The neighborhood
Living in South Park, south Des Moines
South Park is one of the south side's settled residential neighborhoods, a grid of older houses off SE 5th Street. The Oaks sits on it: a quiet street to come home to, with the south side's biggest shopping a short drive east.
South Park and the south side
Des Moines is the largest city in Iowa, with 214,133 residents at the 2020 census, and the seat of Polk County. South Park is a neighborhood name rather than a city line: the older residential blocks between the rivers and Army Post Road, on the west side of the south side. It is a place of single houses and quiet streets, close to the retail on Army Post and SE 14th without sitting on top of it.
SE 5th Street, where The Oaks sits, is a residential road, not a commercial strip. The shopping gathers a few blocks east, on Army Post Road and SE 14th Street (which is also U.S. Highway 69), so you live on the quiet side and drive the short way to the stores.
Where The Oaks sits
The Oaks is at 6209 SE 5th Street, set back on the residential stretch. Southridge, the open-air shopping center with Target, is 0.5 miles east along Army Post Road. Fort Des Moines Park is 1.3 miles down the same street. Downtown Des Moines is 4.8 miles north and the airport is 3.7 miles west. The quiet is where you live; the errands and the city are a short drive off it.
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 neighborhood is The Oaks in?
South Park, an older residential neighborhood on the south side of Des Moines. The Oaks is at 6209 SE 5th Street, with Southridge 0.5 miles east and downtown 4.8 miles north by road.
How big is Des Moines, Iowa?
Iowa's largest city and the Polk County seat, with 214,133 residents in the 2020 census.
Is SE 5th Street busy?
No. SE 5th is a residential street where The Oaks sits. The retail runs a few blocks east on Army Post Road and SE 14th Street, so the shopping is close but not at the door.
How far is The Oaks from downtown Des Moines?
About 4.8 miles north to the Iowa Capitol and 5.1 miles to the downtown financial core, by road. We give miles, not drive times.
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. Population from the 2020 U.S. Census.
More about living here
- Shopping at Southridge, near The Oaks
- 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