Des Moines, Iowa

Des Moines is the capital of and the most populous city in the state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County.³ The five-county metropolitan area is ranked 91st in terms of population in the United States according to 2007 estimates with 546,599 residents according to United States Census Bureau.² The city proper population was 198,682 at the 2000 census.

HISTORY

Des Moines was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857.⁴ It is named after the Des Moines River, which may have been adapted from the French Rivière Des Moines, literally meaning "River of the Monks".

GEOGRAPHY

Des Moines is located at 41n36, 93w37 (41.590939, -93.620866).⁵ According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 77.2 square miles (200.1 km), of which 75.8 square miles (196.3 km) is land and 1.5 square miles (3.8 km) (1.88%) is water. In November 2005, Des Moines voters approved a measure that allowed the city to annex certain parcels of land in the northeast, southeast, and southern corners of Des Moines, particularly areas bordering the Iowa Highway 5/U.S. 65 bypass.

METROPOLITAN AREA

The Des Moines-West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of five central Iowa counties: Polk, Dallas, Warren, Madison, and Guthrie. The area had a 2000 census population of 481,394 and an estimated 2007 population of 546,599.2 The Des Moines-Newton-Pella Combined Statistical Area consists of those five counties plus Jasper and Marion counties; the 2000 census population of this area was 550,659, and the estimated 2007 population was 616,122.⁶ Des Moines's suburbs include Altoona, Ankeny, Bondurant, Carlisle, Clive, Grimes, Johnston, Norwalk, Pleasant Hill, Urbandale, Waukee, West Des Moines, and Windsor Heights.

DEMOGRAPHICS

As of the census⁷ of 2000, there were 198,682 people, 80,504 households, and 48,704 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,621.3 people per square mile (1,012.0/km). There were 85,067 housing units at an average density of 1,122.3/sq mi (433.3/km). The racial makeup of the city was 82.29% White, 8.07% Black or African American, 0.35% Native American, 3.50% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.52% from other races, and 2.23% from two or more races. 6.61% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $38,408, and the median income for a family was $46,590. Males had a median income of $31,712 versus $25,832 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,467. About 7.9% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those ages 65 or over.

REFERENCES

 ¹ United States Census Bureau. "Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places in Iowa, Listed Alphabetically: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2007". Retrieved on 2008-07-17.
 ² a b c United States Census Bureau. "Cumulative Estimates of Population Change for Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Rankings: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2007" (XLS). Retrieved on 2008-07-17.
 ³ "Subcounty population estimates: Iowa 2000-2006" (CSV). United States Census Bureau, Population Division (2007-06-28). Retrieved on 2008-06-08.
 ⁴ City of Des Moines. "City of Des Moines Action Center: City History". Retrieved on 2006-12-20.
 ⁵ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
 ⁶ US Census Bureau. "Annual Estimates of the Population of Combined Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000- July 1, 2007" (XLS). Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
 ⁷ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 8 Fortune.com. "FORTUNE 500 2006: States". Retrieved on 2006-12-20.

LINKS

 * Official City Website http://www.dmgov.org/
 * Greater Des Moines Convention & Visitors Bureau http://www.seedesmoines.com/
 * Des Moines Community School District http://www.dmps.k12.ia.us/