Des Moines is a city in central Iowa, United States, located on the Des Moines River at its confluence with the Raccoon River.
This city is the county seat of both the state of Iowa and Polk County. The population of Des Moines is about 203.4 thousand people (according to 2010 data), and taking into account the suburbs this number rises to 569.6 thousand people, which makes it the largest city in the state.
This webcam provides an overview of downtown Des Moines, the capital of Iowa.
The Camera is located in Des Moines City Hall and looks out over various areas of the city, including the U.S. Federal Courthouse located across the Des Moines River, the Grand Avenue Bridge, and Iowa’s tallest skyscraper, the 801 Grand Building, which reaches a height of 192 meters.
The video also shows Locust Street running parallel to Grand Avenue, as well as historical sites such as Brenton Square for ice skating and the Iowa Women’s Achievement Bridge.
Historically, the area was inhabited by the Sauk and Fox Indian tribes. In May 1843, Fort Des Moines was established to control Indian tribes and stop the sale of alcohol. Later, the fort was abandoned, and the city began to develop.
Since the early 1950s, the city has faced economic decline and deindustrialization, but in the 1990s began its recovery. Despite the floods and economic challenges, Des Moines is gradually developing, developing the service sector, insurance and banking.