Des Moines County is part of the Burlington, IA–IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Des Moines County sits on Iowa's eastern border alongside the Mississippi River.

The city of Des Moines is in Polk County in central Iowa.

At an extra session of the Sixth Legislative Assembly of Michigan Territory held in September 1834, the Iowa District was divided into two counties by running a line due west from the lower end of Rock Island in the Mississippi River.

[4] The current Des Moines County Court House was completed in 1940.

[7] The Southeast Iowa Regional Airport (IATA code BRL), is located on the southern side of Burlington.

28.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Des Moines County.

[17] The change to the GOP happened while the county experienced an economic decline.