ABOUT DES MOINES

Des Moines Parking Guide About Des Moines

Des Moines is the capital and the largest city of Iowa. It is named after the Des Moines River, which may have been adapted from the French Rivière des Moines, literally meaning "River of the Monks." Many insurance companies are headquartered in Des Moines. Des Moines has been referred to as the "Hartford of the West" because of this. The City of Des Moines is a cultural center for Iowa and home to several art and history museums and performing arts groups.

Being located near the center of North America, far removed from a large body of water, the Des Moines area has a warm summer type humid continental climate, with hot, humid summers and cold, snowy winter. Des Moines has an extensive skywalk system within its Downtown Core. With over 4 miles of enclosed walkway, it is one of the largest of such systems in the United States. Des Moines' freeway design makes it easy for travelers.

Des Moines has 76 city parks and three golf courses, as well as three family aquatic centers, five community centers and three swimming pools. The city has 45 miles (72 km) of trail.

Parking in Des Moines Ramps, Garages, Lots, Meters; You have plenty of choices when it comes to parking in the city of Des Moines. There are approximately 3200 parking meters which are called Smart Card Parking meters.

The SmartCard program has been in place for a few years and has been warmly welcomed by everyone. Not only does the SmartCard provide convenience it also allows the user to refund any unused time back onto their SmartCard. SmartCards are similar to debit cards. A person can insert the SmartCard into a parking meter and buy time on the meter, up to the maximum limit of the meter (2, 3, 4, or 10 hours). For more information on SmartCards, please call the City of Des Moines at 515-283-4973.

Parking in Garages/lots There are approximately 30,000 public parking spaces in downtown including approximately 4,000 parking meters for long and short term parking needs. Best Parking presents the parking garages on an interactive map to make the parking reservation process quicker and enhance the comparison of available facilities.

Depending on where you need to go or how far you're willing to walk, you can choose the parking garage/lot accordingly. Best Parking helps you choose the best suitable parking facility for off street parking via an interactive map.

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Find parking anywhere, for now or for later

Compare prices & pick the place that’s best for you

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Book a space in just a few easy clicks

Save up to 50% off standard rates

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