Des Moines International Airport, 10 minutes from downtown, is served by 12 commercial airlines with daily flights handling nearly two million passengers annually. The airport recently added direct flights to Washington, D.C.
Principal highways that intersect northeast of the city are I-80, running east to west, and I-35, extending north to south. Federal highways include east-west U.S. 6 and north-south U.S. 69.
Downtown Des Moines is laid out on a grid pattern; in the northeast sector, streets near the Des Moines River, still conforming to a grid, follow the configuration of the river. North-south streets are numbered and east-west streets are named.
Des Moines is noted for its more than 3.5-mile skywalk system, which makes the city virtually "weatherproof." Forty-four climate-controlled, glass-enclosed bridges provide access to 30 blocks that comprise the downtown core.
Public transportation is provided by the Des Moines Metropolitan Transit Authority, locally known as The Metro; special service for the handicapped is available.