West Des Moines is a city in
Polk
Polk may refer to:
People
* James K. Polk, 11th president of the United States
* Polk (name), other people with the name
Places
*Polk (CTA), a train station in Chicago, Illinois
* Polk, Illinois, an unincorporated community
* Polk, Missouri ...
,
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
,
Warren
A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval A ...
, and
Madison Madison may refer to:
People
* Madison (name), a given name and a surname
* James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States
Place names
* Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...
counties in the U.S. state of
Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
. A majority of the city is located in Polk County, a minority of the city is located in Dallas County, and small portions extend into Warren and Madison counties.
As of the
2020 census, the city population was 68,723.
West Des Moines is the second-largest city in the
Des Moines metropolitan area
The Des Moines metropolitan area, officially known as the Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is located at the confluence of the Des Moines River and the Raccoon River. Des Moines serves as the capital of the U.S ...
and the sixth-largest city in Iowa. It ranked 94th in ''
Money
Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money are as ...
'' magazine's list of the "100 Best Places to Live and Launch" in 2008, 77th and 57th on the 100 Best Places to Live in 2014 and 2015, respectively, and 18th on the
Hipster Cities of 2015.
History
Settlement and early history
The West Des Moines area used to be home to the
Sac and
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
tribes. Near the stroke of midnight on October 11, 1845, a gunshot was fired by a cattle farmer, James Cunningham Jordan (1813–1893) to declare that the area was open for Anglo-European settlement. His residence, the Jordan House, has been restored and is now home to the West Des Moines Historical Society. The Jordan House was a stop on the Underground Railroad, and abolitionist John Brown stayed on Jordan property multiple times, at least once while escorting a group of freedom-seeking slaves to Canada. In West Des Moines' early years, the town was a trading and shipping junction. West Des Moines incorporated as the city of Valley Junction on October 9, 1893.
In its early days, Valley Junction was home to the
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P RW, sometimes called ''Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway'') was an American Class I railroad. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.
At the end ...
's switching facilities and repair shops due to its location at the junction of several railroad lines. The Rock Island's facilities moved out of Valley Junction and back into Des Moines in 1936.
![1914 Board Track Car Passenger Side](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/1914_Board_Track_Car_Passenger_Side.jpg)
The speed limit of ten miles (16 km) an hour had existed in Valley Junction since 1911 for all automobiles. But in 1915 an Englishman named Jack Prince built a
one-mile (1.6 km) oval race track, designed to let race cars break that speed limit ten times over. The wooden track was made of of 2x4's laid on edge. It was one of 24
such tracks nationwide; with seating for over 10,000 people. On August 7, 1915, the eyes of the auto world were on Valley Junction in anticipation of the fastest auto race in history.
Ralph DePalma
Raffaele "Ralph" De Palma (December 19, 1882 – March 31, 1956) was an Italian-American racecar driving champion who won the 1915 Indianapolis 500. His entry at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame estimates that he won about 2,0 ...
, winner of the
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...
that year, was one of at least a dozen drivers vying for the $10,000 purse. Before a crowd of 7,000 people, a tire blew, lunging
Joe Cooper's car over the rail. Cooper was killed and his mechanic was injured. Later while rounding a curb, a wheel of
Billy Chandler's Duesenberg
Duesenberg Automobile and Motors Company, Inc. was an American race car, racing and luxury car, luxury automobile manufacturer founded in Indianapolis, Indiana, by brothers Fred Duesenberg, Fred and August Duesenberg in 1920. The company is ...
failed, cartwheeling the car into the infield and fatally injuring his mechanic, Maurice Keeler. Chandler was seriously injured. Smiling
Ralph Mulford
Ralph Kirkman Mulford (December 28, 1884 – October 23, 1973) was an American racecar driver who participated in the 1911 Indianapolis 500. In 1911 he won the Vanderbilt Cup in Savannah, Georgia.
Biography
He was born on December 28, 1884, ...
won the race with DePalma a close 2nd. This baptism by blood left a bad taste in the mouth of the locals, and the track was closed two years later. The wood was salvaged and then used to construct buildings in Valley Junction.
