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Des Moines metropolitan area#Metropolitan Statistical Area

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2011}}

{{Infobox settlement

| name = Greater Des Moines

| official_name = Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA Metropolitan Statistical Area

| settlement_type = Metropolitan statistical area

| image_skyline = {{multiple image

| border = infobox

| perrow = 1/2/1/2

| total_width = 280

| caption_align = center

| image1 = Morning Skyline - Des Moines, Iowa - Winter on the Des Moines River (24805016620).jpg

| caption1 = The skyline of Downtown Des Moines

| image2 = Fowl Scene at the Iowa Capitol (50850152211).jpg

| caption2 = Iowa State Capitol

| image3 = A Beautiful Day at the Fair (48536435447).jpg

| caption3 = Iowa State Fair

| image4 = DesMoinesBotanicalCenter.jpg

| caption4 = Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden

| image5 = St. Ambrose Cathedral - Des Moines 04.jpg

| caption5 = St. Ambrose Cathedral

| image6 = Municipal Building Des Moines.jpg

| caption6 = Des Moines City Hall

}}

| image_map = Desmoinesmetrocounties.jpg

| map_alt = Map of Greater Des Moines

| map_caption = Map of Counties in the Des Moines, Iowa metropolitan area

| pushpin_map =

| pushpin_map_alt =

| pushpin_map_caption =

| coordinates = {{coord|format=dms|display=ti}}

| coordinates_footnotes =

| subdivision_type = Country

| subdivision_name = United States

| subdivision_type1 = State(s)

| subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Iowa}}

| subdivision_type2 = Largest city

| subdivision_name2 =Des Moines

| subdivision_type3 = Other cities

| subdivision_name3 =  - West Des Moines
 - Ankeny
 - Urbandale

| established_title =

| established_date =

| unit_pref = US

| area_footnotes =

| area_total_sq_mi = 3610

| elevation_max_footnotes =

| elevation_max_ft =

| elevation_max_m =

| elevation_min_footnotes =

| elevation_min_ft = 750

| elevation_min_m = 228.6

| population_as_of = 2024

| population_footnotes = {{Cite web|title=Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals: 2020-2024 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-metro-and-micro-statistical-areas.html |publisher=US Census Bureau | access-date=March 13, 2025}}

| population_total = 753,913

| population_density_sq_mi= 208.8

| population_density_km2 = 80.6

| population_rank = 82nd in the U.S.

| demographics_type2 = GDP

| demographics2_footnotes = {{Cite web|title=Total Gross Domestic Product for Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (MSA) |url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/NGMP19780|work=Federal Reserve Economic Data |publisher=Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis}}

|demographics2_title1 = MSA

|demographics2_info1 = $67.334 billion (2022)

| timezone1 =

| utc_offset1 =

| timezone1_DST =

| utc_offset1_DST =

| postal_code_type =

| postal_code =

| area_code_type =

| area_code =

| iso_code =

| website =

}}

The Des Moines metropolitan area, officially known as the Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is located at the confluence of the Des Moines River and the Raccoon River. Des Moines serves as the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Iowa. The metro area consists of six counties in central Iowa: Polk, Dallas, Warren, Madison, Guthrie, and Jasper.{{cite news |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2018/09/21/des-moines-west-des-moines-metro-polk-county-jasper-county-dallas-county-census-bureau-growth/1380120002/ |title=Feds add Jasper County to Des Moines metro stats |date=September 21, 2018 |last=Norvell |first=Kim |newspaper=Des Moines Register |access-date=December 8, 2020 }} The Des Moines–Ames–West Des Moines Combined Statistical Area (CSA) encompasses the separate metropolitan area of Ames (Story Country), and the separate micropolitan area of Boone (Boone County). The Des Moines area is a fast-growing metro area.{{cite news |url=https://businessrecord.com/Content/Economic-Development/Economic-Development/Article/Greater-Des-Moines-is-fastest-growing-Midwest-metro-/181/975/86388 |newspaper=Business Record |title= Greater Des Moines is fastest-growing Midwest metro |date=April 19, 2019 |access-date=December 8, 2020 }}

Demographics

Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA Metropolitan Statistical Area

class="wikitable sortable"

