Cities near Des Moines, IA
Quick answer
The nearest major metro to Des Moines is Omaha, NE, 123 miles west — roughly 2 hr 23 min by road. Its combined sales tax rate is 7% against 7% in Des Moines.
Distance to nearby metros
Great-circle distance from the Des Moines centroid (41.600, -93.609).
| Metro | Straight line | Est. drive | Direction | Combined rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha, NE | 122.9 mi | 2 hr 23 min | west | 7% |
| Kansas City, MO | 175.8 mi | 3 hr 24 min | south | 8.725% |
| Sioux Falls, SD | 205.7 mi | 3 hr 59 min | northwest | 6.2% |
| St. Paul, MN | 229.6 mi | 4 hr 27 min | north | 9.875% |
| Minneapolis, MN | 239.0 mi | 4 hr 38 min | north | 9.025% |
Source: Place centroids: USGS/Census public-domain coordinates · rates as published for 2026
How these distances are calculated
Straight-line figures are great-circle distances between incorporated-place centroids using the haversine formula on a 3,958.76-mile mean-radius sphere — exact to within a few metres for this purpose. Drive time is an estimate: road distance is modelled at 1.2× the straight line (the standard North American circuity factor) at 62 mph for trips over 60 miles and 35 mph below that. It is not a routed itinerary and ignores traffic, terrain and tolls.
Des Moines sales tax breakdownDistance and radius calculator