Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA Metro Area
The Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area is made up of 6 counties in Iowa: Polk, Dallas, Warren, Jasper, Madison, and Guthrie, largest first. About 758,539 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), 6.9% more than in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 758,539 6.9% more than in April 2020
- Type
- Metropolitan statistical area
- Counties
- 6: 2 central, 4 outlying
- Land area
- 3,613 sq mi (9,357 km²)
- Time zone
- Central TimeUTC-06:00 in January; UTC-05:00 in July
- State
- Iowa
- Combined statistical area
- Des Moines-West Des Moines-Ames, IA
- CBSA code
- 19780
Counties in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area, largest first
| County | Role | Population, July 2025 | Share of the area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County | Central | 516,546 | 68.1% |
| Dallas County | Central | 118,457 | 15.6% |
| Warren County | Outlying | 57,331 | 7.6% |
| Jasper County | Outlying | 38,153 | 5.0% |
| Madison County | Outlying | 17,270 | 2.3% |
| Guthrie County | Outlying | 10,782 | 1.4% |
A central county holds the area’s core, an urban area of at least 50,000 people. An outlying county is in the area because of commuting: at least a quarter of its workers have jobs in the central counties, or at least a quarter of the people working there live in them. A county belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal cities, largest first
- Des Moines212,421 people
- West Des Moines71,083 people
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines-Ames, IA combined statistical area
OMB joins neighboring metro and micro areas into a combined statistical area when enough people commute between them. The other 3 areas in this one, largest first:
- Ames, IA Metro Area128,090 people
- Pella, IA Micro Area34,192 people
- Oskaloosa, IA Micro Area21,880 people
Bordering metro and micro areas, nearest first
Areas with a county on this area’s edge. Distances are straight lines between the areas’ largest cities.
- Ames, IA Metro Area31 mi north
- Pella, IA Micro Area38 mi east
- Marshalltown, IA Micro Area48 mi northeast
- Oskaloosa, IA Micro Area54 mi east
- Carroll, IA Micro Area73 mi northwest
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
Find the metro area where you are now, find your county, or see every metro and micro area by population.