The serious dilemma of school overcrowding was partially addressed in 1916. The bond issue to build a new high school for $50,000 was approved by a 2 to 1 vote. The similar new grade school issue was defeated soundly. Building commenced and by September of the following year, the doors of the new Valley High School were opened at 8th and Hillside. As a part of the school board policy, only first-class college-educated teachers were hired. By 1919, the rooms of the new high school were filled. A new junior high school was proposed, approved, and completed by the fall of 1923.
The new school was the only bright spot in the otherwise uncertain dreary years of 1922 and 1923. The foundations of the city were shaken by a 22-month-machinist strike at the Rock Island shops. Starting 1922-07-01, 600 workers were idled. The railroad company reacted by bringing replacement workers into town to break the strike. The replacements were mostly Mexican and African-American laborers brought up from
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
by
R. C. Hyde
R. or r. may refer to:
* ''Reign'', the period of time during which an Emperor, king, queen, etc., is ruler.
* ''Rex (title), Rex'', abbreviated as R., the Latin word meaning King
* ''Regina'', abbreviated as R., the Latin word meaning Queen regna ...
, the master mechanic at the shops. For their own protection, they lived in boxcars and tiny houses in an area south of Railroad Avenue and west of the main rail yards. The area was dubbed "Hyde Park" by the strikers. The resulting hardships suffered by the idled workers led the most desperate to choose between breaking the strike or letting their family starve. It was a time which pitted neighbor against neighbor, tearing at the fabric of the community. Two men shot themselves in desperation before the strike ended.
Valley Junction officially become a
dry town
A dry county is a county in the United States whose government forbids the sale of any kind of alcoholic beverages. Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. Dozens of dry counties exist across the ...
in 1915. The
Des Moines Golf and Country Club
Des Moines Golf and Country Club is a private country club in West Des Moines, Iowa, located few minutes west of Des Moines. Its golf courses have consistently been ranked in the top ten golf courses in the state of Iowa.
Established in 1899, ...
left Des Moines in 1923 and moved to
White Pole Road
U.S. Highway 6 (US 6) is an east–west U.S. Highway which runs across the U.S. state of Iowa. The route is signed in places as the Grand Army of the Republic Highway. Like all state highway (Iowa), state highways in Iowa, it is maintained ...
auto trail.
By the late 1920s, workers of Valley Junction were suffering from the Depression because the railroads were abandoning track there (completed in 1936), and the Keystone Coal Factory closed due to flooding in the tunnels.
A New Name
By 1937, only two trains stopped daily; the sagging business climate needed a boost. Members of the commercial club believed the only way to attract new industries would be to change the name of the city. They thought the name "Valley Junction" conveyed the image of an old-fashioned and backward town to prospective employers and residents. The name of "West Des Moines" would give it the respectability and prestige the town desperately needed. There was a precedent by way of an editorial in the Valley Junction Express in 1905 that suggested dropping "Junction" from the name, but nothing came of it. The opposition feared the change to West Des Moines would cause property owners to be taxed the same as
Des Moines
Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...
. It was also declared as a step toward
annexation
Annexation (Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal act ...
by Des Moines. A third and final election was held on December 7, 1937.
On January 1, 1938, the name "Valley Junction" was relegated to the past, and the new city of West Des Moines took the first steps to a new identity. Helping to establish this new identity, the most identifiable trait was the suspension of all property taxes between 1936 and 1938. This was due to the profits of the water department. Today the original business district of West Des Moines has been preserved as Historic Valley Junction. It features many locally-owned specialty shops and restaurants as well as a weekly
farmers' market
A farmers' market (or farmers market according to the AP stylebook, also farmer's market in the Cambridge Dictionary) is a physical retail marketplace intended to sell foods directly by farmers to consumers. Farmers' markets may be indoors or o ...
.
