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Sources and photo credits

Open a section for its sources, creators and license details.

Wikimedia Commons city photographs

Each photograph has an individual creator, source and reuse license, listed here and in the footer of the city photo wall. Displayed images may be resized or cropped. Daily rotation does not imply a new capture date.

Campus photographs

Campus photographs may be resized or cropped for display.

Live camera creators

Streams are embedded from YouTube, not copied or downloaded.

Day-trip photographs

Nearby destination photographs are dated views, not current conditions. Each source, creator, license, recorded capture date and resize notice is listed below.

Citywide facts

Citywide facts

These figures describe the city, independently of the listings in our directory. Source periods differ; they are not live totals.

  • 214,133 · Residents

    2020 city population, as reported in the cited city reference; not a current estimate.

    Wikipedia · cited 2020 U.S. Census · 2020 Census · Source checked 2026-09-17.
  • 1851 · City incorporated

    Year of municipal incorporation.

    City reference · City history · Source checked 2026-09-17.
  • Polk · County

    Des Moines is in Polk County.

    City of Des Moines · City location · Source checked 2026-09-17.
  • Central · Local time zone

    Local display time zone: America/Chicago.

    City geographic reference · Geographic setting · Source checked 2026-09-17.
City hero video

Des Moines skyline above the Des Moines River. Recorded footage, not a live camera. Edited into a silent looping background; a still frame is shown for reduced-motion or data-saving visitors.

Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States · Photo credits · CC BY 2.0.

Subtle pan-and-zoom animation derived from the credited licensed photograph.

Homepage motion

Homepage motion

Source photograph by Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, via Wikimedia Commons, under the CC BY 2.0. Cropped and animated with a slow camera move. This is a recorded photograph, not filmed street activity or a live camera.

Photography

Des Moines Art Center; source date 2016-01-23 07:27 by Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Original photograph on Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Resized for this guide with a subtle background animation. This is a photograph, not filmed or live activity. The creator does not endorse this guide.

Business photographs are credited to their original publishers below. Copyright remains with the respective rights holders. Galleries use available photos from Google Maps business profiles; some currently have fewer than four. Listing a business does not imply that its owner supplied or endorsed the listing. Contact us about an image.

Business information

Most listings below were checked against the business’s own website; the rest link to directory profiles such as Restaurantji and Loc8NearMe. Confirm current hours, availability and directions with the business.

Google ratings and reviews

Ratings shown on business profiles are dated snapshots from the linked source, not live ratings. Visitor reviews submitted here are shown separately.

Automatic community data

AQI comes from AirNow’s reporting-area file, using the Des Moines reporting area. This is a regional report, not a monitor on your street.

Des Moines is inland. Regional outdoor conditions offer ideas for a day outdoors.

Road and traffic information is available from 511 Iowa. Check the official road information for current incidents and closures. 511 Iowa official site. No endorsement by these agencies is implied.

Local information

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