City of Des Moines - Government

Street closures for the Des Moines Arts Festival began this morning with 12th Street closing between Grand Avenue and Locust Street and will have traffic impacts in downtown Des Moines.

A full list of this week's closures and timings is below.

Effective Now through 6:00 AM Tuesday June 30:
1) 12th St, Grand Ave to Locust St

Effective 6:00 AM Wednesday June 24 – 6:00 AM Monday June 29:
2) Locust St, 16th St to 10th St
3) 15th St, Grand Ave to Walnut St
4) 13th St, Grand Ave to Walnut St
5) 12th St, Locust St to Walnut St

Effective 6:00 AM Thursday June 25 – 6:00 AM Monday June 29:
6) Grand Ave, 10th St to 16th St (with access for the Central Library only)
7) 11th St, High St to Grand Ave
8) 12th St, High St to Grand Ave
9) 14th St, High St to Grand Ave
10) 15th St, Ingersoll Ave to Grand Ave

Happy last day of Spring!

Thank you for thinking green with us all spring long, but we can think greener and cleaner every day. The Think Green digital guide is filled with ideas and resources you can incorporate into your life year-round. From recycling tips and stormwater management to water conservation and reusing instead of buying new.

Learn more about how you can make Des Moines a greener and cleaner place to live by visiting DSM.city/ThinkGreen.

Thank you for making a green difference in our community!💚

Street Closures for The Night Run Des Moines will affect the Downtown and East Village neighborhoods this weekend.

The full list of closures is below:

Effective Friday, June 19th from 8 a.m. to Sunday, June 21st at 1 a.m.:
SE 1st Street from Railroad tracks, south to Two Rivers Park

Effective Saturday, June 20th from 8 a.m. to Sunday, June 21st at 1 a.m.:
Elm St. / E 2nd St, E4th St. to Railroad Tracks

Effective Saturday, June 20th from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.:
8th Street (Under viaduct), Cherry St. to W Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy
12th St. / SW 11th St., Cherry St. to W Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy
Cherry St., 7th St. to 9th St.
East / West Alley between Walnut St and Locust St, 7th St to 8th St
8th St, Locust St to Walnut St – Eastern most lane only
SW 5th St, Murphy St to dead end South
Scott Ave bridge, E 2nd St to Meredith Trail – Southbound only

Effective Saturday, June 20th from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.:
E Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy, SE 4th St to Water St – Northern most Westbound lane only
W Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy, SW 7th St to SW 11th St – 2 Northern two Westbound lanes only

Effective Saturday, June 20th from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.:
Water St, W Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy to Court Ave
Court Ave, Water St to 5th Ave – Southern most Eastbound lane only
5th Ave, Court Ave to Cherry St

Effective Saturday, June 20th from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.:
Cherry St, 5th Ave to 7th St
Cherry St, 9th St to 12th St
9th St, W MLK Jr Pkwy to Cherry St
7th St, Cherry St to Locust St
8th St, Walnut St to Tuttle St
Walnut St, 7th St to 8th St
Mulberry St, 7th St to 9th St
Tuttle St, SW 8th St to SW 7th St
Murphy St, SW 7th St to SW 5th St
SW 7th St, Tuttle St to Murphy St

Effective Saturday, June 20th from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.:
E 1st St, Court Ave South to Railroad tracks
E 4th St, E Market St to E Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy

🚧 Street Closures in the East Village neighborhood are in place in the Historic East Village for the Capital City Pride Festival this weekend. 🚧

Capital City Pride Festival (effective through end of day Sunday, June 14)
E Locust St, E 3rd St to E 4th St, E 4th St to E 6th St, & E 6th St to E 7th St
E 5th St, E Grand Ave to E Walnut St
E 4th St, E Grand Ave to E Walnut St
E 6th St, E Grand Ave to E Walnut St

Capital City Pride Festival (effective 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Saturday June 13)
E Locust St, E 3rd St to E 2nd St
E 2nd St, E Locust St to E Grand Ave
E 3rd St, E Locust St to E Walnut St

Capital City Pride Stride Closures (effective 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 13)
E 4th St, E Locust St to E Court Ave
E Court Ave, E 4th St to Water St
E 1st St, E Market St to E Court St

Capital City Pride Parade Closures (effective 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 14)
E Grand Ave, Robert D Ray Dr to E 14th St
E 2nd St, E Grand Ave to E Locust St (with limited access to the garage)

Even before the next fiscal year begins, we’re already planning for the operating budget that begins July 2027.

Des Moines City Council is hosting a budget discussion on Wednesday, June 17 to kick off an extended process. We’ll hear from the City Manager and Finance Director about what Iowa's property tax law changes (including a 2% cap on growth) mean for the future of Des Moines municipal government services.

There won't be public comment, but it's the starting point for a larger conversation that will include opportunities for you to share your budget priorities this summer. The City Manager will present a recommended budget to the public and City Council at the beginning of 2027.

Continued investment in the evolution of Downtown Des Moines.

The City of Des Moines has launched Restore the Core DSM, a new $7 million incentive program designed to help transform long-vacant ground-floor commercial spaces into active businesses, destinations, and community gathering places.

“Downtown Des Moines is the economic engine of our city, a destination for visitors, and a growing neighborhood with more than 1,600 residential units currently under construction,” said Mayor Connie Boesen. “As more people live, work, and spend time downtown, active storefronts play an even greater role in daily life. Restore the Core DSM gives us another tool to fill vacant spaces, support local businesses, and incentivize the kinds of businesses that make downtown a stronger, more active, and more connected neighborhood and destination.”

Learn more about eligibility requirements and application opportunities at DSM.city/restorethecoredsm.

🚨We’re helping Des Moines Water Works spread the word about the Stage 3 Water Warning issued yesterday.🚨

Stage 3 is a ban on lawn watering for businesses, residential and governmental customers served by Des Moines Water Works.

This ban is due to persistently high nitrate concentrations in raw source waters which are creating significant operational strain on the regional water treatment system. Limiting water use will help Des Moines Water Works lower the high nitrate levels and continue to produce and deliver high-quality drinking water to homes and businesses.

Please turn off your irrigation and sprinkler systems to help.
During the summer, lawn watering can account for up to 40 percent of daily water use. Small changes by many customers can make a big difference for our community’s water supply.

During Stage 3 of the Water Use Plan, the lawn watering ban will be enforced by Des Moines Water Works according to their policies. This includes residents and businesses in Alleman, Berwick, Bondurant, Cu***ng, Des Moines, Pleasant Hill, Runnells, Unincorporated Polk County and Windsor Heights.

Individuals can report addresses in the DMWW service area to have their irrigation reviewed by DMWW staff by e-mailing [email protected].

Together, these simple actions help preserve critical water supplies, maintain reliable service, and ensure high-quality drinking water for our community all summer long.