Where Nature Trails Meet Corporate Campuses

How a former railway stop became home to Fortune 500 operations and Iowa’s youngest population

Drive through Johnston, Iowa, and the signs of growth are unmistakable. Construction is happening on new projects, new restaurants and coffee shops line the streets, and young families fill the parks. This northern Des Moines suburb has transformed from a small railway stop into one of Iowa’s fastest-growing cities, with its population soaring from 8,649 in 2000 to nearly 26,000 today.

“Your first impression would be, this is a very, very vibrant, obviously very growing community,” says Mayor Paula Dierenfeld, who has served the city for 26 years. “It has exciting things going on, lots of restaurants, lots of recreational opportunities. You can see some incredible employers, and they have  some of the best schools in the state here in Johnston.”

The numbers support her assessment. Johnston boasts a median household income of $103,430, well above the state average, and maintains one of Iowa’s youngest populations, with a median age of just 38.4 years. Major employers like Corteva Agriscience and John Deere Financial have established significant operations here, while the Johnston Community School District recently earned recognition as one of only 17 Apple Distinguished School Districts nationwide.

“We draw young families into our community,” Mayor Dierenfeld explains. The city’s average age of 38 reflects this demographic shift. Assistant City Administrator David Wilwerding attributes the growth to strategic planning and location. “We have the benefit of being in central Iowa, being a suburb of Des Moines,” he notes. The city’s proximity to Des Moines Area Community College, Drake University, and Iowa State University creates a robust workforce pipeline that attracts residents and businesses.

The Town Center Story

For decades, Johnston lacked what most Iowa communities take for granted: a downtown. Incorporated in 1969, the city grew without developing a traditional town center, leaving residents without a central gathering place. That changed dramatically with the opening of the Johnston Town Center in 2020, a $30 million project that transformed 18 acres around the former city hall into a vibrant civic and commercial hub.

“We’re only about 56 years old,” Mayor Dierenfeld explains. “Even as the population increased over time, they never really developed a town center, a downtown, or a town square like many communities have.” The original city hall itself highlighted this unusual history. “The city hall that we had at the time, was the original grocery store here in Johnston,” she notes.

The vision for change emerged about twelve years ago when city leaders focused on creating a true community heart. “We decided that we needed a downtown, a social gathering place where people could get together and participate in activities and events,” Mayor Dierenfeld says. The pandemic, which coincided with construction, unexpectedly helped the project. “It kept contractors very focused on the job they had to do,” she observes.

Today, the Town Center features a LEED Silver certified city hall with an 184kW solar array, alongside a family fun restaurant like Backpocket Pin and Pixel and a wine bar, The Cork 50131. The centerpiece, known as The Yard, includes a splash pad, synthetic ice rink, and amphitheater hosting farmers markets and summer concerts. A 76-room GrandStay hotel opened in 2023, completing the mixed-use vision, with room for more restaurants and retail to come in future building expansions

Education Excellence and Workforce Advantage

Johnston’s remarkable growth stems largely from its exceptional schools, which draw young families and create a skilled workforce pipeline for area employers. “We have an incredible school district here in Johnston,” Mayor Dierenfeld emphasizes. “Our kids excel in everything. They excel in academics, they excel in athletics, and in arts and culture. They’re amazing kids.” The district’s reputation drives population growth, with Johnston Senior High School ranking 13th among Iowa’s best public high schools.

The relationship between the city and schools is comprehensive. “We are very supportive of them, very involved with the school and their activities,” Mayor Dierenfeld explains. She mentions police officers serving as school resource officers and her recent invitation to call bingo for the Johnston Scholarship Fund. “We have a relationship that is strong enough that we’re separate governments, but we’re one big government here in Johnston.”

This educational foundation creates significant workforce advantages. Wilwerding points to the city’s strategic location near Des Moines Area Community College, Drake University, and Iowa State University. “We’re able to draw a workforce not just from within Johnston but from within all of central Iowa,” he says.

The results are evident in employment patterns. While national employers struggle with staffing, Johnston’s major companies benefit from this educated talent pool. “Our employers have really been fortunate,” Wilwerding notes. “Historically we’ve not had near the talent issue here.” The combination of top schools, strategic location, and strong employers creates a self-reinforcing cycle attracting more families and businesses.

From Local Roots to Future Growth

Johnston’s business landscape illustrates both established strength and ambitious expansion plans. The city hosts major corporate operations including Corteva Agriscience’s Global Business Center and John Deere Financial world headquarters, which manages a portfolio exceeding $40 billion across 53 countries. These anchor employers join Camp Dodge military installation in forming the economic backbone of the community.

“Our core business group, our largest employers, are more office oriented,” Wilwerding explains. The northwest Beaver Drive corridor serves a different market segment. “That corridor is really focused on what I would consider the smaller, locally owned businesses, light manufacturing, a lot of businesses that cater to construction activity.”

