Windsor Heights Homes For Sale

Windsor Heights Real Estate Information

This is Windsor Heights - the city that is the heart of it all. Come, feel the heart-beat.

The City of Windsor Heights is a unique community that was incorporated in 1941. Windsor Heights has the unique distinction of being the only community that borders Des Moines, Urbandale, Clive, and West Des Moines - in the heart of the Des Moines Metro area.

It is at the heart of the greater Des Moines metro area. The city of Windsor Heights fills a niche as a top quality small community within Iowa’s major metropolitan area. Windsor Heights has a distinctive niche as a quality small community within the state's major metropolitan area. It is unmatched in its strategic location, convenient to all of the metropolitan and suburban amenities while offering affordable housing, business opportunities and a strong sense of community. We offer convenient shopping, great schools and beautiful parks to citizens and visitors alike. Here you will find varied shopping and dining opportunities, churches and elementary schools within and near the city limits, and beautiful parks with improvements to come.

Close by are centers of Polk County government, business and industry and outstanding educational institutions including Des Moines Area Community College, Grand View College, Drake University, Simpson College, Iowa State University, William Penn University, and Upper Iowa University. Only minutes from downtown, Windsor Heights offers easy access to the Civic Center, and other arts and entertainment attractions, the airport and expansive commercial opportunities.

City History

In what was once an area that had four operational underground coal mines, approximately 200 property owners in Walnut Township signed a petition that would lead to the official incorporation of the city of Windsor Heights on May 4th, 1941.

Soon after the election of mayor, town council, treasurer, and assessor, Don Mercer defeated E.A. McNabb for mayor and the five town councilmen elected were Fred Stroeber, A.M. Kephart, Henry Hughes, Fairus Troutman, and Elmer Torode. P.B. Harrison was elected treasurer and H. Carman was elected assessor.

A feed station was purchased by the city and served as a town hall until the 1960's. The building stands to this day as a barely recognizable part of the store at 6507 University Avenue. In one of the first council meetings, Mr. Verne Akey was appointed Town Marshal. Mr. Akey occupied this position for many years on a part time basis and for an average salary of less than $10.00 per month.

In a law that remains in effect today, council erected a sign at the East and West city limits of University Avenue that read “Speed Limit 25 miles Per Hour - Road Patrolled". During 1960 and 1961, the decision to locate the MacVickar in the southern part of Windsor Heights was made. Earlier possibilities were along University Avenue or even farther south along Ashworth Road. By 1964 the construction of the freeway had progressed to what is now 73rd and Buffalo Road. The area just to the west of Buffalo Road was occupied by the Des Moines Golf and Country Club before relocating to West Des Moines. In all, 25 homes in Windsor Heights were sold to the highway commission and moved to make way for the project. Once complete in 1968, the MacVickar Freeway essentially connected Windsor Heights to the 41,000 miles of interstate highway that existed in the United States at that time.

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