Des Moines metropolitan area

Coordinates: 41°33′19″N 93°50′09″W / 41.555147°N 93.835831°W / 41.555147; -93.835831

The Des Moines metropolitan area, officially known as the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), consists of five counties in central Iowa, United States: Polk, Dallas, Warren, Madison, and Guthrie. The 2010 census population of these counties was 569,633, and the 2014 estimated population was 611,549.

Three additional counties, Boone, Jasper, and Story, are part of the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines Combined Statistical Area (CSA). The area encompasses the separate metropolitan area of Ames (Story County), and the separate micropolitan areas of Boone, (Boone County), and Newton (Jasper County). The total population of the CSA was 722,323 in the 2010 census and 742,936 based on 2012 estimates.

Geography

The lowest geographical point in the metropolitan area is the Des Moines River, where it passes the northeast corner of Warren County, and the southeast corner of Polk County.

Des Moines, Iowa

Des Moines ⁱ/dᵻˈmɔɪn/ is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857. It is named after the Des Moines River, which may have been adapted from the French Rivière des Moines, meaning "River of the Monks". The city's population was 203,433 as of the 2010 census. The five-county metropolitan area is ranked 91st in terms of population in the United States with 599,789 residents according to the 2013 estimate by the United States Census Bureau.

Des Moines is a major center of the U.S. insurance industry and has a sizable financial services and publishing business base. In fact, Des Moines was credited as the "number one spot for U.S. insurance companies" in a Business Wire article and named the third largest "insurance capital" of the world. The city is the headquarters for the Principal Financial Group, Athene USA insurance, the Meredith Corporation, Ruan Transportation, EMC Insurance Companies, and Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. Other major corporations such as Wells Fargo, Voya Financial, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, ACE Limited, Marsh, Monsanto and Pioneer Hi-Bred have large operations in or near the metro area. In recent years Microsoft, Hewlett Packard and Facebook have established data processing and logistical facilities in the Des Moines metro. Forbes magazine ranked Des Moines as the "Best Place for Business" in both 2010 and 2013. In 2014, NBC ranked Des Moines as the "Wealthiest City in America" according to its criteria.

Des Moines (disambiguation)

Des Moines is the capital of the state of Iowa in the United States.

Des Moines may also refer to:

See also