Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is a city of 212,421 people in Polk County, Iowa, founded in 1843.
Why visit Des Moines
Townapedia lists 187 museums and landmarks, 53 parks and trails, 215 places to eat, 17 places to stay and 8 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Temple Theater, Civic Center of Greater Des Moines, Iowa State Capitol and Scottish Rite Consistory Building.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 14°F, and about 36 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Des Moines
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
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.
From the Wikipedia article Des Moines, Iowa (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do8
Hoyt Sherman Place
Cinema and theater · 1.8 mi
1501 Woodland Avenue, Des Moines
Museums and landmarks187
Iowa State Capitol
Monument and historic site · 1.3 mi
Houses the Office of the Governor and the Iowa General Assembly.
1007 East Grand Avenue, Des Moines
Mo-Fr 08:00-17:00, Sa 09:00-16:00
Scottish Rite Consistory Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Frank E. Wetherell Neoclassical masonic temple in Des Moines, Iowa
519 Park Street, Des Moines
Henry Wallace House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Historic house in Iowa, United States
756 16th Street, Des Moines
Science Center of Iowa
Museum · 0.9 mi
401 West Martin Luther King Junior Parkway, Des Moines
We-Su 09:00-16:00
Baker-Devotie-Hollingsworth Block
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Building in Iowa, United States of America
Byron A. Beeson House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic house in Iowa, United States
1503 5th Avenue, Des Moines
Charles H. and Lena May Weitz House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States
1424 5th Avenue, Des Moines
175 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds53
Gray's Lake Park
Park · 1.2 mi
2101 Fleur Drive, Des Moines
Apr-Oct: Mo-Su 05:00-22:00; Nov-Mar: Mo-Su 06:00-22:00
41 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes215
Bar Nico
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.2 mi
428 East Locust Street
Mo-Th 10:30-22:00, Fr-Sa 10:30-24:00, Su 10:30-21:00
Blaze Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.8 mi
300 West Martin Luther King Junior Parkway, Des Moines
Su-Th 10:30-22:00; Fr-Sa 10:30-23:00
Bubba
Diner · American · 1.3 mi
200 10th Street
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr 11:00-22:00; Sa 10:00-22:00; Su 10:00-21:00
Buffalo Wild Wings
Restaurant · Wings · 1.5 mi
3311 Southeast 14th Street, Des Moines
Su-Th 11:00-24:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-01:00
Centro
Restaurant · Italian · 1.4 mi
1003 Locust Street, Des Moines
Mo-We 16:00-21:00; Su, Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Ceviche Bar
Bar and pub · Cuban · 1.1 mi
223 East Walnut Street, Des Moines
Mo 11:00-22:00; Tu,Th-Sa 11:00-02:00; We 11:00-24:00; Su 11:00-20:00
Fuzzy's Taco Shop
Restaurant · Tacos, Mexican · 0.8 mi
300 West Martin Luther King Junior Parkway, Des Moines
Su-Th 10:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-24:00
Hessen Haus
Restaurant · German · 1.0 mi
101 4th Street, Des Moines
Mo-Th,Su 11:00-24:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-02:00
203 more on the map.
