The Trust for Public Land has ranked Des Moines Parks and Recreation among the top 20 park systems in the country, the city announced. In 2024, the city of Des Moines’ ParkScore improved from 62.1 to 65.6 due to a renewed and expanded partnership with the Des Moines school district to provide access to park amenities and park grounds. The city also received elevated evaluations for its parks, trails and recreational facility investments. The ParkScore program evaluates how Des Moines Parks and Recreation scores against the largest 100 cities in the United States in acreage, investment, amenities, access and equity. Though Des Moines is not among the 100 largest cities in the United States, the ParkScore system specifies that Des Moines’ score would rank 17th in the country, if ranked. To learn more about ParkScore’s criteria, visit the city’s website.