Profile for Des Moines, Iowa, IA

Des Moines is at the confluence of the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers.

Former and merged names include:
· Fort Des Moines

Military garrison was established here in 1843. The territory was thrown open to settlers two years later, when the Sauk and Mesquakie tribes were moved to a Kansas reservation.

Developed as a center for publishing, insurance and hybrid seeds

Public transportation: Des Moines Metropolitan Transit Authority (See the transit and travel sections below.)

Crime: The number of violent crimes recorded by the FBI in 2003 was 699. The number of murders and homicides was 8. The violent crime rate was 3.5 per 1,000 people.

Well-known residents have included:
· Cloris Leachman, actress
· Amelia Earhart, aviator
· Harriet Nelson, actress
· Forrest Tucker, actor

Coffee: National and regional coffee companies with outlets here include Panera Bread, Starbucks

Local festivals include:

• Iowa State Fair - Aug. 9-19, 2007
• Iowa Country Jam and Cajun Fest - June 23-July 1, 2007
• Oktoberfest - Sept. 21-22, 2007
• Des Moines Arts Festival - June 29-July 1, 2007
• Winter Luau - Jan. 27, 2007
• Iowa Fringe Festival - July 19-22, 2007
• Autumn Festival - Oct. 5-7, 2007
• Latino Heritage Festival - Sept. 8-9, 2007

Performing arts: Des Moines Community Orchestra, Des Moines Metro Opera, Des Moines Symphony

Nearby parks & recreation: Lake Ahquabi State Park, Walnut Woods State Park, Big Creek State Park

Des Moines attractions: Adventureland, Blank Park Zoo, Des Moines Botanical Center, Aquarium Center

Sports teams: Iowa Cubs (minor league baseball), Iowa Stars (AHL)

Historic sites and museums: Iowa Historical Building, Salisbury House, Science Center of Iowa, Des Moines Botanical Center, Des Moines Art Center

Colleges and universities: Drake University, Barrington University, Grand View College, Hamilton College, Vatterott College, Des Moines Area Community College

Support for libraries: Local government funding for the local library system, in fiscal years 2001-2002, was on par with the national average. (See library links below.)

Gays & lesbians
National index: 100
Local index: 108

Pronunciations: de-MOYNE

Quotes:
When I was growing up I used to think that the best thing about coming from Des Moines was that it meant you didn't come from anywhere else in Iowa.
-- The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America
Bill Bryson

Listed places near Des Moines

Airports (1)

Attractions (2)

Cemeteries (24)

Colleges (5)

Communities (20)

Hotels (44)

Libraries (11)

Museums (3)

Parks (1)

Add extra pins to the map by clicking on the list above the map. You may click the displayed pins for more information, or search the displayed pins by using the above search field.

• Des Moines population
• Ancestry of people in Des Moines
• Housing in Des Moines
• Income in Des Moines
• Marital status of adults in Des Moines
• Place of birth of people in Des Moines
• Residence in 1995, of people in Des Moines
• School enrollment & education levels in Des Moines
• Transportation & commute times in Des Moines
• Polk County data
• Fastest-growing counties in Iowa
• State data - Iowa
• Data by street address
• Historical census records (Ancestry.com)

Sections below provide additional information and links about Des Moines demographics, travel and tourism, nearby airports, cemeteries, the Polk County economy, education, environment, genealogy, government, historic sites, Des Moines area jobs, libraries, maps, museums, newspapers and other media, nonprofit groups, real estate, recreation, religion, transportation, and weather in the 50314 ZIP code.

(Also see local map below.)

• Des Moines city government
• Polk County government
• Des Moines business alliance
• Des Moines tourism

22% of Des Moines residents report German ancestry, and 13% report Irish. For more info on local ancestry groups, see the Des Moines ancestry & family history guide.

• Cemeteries in or near Des Moines
• Cemeteries in Polk County
• Genealogy page (IA GenWeb) for Polk County
• Libraries in or near Des Moines

Post a query on a message board:

• Polk County Ancestry forum
• GenForum

Records & databases:

• Ancestry.com - IA data
• Birth, marriage & death records
• Cemetery records
• County history catalog
• Census records (historic)
• Court, land & probate records
• Death index
• Family & local history
• Immigration records
• Military records (historic)
• Newspaper articles

Music

• Des Moines Community Orchestra
• Des Moines Metro Opera
• Des Moines Symphony

• Des Moines area attractions
• Des Moines museums
• Des Moines historic sites
• Des Moines area parks
• Wineries near Des Moines

• Add a local cemetery to our listings
• Des Moines area cemeteries
• Cemeteries in Polk County
• Cemetery record compendium
• Iowa cemetery message boards
• National database of cemetery records
• Veteran grave locator

• Communities near Des Moines
• Nearby cities of 10,000 or more
• Nearby cities of 50,000 or more
• Communities in Polk County

• Des Moines business guide
• Better Business Bureau
• Business licenses
• Corporate records search

• Courts in Iowa
• Local ordinances in Iowa (Partial selection)

• Crime in Polk County
• Arrests in Polk County

• Obituaries - search nearby newspapers
• Obituary database - Ancestry.com
• Charitable donations

• Local information on disability access
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Independent living centers in Iowa
• National Council on Independent Living

At the time of the 2000 census, the per capita income in Des Moines was $19,467, compared with $21,587 nationally.

• Banks
• Building permits
• Current labor force
• Wage estimates
• Polk County economic census
• Polk County economic summary
• Polk County employment growth
• Polk County unemployment rate
• Iowa economic data

22% of Des Moines residents age 25 and older have a bachelor's or advanced college degree.