Though the name was changed, the community's commitment to education was bolstered by funds from the Public Works Administration. Despite the
Depression, a new elementary school and the Old Valley Football Stadium were built and dedicated on May 24, 1939, at 8th and Hillside. The venerable Lincoln School was razed in 1938 to make way for the new building. Longfellow was retired in 1939 and then sold in 1940 for $1000. In 1955, West Des Moines Elementary School at Walnut and 6th was renamed "Nellie Phenix Elementary" in honor of the former principal.
The late 1930s were very good years in the school's athletic teams, producing memorable names: True, Gavin, Swink, and Sherbo.
Charles Swink
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*k ...
was a multi-record holder in track and field. His record at the Drake Relays stood for twenty years.
An overgrown concrete eyesore on Ashworth Road soon became the musical mecca for the surrounding area on June 6, 1939, when
Tom Archer
This is a list of many of the characters from the long-running British radio soap ''The Archers''.
The Archer family tree
The Archer family
Jill Archer née Patterson (born 3 October 1930) ( Patricia Greene) is ...
opened the Val Air Ballroom. The site was originally the location of the stillborn
Wilson Rubber company factory. Intended to bolster World War I tire production, the end of the war in 1918 left only a large concrete slab. Patrons of the Val Air could dance under a canopy of stars to the melodious sounds of
Guy Lombardo
Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo (June 19, 1902 – November 5, 1977) was an Italian-Canadian-American bandleader, violinist, and hydroplane racer.
Lombardo formed the Royal Canadians in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert and Victor, and othe ...
,
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing".
From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His co ...
,
Glenn Miller
Alton Glen Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band founder, owner, conductor, composer, arranger, trombone player and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Arm ...
, and other big bands. The war years brought new vitality to the community without a cost.
Then and now, flooding frequently dampens, but has not broken the residents' spirits. Unpredictable waters of the
Raccoon River
The Raccoon River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 26, 2011 tributary of the Des Moines River in central Iowa in the United States. As measured using the longes ...
and Walnut Creek have often exceeded their banks due to large amounts of rain in the summer and snowmelt in the spring, filling the streets and damaging homes and businesses.
1950 to the present
In 1950, West Des Moines had a population of 5,615, but the city grew as many new housing subdivisions were built. West Des Moines annexed the neighboring community of Clover Hills in 1950, the town of Ashawa, a former Rock Island railroad stop, in 1957, and the town of Commerce, along the
Raccoon River
The Raccoon River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 26, 2011 tributary of the Des Moines River in central Iowa in the United States. As measured using the longes ...
, in 1960. City government also grew, and when the venerable city hall could not keep up with the city's expansion, the city opened a new municipal building in 1954. With the influx of students, the school district's ever-expanding borders continually compromised classroom capacity. Children attended school in former homes near Phenix, with classes in hallways and living rooms. Space was even rented from the new Catholic grade school. In 1959 alone, 150–200 new homes were built, adding to the population's growth. The construction of
Interstate 35
Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...
,
Interstate 80
Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one o ...
, and
Interstate 235 in the 1960s brought more people and businesses to West Des Moines. This construction also caused the Des Moines Golf and Country Club to sell its location along Ashworth Road and 8th Street and then move to its current location in Dallas County.
[ In 1966, Dowling Catholic High School/St. Joseph Educational Center purchased from the Des Moines Golf and Country Club and, subsequently, moved from Des Moines and opened at its current location, 1400 Buffalo Road, in the fall of 1972.] Several retail and office complexes opened along the I-235 corridor after the freeway's completion, including Valley West Mall
Valley West Mall is an enclosed super-regional shopping mall in West Des Moines, Iowa. The mall's only anchor store is JCPenney. There is 2 vacant anchor store that were once Younkers and Von Maur
History
Frederick Watson, a developer from M ...
, which opened in 1975. West Des Moines' population jumped from 11,964 in 1960 to 31,702 in 1990.