!County

!Seat

!2020 Census

!2010 Census

!Change

!Area

!Density

Polk

|Des Moines

| {{change|invert=on|492401|430640}}

|{{convert|592|sqmi|abbr=on}}

|{{Pop density|492401|592|sqmi|km2|prec=0}}

Dallas

|Adel

| {{change|invert=on|99678|66135}}

|{{convert|592|sqmi|abbr=on}}

|{{Pop density|99678|592|sqmi|km2|prec=0}}

Warren

|Indianola

| {{change|invert=on|52403|46225}}

|{{convert|573|sqmi|abbr=on}}

|{{Pop density|52403|573|sqmi|km2|prec=0}}

Jasper

|Newton

| {{change|invert=on|37813|36842}}

|{{convert|733|sqmi|abbr=on}}

|{{Pop density|37813|733|sqmi|km2|prec=0}}

Madison

|Winterset

| {{change|invert=on|16549|15679}}

|{{convert|562|sqmi|abbr=on}}

|{{Pop density|16549|562|sqmi|km2|prec=0}}

Guthrie

|Guthrie Center

| {{change|invert=on|10623|10954}}

|{{convert|593|sqmi|abbr=on}}

|{{Pop density|10623|593|sqmi|km2|prec=0}}

class=sortbottom style="background:#fbfbbb"

|Total

|

| {{change|invert=on|709466|606475|bgcolour=#fbfbbb}}

|{{convert|3610|sqmi|abbr=on}}

|{{Pop density|709466|3610|sqmi|km2|prec=0}}

Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA Combined Statistical Area

class="wikitable sortable"

!Statistical Area

!2020 Census

!2010 Census

!Change

!Area

!Density

Des Moines-West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area

|{{change|invert=on|709466|606475}}

|{{convert|3610|sqmi|abbr=on}}

|{{Pop density|709466|3610|sqmi|km2|prec=0}}

Ames, IA Metropolitan Statistical Area (Story County)

| {{change|invert=on|98537|89542}}

|{{convert|574|sqmi|abbr=on}}

|{{Pop density|98537|574|sqmi|km2|prec=0}}

Boone, IA Micropolitan Statistical Area (Boone County)

| {{change|invert=on|26715|26306}}

|{{convert|574|sqmi|abbr=on}}

|{{Pop density|26715|574|sqmi|km2|prec=0}}

class=sortbottom style="background:#fbfbbb"

|Total

| {{change|invert=on|890322|778013|bgcolour=#fbfbbb}}

|{{convert|5902|sqmi|abbr=on}}

|{{Pop density|890322|5902|sqmi|km2|prec=0}}

Geography

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

Historical definitions

Polk County was originally the only county in the Des Moines metropolitan area when the United States Bureau of the Budget (now the United States Office of Management and Budget) began defining metropolitan areas in 1950. Warren County was added in 1973 and Dallas County was added in 1983.{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/pastmetro.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991009023610/http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/pastmetro.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 9, 1999 |title=Historical Metropolitan Area Definitions |access-date=2006-07-21 |author=United States Census Bureau |author-link=United States Census Bureau |df=mdy-all }} Guthrie and Madison counties were added in 2003 after metropolitan areas were redefined. In 2005 the area was renamed the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area after a special census showed that West Des Moines had topped the 50,000 mark in population.{{cite web|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/bulletins/fy2006/b06-01.pdf|title=Update of Statistical Area Definitions and Guidance on Their Uses|access-date=2006-07-21|author=United States Office of Management and Budget|author-link=United States Office of Management and Budget|pages=5, 36|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060514003222/http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/bulletins/fy2006/b06-01.pdf |archive-date=2006-05-14}} Jasper county was added in September 2018.

Communities by size

Population as of 2020 Census

=Principal City=

=Places with 50,000 to 100,000 inhabitants=

=Places with 10,000 to 50,000 inhabitants=

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{{div col end}}

=Places with 1,000 to 10,000 inhabitants=

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=Places with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants=

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=Unincorporated places=

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Demographics of metropolitan area

{{USCensusPop

|1900= 82684

|1910= 110438

|1920= 154029

|1930= 172837

|1940= 195835

|1950= 226010

|1960= 337169

|1970= 363419

|1980= 392141

|1990= 416346

|2000= 481394

|2010= 569633

|2020= 709466

|estimate= 729053

|estyear= 2022

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web |title=U.S. Decennial Census|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=April 12, 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150507121432/http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html |archive-date=May 7, 2015}}

