Des Moines Vacation and Trip Information

Des Moines is the capital of and the most populous city in Iowa. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines , until it was shortened to “Des Moines” in 1857. It is also the county seat of Polk County. The five-county metropolitan area is ranked 92nd in terms of population in the United States according to 2006 estimates with 534,230 residents according to United States Census Bureau.

Des Moines is a major center for the insurance industry and also has a sizeable financial services and publishing business base. The city is the headquarters for the Principal Financial Group, the Meredith Corporation, and Ruan Transportation. Other major corporations such as Wells Fargo, ING Group, Marsh, and Pioneer Hi-Bred have large operations in or near the metro area. Recently, Des Moines has been experiencing rapid growth in the western and southern suburbs. Downtown Des Moines has been undergoing many new developments as well.

Text courtesy of Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Des_Moines