Encyclopedia
Des Moines is the capital and largest city of the
U.S. state of
Iowa. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, until it was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857.
It is also the county seat of
Polk County.
Des Moines is the headquarters for the
Principal Financial Group, the
Meredith Corporation, and Ruan Transportation. The city of Des Moines claims to be the third-largest insurance center in the world, behind
London,
United Kingdom, and
Hartford, Connecticut. Other major corporations such as
Wells Fargo,
ING Group, and
John Deere have large operations in or near the metro area.
Forbes Magazine ranked Des Moines as the 11th "Best Place for Business" in 2006.
U.S. Interstates 35 and
80 pass through the city of Des Moines.
History
Des Moines was founded in May 1843 when Captain James Allen built a fort on the site where the
Des Moines and
Raccoon Rivers merge. Allen wanted to use the name Fort Raccoon, but the American War Department told him to name it Fort Des Moines. The original origin of the name
Des Moines is uncertain. It could have referred to the
river of the Moingonas, named after an Indian tribe that resided in the area and built burial mounds. Others see it as referring to
Trappist monks, some of whom lived in huts at the mouth of the river, or connected to the phrase
de moyen in French, meaning middle, because of its location between the
Mississippi and
Missouri rivers.
Settlers came and lived near the fort, and on May 25, 1846, Fort Des Moines became the seat of Polk County. On September 22, 1851, it was incorporated as a city, and its town charter was approved in a vote on October 18. In 1857, the name Fort Des Moines was shortened to Des Moines alone and it was made the capital of
Iowa. By 1900, Des Moines was Iowa's largest city with a population of 62,139.
In 1907, the city adopted a city commission government known as the Des Moines Plan, comprising an elected mayor and four commissioners who were responsible for public works, public property, public safety, and finance. This form of government was scrapped in 1950 in favor of a council-manager government, and tweaked in 1967 so that four of the six city council members were elected by ward rather than at-large.
Like many cities, Des Moines began losing population to the
suburbs after reaching a peak population of 208,982 in 1960. Construction of the
Interstate Highway System during the late 1950s and 1960s, capped off with the completion of
Interstate 235 in 1968, made access to the suburbs easier.
The skyline of downtown Des Moines changed during the 1970s and 1980s as several new
skyscrapers were built. Until then the 19-story Equitable Building, dating from 1924, was the tallest building in the city. That changed as the 25-story Financial Center was completed in 1972 and the 36-story Ruan Center was completed in 1974. They were later joined by the 30-story
Marriott hotel , the 18-story Hub Tower , and Iowa's tallest building,
Principal Financial Group's 44-story tower at 801 Grand . This time period also saw the opening of the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines , the
Des Moines Botanical Center , the
Polk County Convention Complex , and the State of Iowa Historical Building . The Des Moines
skywalk system also began to take shape during the 1980s. By the beginning of 2006, the skywalk system was more than three miles long and connected most main downtown buildings.
Des Moines made national headlines during the
Great Flood of 1993. Heavy rains throughout June and early July caused the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers to rise above flood stage levels. The Des Moines Water Works was submerged by floodwaters during the early morning hours of July 11, 1993, leaving an estimated 250,000 people without running water for 12 days and without drinking water for 20 days.
The city is in the midst of major construction in the downtown area. The new Science Center of Iowa and the
Iowa Events Center opened in 2005, while the new central branch of the Des Moines Public Library, designed by David Chipperfield, opened on April 8, 2006. The World Food Prize Foundation, which is based in Des Moines, announced in 2001 that it will restore the former Des Moines Public Library building as the Dr
Norman Borlaug/World Food Prize Hall of Laureates. In 2002 the Principal Financial Group and the city announced plans for the Principal Riverwalk, which will feature trails, pedestrian bridges across the river, a fountain and skating plaza, and a "civic garden" in front of the City Hall. Several existing downtown buildings are being converted to
loft apartments and condominiums. This trend is highlighted by the success of the "East Village" district of shops, studios, and housing between the capitol district and the Des Moines River.
The Des Moines metro area is also experiencing a boom, in particular the western suburbs. West Des Moines, in particular, now has over 50,000 people and is home to the
Jordan Creek Town Center, the largest shopping center in Iowa, as well as several
Wells Fargo office complexes, including a new corporate campus that is scheduled for completion in 2007. Nearby
Dallas County was the 38th fastest-growing county in the United States between 2000 and 2005, according to the
United States Census Bureau.
Geography
Des Moines is located at .
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 200.1 kmē . 196.3 kmē of it is land and 3.8 kmē of it is water.
