Movers Indianola
Est. 1849·County Seat of Warren County
Movers in Indianola, Iowa
Local movers serving Indianola — from the historic downtown square and Simpson College area to the newer subdivisions on the city’s growing edges. Hourly pricing, real itemized quotes, same crew start to finish.
15,833
Residents (2020)
19 mi
South of downtown DSM
11.44 sq mi
Total area
85,000+
Annual Balloon Classic visitors
A college town and county seat with its own identity
Indianola sits about 19 miles south of downtown Des Moines — the furthest from the urban core of any city we serve. It’s the largest city in Warren County and has been the county seat since the city was founded in 1849. The 2020 Census counted 15,833 residents across 11.44 square miles. Unlike most metro suburbs that grew up as bedroom communities, Indianola has been a distinct, self-contained city for over 175 years.
Three things shape Indianola’s identity: it’s a college town (Simpson College has been here since 1860), a cultural arts hub (the Des Moines Metro Opera and the National Balloon Classic both call Indianola home), and the seat of Warren County government with a downtown square rebuilt around a brand-new courthouse and justice center. The city earns a high walkability score — one of the few Iowa communities where most errands can be done on foot. It’s served by the Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HIRTA) and sits about 15 minutes from the Des Moines International Airport.
Housing spans a wide range of eras — older homes near the downtown square, post-war neighborhoods, and newer subdivisions from the 1970s through the mid-2020s. The Indianola Community School District is the only school district serving the city, with Indianola Middle School and Indianola High School as the central campus.
Midwest Moving Pros serves all of Indianola. We’re a family-owned local moving company based in Des Moines. The crew that loads in Indianola is the crew that unloads at the new place. The price on the quote is the price on the invoice. No brokers, no consolidated shipments.
Three cultural anchors that define the city
Indianola is unique among Des Moines metro communities for the cultural depth packed into a single city. Three institutions in particular have shaped its identity over decades.
1860
Since
Simpson College
Founded September 24, 1860 as the Indianola Male and Female Seminary, Simpson College is a private United Methodist liberal arts college on an 85-acre campus at 701 North C Street. Today it enrolls roughly 1,100 to 1,300 students. The college is named for Bishop Matthew Simpson, the Methodist bishop who eulogized Abraham Lincoln. The campus shapes everything from downtown traffic patterns to the housing market.
1989
Since
National Balloon Classic
A nine-day hot air balloon festival held the first week of August at Memorial Balloon Field (15335 Jewell Street), hosting nearly 100 hot air balloons and drawing 85,000+ guests each summer. Indianola is so closely tied to ballooning that the city hosted the U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship from 1970 through 1988 before the Classic launched. The National Balloon Museum and U.S. Ballooning Hall of Fame are also in the city.
May—Jul
Each year
Des Moines Metro Opera
A major American Summer Opera Festival headquartered in Indianola. The company performs three operas each summer in the 467-seat Pote Theater at the Blank Center for the Performing Arts on Simpson’s campus. The festival draws elite performers and audiences from across the country, with shuttle service running from Des Moines and Ames during the season. Performances regularly sell out.
More on Simpson College
The college predates Indianola’s incorporation almost from the start. The first campus building, “The Bluebird,” was constructed in 1861 and destroyed by a storm in 1871. The 1870 Chapel (now College Hall) was the only academic building until the Administration Building opened in 1900.
- Founded as Indianola Male and Female Seminary, September 24, 1860
- Renamed Simpson Centenary College in 1867, shortened to Simpson College in 1885
- Wallace Hall (1888), designed by Indianola native William T. Proudfoot in Romanesque Revival style, NRHP-listed 1991
- The Storm athletics, mascot Thunder the Elephant, colors red and gold, American Rivers Conference
The downtown square
Most Iowa cities the size of Indianola have lost their downtown to strip malls miles from the center. Indianola hasn’t. The downtown square remains a working commercial hub centered on the Warren County courthouse, ringed by local shops, restaurants, bars, and services.
What anchors the downtown
Warren County courthouse and justice center — recently rebuilt at the center of the square. The Indianola Carnegie Library sits a few blocks away. Buxton Park with its arboretum hosts the annual Indianola Summer Arts Festival in July (alongside the National Balloon Classic and the Warren County Fair).
The McVay and Summerset Trails combine for 12.8 miles of paved trail connecting north to Carlisle. The Indianola Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center, with a waterslide and splash pool, gives families a community pool destination.
Neighborhoods we move across in Indianola
Indianola’s neighborhoods reflect 175 years of city history — from the original 1850s downtown blocks to subdivisions built last year.
Downtown square & historic core
The original blocks around the courthouse square, including streets like East Salem Avenue where the city’s first school stood. Older homes from the late 1800s and early 1900s with original construction, narrow stairwells, and walkable blocks. Some of the city’s most historic buildings are here.
Simpson College area
The neighborhoods immediately around the Simpson campus — including some of the oldest housing stock in Indianola, much of it built before 1939. Mix of single-family homes and student-oriented rentals. Moves around the academic calendar (August arrivals, May departures) are common here.
1950s & 60s post-war neighborhoods
Established residential blocks built in the post-war expansion of the city. Ranch homes, split-levels, finished basements, mature trees. The same construction patterns as Windsor Heights or Pleasant Hill but with Indianola’s distinct small-town feel.
1970s–1990s subdivisions
Family-oriented subdivisions built across several decades of steady growth. Two-story homes, attached garages, paved sidewalks. A common destination for young families moving to Indianola for the schools or the small-town pace.
Newer construction on the edges
Active subdivisions on the city’s outer ring, with construction continuing into the mid-2020s. Wide doorways, open floor plans, attached two- and three-car garages, full basements. Newer construction generally loads faster than older homes downtown.
Memorial Balloon Field / Jewell Street area
The neighborhoods near Memorial Balloon Field on the south side of town. During Balloon Classic week (first week of August), this area sees major traffic. The rest of the year it’s quiet family neighborhoods with quick access to Highway 65/69.
What moves look like in Indianola
A few things about Indianola specifically shape how the work runs.
Distance from the metro is the main factor
Indianola is 19 miles south of downtown Des Moines, which is farther than any other city we serve. Most moves route along Highway 65/69. The drive adds time vs. metro-only moves, but our pricing doesn’t change — the hourly rate covers the truck on the road as well as on the job.
Academic calendar drives move volume
Because Simpson College has 1,100 to 1,300 students, the academic calendar shapes a significant share of Indianola moves. Late August arrival weeks and mid-May departure weeks are the busiest. Book ahead if you’re moving for the college calendar.
National Balloon Classic week (first week of August)
The Balloon Classic brings 85,000+ visitors over nine days. Neighborhoods around Memorial Balloon Field see major traffic, and accommodations across the area fill up. If your move falls on Balloon Classic week, expect Jewell Street and surrounding roads to be slower than normal.
Older homes around downtown and the college
Homes near the downtown square and around Simpson College have some of the oldest construction in the metro area — many built before 1940. Narrow stairwells, tight doorways, original woodwork. We bring disassembly tools to every move and plan loading to avoid damaging original trim.
Indianola Community School District
The Indianola Community School District serves all of Indianola, with one middle school and one high school. Families moving for the schools should confirm the address falls in the district — rural addresses just outside city limits may be in different districts.
What an Indianola move costs
Our pricing is the same for Indianola as for the rest of the metro. Hourly rate. No trip charges — even with the longer drive from Des Moines. No stair surcharges. No surge pricing for weekends or end-of-month dates.
Moving in or out of Indianola?
Itemized written quote within 24 hours. Same crew start to finish. The price on the quote matches the price on the invoice.
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