Where to stay17
Hampton Inn & Suites Des Moines Downtown
Motel and hotel · 0.9 mi
120 Southwest Water Street, Des Moines
Churches and places of worship83
First United Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · 1.6 mi
1001 Pleasant Street, Des Moines
Saint Anthony's Church
Church · Catholic · 0.4 mi
15 Indianola Road, Des Moines
Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd
Church · Lutheran · 1.8 mi
3820 Southwest 9th Street, Des Moines
Philadelphia Seventh-day Adventist Church
Church · Seventh Day Adventist · 2.2 mi
1639 Garfield Avenue, Des Moines
Walnut Creek Church - South
Church · Nondenominational · 1.5 mi
3516 Southeast 14th Street, Des Moines
Shopping24
Gas and EV charging17
Schools, colleges and libraries59
Healthcare17
Community, A Walgreens Pharmacy
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.8 mi
1704 Ingersoll Avenue, Des Moines
Eyerly Ball Community Mental Health Services
Clinic and pharmacy · 2.3 mi
945 19th Street, Des Moines
Map of Des Moines
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°F | 14°F | 1.1 in | 9.4 in |
| Feb | 36°F | 18°F | 1.3 in | 10.2 in |
| Mar | 49°F | 30°F | 2.2 in | 4.4 in |
| Apr | 62°F | 41°F | 4.0 in | 1.2 in |
| May | 72°F | 52°F | 5.2 in | 0.2 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 62°F | 5.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 66°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 64°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 77°F | 55°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 63°F | 43°F | 2.8 in | 0.5 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 30°F | 1.9 in | 2.7 in |
| Dec | 36°F | 20°F | 1.6 in | 7.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Des Moines Intl Ap Gsn 72546 (3 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Polk County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-09-01: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2024-05-24: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2024-05-14: Severe Storms And Tornadoes (Tornado)
- 2020-08-17: Severe Storms (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-23: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Des Moines International Airport (DSM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Pleasant Hill 6 mi east, about 9 min by car
- Windsor Heights 6 mi northwest, about 9 min by car
- Norwalk 7 mi southwest, about 12 min by car
- Saylorville 8 mi north, about 12 min by car
- Carlisle 8 mi southeast, about 12 min by car
- West Des Moines 9 mi west, about 14 min by car
- Altoona 9 mi northeast, about 14 min by car
- Urbandale 10 mi northwest, about 16 min by car
- Johnston 10 mi northwest, about 16 min by car
- Clive 10 mi west, about 16 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Des Moines skyline, Tim Kiser ( w:User:Malepheasant ), CC BY-SA 2.5
- Cathedral Church of Saint Paul rear - Des Moines, Iowa, Carl Wycoff, CC BY 2.0
- St. Anthony's Church interior - Des Moines, Iowa 05, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Anthony's Church - Des Moines, Iowa 05, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Anthony's Church interior - Des Moines, Iowa 01, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Anthony's Church - Des Moines, Iowa 03, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Anthony's Church - Des Moines, Iowa 02a, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Anthony's Church interior - Des Moines, Iowa 06, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Anthony's Church interior - Des Moines, Iowa 02, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Anthony's Church - Des Moines, Iowa 04, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Anthony's Church interior - Des Moines, Iowa 03, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Anthony's Church interior - Des Moines, Iowa 04, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Anthony's Church - Des Moines, Iowa 01, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Anthony's Church - Des Moines, Iowa 06, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Anthony's Church interior - Des Moines, Iowa 08, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Anthony's Church interior - Des Moines, Iowa 07, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Anthony's Church - Des Moines, Iowa 02, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Joggers Running in Winter - Morning in Des Moines, Iowa (23938101133), Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Morning Skyline - Des Moines, Iowa - Winter on the Des Moines River (24805016620) (cropped2), Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Morning Skyline - Des Moines, Iowa - Winter on the Des Moines River (24805016620), Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Morning Skyline - Des Moines, Iowa - Winter on the Des Moines River (24805016620) (cropped), Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Scottish Rite Consistory Building, James Steakley, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Henry Wallace House Des Moines IA, C. A. Tucker, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Perry and Brainard Block, James Steakley, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Warfield, Pratt & Howell Co Warehouse, McGhiever, CC BY 4.0
- The F.E. Haley Double House, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Des Moines Building, Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0
- The New Lawn, James Steakley, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Byron A. Beeson House, Goddesshanna, CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Charles H. And Lena May Weirz House, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Rees Gabriel House, Goddesshanna, CC BY-SA 3.0
- The William B. Hayes House, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Rev. R.W. and Fannie Keeler House, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Maish House 1623 Center St DM Iowa, C. A. Tucker, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Homestead Bldg, McGhiever, CC BY 4.0
- The Naylor House, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Mahnke House, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Elliot Furniture Company, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Baker-Devotie-Hollingsworth Block, Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 1080 22ndSt (2), CelticClicker, CC BY-SA 3.0
.jpg){kind=link}
_(cropped2).jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
_(cropped).jpg){kind=link}
.JPG){kind=link}
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.