West Des Moines expanded into Dallas County during the 1990s and 2000s, once again placing the premier golf courses of the Des Moines Golf and Country Club in its city limits and punctuated by the opening of one of the best golf courses in Iowa at the Glen Oaks Country Club along with the West Glen Town Center and the largest in the state of Iowa, Jordan Creek Town Center and shopping mall in 2004. Major commercial construction is underway around the area, including the opening of many additional hotels, shopping centers, and office buildings, including a new Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with corporate headquarters in San Francisco, California; operational headquarters in Manhattan; and managerial offices throughout the United States and intern ...
corporate campus. In 2007, construction started on th
Village of Ponderosa
an urban-inspired and pedestrian-friendly community. In 2005, West Des Moines annexed land in Warren County for the first time. Seeing the land to the south of Des Moines as extremely valuable, especially with the completion of a major "South-Belt Freeway" system, the cities of Norwalk and West Des Moines are actively competing for land in the northern part of Warren County. From 1990 to 2015, West Des Moines is the fastest growing city in Iowa according to the landmass.
During the 1990s, a new city/school campus opened near the intersection of South 35th Street and Mills Civic Parkway. West Des Moines' new police station
A police station (sometimes called a "station house" or just "house") is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, al ...
opened in April 1992. This was followed by the opening of a new public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants.
There are ...
in 1996; the library served as a temporary home for West Des Moines' city hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
until a new building was dedicated in late 2002. The campus also features a new stadium for Valley High School that also opened in 2002. On the same property, the West Des Moines School district operates Valley Southwoods, a freshman high school with over 600 students that opened in 1996. Turning the West Des Moines Community Schools into a two high school district was not acceptable. In 2004, August Hillside Elementary opened on the former site of Hillside Junior High and Old Valley Stadium, which was demolished in 2001. In 2012, Clegg Park Elementary was renovated and opened as the new Walnut Creek Campus which is the district's alternative high school. Major renovation and additions were completed at Valley High in 2007 and again in 2015.[
]
Government
West Des Moines uses the mayor-council form of government with a city manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a "Mayor–council government" council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief execu ...
appointed by the city council. The council consists of the mayor, two at-large members, and three members from each of the city's three wards. The mayor and all council members serve four-year terms. Rick Messerschmidt served as the interim mayor of the city following former mayor Eugene Meyer's resignation in January 2007; On April 17 Steve Gaer was elected mayor during a special election and held that position until Russ Trimble was elected Mayor in November 2021. Tom Hadden is the city manager of West Des Moines.
Geography
West Des Moines is located at (41.573739, −93.750359). According to the United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has an area of , of which is land and is water. West Des Moines' location in the Raccoon River valley has left parts of the city, particularly the Valley Junction area, prone to flood
A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...
ing. After the Great Flood of 1993
The Great Flood of 1993 (or Great Mississippi and Missouri Rivers Flood of 1993) was a flood that occurred in the Midwestern United States, along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and their tributaries, from April to October 1993. The flood wa ...
, a floodwall was constructed along Walnut Creek (near the boundary with Des Moines) to protect that area.
Climate
West Des Moines has a humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
(Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Dfa'').
Street numbering
While nearby Clive
Clive is a name. People and fictional characters with the name include:
People Given name
* Clive Allen (born 1961), English football player
* Clive Anderson (born 1952), British television, radio presenter, comedy writer and former barrister
* ...
, Urbandale, and Windsor Heights use the same street numbers for north-south streets that Des Moines uses, West Des Moines uses its own street numbering system. Thus, 86th Street in Clive and Urbandale becomes 22nd Street in West Des Moines. Iowa Highway 28
Iowa Highway 28 is a state highway located in south central Iowa. The route begins at Iowa Highway 92 at Martensdale and ends at Interstate 35 / Interstate 80 in Johnston. It is the first major north–south highway east of Interstate 35 ...
, which forms most of the boundary between Des Moines and West Des Moines, is 63rd Street in Des Moines but 1st Street in West Des Moines. Many of the east-west streets share the same name with Des Moines, although the numbering of these east-west streets starts over in West Des Moines.
