History of Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines (International Phonetic Alphabet|pronounced {{IPA|/dɪˈmɔɪn/}} in English language|English, Image:ltspkr.pngMedia:DesMoines1.ogg|{{IPA|/demwan/}} in French language|French) is the capital of and the most populous city in the Iowa|State of Iowa, United States. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, owing its name to the Des Moines River (French: Rivière Des Moines, meaning "River of the Monks"), until it was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857.{{cite web|author=City of Des Moines|title=City of Des Moines Action Center: City History|url=http://www.dmgov.org/departments/AC/Information/AChistoricalinfo.htm|accessdate=2006-12-20}}
It is also the county seat of Polk County, Iowa|Polk County. The five-county Des Moines metropolitan area|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.{{cite web|author=United States Census Bureau|title=Cumulative Estimates of Population Change for Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Rankings: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006|url=http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metro_general/2006/CBSA-EST2006-07.xls| format=XLS|accessdate=2007-04-10}}
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. Forbes Magazine ranked Des Moines as the fourth "Best Place for Business" in 2007.{{cite web|author=Forbes.com|title=Des Moines IA, Best Places for Business 2007|url=http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/1/07bestplaces_Des-Moines-IA_2856.html|accessdate=2007-04-08}}
Recently, Des Moines has been experiencing rapid growth in the western and southern suburbs and is quickly becoming a large metropolitan area and national center for financial business.
Interstate 235 (Iowa)|Interstate 235 cuts through the city, and Interstate 35 and Interstate 80 both pass through the Des Moines metropolitan area.
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