Iowa School Closings

| | Iowa, United States | No Comments

Iowa School Closings Today — Live Delays & Cancellations

📡 Live

IOWA SCHOOL CLOSINGS

Checking…

Loading status…

⚠️

🌤 Live Weather

Loading weather…

District Status

🔍

Iowa's largest metro, serving Polk and Dallas Counties. Winter ice storms and blizzards are the dominant closure trigger — KCCI (CBS 8) and WHO-TV (NBC 13) report first for central Iowa.

Des Moines Public Schools

⏳ Checking…

Waukee Community School District

⏳ Checking…

Linn, Johnson, and Dubuque Counties along the Mississippi corridor. Alberta Clippers and ice events are frequent — KCRG-TV9 (ABC) and CBS2 Iowa are the primary local TV sources. Rural gravel routes can become impassable hours before paved streets are affected.

Cedar Rapids Community School District

⏳ Checking…

Iowa City Community School District

⏳ Checking…

Dubuque Community School District

⏳ Checking…

Scott County along the Iowa–Illinois border. Winter storms tracking up the Mississippi River corridor regularly produce a mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain. KWQC-TV6 (NBC) and WQAD (ABC 8) cover both sides of the river.

Davenport Community School District

⏳ Checking…

Iowa's snowiest tier — Black Hawk and Woodbury Counties bear the brunt of Alberta Clippers and Arctic air masses. KWWL (NBC 7) covers the Cedar Valley; KCAU and KTIV serve western Iowa. Blowing and drifting snow close rural routes from November through March.

Waterloo Community School District

⏳ Checking…

Sioux City Community School District

⏳ Checking…

⚠️ Always confirm with your school district directly. This page is for reference only.

Today's Daily Updates

Fetching today's Iowa report…

Quick Tools

🕐

Is my school open?

Real-time status checker

❄️

Snow day predictor

Likelihood of closure tomorrow

🚌

Bus alert checker

Weather alerts for bus routes

❤️

Health dashboard

Illness & outbreak tracker

Frequently Asked Questions

Check the live district status table above for real-time closures. Most Iowa superintendents aim to announce by 5:30 AM. For major winter storms, decisions often come the night before — sometimes by 10 PM.

Sign up for alerts through your district's parent notification system (most Iowa districts use SchoolMessenger or ParentSquare). You can also monitor KCCI (Des Moines), WHO-TV, KCRG-TV9 (Cedar Rapids), KWWL (Waterloo/Dubuque), and KWQC-TV6 (Quad Cities) for regional closings lists.

Most Iowa superintendents aim to make a final decision by 5:30 AM. For large winter storms, many districts announce closures the night before — often by 10:00 PM — so families can arrange childcare.

Yes. Iowa allows districts to designate Remote Learning Days (also called Disaster Days) during weather emergencies. Students complete online assignments at home and the day counts toward the state's instructional hours requirement. Check your district's handbook for their specific eLearning policy.

There is no statewide temperature threshold. Many Iowa districts cancel school or bus service when wind chills fall below -20°F to -30°F, as prolonged outdoor exposure at bus stops becomes a safety risk. Individual superintendents make the call based on local road conditions and forecast.

Yes. Iowa's open terrain and flat landscape make blizzard conditions — high winds, drifting snow, and near-zero visibility — especially dangerous for rural bus routes. Districts across the state, particularly in northern and western Iowa, frequently close when blizzard warnings are issued.

Understanding Alert Levels

🔴

School Closed

All in-person classes cancelled. May be designated as an e-Learning or Asynchronous Day — students complete work online.

🟡

Delayed Start

1- or 2-hour late start. Bus pickups shift accordingly. Breakfast is typically not served on delay days.

🟠

Early Dismissal

Students released early, usually when severe weather is forecast to peak during afternoon bus routes.

🟢

Open / Normal

Schools operating on regular schedule. Monitor for updates if weather conditions change during the day.

Where to Find Real-Time Updates

How Decisions Are Made

Check the latest Iowa school closings, delays, and cancellations today. This page monitors real-time announcements from school districts across Iowa — including Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City, and Iowa City. Most Iowa superintendents post closure decisions by 5:30 AM, with major storm calls frequently coming the evening before.

Closures in Iowa are most commonly caused by blizzards and drifting snow, extreme wind chills, freezing rain and ice, and dense fog that reduces visibility on rural roads. Iowa's flat, open terrain accelerates drifting on gravel and secondary roads that serve rural districts, making conditions hazardous well before urban roads become impassable. Superintendents work closely with the National Weather Service offices in Des Moines, Davenport, and Sioux Falls, as well as county road supervisors and local EMA directors, before issuing a closure decision.

Many Iowa districts operate under Remote Learning Day (Disaster Day) plans that allow weather closures to count toward the state's instructional hours requirement. On these days, students complete digital assignments at home using district-provided devices. Check your district's parent notification system — most use SchoolMessenger or ParentSquare — and verify your contact information is current so you receive alerts the moment they are issued.

