Best Web Design in Des Moines, IA (2026)

Web Design for Des Moines, Iowa

Des Moines is Iowa's capital and largest city, set where the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers meet in the heart of the Corn Belt. Its skyline is anchored by a gold-domed state capitol, and its economy runs on insurance and finance, with more than 80 insurance companies earning it the nickname 'Hartford of the West.' Each August the city swells for the Iowa State Fair, one of the country's oldest and largest agricultural expositions.

AppWT works with Des Moines, IA businesses from Livonia, Michigan, mostly online and travelling as needed.

About Des Moines

Also known as. Hartford of the West. Insurance Capital. DSM.

History. The city originated with Fort Des Moines, built in 1843 at the confluence of the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers. It was incorporated as Fort Des Moines in 1851 and shortened to Des Moines in 1857. Des Moines became the state capital in January 1858, when oxen-driven bobsleds hauled the state archives in from Iowa City. The name derives from the Des Moines River, likely from the French Riviere des Moines meaning 'River of the Monks,' though its exact origin is debated.

Local economy. A national insurance and financial-services hub, home to Principal Financial Group and over 80 insurance companies, trailing only Hartford as a U.S. insurance center. Iowa's low 1 percent insurance premium tax, with no premium tax on qualified life insurance, draws insurers to the state. Largest employers include Wells Fargo, Mercy Medical Center, UnityPoint Health, and Principal Financial Group. The broader economy leans on financial, insurance, data-processing, and logistics services.

Culture and community. The Iowa State Fair, held since 1854 across 400-plus acres, drawing more than a million visitors with its butter cow, concerts, and 60-plus foods on a stick. The historic East Village, a walkable arts-and-dining district and cultural heartbeat of downtown. The Downtown Farmers' Market, running Saturday mornings from May through October. The World Food & Music Festival, celebrating global cuisine. The Drake Relays at Drake University, a century-old track meet drawing thousands of athletes including Olympians. Hometown of Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson and hurdler Lolo Jones.

What makes Des Moines distinct. The Iowa State Capitol is the only state capitol building with five domes. With over 80 insurance companies, Des Moines is nicknamed the 'Hartford of the West.' John Wayne (born Marion Robert Morrison) was born about 35 miles away in Winterset, Madison County, reportedly weighing 13 pounds at birth. The city's founding as a state capital was literally sealed by two oxen-driven bobsleds hauling in the archives in the dead of winter 1858.

Des Moines Landmarks and Local Life

• The Iowa State Capitol - opened in 1886, with a 275-foot, 23-karat gold-leafed dome and four smaller flanking domes
• The Pappajohn Sculpture Park - established in 2009 with about two dozen works donated by John and Mary Pappajohn
• The Historic East Village - with buildings on the National Register of Historic Places
• The Iowa State Fairgrounds - host of the annual fair