Outer Counties (Dallas, Madison, Jasper, Guthrie)

US-6 / I-80

The outer Des Moines MSA counties: Dallas (anchored by Adel, the county seat, plus Perry, Van Meter, and De Soto), Madison (anchored by Winterset — the birthplace of John Wayne, home of the Bridges of Madison County covered bridges, and the Madison County Historical Complex), Jasper (anchored by Newton — home of Newton Raceway Park/Iowa Speedway, a NASCAR stock car track, and historic Maytag appliance heritage), and Guthrie (anchored by Guthrie Center). These communities offer small-town character and significantly lower housing costs with practical commuting distance to Des Moines employment.