Des Moines, Iowa

Des Moines is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County with parts extending into Warren County. It is named after the Des Moines River, likely derived from the French "Rivière des Moines" meaning "River of the Monks." The city was incorporated in 1851 as Fort Des Moines and shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857. Its population was 214,133 at the 2020 census. The Des Moines metropolitan area, covering six counties, is the 81st largest metropolitan area in the U.S. with about 750,000 residents, and is the largest metropolitan area entirely in Iowa. Des Moines is a major center of the United States insurance industry and has a sizable financial services and publishing business base. The city is the headquarters for the Principal Financial Group and Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. Other major corporations such as Wells Fargo, Cognizant, Voya Financial, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, ACE Limited, Bayer, and Corteva have large operations in or near the metropolitan area. In recent years, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, and Facebook have built data-processing and logistical facilities in the Des Moines area. 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."

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