Is West Des Moines safe? United States travel risk
Is West Des Moines safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
West Des Moines scores 36/100 on our travel risk index (Moderate). The UK has no advice against travel; Canada says: exercise normal security precautions. The US State Department does not issue advice for United States. No GDACS or USGS hazard events within 100 km in the last 14 days. No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
West Des Moines scores 36/100 (Moderate). The score combines security, crime and scams, health and medical access, natural hazards and current alerts measured for this location and United States (how it is calculated). The sections below are specific to West Des Moines: nearest emergency and transport facilities, 5-year natural hazard history within 100 km.
Driven by: security (35/100) and crime and scams (47/100).
A score of 36 is higher than 32% of the cities we score.
Consult the United States travel risk page for nationwide security advisories, entry protocols, and consular warnings.
Geographic & Regional Coordinates
Situated in Iowa at 41.5521° N, 93.7806° W (elevation 252 m), West Des Moines lies 1,450.9 km E of Washington. Time zone: America/Chicago.
Iowa
41.5521° N, 93.7806° W
252 m
America/Chicago
69,893
Emergency & Aviation Access
Nearby Towns & Settlements in United States
Natural Hazard Calendar & History
5-Year Hazard Calendar (100 km Radius)
| Hazard | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Droughts | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
Most drought events within 100 km of West Des Moines happened in October (1 of 1 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the United States travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the United States entry requirements.
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