• Colleges in or near Des Moines
• Colleges in Iowa
• Learning Disabilities Association in Iowa
• Schools in or near Des Moines
• School districts in or near Des Moines
• Yearbooks (old) of Iowa high schools

• Movies playing in or near Des Moines
• Tickets to local concerts, sporting events & theaters
• YouTube videos about Des Moines

• Air pollution in Polk County
• Diesel soot in Polk County
• Land contamination in Polk County
• Nature Conservancy projects in Iowa
• Ozone status & air pollution - American Lung Association
• Toxic chemical releases in Polk County
• Water levels & streamflow conditions in Iowa

Des Moines festival dates:

• Iowa State Fair - Aug. 9-19, 2007
• Des Moines Arts Festival - June 29-July 1, 2007
• Iowa Country Jam and Cajun Fest - June 23-July 1, 2007
• Oktoberfest - Sept. 21-22, 2007
• Winter Luau - Jan. 27, 2007
• Iowa Fringe Festival - July 19-22, 2007
• Autumn Festival - Oct. 5-7, 2007
• Latino Heritage Festival - Sept. 8-9, 2007

Dates often change. Check with local tourism officials to be sure.

Des Moines festival web sites:

• Des Moines Arts Festival
• Iowa Fringe Festival
• Iowa State Fair
• Oktoberfest

• ePodunk festival listings
• Iowa county fairs
• Iowa festivals (Iowa tourism department)
• Send us festival info for Des Moines

• Confluence of latitude & longitude near Des Moines
• Geocaches in Iowa

• Des Moines items now on sale

• Des Moines local government Web site
• Polk County government
• Iowa state government
• Driver's licenses
• Motor vehicles
• Passports
• Social Security
• Veterans affairs
• Where to write for birth, death, marriage or divorce records

• Ancestry & family history
• Business
• Demographics
• Health
• Moving
• Nonprofit resources
• Sports & rec
• Travel

• Des Moines medical services & health statistics

• Polk County historical society
• State historical society

Historic districts in Des Moines include Chautauqua Park Historic District, Civic Center Historic District, Drake University Campus Historic District, Ingersoll Place Plat Historic District, Iowa State Fair and Exposition Grounds Historic District, Kingman Place Historic District, Middlesex Plat Historic District, Owl's Head Historic District, Sherman Hill Historic District, Veneman's Bungalow Court Historic District ... View historic districts

• Historic sites in or near Des Moines
• Historic sites in Iowa
• Museums in or near Des Moines
• Museums in Iowa
• National Historic Landmark search
• Search the Library of Congress
• Search the National Register for historic properties
• Post history questions in Polk County genealogy forum

Median rent in Des Moines, at the time of the 2000 Census, was $468.   Monthly homeowner costs, for people with mortgages, were $863.

• Research Des Moines Apartments
• Find Foreclosure in Des Moines
• Homes for sale in Des Moines
• Find a Des Moines Realtor
• Get free moving quotes
• Free home valuation
• Check Iowa mortgage rates
• Property and neighborhood reports
• Mortgage calculator

• Jobs in the Des Moines area
• Job services in Iowa
• Minimum wage laws by state

Libraries in Des Moines include East Side Library, Forest Avenue, Franklin Avenue Library, Iowa Genealogical Society, North Side Library, Public Library of Des Moines, South Side Library, State Library of Iowa ... View libraries

• Iowa library

• Get directions from Des Moines
• Get directions to Des Moines
• Census map of Des Moines area
• Historic maps of IA cities - Library of Congress
• Historic maps of Iowa
• Topographic map of Des Moines

Newspapers in Des Moines include Des Moines Register

TV stations in Des Moines include KCCI, KDIN, KDSM, WBXF-CA, WHO.

• Daily newspapers in or near Des Moines
• AM radio stations in or near Des Moines
• Commercial FM radio stations in or near Des Moines
• Public & educational radio stations in or near Des Moines
• TV stations in or near Des Moines
• Media ownership in the Des Moines area
• Search historic newspaper articles
• Search recent news archives in Iowa

• American Legion post locator
• Veterans of Foreign Wars post locator

• Check daily newspapers in or near Des Moines
• Search obituaries in Iowa
• Recent death notices - selected IA newspapers

• Chambers of commerce in Iowa
• Community foundations (by state)
• Foundations (by name)
• Kiwanis clubs in Iowa
• Lions clubs in Iowa
• Nonprofit groups
• Nonprofit guide for Des Moines
• Rotary club search
• Volunteer opportunities in or near Des Moines

• Parks near Des Moines
• National forests in Iowa
• State parks in Iowa

• craigslist
• Find friends & family
• Photos of people from Des Moines

• Find a local animal shelter
• Report animal cruelty

• Aerial photo of Des Moines
• Historic photos of U.S. cities
• Panoramic photos of Iowa communities
• Photos of Iowa places
• Post cards of Iowa communities

Polk County supported John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election. For more information, see our Des Moines political report.

• Iowa Democratic party
• Iowa Republican party
• Iowa elections board

• ZIP codes (by street address)
• ZIP codes (by city)
• ZIP code reverse lookup (find cities in a ZIP code)

• Churches, other places of worship in or near Des Moines
• Total membership by faith, in Polk County

• Nearby restaurants taking online reservations
• Chowhound message boards for IA

The average commute time for Des Moines workers is 17 minutes, compared with 26 minutes nationwide.

A total of 39 fatal motor vehicle accidents occurred in Des Moines between 2001 and 2003, according to reports gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

This is a rate of 2.0 fatal crashes per 10,000 population, which was lower than the national norm.

• Des Moines travel guide
• Airports near Des Moines
• Hotels near Des Moines
• Iowa tourism bureau

• Monthly averages & records
• Major storms (searchable by county)
• National weather map

• Audubon centers
• Birding spots in Iowa
• Wildlife refuges in Iowa

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