The neighborhood
Living on the east side of Des Moines
Des Moines is the capital of Iowa and its largest city, and the east side is the half of it that runs out toward Altoona. The Cypress sits on Hubbell Avenue, the road that ties the two together.
The city and the east side
Des Moines had 214,133 residents at the 2020 census, the most of any city in Iowa, and it is the seat of Polk County. The east side is the older, settled part across the Des Moines River from downtown, the side that holds the Iowa State Fairgrounds and reaches out to Altoona. It is known for being practical and affordable, with its everyday life strung along a few main avenues rather than packed into one center.
Hubbell Avenue is one of those avenues. It is also U.S. Highway 6, which is why the groceries, the gas and the restaurants gather along it, and why it carries you straight from downtown out to the Altoona shopping without a turn worth naming.
Where The Cypress sits
The Cypress is two properties on Hubbell Avenue, half a mile apart: Cypress I at 3909–3913 Hubbell and Cypress II at 4210–4214 Hubbell. The Iowa State Fairgrounds are 3.4 miles southwest, Grand View University is 4.1 miles, and downtown Des Moines is about 5.0 miles the same way. Go the other way and Altoona begins: the big-box stores on 8th Street SW are 2.3 miles east, and the Outlets of Des Moines are 2.9 miles. The errands are on your street; the city and the shopping are each a short drive off it.
Most homes here are two-bedroom, one-bath, about 860 square feet, with a stove and refrigerator included. Renovated homes have new kitchens and baths; classic homes keep their finishes and rent for less; Cypress II also has a few 430-square-foot one-bedrooms. Current rents sit on the availability page.
Questions people ask
Is The Cypress on the east side of Des Moines?
Yes. It is two properties on Hubbell Avenue, at 3909–3913 and 4210–4214 Hubbell Ave, on the east side between downtown Des Moines and Altoona.
How big is Des Moines, Iowa?
214,133 people at the 2020 census, the capital of Iowa, its largest city, and the seat of Polk County.
What is Hubbell Avenue?
The east side's main arterial and also U.S. Highway 6, running from downtown Des Moines out to Altoona. The Cypress sits on it, so groceries, gas and restaurants are along the same street.
How far is The Cypress from downtown Des Moines?
About 5.0 miles southwest to the Iowa Capitol and 6.4 miles to the downtown financial core, by road.
What is near The Cypress?
The Iowa State Fairgrounds (3.4 miles), Grand View University (4.1 miles) and Copper Creek Lake (3.8 miles), with Altoona's shopping and entertainment a few miles east.
Distances are road miles from 3913 Hubbell Avenue, measured with OpenStreetMap routing in October 2026. The site keeps no distance module of its own, so the route planner is the source. Population from the 2020 U.S. Census. Hubbell Avenue's U.S. 6 designation per the Iowa Department of Transportation and the City of Des Moines.
More about living here
- Shopping near The Cypress
- Things to do in Altoona, near The Cypress
- Groceries and everyday errands near The Cypress
- Eating and drinking near The Cypress
- Commuting from The Cypress
- Parks and trails near The Cypress
- Cypress I and Cypress II: which is which
- The floor plans at The Cypress, explained
- Renovated or classic: your call at The Cypress
- Pet-friendly apartments at The Cypress
- How to apply at The Cypress
- Working from home at The Cypress
- What residents say about The Cypress
- The neighborhood guide
- All questions