The corridor’s success has prompted planning for significant expansion. “We have annexed to our northwest along the Highway 141 corridor, and we really see the next frontier, the next opportunity for significant growth going into the future to be in that area,” Wilwerding says. The city has identified approximately 400 acres for business development in this growth area.

“We’ve got a large area that we’ve identified as business uses,” he continues. “That could be that mix of office, light industrial, warehousing, those types of larger businesses that require good quick and easy access to a major highway and the interstate system.”

Mayor Dierenfeld stresses the importance of existing employers while pursuing new development. “Corteva Agriscience, which was previously Pioneer Hybrid Seed Corn Company, has been around for a hundred years,” she notes. “They’re a very important employer in our community, not only in terms of the number of employees that they hire, but also their footprint in the community and the fact that they draw in talent from all over the world to work at this location.”

Planning for Sustainable Growth

Johnston faces the same housing pressures affecting metro areas nationwide, prompting city leaders to balance growth with affordability while investing heavily in infrastructure. “Like any other city in the metro area, housing is an issue, and we recognize that it is,” Mayor Dierenfeld acknowledges. “We are going to undertake a housing study next year. We understand that’s an issue that we need to address.” Current development includes single-family homes and multifamily units, though not at the pace or price points needed for all income levels.

Wilwerding describes Johnston’s relatively stable housing market compared to coastal volatility. “We have the fortune of not being on the coast of the United States here in the Midwest,” he observes. “While we’ll have the dips that you see in other places, the highs aren’t as high, and the lows aren’t as low.” He notes that even during national downturns, Johnston has maintained steady development.

The city recently updated its approach to housing diversity through zoning reform. “In 2023, we did adopt an entirely new zoning ordinance,” Wilwerding explains. “One of the focuses was to look at what’s often termed the missing middle housing.” The changes aim to move beyond traditional suburban development patterns. “We really tried to make sure from a regulatory perspective we were removing the barriers to those different styles of housing,” he says. Infrastructure development supports this growth, with the northwest area receiving significant investment.

Parks, Trails, and Water Adventures

Johnston’s investment in recreational amenities highlights an understanding that attracting young families requires more than jobs and schools. The city maintains over 45 miles of trails and continues expanding its park system with four major projects that have been recently completed, including the city’s first dog park and new pickleball courts at the newly renovated and expanded Crown Point Community Center.

The city’s most distinctive recreational feature centers on Beaver Creek, which divides Johnston east to west. As part of the regional ICON Water Trails initiative that will eventually connect 150 miles of waterways, Johnston has developed multiple access points for kayaking and canoeing. “Since 2019, we’ve added two locations where you can get on and off the creek,” Wilwerding explains. “This year we’ll be adding what will be our signature canoe kayak location at Merle Hay Road and Beaver Creek.”

The water trail offers an unexpected natural experience within the suburban landscape. “You’ll be able to put a canoe or kayak into Beaver Creek at NW 70th Avenue, have about a four-and-a-half-mile float right through the middle of Johnston,” Wilwerding describes. “When you’re on the creek, you have no idea you’re in the middle of a thriving suburb, but you are in the heart of nature.”

Mayor Dierenfeld connects these amenities directly to economic development. “Young families like to be outside, they like to be involved in recreational activities,” she observes. “To the extent that we’ve provided this variety of opportunities for them, that adds to their quality of life.”

Looking Ahead

As Johnston approaches its next phase of growth, city leaders focus on three key priorities: maximizing the Town Center’s potential, developing the northwest growth area, and strengthening public safety infrastructure. The recently approved fiscal year 2026 budget supports these commitments while maintaining support for established employers.

“We’ve made a significant investment in the Johnston Town Center, and we want to continue that momentum,” Wilwerding emphasizes. “We want to take it to the next level.” The Town Center still has room for three additional buildings on the north side, with plans focusing on retail and restaurants. “We really want this to be a pedestrian oriented place where you can come and park once and do some shopping, get some ice cream, have a drink, have dinner,” he explains.

The northwest growth area represents equally ambitious plans. “We’ve made a significant investment in infrastructure, and we want to make sure that we’re recapturing that investment,” Wilwerding says. “We want to establish a new growth area that really continues to embody the values and the spirit of our community.”

Mayor Dierenfeld highlights public safety as fundamental to economic development. “One of our other top priorities is public safety in our community,” she states. “We put a lot of focus on making sure that our police department and our fire district are well staffed and well equipped.” She connects this directly to business retention: “If you can’t assure a business that if they have a fire or if they have a major incident at their facility requiring police response, then they’re vulnerable, existing wherever they are.”

From its humble beginnings as Johnston Station to today’s thriving suburb of 26,000 residents, Johnston characterizes strategic growth management. By balancing business development with quality-of-life investments, the city has created a model for sustainable suburban expansion that serves both long-established corporations and young families seeking community.

AT A GLANCE

Who: City of Johnston

What: Fast-growing suburban community home to major employers including Corteva Agriscience and John Deere Financial, with population growth from 8,649 in 2000 to nearly 25,000 today

Where: Northern Des Moines, Iowa

Website: www.cityofjohnston.com