Demographics
The median income for a household in the city was $54,139, and the median income for a family was $70,600 (in a 2008 estimate, these figures had risen to $61,256 and $83,800 respectively, in 2008 inflation-adjusted dollars). Males had a median income of $45,185 versus $31,555 for females. The per capita income for the city was $31,405. 2.8% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under the age of 18 and 3.0% of those 65 and older.
2010 census
As of the census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2010, there were 56,609 people, 24,311 households, and 14,201 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was . There were 26,219 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.4% White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 3.3% African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.2% Native American, 4.8% Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 1.5% from other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 5.2% of the population.
There were 24,311 households, of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.98.
The median age in the city was 33.5 years. 24.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 32.6% were from 25 to 44; 23.4% were from 45 to 64; and 10.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 46,403 people, 19,826 households, and 11,915 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 20,815 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.66% White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 1.87% African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.13% Native American, 2.76% Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 1.26% from other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.29% from two or more races. Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 3.03% of the population.
There were 19,826 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.9% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.98.
Age spread: 24.7% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 35.5% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.
Economy
Hy-Vee
Hy-Vee, Inc. () is an employee-owned chain of supermarkets in the Midwestern and Southern United States, with more than 280 locations in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and soon Indiana, Kentucky, ...
, FBL Financial Group
FBL Financial Group, Inc. is a financial services holding company, headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa, and traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol FFG.
Its primary operating subsidiary, Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company, u ...
, GuideOne Insurance
GuideOne Insurance is a niche-market insurer based in West Des Moines, Iowa, and is one of the largest church insurers in the United States. The company is licensed in all 50 states. As of year-end 2021, the company reached $1.06B in written pr ...
, American Equity, Sammons Financial Group, ITA Group, Windsor Windows & Doors and the Iowa Foundation for Medical Care
Iowa Foundation for Medical Care (IFMC) is a taxpayer-funded, See also non-profit organization which provides services in health care quality improvement and medical information management. IFMC is based in West Des Moines, Iowa and has offices ...
are headquartered in West Des Moines. Other large employers include ADP, Goodrich and Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with corporate headquarters in San Francisco, California; operational headquarters in Manhattan; and managerial offices throughout the United States and intern ...
's Card Services and Home Mortgage divisions. Wells Fargo recently completed its corporate campus south of Jordan Creek Town Center that is the home of their Home Mortgage and Consumer Finance divisions.
Top employers
According to West Des Moines' 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,City of West Des Moines CAFR
/ref> the top employers in the city are:
Education
The West Des Moines Community School District
West Des Moines Community School District, or West Des Moines Community Schools (WDMCS), is a school district headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa.
The district is mostly in Polk County, Iowa, Polk County, with a section in Dallas County, Io ...
has nine elementary schools, two junior high school
A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school ...
s, and one high school (Valley
A valley is an elongated low area often running between Hill, hills or Mountain, mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers ...
), with a second high school for freshmen only (Valley Southwoods) and an alternative high school (Walnut Creek Campus). Parts of Clive, Urbandale, and Windsor Heights are also in the West Des Moines School District. The Dallas County portion of West Des Moines is part of the Waukee School District; three of that district's ten elementary schools are in West Des Moines. Private schools in West Des Moines include Dowling Catholic High School
Dowling Catholic High School is a Catholic secondary school in the central United States, in West Des Moines, Iowa, within the Diocese of Des Moines.
As of the 2013-14 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,431 students and 94.6 classroo ...
and Iowa Christian Academy from 1999 till its closing in 2019. Valley High School moved to its present location in 1967. Before that, it was in a three-story brick building at 8th and Hillside. It was built in 1917 and torn down in 1979.
Notable people
* Cindy Axne
Cynthia Lynne Axne (née Wadle; born April 20, 1965) is an American politician who is the U.S. representative from Iowa's 3rd congressional district since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, she narrowly defeated incumbent Republican David Y ...
, Congresswoman
* Matt Bullard
Matthew Gordon Bullard (born June 5, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player in the NBA and former color analyst for the Houston Rockets on AT&T SportsNet Southwest. Bullard played 12 years professionally and 11 years in the ...
