West Des Moines is a city in Dallas County, Iowa, home to about 71,083 people across 47 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 50038, 50061, 50261, 50265 and 50266.
Homes sold for a median of $221 per square foot across 5 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 4 of 5 were seller’s markets.
Mostly West Des Moines; also Van Meter and Waukee
Mostly West Des Moines; also Norwalk and Cumming
Mostly West Des Moines; also Van Meter
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside West Des Moines. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up West Des Moines’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Des Moines International Airport (DSM)7 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Omaha, NE120 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL315 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of West Des Moines; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
West Des Moines had 68,723 residents in the 2020 census, up 48% since 2000.
It’s the 7th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.
Dallas County grew from 23,058 residents in 1900 to 99,678 in 2020.
Dallas County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 86°F in summer, and winter lows average 14°F. About 36.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 37 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Des Moines Intl Ap, IA weather station (7 miles away).
46,640 jobs at 2,521 businesses in Dallas County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
1,604 doctors and other health care providers list an office in West Des Moines’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 103 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 317 |
| Dentists | 118 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 342 |
| Mental health providers | 408 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 208 |
| Optometrists | 30 |
| Chiropractors | 78 |
| Pharmacies | 18 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (58 nearby)
Grocery stores (16 nearby)
Pharmacies (17 nearby)
Libraries (3 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (7 nearby)
Counts are within about 4.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1893.
Colleges and universities
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by West Des Moines Comm School District, Van Meter Comm School District, Waukee Comm School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairmeadows Elementary SchoolWest Des Moines | Pre-K–6 | 542 | Public | 2.7 mi |
| Hillside Elementary SchoolWest Des Moines | Pre-K–6 | 548 | Public | 3.8 mi |
| Jordan Creek Elementary SchoolWest Des Moines | Pre-K–6 | 652 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| Learning Resource CenterWest Des Moines | Pre-K | — | Public | 1.3 mi |
| Van Meter Elementary SchoolVan Meter | Pre-K–5 | 578 | Public | 9.1 mi |
| Western Hills Elementary SchoolWest Des Moines | Pre-K–6 | 570 | Public | 1.7 mi |
| Westridge ElementaryWest Des Moines | Pre-K–6 | 744 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Brookview Elementary SchoolWest Des Moines | K–5 | 592 | Public | 2.0 mi |
| Crossroads Park Elementary SchoolWest Des Moines | K–6 | 530 | Public | 1.8 mi |
| Maple Grove Elementary SchoolWest Des Moines | K–5 | 577 | Public | 3.5 mi |
| Woodland Hills Elementary SchoolWest Des Moines | K–5 | 578 | Public | 3.1 mi |
| Van Meter Middle SchoolVan Meter | 6–8 | 252 | Public | 9.1 mi |
| Stilwell Junior High SchoolWest Des Moines | 7–8 | 645 | Public | 3.1 mi |
| Valley SouthwoodsWest Des Moines | 9 | 678 | Public | 1.4 mi |
| Van Meter High SchoolVan Meter | 9–12 | 316 | Public | 9.1 mi |
| Walnut Creek CampusWest Des Moines | 9–12 | 152 | Alternative Education | 3.9 mi |
| Valley High SchoolWest Des Moines | 10–12 | 2,178 | Public | 2.3 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airazi AcademyWest Des Moines | Pre-K–5 | 58 | Islamic | 4.2 mi |
| Montessori Children's HouseWest Des Moines | Pre-K–2 | 13 | Nonsectarian | 2.5 mi |
| Sacred Heart SchoolWest Des Moines | Pre-K–8 | 497 | Roman Catholic | 3.1 mi |
| St Francis of Assisi SchoolWest Des Moines | Pre-K–8 | 680 | Roman Catholic | 1.9 mi |
| Dowling Catholic High SchoolWest Des Moines | 9–12 | 1,354 | Roman Catholic | 3.8 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Norwalk, Van Meter, Cumming and Waukee.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.