Des Moines

About Des Moines

Des Moines is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is named after the Des Moines River, likely derived from the French Rivière des Moines meaning 'River of the Monks'. The city was incorporated in 1851 as Fort Des Moines and shortened to Des Moines in 1857. Its population was 214,133 at the 2020 census. The six-county Des Moines metropolitan area has an estimated 750,000 residents, the largest metropolitan area located entirely in Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, with parts south of County Line Road extending into Warren County.

Des Moines is a major center of the United States insurance industry and has a sizable financial services and publishing business base. The city is the headquarters for the Principal Financial Group and Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. Other major corporations such as Wells Fargo, Cognizant, Voya Financial, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, ACE Limited, Bayer, and Corteva have large operations in or near the metropolitan area. In recent years, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, and Facebook have built data-processing and logistical facilities in the Des Moines area.

Des Moines is an important city in U.S. presidential politics; as the state's capital, it is the site of the first caucuses of the presidential primary cycle. Many presidential candidates set up campaign headquarters in Des Moines. A 2007 article in The New York Times said, "If you have any desire to witness presidential candidates in the most close-up and intimate of settings, there is arguably no better place to go than Des Moines."

Text: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Des Moines weather: 7-day forecast

Source: National Weather Service (NOAA).

Live webcams in Des Moines

Webcams: Windy.com

Living in Des Moines

Median household income

$65,932

Median home value

$194,700

Median rent

$1,090/mo

Median age

34.6

Map of Des Moines

Tap any street on the map to see it in Street View below. Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Des Moines Street View

Drag the image to look around and tap the arrows on the ground to move. If it says there is no imagery, tap a nearby street on the map above.

Des Moines, IA population

Des Moines had 214,133 residents in the 2020 Census.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census.

Des Moines at a glance

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Gazetteer, ZCTA), USGS GNIS, Wikidata.

Towns near Des Moines

• Pleasant Hill5.7 mi E
• Windsor Heights5.7 mi W
• Norwalk7.5 mi SW
• Saylorville7.6 mi N
• Carlisle7.7 mi SE
• Altoona8.6 mi NE
• West Des Moines9.0 mi W
• Urbandale9.8 mi NW
• Cumming9.9 mi SW
• Johnston10.1 mi NW
• Clive10.2 mi W
• Ankeny11.1 mi N

Straight-line distance between town centers.

Frequently asked questions about Des Moines