Find Iowa School Closings by ZIP Code

Use your ZIP code to identify your school district, then check that district’s status above. District boundaries come from NCES EDGE data (2024-25 school year).

🌽 Central Iowa — Des Moines Metro

Des Moines Public Schools

Des Moines city proper — state capital, East Side, North End, South Side, Beaverdale, Drake neighborhood

50307 · 50308 · 50309 · 50310 · 50311 · 50312 · 50313 · 50314 · 50315 · 50316 · 50317 · 50318 · 50319 · 50320 · 50321

PO Box / Unique ZIPs (institutional): 50301–50306, 50328–50336, 50339–50340, 50359–50369, 50380–50381, 50391–50396

Waukee Community School District

Waukee, portions of West Des Moines, Urbandale, and Clive — Dallas County’s fastest-growing suburban district

50263 (Waukee) · 50266 (West Des Moines / Waukee) · 50323 (Urbandale portion) · 50325 (Clive portion)

🌊 Eastern Iowa — Cedar Rapids · Iowa City · Quad Cities

Cedar Rapids Community School District

Cedar Rapids city — second-largest district in Iowa; Linn County; Czech Village, New Bohemia, Kingston neighborhoods

52401 · 52402 · 52403 · 52404 · 52405 · 52406 · 52407 · 52408 · 52409 · 52410 · 52411

Iowa City Community School District

Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, Hills — Johnson County; home of University of Iowa

52240 · 52241 (Coralville) · 52242 · 52243 · 52244 · 52245 · 52246 · 52317 (North Liberty)

Davenport Community School District

Davenport — Scott County; largest Iowa-side district in the Quad Cities; Pleasant Valley, Blue Grass nearby

52801 · 52802 · 52803 · 52804 · 52806 · 52807

PO Box ZIPs: 52805, 52808, 52809

🌲 Northeast Iowa — Waterloo · Dubuque · Cedar Valley

Waterloo Community School District

Waterloo city, Evansdale — Black Hawk County; northeastern Iowa’s largest district; serves Cedar Valley metro

50701 · 50702 · 50703 · 50704 · 50707 (Evansdale)

Dubuque Community School District

Dubuque city — tri-state river city on the Mississippi; Dubuque County; borders Illinois and Wisconsin

52001 · 52002 · 52003 · 52004

PO Box ZIP: 52099 (Dubuque central mail)

🌾 Western Iowa — Sioux City · Missouri River Valley

Sioux City Community School District

Sioux City — Woodbury County; largest district in western Iowa; Morningside, East Side, Riverside, North Side neighborhoods

51101 · 51102 · 51103 · 51104 · 51105 · 51106 · 51108 · 51109 · 51111

⚠️ ZIP Code Overlap Notice

50266 (West Des Moines / Waukee area) — Portions of this ZIP fall within both Waukee CSD and West Des Moines CSD boundaries. If you live in 50266, confirm your district using the Iowa CSD boundary tool at educate.iowa.gov.

50323 / 50325 (Urbandale / Clive) — These ZIPs straddle Waukee CSD, Urbandale CSD, and Johnston CSD boundaries depending on the specific street address. Always verify by address.

52241 (Coralville) — Primarily serves Iowa City CSD students, but small pockets may be zoned to Clear Creek Amana CSD. Verify if you are in a rural portion of this ZIP.

50701 (Waterloo / Cedar Falls fringe) — This large ZIP extends into Cedar Falls and Hudson; students in the outer areas may be assigned to Hudson CSD or Cedar Falls CSD rather than Waterloo CSD.

🚩 Commonly Searched Bordering-State Districts

Families near Iowa’s borders often search alongside Iowa districts. These out-of-state districts are not covered by this page but may be relevant:

Moline / Rock Island USD 41 & Rock Island-Milan SD (IL) — Quad Cities Illinois side; ZIPs 61201–61204, 61244, 61265 frequently searched alongside Davenport CSD.
South Sioux City Community Schools (NE) — Nebraska side of the Sioux City metro; ZIP 68776; often closed or delayed in tandem with Sioux City CSD.
North Sioux City School District (SD) — South Dakota side; ZIP 57049; searches spike alongside Sioux City CSD blizzard events.
Dubuque-area Wisconsin & Illinois districts — Cuba City (WI, 53807), Galena USD (IL, 61036), and East Dubuque USD (IL, 61025) are commonly co-searched during Mississippi River-corridor winter storms.

All Iowa District ZIP Codes — Full Index

50263 50266 50307 50308 50309 50310 50311 50312 50313 50314 50315 50316 50317 50318 50319 50320 50321 50323 50325 50701 50702 50703 50704 50707 51101 51102 51103 51104 51105 51106 51108 51109 51111 52001 52002 52003 52004 52099 52240 52241 52242 52243 52244 52245 52246 52317 52401 52402 52403 52404 52405 52406 52407 52408 52409 52410 52411 52801 52802 52803 52804 52806 52807

ZIP code boundaries sourced from NCES EDGE 2024–25 and USPS data. School district service areas do not always align perfectly with postal ZIP boundaries — always confirm with your district. schools-closings.com/iowa-school-closings