In November 2005, Des Moines voters approved a measure that allowed the city to annex certain parcels of land in the northeast, southeast, and southern corners of Des Moines, particularly areas bordering the Iowa 5/
U.S. 65 bypass.
Metropolitan area
The
Des Moines-West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of five central Iowa counties:
Polk,
Dallas,
Warren,
Madison, and
Guthrie. The area had a 2000 census population of 481,394 and an estimated 2005 population of 522,454 . The Des Moines-
Newton-
Pella Combined Statistical Area consists of those five counties plus
Jasper and
Marion counties; the 2000 census population of this area was 550,659 and the estimated 2005 population was 593,112 .
Suburbs
Des Moines's
suburbs include
Altoona, Ankeny,
Bondurant,
Carlisle,
Clive,
Grimes,
Johnston,
Pleasant Hill,
Polk City,
Urbandale,
Waukee, West Des Moines, and
Windsor Heights.
Demographics
City of Des Moines
Population by year |
| 1880 | 22,408 |
| 1890 | 50,093 |
| 1900 | 62,139 |
| 1910 | 86,368 |
| 1920 | 126,468 |
| 1930 | 142,559 |
| 1940 | 159,819 |
| 1950 | 177,965 |
| 1960 | 208,982 |
| 1970 | 200,587 |
| 1980 | 191,003 |
| 1990 | 193,187 |
| 2000 | 198,682 |
| 2005 | 194,163 |
As of the
census of 2000, there were 198,682 people, 80,504 households, and 48,704 families residing in the city. The
population density was 1,012.0/kmē . There were 85,067 housing units at an average density of 433.3/kmē . The racial makeup of the city was 82.29%
White, 8.07%
Black or
African American, 0.35%
Native American, 3.50%
Asian, 0.05%
Pacific Islander, 3.52% from
other races, and 2.23% from two or more races. 6.61% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There were 80,504 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.7% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,408, and the median income for a family was $46,590. Males had a median income of $31,712 versus $25,832 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,467. About 7.9% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those ages 65 or over.
Economy
Many insurance companies are headquartered in Des Moines, including the
Principal Financial Group, EMC Insurance Group, Allied Insurance , AmerUs Group, and American Republic Insurance Company. Des Moines has been referred to as the "Hartford of the West" because of this. Principal is the only Fortune 500 company to have its headquarters in Des Moines, ranking 261st on the magazine's list in 2006. As a center of financial and insurance services, other major corporations headquartered outside of Iowa have established a presence in the Des Moines Metro area, including,
Wells Fargo,
ING Group, and
Electronic Data Systems.
According to the
Des Moines Business Record Book of Lists for 2006, the 20 largest private employers in the Des Moines area are:
- Wells Fargo Banks
- Principal Financial Group
- Mercy Medical Center
- Iowa Health System, operators of Iowa Methodist Medical Center and Iowa Lutheran Hospital
- Wells Fargo Financial
- MidAmerican Energy Company
- Pioneer Hi-Bred International
- Firestone Agricultural Tire Company
- UPS
- FBL Financial Group
- Citigroup's Citi Cards division
- Qwest
- Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa
- Hy-Vee supermarkets
- John Deere Des Moines Works
- Allied Insurance
- Communications Data Services
- Casey's General Stores
- Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino
- Meredith Corporation
In 2006,
Forbes magazine ranked the Des Moines metropolitan area 11th on its list of "Best Places For Business And Careers," based on factors such as the cost of doing business, cost of living, educational attainment, and crime rate.
Government
Des Moines currently operates under a council-manager form of government. The council consists of a mayor , two at-large members, and four members representing each of the city's four wards.
A plan to merge the governments of Des Moines and Polk County was rejected by voters during the November 2, 2004, election. The consolidated city-county government would have had a full-time mayor and a 15-member council that would have been divided among the city and its suburbs. Each suburb would have still retained its individual government but had the option to join the consolidated government at any time. Although a full merger was soundly rejected, many city and county departments and programs have been consolidated.
Transportation
Most residents of Des Moines get around the region by car.
Interstate 235 cuts through the city, and
Interstate 35 and
Interstate 80 both pass through the Des Moines metropolitan area.
U.S. Route 65 and Iowa Highway 5 form a freeway loop to the east and south of the city.
U.S. Routes 6 and
69 and Iowa Highways 28, 141, 163, and 415 are also important routes to and within the city. A new northern beltway is in the works to help with northside congestion in growing suburbs such as Grimes and Ankeny.
