Collins, IA

Collins is a Story County city on the northern edge of the Ames metropolitan area, with Iowa Highway 210 running south toward Maxwell. The town is surrounded by central Iowa fields and small creeks, and its street grid remains compact enough that the school, churches, businesses, and city services sit close together. Collins began as a railroad-era community and still operates as a small service point between rural roads and larger towns. The elementary building and city park give the town a clear local center during the school year.

Collins-Maxwell Community Schools formed in 1983 by merging the Collins and Maxwell districts. The elementary school remains in Collins, while grades 6–12 are taught in Maxwell, so the district ties two nearby towns together. Collins’ annual Collins Day adds a parade, softball, and dance to the June calendar. The town’s local institutions give it a distinct rhythm: school mornings in Collins, shared activities with Maxwell, and farm-road traffic toward Ames and Nevada.