Des Moines, IA

Des Moines displays its statewide roles on opposite banks of the Des Moines River. The Iowa State Capitol rises east of the water, its present building constructed between 1871 and 1886. State offices and the Historic East Village surround the Capitol. Across the river, the downtown office core contains a major concentration of insurance and financial-services work. Principal Financial Group is among the large firms behind this regional specialization. Over 80 Iowa insurance companies had their headquarters in the metro in 2026. An enclosed second-story skywalk system, begun in 1969, links many downtown buildings and parking structures. The elevated routes remain part of winter circulation, even as current planning seeks stronger activity at street level. Government, finance, and neighborhood storefronts occupy adjoining but visibly different districts.

ATTRTony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States / CC BY 2.0

The city began at the meeting of the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers. Fort Des Moines No. 2 was established at the confluence in 1843, and the first town street grid followed the Des Moines River. The settlement incorporated as a town in 1851. In 1857, it became both the City of Des Moines and Iowa’s capital. The river junction remains public ground with a direct link to that origin. Trails and the Principal Riverwalk follow the downtown waterfront, crossing between the Capitol side and the commercial core. Farther south, Gray’s Lake and Water Works Park continue the river-and-trail landscape beyond downtown. A separate military post gives the south side a national history. Fort Des Moines was established in 1901 near several rail lines, with initial construction completed in 1903.

ATTRTim Kiser ( w:User:Malepheasant ) / CC BY-SA 2.5

Its early brick quarters, stables, and storehouses belonged to a cavalry post. In 1917, the fort became the first and only U.S. Army training site for Black officer candidates during World War I; 639 received commissions. The Army selected it in 1942 as the first Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps training site and the only school for WAAC and WAC officers. From 1942 through 1945, 72,141 women trained there. Parts of the former post now serve housing, the Fort Des Moines Museum, and the grounds around Blank Park Zoo, placing military buildings and interpretation within a present-day neighborhood. Daily activity is distributed well beyond the two riverbanks. Drake University and medical campuses lie along or near University Avenue, while manufacturing, food production, and logistics occupy other parts of the city and metropolitan area.

ATTRDsmspence / CC BY-SA 3.0

DART replaced its bus network in June 2026 with ten main routes running seven days a week; four corridors received 15-minute service for most of the day. The network connects the Capitol and East Village with Drake, hospitals, neighborhood business corridors, and the Iowa State Fairgrounds. The fair moved to Des Moines in 1878 and settled at its present grounds in 1886. Its agricultural competitions and performances make the east side a statewide gathering place each August. During the rest of the year, the fairgrounds host livestock exhibitions, auto and antique shows, concerts, flea markets, and trade shows. That calendar keeps the east-side grounds active beyond the annual fair.