seek the quietude of Sugar Creek Lake, a five-mile journey that feels like a deliberate retreat from the hum of the main thoroughfare. Though the Great Western Trail lies ten miles away, the pace of daily existence here remains dictated by the sun and the season, maintaining a literate, unshowy civility that persists long after the machinery of the fields has been silenced for the night.
Nearby Outdoor Places
- Trindle Park (Local Park) — 0.2 mi, 283° W
- Two Rivers Access (State Recreation Area) — 1.5 mi, 316° NW
- Puckerbrush Access (Local Conservation Area) — 2.5 mi, 354° N
- Badger Creek Wildlife Area (State Conservation Area) — 2.5 mi, 170° S
- Badger Creek State Recreation Area (State Recreation Area) — 3.6 mi, 154° SE
- Raccoon River Valley Trail (Local Park) — 6.2 mi, 000° N
- Island Park & Campground (Local Recreation) — 7.2 mi, 333° NW
- Adel Historical Museum (Museum) — 7.6 mi, 328° NW
- Blue Zoo (Aquarium) — 7.8 mi, 069° E
- Jordan Creek Amphitheater (Theatre) — 7.8 mi, 068° E
- Funny Bone Comedy Club (Theatre) — 8.6 mi, 073° E
- Kuehn Conservation Area (Local Conservation Area) — 9.4 mi, 287° W
- Pleasant Valley Wildlife Management Area (State Conservation Area) — 9.4 mi, 287° W
- Walnut Woods State Park (State Park) — 9.5 mi, 086° E
- Heartbeat Of The heartland (Public Artwork) — 9.8 mi, 073° E
- 1700 Tanning Rack (Attraction) — 10.9 mi, 051° NE
- 1700 Drying Rack (Attraction) — 11.0 mi, 051° NE
- Olson-Larson Galleries (Gallery) — 12.6 mi, 075° E
- Character Counts Pillars (Monument) — 12.6 mi, 056° NE
- Pole Position Raceway (Attraction) — 13.6 mi, 039° NE
- Des Moines Art Center (Museum) — 14.2 mi, 073° E
- Flix Brewhouse (Cinema) — 14.5 mi, 059° NE
- George Washington Carver and Henry Wallace (Monument) — 15.2 mi, 070° E
- Dexfield Park - Bonnie and Clyde Shootout (Monument) — 15.2 mi, 280° W
- Giraffe Feeding (Attraction) — 16.7 mi, 091° E
- EMC Overlook (Viewpoint) — 16.8 mi, 079° E
- Iowa Hall of Pride (Museum) — 17.3 mi, 074° E
- Liz Lidgett Gallery & Design (Gallery) — 17.6 mi, 075° E
- Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge (National Wildlife Refuge) — 33.1 mi, 086° E · 12k acres
- Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge (National Wildlife Refuge) — 35.3 mi, 088° E · 12k acres
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About This Van Meter Map Page
This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Van Meter, Iowa. Coordinates: 41.524638, -93.94418. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service. Real-time local and world news feeds keep the page current.
Detailed location data for Van Meter includes the ZIP code (50261), telephone area code (515), county seat of Dallas County (Adel), and school district assignment (Van Meter Community School District).
Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.
| Page generated | August 2026 |
| Location data | SimpleMaps US Cities Database; coordinates matched to USGS GNIS definitive data |
| Wikipedia validation | Article content matched to USGS GNIS coordinates via Wikipedia geosearch API. |
