Easter Lake Area offers a quiet and peaceful atmosphere with easy access to numerous public green spaces, including the nearby Easter Lake Park, providing ample outdoor opportunities. The neighborhood features predominantly single detached homes built around 1996, many offering three or more bedrooms, creating spacious living environments. Dining options include approximately 20 restaurants nearby, adding variety and convenience. This area supports biking with appropriate infrastructure, making it simple to navigate by bicycle. Parking is readily available, and driving provides efficient transportation throughout the neighborhood. Overall, Easter Lake Area combines tranquility with access to amenities, making it a well-rounded place to settle.
Easter Lake Area is an excellent neighborhood to buy a home in for those who prefer a relaxed atmosphere. It is very easy to reach parks in the neighborhood, since a large number of properties have one that is very easy to access and there are about 20 public green spaces nearby for residents to discover. This part of Des Moines is also very quiet, as there isn't a lot of street noise or city clamor.
Parks, schools, dining, and what makes this neighborhood special
Centered on a 165-acre lake at 2830 Easter Lake Drive, this 468-plus-acre Polk County park defines the neighborhood’s outdoor identity. Residents can fish, picnic, launch boats, use playgrounds, explore woodland paths, and visit Owen’s Covered Bridge, Polk County’s last remaining covered bridge. The park’s scenery and broad recreation options make it a major Easter Lake Area landmark. ([polkcountyiowa.gov](https://www.polkcountyiowa.gov/conservation/parks-trails/easter-lake-park-mark-c-ackelson-trail/?utm_source=openai))
At 2816 Shoreline Road on Easter Lake’s north shore, Athene North Shore adds an unusually inclusive waterfront destination to the neighborhood. Its universal-design approach is intended to make amenities usable for people of all ages and abilities, while the site offers access to the lake, beach, concessions, recreation space, and nearby paved trails. It is a signature recent improvement for southeast Des Moines. ([polkcountyiowa.gov](https://www.polkcountyiowa.gov/conservation/parks-trails/easter-lake-park-mark-c-ackelson-trail/?utm_source=openai))
The Mark C. Ackelson Trail provides a roughly 4-mile paved loop around Easter Lake, connecting neighborhood access points with fishing piers, playgrounds, picnic areas, boat ramps, and Owen’s Covered Bridge. It supports walking, cycling, skating, and scenic lake viewing, with the north side accessible from Ewing Park. The trail is one of the area’s clearest everyday advantages for active residents. ([polkcountyiowa.gov](https://www.polkcountyiowa.gov/conservation/parks-trails/easter-lake-park-mark-c-ackelson-trail/?utm_source=openai))
McCombs Middle School, located at 201 County Line Road on Des Moines’s far south side, is a notable educational institution serving families in and around the Easter Lake Area. Des Moines Public Schools describes McCombs as serving students from both Polk and Warren counties and identifies it as an AVID school, giving the neighborhood a nearby public-school anchor with a broad south-side service area. ([dmschools.org](https://www.dmschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/FY-2021-Adopted-Budget-and-Financial-Statements.pdf?utm_source=openai))
The Southridge commercial district near SE 14th Street and East Army Post Road supplies Easter Lake Area residents with convenient shopping, services, dining, and education close to home. The center includes major retail anchors and the DMACC Southridge Center at 1111 East Army Post Road. Its location along the neighborhood’s western edge makes it the area’s most important everyday retail and services hub. ([theoaksdsm.com](https://www.theoaksdsm.com/shopping-at-southridge-the-oaks?utm_source=openai))
Things to do, events, and what's happening this month
This large holiday shopping event is a convenient metro-area outing for Easter Lake residents, with hundreds of vendors, gourmet treats, family activities, local entertainment and Santa appearances. It is a practical place to find gifts while enjoying an early kickoff to the Des Moines holiday season.
View event details →Located in Des Moines and especially accessible from the city’s south side, SnowGlobe offers festive decorations, seasonal drinks and food, holiday portraits, a kids-meal promotion and a makers market on November 22. It gives local residents a relaxed restaurant-centered way to enjoy holiday atmosphere without leaving the metro.
View event details →Families from Easter Lake can warm up indoors among thousands of holiday lights and tropical plants at this annual Botanical Garden tradition. Select evenings include family activities, glow games and special educational programs, making it a strong November option when outdoor weather is cold or unpredictable.
View event details →This free indoor market gives Easter Lake residents a nearby downtown destination for Iowa-grown food, holiday gifts, handmade goods, seasonal décor, live entertainment and local food vendors. The three-day format makes it easy to pair with lunch, errands or other downtown activities during Thanksgiving-season shopping.
View event details →This family-friendly downtown tradition features decorated Christmas trees, local music and dance performances, Santa visits, crafts and a scavenger hunt. For Easter Lake households, it offers an easy central Des Moines holiday outing while also supporting Blank Children’s Hospital through one of central Iowa’s major seasonal fundraisers.
View event details →Stories, updates, and things to know in Easter Lake Area
Local characteristics and demographics for Easter Lake Area
