Des Moines

Des Moines, French for "of the monks", is the capital city of Iowa. In 2009 it had an estimated population of 200,538.[1] As of August 2007, same sex marriage is legal within the city.[2]

In 2010 Forbes Magazine rated Des Moines first in the top 10 places to raise a family.[3]

The Life and TImes of the Thunderbolt Kid, Bill Bryson's memoir of growing up in Des Moines, was a 2006 bestseller.

## References[edit]

1. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau
2. ↑ Iowa court rules same sex couples can marry
3. ↑ Levy, Francesca. "America's Best Places to Raise a Family", Forbes.com, June 7, 2010. Retrieved on September 25, 2012.