Named after a French phrase meaning "River of the Monks," Des Moines is now the capital and most populated city of Iowa. Des Moines is a prominent city for both business and politics. Forbes has twice rated Des Moines the "Best Place for Business," and NBC rated it the "Wealthiest City in America" in 2014. Politically, Des Moines is important because Iowa hosts the first presidential caucus during election season. Des Moines' climate experiences some variety in temperatures. It reaches average highs in the summer of 80-85 degrees, and average lows in the winter of 15-20 degrees, though the gap between the record high and record low is 140 degrees. Des Moines annually receives roughly three feet of precipitation, including 35 inches of snow. In spite of this, less than 1/3 of the year is precipitation days, and the city experiences 60% of its total possible sunshine.
Des Moines has grown fairly steadily since its incorporation in 1851. Originally an army fort, Des Moines now has 203,433 people according to the latest census data. Economically, Des Moines is home to several insurance companies, including Principal Financial Group, Fidelity, and Allied Insurance. The presence of all these insurance companies leads many other corporations to have regional offices in Des Moines, such as Wells Fargo and Electronic Data Systems. Wells Fargo, in fact, is the largest employer in Des Moines with 13,500 employees.
Des Moines hosts multiple festivals and events throughout the year. The Des Moines Art Festival, Metro Arts Jazz, Iowa State Fair, and the World Food & Music Festival are all annual festivals held in the city. The performing arts also have a strong presence in Des Moines. Companies such as the Des Moines Performing Arts host Broadway performances, while the Des Moines Metro Opera, Ballet Des Moines, and Des Moines Symphony all have a presence as well.
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