Des Moines's public transit system, operated by the Des Moines Metropolitan Transit Authority, consists entirely of buses, including regular in-city routes and express and commuter buses to outlying suburban areas. A name change is currently planned and the system will become the DART, Des Moines Area Regional Transit.
Downtown Des Moines features a 3.5 mile-long
skywalk system, allowing people to move between buildings without going out of doors.
Greyhound Bus Lines and
Jefferson Lines run long-distance, inter-city bus routes to Des Moines. The nearest
Amtrak train station is in
Osceola, about 40 miles south of Des Moines. Trains on the route that passes through Osceola, the
California Zephyr, go east to
Chicago, Illinois and as far west as
Oakland, California.
The Des Moines International Airport , located in the southern part of Des Moines, on Fleur Drive, offers non-stop service to destinations within the United States, including to major hub airports such as
Chicago O'Hare,
Atlanta Hartsfield,
Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport, and New York's LaGuardia Airport. Despite its name, there are no direct commercial passenger flights, as of 2005, between the airport and destinations outside of the United States. International air-freight flights regularly travel to and from Des Moines International.
Colleges and universities
Culture
Media
AM radio stations
- WOI 640, NPR affiliate
- KPSZ 940, Christian music and programming
- WHO 1040, news, talk radio, University of Iowa sports
- KWKY 1150, Christian talk, music
- KRNT 1350, "Great Songs, Great Memories"
- KXNO 1460, sports talk
FM radio stations
- KDPS 88.1 "Edge 88" Urban
- KWDM 88.7 "The Point" Modern Rock
- KJMC 89.3 "K-Jam" Urban Contemporary
- WOI-FM 90.1, NPR Affiliate Classical, Jazz, Public Broadcasting
- KJJY 92.5, country music
- KIOA "Oldies 93.3", oldies
- KGGO 94.9, classic rock
- KHKI 97.3 "The Hawk", country music
- KWQW 98.3 "Wow FM", talk radio
- KZZQ Positive Hits "Q99.5 KZZQ" Christian CHR
- KDRB "100.3 The Bus" Adult hits/"Jack FM" format, Iowa State University sports
- KSTZ "Star 102.5," hot adult contemporary
- KAZR "Lazer 103.3," active rock
- KLTI "Lite 104.1," soft adult contemporary
- KCCQ 105.1 "Channel Q," Modern Rock
- KPTL "Capital 106.3" Adult Album Alternative
- KNWI 107.1 "Life 107.1" Christian Music
- KKDM 107.5 "Kiss 107 FM," Top 40/CHR
Television stations
- WOI 5, local ABC affiliate
- KCCI 8, local CBS affiliate
- KDIN 11, local PBS member station, Iowa Public Television network flagship
- WHO 13, local NBC affiliate
- KDSM 17 local Fox affiliate
- KPWB 23 local WB affiliate
- KFPX 39 local i affiliate
- KDMI 56 local My and A1 affiliate
Print
- Des Moines Register is the daily morning newspaper [i] of Des Moines, Iowa [i], in the United States [i] ...
, newspaper - Cityview, an alternative weekly newspaper
- Des Moines Business Record
- , a weekly publication from the Register targeted toward the 18- to 34-year-old demographic
-
Points of interest
Sports
Notable natives
- Casey Blake, Major League Baseball player
- Bill Bryson, author
- Stephen Collins, actor
- Scott Clemmensen, National Hockey League player
- Thomas M. Disch, author
- Rory Freeman, star on television show
- Dr. Stephen Gleason, advisor to President Clinton and Governor Vilsack
- Tana Goertz, star on television show The Apprentice 3
- David Anthony Higgins, actor, Malcolm in the Middle was an American situation comedy [i] created by Linwood Boomer [i] for the Fox Network [i] ...
- Steve Higgins, producer of Saturday Night Live is a weekly late night 90-minute American [i] comedy [i]-variety show [i] ...
- Cloris Leachman, actress
- Kevin Love - NASCAR driver
- The McCaughey septuplets, the first surviving set of septuplets, were born in Des Moines to a couple from nearby Carlisle.
- Kyle Orton, Chicago Bears quarterback
- Chris Pirillo, television personality and technology figure
- Shawna Robinson, NASCAR driver
- Brandon Routh, star of the film Superman Returns is a 2006 [i] superhero film [i] based on the fictional [i] ...
- Ronald Reagan worked as a disc jockey in Des Moines.
- Bill Stewart, well known jazz drummer with Pat Metheny Group.
- Stephen Stucker, actor, best known for his role as the air traffic controller in the 1980 movie, Airplane!
- Kevin Tapani, Major League Baseball