}}

As of the census of 2000, there were 481,394 people, 189,371 households, and 126,177 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 90.24% White, 3.85% African American, 0.24% Native American, 2.15% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.00% from other races, and 1.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.02% of the population.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

The median income for a household in the MSA was $44,667, and the median income for a family was $52,617. Males had a median income of $34,710 versus $25,593 for females. The per capita income for the MSA was $21,253. {{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

The census tracts for 2000 are shown in the map from the Iowa Data Center.{{cite web |url=https://www.iowadatacenter.org/datatables/CountyIndividual/Polk/comaptractpolk.pdf |title=Census Tract Outline Map for Census 2000 |access-date=December 8, 2020 |work=Iowa Data Center}}

Economy

Des Moines is a major center of the US insurance industry and has a sizable financial services and publishing business base. The city 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, Ruan Transportation, TMC Transportation, EMC Insurance Companies, and Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. Other major corporations such as Wells Fargo, Cognizant, Voya Financial, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, ACE Limited, Marsh, Monsanto, and Corteva have large operations in or near the metropolitan area. In recent years, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, and Facebook{{cite news|title=Microsoft behind nearly $700 million data center investment in West Des Moines|newspaper=Des Moines Register|url=http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20130621/BUSINESS/130621005/Microsoft-behind-nearly-700-million-data-center-investment-West-Des-Moines|date=June 21, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130628035409/http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20130621/BUSINESS/130621005/Microsoft-behind-nearly-700-million-data-center-investment-West-Des-Moines|archive-date=June 28, 2013|df=mdy-all}}{{cite news|title=Facebook to build data center near Des Moines, Iowa|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/net-us-facebook-datacenter-idUSBRE93M10A20130423|date=April 23, 2013|access-date=June 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924180801/http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/23/net-us-facebook-datacenter-idUSBRE93M10A20130423|archive-date=September 24, 2015|url-status=live}} have built data-processing and logistical facilities in the Des Moines area.

The Des Moines area is home to 5 Fortune 1000 headquarters – 2021 rankings

class= "wikitable sortable"
DSM
Rank

!Company

!City

!Sector

!Fortune
Rank

1

|Principal Financial Group

|Des Moines

|Financial

|201

2

|Casey's General Store

|Ankeny

|Convenience

|378

3

|Meredith Corporation

|Des Moines

|Media

|681

4

|American Equity Insurance

|West Des Moines

|Financial

|702

5

|Renewable Energy

|Ames

|Energy

|851

Education

=Colleges and universities=

{{Div col|colwidth=45em}}

{{div col end}}

Sports

class="wikitable sortable"
+ Professional and Division I sports teams
scope="col" | Club

! scope="col" | Sport

! scope="col" | League

! scope="col" | Venue

! scope="col" | City

! scope="col" | Founded

scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | Iowa Barnstormers

| American football

| Indoor Football League

| Wells Fargo Arena

| Des Moines

| 1995 (2008)

scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | Iowa Cubs

| Baseball

| International League, Minor League Baseball

| Principal Park

| Des Moines

| 1969

scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | Iowa Wolves

| Basketball

| NBA G League

| Wells Fargo Arena

| Des Moines

| 2007

scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | Des Moines Buccaneers

| Ice hockey

| United States Hockey League

| Buccaneer Arena

| Urbandale

| 1980

scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | Iowa Wild

| Ice hockey

| American Hockey League

| Wells Fargo Arena

| Des Moines

| 2013

scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | Des Moines Menace

| Soccer

| USL League Two

| Drake Stadium

| Des Moines

| 1994

scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | Drake Bulldogs

| Multi

| NCAA Division I, Missouri Valley Conference

| Drake Stadium, Knapp Center

| Des Moines

| 1881

Transportation

= Airports =

Relief Airports

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= Major highways =

{{col-begin|width=auto}}

{{col-break}}

Interstates

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{{col-break|gap=2em}}

U.S. Highways

{{plainlist}}

{{endplainlist}}

{{col-break|gap=2em}}

Iowa Highways

{{plainlist}}

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{{col-end}}

= Transit=

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Des Moines}}

{{Iowa}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Des Moines Metropolitan Area}}

Category:Regions of Iowa

Category:Geography of Des Moines, Iowa