The following appeared on the Ames Tribune website on March 17, 2021. Read the excerpt below, and the full article on the Tribune’s website.
When Huxley got its first stoplight, Mayor Kevin Deaton said he thought, “What in the world do we need that thing for?” Now the town has three — and as the fastest-growing community in Story County, will likely need more.
A city of around 4,000 people, Huxley saw the most growth of any city in Story County from 1990 to 2018, according to a recent housing study, and continues to fill new homes. To keep up with the growth, the city will need to build 1,040 housing units by 2040, one-third of the county’s overall housing needs, excluding Ames, according to the study.
Local leaders say the growth can be attributed to proximity to the Des Moines metro, the school system and even a Fareway coming to town several years ago, and city leaders are ready to take advantage of the situation.
“I think for a lot of years Huxley was known as that speed trap between Ames and Ankeny,” Deaton said. “I can tell you we’re definitely not. We’re a great place to live. We’re a great place to do things … I would just invite people, whether it be people looking for a new home to new businesses, to come check us out. Give us a shot.”
From 1990 to 2000, the Huxley population grew by about 250 people, according to Census data. Over the next decade, the population spiked by nearly 1,000. The 2019 Census population estimate puts Huxley at 4,036 people, an increase of 719 since 2010.
Deaton attended high school in city limits and after some time away, has called Huxley home for the last 31 years. As a longstanding member of the community, he said the city’s growth has been exciting to watch.
“I know what this town was like when I was in high school. I’m not that close to high school anymore,” Deaton said. “I look at how the city has grown. The things that are available to do here now that weren’t back then. I see a lot of businesses in town that have come and are calling Huxley home.”