Des Moines Travel Risk — Moderate Risk (31/100)
Country-level baseline — we don't yet have a city-specific score for Des Moines. The number below is the United States country baseline.
Is Des Moines safe for travelers?
Moderate risk. Mostly safe. There are a few specific situations to watch for in Des Moines — read the breakdown below.
Government advisory (score 15)
Crime (score 45)
2026-05-09 11:01:52
80%
Crime, health, transport, weather, disease, environmental and safety risk overview for Des Moines, United States.
Get a personalized assessment for your tripWhat should I do now?
- Run a real assessment. Open the calculator for live data (weather, advisory, news) layered onto this baseline.
- Crime (score 45/100): Use registered taxis or ride-share apps. Keep electronics out of sight in public transit. Read recent reviews for your specific neighborhood.
- Natural disasters (score 40/100): Check seasonal hazard (hurricane, monsoon, earthquake) for your dates. Identify hotel evacuation routes on arrival.
- Check your country's advisory. The single most authoritative live signal. Linked at the bottom of every real assessment.
Baseline scores
Source: calibrated 2026-05-09 v1.0 (knowledge-based; State Dept advisory tiers, GPI, OSAC patterns) · Confidence: 80
Quick facts
| Hospital access | — |
|---|---|
| Airport risk | — |
| Road safety | — |
| Public transport | — |
| Tourist scam risk | — |
| Night safety | — |
| Last reviewed | — |
Emergency numbers (United States)
| Police | 911 |
|---|---|
| Ambulance | 911 |
| Fire | 911 |
| General | 911 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Des Moines safe for tourists?
Mostly safe. There are a few specific situations to watch for in Des Moines — read the breakdown below. Crime risk score is 45/100; pickpocketing in crowded tourist areas is the most common issue, but violent crime against tourists is uncommon.
What is the biggest risk in Des Moines?
The highest-scoring risk category is Crime (score 45/100). Even the highest category here is moderate, suggesting a generally manageable risk profile.
How are these scores calculated?
Each category is scored 0-100 based on government travel advisories (US State Dept), crime indices (Numbeo), Global Peace Index data, WHO/CDC health context, and curated regional knowledge. The composite is a weighted sum — see /methodology for the full weight breakdown. Live data (weather, advisories, news) is layered on top of every assessment.
When was this page last reviewed?
The baseline scores for Des Moines were last reviewed on 2026-05-09 11:01:52. Live intelligence (weather, official advisories, disaster alerts, health notices) refreshes automatically multiple times per day.
Is this a substitute for an official travel advisory?
No. Travel Risk Calculator provides estimated risk information for planning purposes only. Always check your home country's official travel advisory and any health notices from your national health authority before traveling.
Run a personalized assessment for Des Moines
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Calculate my trip riskTransparency & Sources
We try to be honest about what we know, what we estimated, and what we don't have. Below is the audit trail for this page.
Review status
reviewed
Last reviewed
2026-05-09 11:01:52
Data confidence
80%
Sources used
- SimpleMaps World Cities (CC BY 4.0): Coordinates, region, population for Des Moines
- Editorial baseline (country-level): Country-level threat scoring used because city-specific baseline not yet added
Live data (weather, advisory, disaster alerts, news) is only fetched when you run an assessment.
What is estimated
- Composite tier and category scores are an editorial baseline estimate, not a real-time measurement.
- This city falls back to country-level scores. The actual risk in Des Moines may differ from the country average.
What is unavailable
- City-specific threat scoring (we are using country-level fallback).
- Specific medical-access detail (hospital list, embassy clinic).
- Documented scam patterns for this city.
- Transport-hub safety notes (airport, train stations).
- Neighborhood-level guidance.
Methodology · Data review process · Full data-source registry · Report a correction
Disclaimer
Travel Risk Calculator provides estimated travel-threat information for preparation purposes only. It does not replace official government advisories, medical advice, emergency alerts, immigration rules, insurance advice, police guidance, embassy information, or professional security consultation.