Des Moines, Iowa

Des Moines, Iowa is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County, although a small part 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. The city is located on, and named after, the Des Moines River. In 2020, the city's population was 214,133, with the greater metropolitan area having 699,292 residents. Des Moines is a major center of the US insurance industry and has a sizable financial services and publishing business base.

Des Moines is an important city in U.S. presidential politics; as the state's capital, it is the site of the first caucuses of the presidential primary cycle. Many presidential candidates set up campaign headquarters in Des Moines. A 2007 article in The New York Times said, "If you have any desire to witness presidential candidates in the most close-up and intimate of settings, there is arguably no better place to go than Des Moines."