515 Area Code – Des Moines, Iowa: Location, Time Zone & History

When the first North American area codes were handed out in 1947, Des Moines and the rest of central Iowa received 515, a single code stretching from the Minnesota border to the Missouri border. That territory held for over half a century. In 2000, the eastern and southern portions, including Marshalltown, Mason City, Ottumwa, and Tama, were split off as area code 641, leaving the original code covering roughly one-fourth of its original footprint, centered on Des Moines, Ames, and Fort Dodge.

Unlike many growing metro areas, this part of Iowa has never needed an overlay: each of the state's five numbering plan areas, 319, 515, 563, 641, and 712, covers its own distinct, non-overlapping territory. Mandatory ten-digit local dialing arrived in October 2021 ahead of the nationwide launch of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Des Moines is Iowa's state capital and, alongside Hartford, Connecticut, one of the country's leading insurance hubs, a reputation reflected in its nickname, the "Hartford of the West." The surrounding area also serves Ames, home to Iowa State University, along with Ankeny, West Des Moines, Urbandale, Johnston, Boone, Fort Dodge, Indianola, and Humboldt. Beyond insurance and financial services, the regional economy includes state government, higher education and research, agriculture and agribusiness, and publishing and media.