Des Moines

Des Moines (pop. 196,000), capital and largest city of Iowa. Located in a fertile agricultural region in south-central Iowa, it is an important commercial and industrial center of the Midwest. Des Moines produces airplane parts, farm machinery and tools, and cattle feed. It is also an important hub of communications, served by the nation's major railroads and airlines, and is the home of many insurance companies.

See also: Iowa.