Washington to Des Moines (DCA–DSM) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

DCA Airport Page →
895 mi airlines 37/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 14 flights Verified 14h ago
Nonstop 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight Hide codeshares
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop
AA4713
AA American
E75L
11:04 AM
EDT T2
12:55 PM
CDT
2h 51m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA5559
AA American
CR7
11:30 AM
EDT T2
1:20 PM
CDT
2h 50m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA5292
AA American
CR7
12:59 PM
EDT T2
2:52 PM
CDT
2h 53m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA5057
AA American
CR7
12:59 PM
EDT T2
2:52 PM
CDT
2h 53m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA5089
AA American
CR9
1:34 PM
EDT T2
3:26 PM
CDT
2h 52m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA5432+2
AA American
CR9
7:59 PM
EDT T2
9:53 PM
CDT
2h 54m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AS4111cs
AS Alaska
CR9
7:59 PM
EDT T2
9:53 PM
CDT
2h 54m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA5414
AA American
CR9
6:00 AM
CDT
9:30 AM
EDT
2h 30m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA4713
AA American
E75L
1:25 PM
CDT
4:59 PM
EDT
2h 34m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA5216
AA American
CR7
1:50 PM
CDT
5:25 PM
EDT
2h 35m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA5428
AA American
CR7
3:23 PM
CDT
6:59 PM
EDT
2h 36m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA5292
AA American
CR7
3:24 PM
CDT
7:00 PM
EDT
2h 36m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA5645
AA American
CR9
3:56 PM
CDT
7:33 PM
EDT
2h 37m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AA5508
AA American
CR9
4:43 PM
CDT
8:20 PM
EDT
2h 37m
M T W T F S S
Prices

No flights match your filters.

No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Washington to Des Moines
1 carrier, 37 flights/week nonstop.
1 Airlines 37 Flights/wk 895 mi 2h 50m nonstop -1h behind 42 1-stop hubs

DCA–DSM is served by 1 airline with nonstop service. American Airlines leads the route. The flight covers 895 miles in approximately 2h 50m. Beyond nonstop, 42 hubs offer 1-stop connections.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop DCA–DSM service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
AA American Airlines Also: AS 30 CR7, CR9, E75L 2h50-2h54 96% Oneworld AS
Aircraft on this route
CR7 Bombardier CRJ-700 – AA
CR9 Bombardier CRJ-900 – AA, AS
E75L Embraer E175 Long Wing – AA
Alliance coverage
Oneworld: AA (30 flights/wk, 100%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, DCA to DSM direction.
Mon
6
flights
Tue
5
flights
Wed
5
flights
Thu
6
flights
Fri
5
flights
Sat
4
flights
Sun
6
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
7
Nonstop flights
37
Outbound / wk
36
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for DCA to DSM.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
42
Hubs
~4h
Fastest
~30h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
1,683
Candidates
Two-stop connections loaded in the connections tab above.
Connections computed from published schedules with minimum connection time verification. Use the interactive explorer above the fold to filter by airline, tier, and layover time.

Other ways to reach Des Moines from Washington

Nearby airports with service to Des Moines International Airport.
Metric DCA→DSM IAD→DSM BWI→DSM
Distance from DCA 23 mi 30 mi
Nonstop airlines 1 4 3
Weekly flights 37 1
Flight time 2h 50m 1h 58m 3h 16m
Departure OTP 96%
Airports within 200 miles of DCA with service to Des Moines International Airport.

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
-1h
Des Moines is 1 hour behind Washington.
DCA: EDT · DSM: CDT

When it's 6:00 PM in Washington, it's 5:00 PM in Des Moines.
Distance & Flight Time
895 mi / 1,440 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 2h 50m to 2h 54m.
Getting to DCA

The DC Metro (Yellow and Blue lines) connects the airport directly to downtown Washington in 15–25 minutes from most central stations ($2.25–$3.85 depending on distance and time of day). The Reagan National Airport station is inside the terminal complex with a direct indoor walkway. Metro runs from about 05:00 to midnight Sunday–Thursday, and until 01:00 on Friday–Saturday.Taxis and Uber/Lyft from the city centre cost $15–30 depending on destination and traffic. DCA is one of the most transit-accessible major US airports. Driving is straightforward via the George Washington Memorial Parkway; short-term parking at the terminal costs from $5 for 20 minutes. No personal vehicles are allowed to idle at arrivals; use the cell-phone lot or commercial pick-up zones.

DCA–DSM Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Washington to Des Moines route.
Route details
Distance895 mi / 1,440 km
Flight time2h 50m to 2h 54m
Time difference-1 hour
Airlines (nonstop)1
Weekly flights37 out / 36 return
1-stop connections42 hubs
Origin: DCA
IATA / ICAODCA / KDCA
TimezoneAmerica/New_York
Passengers/yr25.5M
Elevation15 ft / 5 m
Destination: DSM
IATA / ICAODSM / KDSM
TimezoneAmerica/Chicago
Passengers/yr3.1M
Elevation958 ft / 292 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about DCA to DSM flights.
Nonstop flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Des Moines International Airport take approximately 2h 50m to 2h 54m. The route covers 895 miles.
1 airline operates nonstop service: American Airlines. Plus 1 codeshare partner.
There are approximately 37 nonstop flights per week from DCA to DSM. The return direction has about 36 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through RST, CLE, CVG, RDU, STL, MKE, PIT, YYZ, OMA, MEM, DAL, AGS, BWI, APA, MCO, HOU, PBI, SRQ, MSY, NAS, PHL, MIA, ATL, LGA, CLT, ORD, MSP, MDW, BNA, DTW, IAH, EWR, DFW, LAS, DEN, BOS, PHX, FLL, AUS, RSW, LAX and PDX. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
Des Moines is 1 hour behind Washington.
Yes, return flights from DSM to DCA are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include IAD, BWI and LNS. See the Alternatives section for a full comparison.
Click the 'Search Flights' button to check availability and prices on Google Flights. You can also compare airlines and schedules on this page to find the best option.
See the On-Time Performance section for the latest delay data at both airports. This shows departure and arrival reliability to help you plan.
Route data is updated regularly from official airline schedules. On-time performance data comes from recent airport delay snapshots.

Flights from DCA to DSM

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Des Moines International Airport (DSM) are connected by nonstop service from American Airlines. With 37 weekly departures, this is a heavily served route.

DCA to DSM Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from DCA to DSM ranges from 2 hours 50 minutes to 2 hours 54 minutes. The route covers a distance of 895 miles (1,440 km). There are approximately 37 weekly flights outbound and 36 return, totaling 73 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

42 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 4 hours via RST. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Dulles (IAD), Baltimore (BWI) and Lancaster (LNS).