West Des Moines, Iowa

West Des Moines is a city in Polk County, and partially in Dallas and Warren counties, in the state of Iowa. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 46,403; a special census taken in the spring of 2005 counted 51,744 residents ^*. West Des Moines is the largest of Des Moines' suburbs and the tenth-largest city in Iowa.

History

West Des Moines incorporated as the city of Valley Junction on October 9, 1893. The area's first settler was a cattle farmer named James Cunningham Jordan, who later became a state senator. His residence, the Jordan House, has been restored and is now home to the West Des Moines Historical Society.

In its early days Valley Junction was home to the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad'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. On January 1, 1938, Valley Junction was renamed West Des Moines. 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 during the summer months.

In 1950 West Des Moines had a population of 5,615, but the city began to grow as many new housing subdivisions were built in the decades ahead. West Des Moines annexed the town of Ashawa, a former Rock Island railroad stop, in 1957, and Commerce, a town along the Raccoon River, in 1960. The construction of Interstate 35, Interstate 80, and Interstate 235 in the 1960s brought more people and businesses to West Des Moines. Several retail and office complexes opened along the I-235 corridor after the freeway's completion, including Valley West Mall, 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, punctuated by the opening of the Jordan Creek Town Center 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 corporate campus. 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. West Des Moines is the fastest growing city in Iowa according to land mass.

During the 1990s a new city/school campus emerged near the intersection of South 35th Street and Mills Civic Parkway. West Des Moines' new police station opened in 1992. This was followed by the opening of a new public library in 1996; the library served as temporary home for West Des Moines' city hall 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 2000. Currently, Valley High School, although only grades 10-12, is the largest high school in the state. Major renovation and additions are slated to be completed to the high school in 2007.

Government

West Des Moines uses the mayor-council form of government with a city manager 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. As of 2005, Eugene Meyer is the mayor of West Des Moines.

Geography

West Des Moines is located at (41.573739, -93.750359).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 71.4 km² (27.6 mi²). 69.4 km² (26.8 mi²) of it is land and 2.0 km² (0.8 mi²) of it (2.87%) is water.

West Des Moines' location in the Raccoon River valley has left parts of the city, particularly the Valley Junction area, prone to flooding. After the Great Flood of 1993, a floodwall was constructed along Walnut Creek (near the boundary with Des Moines) to protect that area.

Street numbering

While nearby Clive, 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 State Highway 28, 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

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 669.0/km² (1,732.5/mi²). There were 20,815 housing units at an average density of 300.1/km² (777.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.66% White, 1.87% African American, 0.13% Native American, 2.76% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.26% from other races, and 1.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino 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.

In the city the population was spread out with 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.

The median income for a household in the city was $54,139, and the median income for a family was $70,600. Males had a median income of $45,185 versus $31,555 for females. The per capita income for the city was $31,405. 4.5% of the population and 2.8% of families were below the poverty line. These families are mostly concentrated in recently annexed parts of rural Warren county and along the border of the city and Des Moines, near the historic Valley Junction area. Out of the total population, 4.7% of those under the age of 18 and 3.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Economy

Farm Bureau Financial Services, Hy-Vee, and the Krause Gentle Corporation (parent company of the Kum & Go convenience store chain) are headquartered in West Des Moines. Other large employers include Citigroup's Citi Cards division, Iowa Foundation for Medical Care, and Wells Fargo's Card Services and Home Mortgage divisions. Wells Fargo is currently building a corporate campus south of Jordan Creek Town Center that will become home of their Home Mortgage and Consumer Finance divisions; completion is scheduled for 2007. ^*

Education

The West Des Moines School District has nine elementary schools, two junior high schools, and one high school (Valley), with a second high school for freshmen only (Valley Southwoods). 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; one of that district's four elementary schools is located in West Des Moines. Private schools in West Des Moines include Dowling Catholic High School.

Des Moines Area Community College opened its West Campus in West Des Moines in 2001. Upper Iowa University, Simpson College, and William Penn University also operate classroom facilities there.

References

Des Moines Business Record List of Lists: 2005. Des Moines: Business Publications, Inc., 2005.
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

Cities in Iowa | Polk County, Iowa | Dallas County, Iowa | West Des Moines, Iowa | 1893 establishments

West Des Moines, Iowa | West Des Moines

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