Cities

Des Moines

Citation Formats

General Reference

Geography Atlas. "Des Moines." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://geography.interactiveatlas.org/cities/des-moines.

APA Style

Geography Atlas. (n.d.). Des Moines. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://geography.interactiveatlas.org/cities/des-moines

BibTeX

@misc{geographyatlas-des-moines,
  author = {Geography Atlas},
  title = {Des Moines},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://geography.interactiveatlas.org/cities/des-moines},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

Des Moines is the capital and most populous city of Iowa, taking its name from the Des Moines River, likely derived from a French term for River of the Monks. The city is a major hub for the United States insurance industry with significant financial services and publishing operations, and as the state capital it holds particular importance in U.S. presidential politics, hosting the first caucuses of the presidential primary cycle.

Facts

Population

214,133 1

2020 census figure, from Des Moines's own Wikipedia infobox.

Area (sq km)

228.38 1

Founding Year

1851 1

September 22, 1851 is the incorporation date the infobox itself gives (Des Moines was founded 1843).

Population Estimate Year

2020 1

Latitude