, basketball player
* Corwin Clatt
Corwin Samuel Clatt (February 5, 1924 – June 2, 1997) was an American football Fullback (gridiron football), fullback who played two seasons with the Chicago Cardinals (NFL, 1920–59), Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He ...
, football player
* Jared Clauss
Jared Clauss (born April 7, 1981) is a former American football defensive tackle. He was originally drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft with the 230th overall pick. He played college football at Iowa.
Clauss ...
, football player
* Liang Chow
Liang Chow (also known as Qiao Liang; ) (born January 1, 1968) is a Chinese-American former artistic gymnast. He is the founder, owner, and head coach of Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute in West Des Moines, Iowa. He is notable for being the ...
, head coach of US women's gymnastic team at the 2008 Summer Olympics
* Gabby Douglas
Gabrielle Christina Victoria Douglas (born December 31, 1995) is an American artistic gymnastics, artistic gymnast. She is the Gymnastics at the 2012 Summer Olympics, 2012 Olympic all around champion and the 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Champi ...
, gymnast and 2012 Olympic gold medalist
* Jerry Groom
Jerome Paul "Boomer" Groom (August 15, 1929 – February 29, 2008) was an American football player. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, he graduated from Dowling Catholic High School in Des Moines, Iowa, Des Moines. He played college football for the Notre ...
, football player
* Peter Hedges
Peter Simpson Hedges (born July 6, 1962) is an American novelist, playwright, screenwriter, film director and film producer.
Early life
Hedges was born in West Des Moines, Iowa, where he was raised, the son of Carole (Simpson), a psychotherapis ...
, novelist, screenwriter, director
* Dan Jennings, baseball player
* Shawn Johnson
Shawn Johnson East (born Shawn Machel Johnson; January 19, 1992) is an American former artistic gymnast. She is the 2008 Olympic balance beam gold medalist and team, all-around and floor exercise silver medalist. Johnson is also the 2007 al ...
, gymnast and 2008 Olympic gold medalist
* Karlos Kirby
Karlos Kirby (born October 2, 1967) is an American bobsledder who competed during the 1990s.
A native of West Des Moines, Iowa, and a graduate of Valley High School. In 1992 Kirby became the first person from the state of Iowa to compete in a ...
, bobsledder
* Mike McCoy, amateur golfer
* Mason Mitchell
Mason Mitchell (born June 25, 1994) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He competed in the ARCA Racing Series as an owner/driver, driving the No. 98 for Mason Mitchell Motorsports. He is the 2014 ARCA Racing Seri ...
, racing driver
* Carl Pohlad
Carl Ray Pohlad (August 23, 1915 – January 5, 2009) was an American financier from Minnesota. Pohlad is best known as the owner of the Minnesota Twins baseball franchise from 1984 (succeeding Calvin Griffith) until his death in 2009.
In 2 ...
, billionaire businessman, owned Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
.
* Scott Pose
Scott Vernon Pose (; born February 11, 1967) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He is an alumnus of Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines, Iowa and the University of Arkansas.
Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the ...
, baseball player
* Brent Roske
Brent Roske is an American film and television producer, writer and director, directing the upcoming feature film 'Diana In Love' starring Shanti Fiennes (niece of two-time Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes) as Princess Diana. Roske is the form ...
, TV/ film producer
* Tyson Smith, football player
See also
* Hy-Line International
Notes
References
* Frederickson, T. L., and A. D. Post (eds.), ''West Des Moines: From Railroads to Crossroads, 1893–1993'', West Des Moines: West Des Moines Centennial, Inc., 1993.
External links
Official City Website
West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce
West Des Moines Public Library
West Des Moines Historical Society
Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about West Des Moines
{{Authority control
Cities in Iowa
Cities in Polk County, Iowa
Cities in Dallas County, Iowa
Cities in Warren County, Iowa
Des Moines metropolitan area
Populated places established in 1893
1893 establishments in Iowa