Ankeny, IA Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)

Ankeny Code of Ordinances § 195.04, Appendix B (Signs Requiring a Permit) marks the Pylon Sign column with an asterisk tied to a table note: pylon signs will only be considered on sites with interstate frontage, meaning a lot must abut Interstate 35 or a similar interstate right-of-way before the City will entertain a pylon sign application at all, regardless of zoning district. Appendix B otherwise allows most permitted zoning districts, agricultural through industrial and multi-occupant commercial, a ground sign and a building sign as of right, but reserves the pylon option for that interstate-frontage condition.

For a site that qualifies, Appendix C: Setback and Height then fixes the dimensional limits: a pylon sign needs a minimum 5-foot setback from the public street right-of-way line, a minimum 5-foot setback from other yards, and cannot exceed 30 feet in height. A table note to Appendix C adds that a pylon sign must sit at least 100 feet from any other pylon sign, and that any pylon or ground sign must stay 300 feet from a major anchor or shopping center sign. Every pylon sign still requires a sign permit and fee under § 195.04, reviewed by the Department Director, and must otherwise satisfy the chapter's general performance standards on lighting, spacing and structural maintenance.