Des Moines, Iowa

Des Moines is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County. Incorporated in 1851 as Fort Des Moines, it adopted the name "Des Moines" and was named the state capital in 1857. The city was founded in 1843 when Captain James Allen built a fort on the site where the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers merge.

As a capital city, Des Moines is a hub of government action, business activity, arts and cultural affairs. Being the headquarters of the Principal Financial Group, the Meredith Corporation and Ruan Transportation, the city holds the glory of the third-largest insurance center in the world. It also holds a title 'Hartford of the West'. It is also ranked as the 11th Best Place for Business. The U.S. Interstates 35 and 80 serve the city. A council-manager form of government, which consists of a mayor, two at-large members and four members representing each of the city's four wards, govern the city.

Area & Location: Lies at 41º35'27? Latitude North and 93º37'15? Longitude West, the city of Des Moines has a total area of 200.1 sq. km. Its land area covers 196.3 sq. km and water area 3.8 sq. km. It has an elevation of 291 meters. Around 194,163 people reside in the city.

Economy: Besides the manufacturing, services, government, wholesale and retail trade, medical, insurance and financial services, printing, publishing and agribusiness sectors that strive hard to preserve the healthy economy of the Des Moines, the various insurance companies headquartered in the city are considered as the key providers of the city's economy. Majority of the goods produced in Des Moines are shipped outside the metropolitan area while 10 % of manufacturing production is exported. This has contributed much to the development of the local shipping industry. Other service business is the health care industry. Flour, cosmetics, furnaces, stove and furnace parts, agricultural implements, automotive and creamery equipment, leather products, medicine, brick, food items, paints, electric switches and elevators are the items and goods produced in the city.

Tourist Attractions: The city of Des Moines provides its visitors with various entertainment facilities that can cheer them up. Downtown Attractions and Iowa State Capitol- a genuine gold-covered dome are the main landmarks of the city. Merle Hay Mall- one of Iowa's oldest and largest shopping malls, Jordan Creek Town Center- central Iowa's newest and largest mall and Downtown Farmer's Market help the visitors to shop any item available under the sun. The Blank Park Zoo, Lilac Arboretum and Children's Forest are the recreational centers aimed at children. The city also has number of lakes such as Gray's Lake Park and the Kruidenier Trail and Saylorville Lake that provide boating facilities to the tourists who reach here from far and wide. Fort Des Moines Museum- the museum and education center built in honor of the U.S. Army's first officer candidate class for African American men in 1917 add to the landmarks of the city. The other attractions of Des Moines include Science Center of Iowa and IMAX theatre Court Ave and Des Moines Botanical Center.