Shopping
Shopping at Southridge, near The Oaks
The reason the south side's shopping feels easy from The Oaks is Southridge. The open-air center is a short drive east on Army Post Road, with the big names you would otherwise cross town for.
Southridge, half a mile east
Southridge is the open-air shopping center at SE 14th Street and Army Post Road, 0.5 miles east of The Oaks. It was an enclosed mall until a redevelopment that finished around 2012 tore out the interior and turned it into outdoor-facing stores; the big anchors stayed through the change.
Target anchors it at 1111 E Army Post Road, listed on Target's own site as the South Des Moines store. Around it, each on its own store locator, are Ross Dress for Less, Marshalls, Five Below and Shoe Carnival at the same 1111 E Army Post Road address, and a Petco a little east at 1311 E Army Post Road. A Des Moines Area Community College campus sits in the center as well.
One short drive, most of the list
The point for a resident is that a single trip east covers most of a shopping list: household goods and groceries at Target, clothes and shoes at the off-price stores, pet supplies at Petco. It is close enough to run on a weeknight, not a weekend expedition.
The grocery side of the trip has its own page: see groceries and errands near The Oaks. The Oaks is renovated one- and two-bedroom apartments, one bath, with a new kitchen, a redone bath, new flooring and fresh paint, and a stove and refrigerator in every home; select homes add a washer and dryer in the unit. Live pricing is on the availability page.
Questions people ask
What shopping is near The Oaks?
Southridge, the open-air center on Army Post Road, is 0.5 miles east, with Target, Ross Dress for Less, Marshalls, Five Below, Shoe Carnival and a Petco nearby.
How far is Target from The Oaks?
The Target at 1111 E Army Post Road, in Southridge, is 0.5 miles east by road. Target's store locator names it the South Des Moines location.
What stores are at Southridge?
Target anchors it, with Ross Dress for Less, Marshalls, Five Below and Shoe Carnival at 1111 E Army Post Road and a Petco at 1311 E Army Post Road. Each is listed on the retailer's own store locator.
Is Southridge a mall or an open-air center?
An open-air center. It was an enclosed mall until a redevelopment finished around 2012 replaced the interior with outdoor-facing stores.
Distances are road miles from 6209 SE 5th Street, measured with OpenStreetMap routing in October 2026. The Oaks keeps no distance module of its own, so the route planner is the source. Store names and addresses confirmed on Target, Ross, Marshalls, Five Below, Shoe Carnival and Petco's own store locators, October 2026.
More about living here
- Living in South Park, south Des Moines
- Army Post Road, the corridor near The Oaks
- Groceries and everyday errands near The Oaks
- Eating and drinking near The Oaks
- Getting into the city from The Oaks
- Parks and trails near The Oaks
- Schools near The Oaks
- Garages you can rent at The Oaks
- The commons at The Oaks
- The floor plans at The Oaks, explained
- How to apply at The Oaks
- Working from home at The Oaks
- What residents say about The Oaks
- The neighborhood guide
- All questions