{"id":3316,"date":"2023-05-04T17:31:12","date_gmt":"2023-05-04T17:31:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/?p=3316"},"modified":"2026-07-31T18:30:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T18:30:18","slug":"des-moines-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/des-moines-county\/","title":{"rendered":"Des Moines County, Iowa"},"content":{"rendered":"

Des Moines County is a county in Iowa, United States, about 175 miles southeast of Des Moines, the state capital, on the Mississippi River. It had a population of 38,910 at the 2020 census, an estimated 38,411 by 2024, and covers 430 square miles (1,100 km2) centred near 40\u00b054\u203255\u2033N 91\u00b011\u203213\u2033W.<\/p>\n

Burlington is the county seat and largest city; its postal code is 52601. The county holds 5 incorporated cities and 7 unincorporated communities across 12 townships, and it runs on Central time. Its FIPS code is 19029.<\/p>\n

Towns & Villages in Des Moines County<\/h2>\n

Des Moines County has 12 verifiable named places: 5 incorporated cities and 7 unincorporated communities, most of them census-designated places (CDPs) with their own population counts. Every place below is confirmed against the 2020 Census; older lists for this county mixed in duplicate entries and hamlet names that have no current Census footprint, so they are left out here.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Place<\/th>\nType<\/th>\nTownship<\/th>\nPop.<\/th>\nZIP<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Burlington<\/td>\nCity · seat<\/td>\nBurlington<\/td>\n23,982<\/td>\n52601<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
West Burlington<\/td>\nCity<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n3,197<\/td>\n52655<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mediapolis<\/td>\nCity<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n1,688<\/td>\n52637<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Danville<\/td>\nCity<\/td>\nDanville<\/td>\n927<\/td>\n52623<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Beaverdale<\/td>\nCDP<\/td>\nFlint River<\/td>\n880<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Middletown<\/td>\nCity<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n363<\/td>\n52638<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oak Hills<\/td>\nCDP<\/td>\nUnion \/ Concordia<\/td>\n186<\/td>\n52601<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sperry<\/td>\nCDP<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n124<\/td>\n52650<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kingston<\/td>\nCDP<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n81<\/td>\n52637<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Yarmouth<\/td>\nCDP<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n61<\/td>\n52660<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Augusta<\/td>\nCDP<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n51<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dodgeville<\/td>\nUnincorp.<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n—<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

The biggest name mix-up isn’t inside the county — it’s the county’s own name. Des Moines County is not where the city of Des Moines is. Iowa’s capital sits in Polk County, about 175 miles northwest, and the two share a name only because both were named after the Des Moines River. Des Moines County was organized in 1834, nine years before Fort Des Moines existed. Inside the county, Beaverdale is also a real place name collision: this CDP near Burlington is unrelated to the Beaverdale neighborhood inside the city of Des Moines, 175 miles away in Polk County.<\/p>\n

Townships<\/h2>\n

Des Moines County is divided into 12 civil townships. Census population is not published separately for most of these townships, so the table below lists confirmed main settlements only; townships with no incorporated or CDP settlement inside them are rural farmland.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Township<\/th>\nPop. (2020)<\/th>\nMain settlements<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Burlington<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nBurlington<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Flint River<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nBeaverdale<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Danville<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nDanville<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Union<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nOak Hills (part)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Concordia<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nOak Hills (part)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Benton<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nRural<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Franklin<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nRural<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Huron<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nRural<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jackson<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nRural<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pleasant Grove<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nRural<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tama<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nRural<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Washington<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nRural<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Yellow Springs<\/td>\n—<\/td>\nRural<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

ZIP Codes<\/h2>\n