The state capital of Iowa (3,6)
I believe the answer is:
des moines
'the state capital of iowa' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for des moines that I've seen before include "city on the plains" , "Iowa's capital? Yes" , "Largest city of Iowa" , "capital city" , "State capital of Iowa" .)