Des Moines to Denver (DSM–DEN) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

DSM Airport Page →
588 mi airlines 87/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 30 flights Verified 1h ago
Nonstop 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
AC5217
AC Air Canada
E75L
5:30 AM
CDT
6:49 AM
MDT
2h 19m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1719
UA United
320
5:30 AM
CDT
6:38 AM
MDT
2h 8m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1285
UA United
319
5:30 AM
CDT
6:38 AM
MDT
2h 8m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA4777
UA United
E7W
5:30 AM
CDT
6:49 AM
MDT
2h 19m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN3555
WN Southwest
7S7
6:45 AM
CDT
7:40 AM
MDT
1h 55m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN2123
WN Southwest
7S7
6:55 AM
CDT
7:50 AM
MDT
1h 55m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA398
UA United
319
9:00 AM
CDT
10:16 AM
MDT
2h 16m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA581
UA United
320
9:00 AM
CDT
10:08 AM
MDT
2h 8m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA5266
UA United
E75L
1:30 PM
CDT
2:51 PM
MDT
2h 21m
M T W T F S S
Prices
AC3649
AC Air Canada
E75L
5:03 PM
CDT
6:25 PM
MDT
2h 22m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA5556
UA United
E75L
5:04 PM
CDT
6:25 PM
MDT
2h 21m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1781
UA United
320
5:11 PM
CDT
6:19 PM
MDT
2h 8m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA720
UA United
320
5:34 PM
CDT
6:52 PM
MDT
2h 18m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN245
WN Southwest
7S7
6:27 PM
CDT
7:22 PM
MDT
1h 55m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN1096
WN Southwest
7S7
6:30 PM
CDT
7:25 PM
MDT
1h 55m
M T W T F S S
Prices
F91677
F9 Frontier
321
8:14 PM
CDT
9:23 PM
MDT
2h 9m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA4772
UA United
E75L
9:51 AM
MDT
12:50 PM
CDT
1h 59m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN2474
WN Southwest
7M8
11:13 AM
MDT
1:48 PM
CDT
1h 35m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN1725
WN Southwest
7S7
11:20 AM
MDT
2:05 PM
CDT
1h 45m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA5518
UA United
E75L
1:25 PM
MDT
4:21 PM
CDT
1h 56m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1548
UA United
320
1:25 PM
MDT
4:07 PM
CDT
1h 42m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1311
UA United
320
1:30 PM
MDT
4:15 PM
CDT
1h 45m
M T W T F S S
Prices
F91678
F9 Frontier
321
4:30 PM
MDT
7:14 PM
CDT
1h 44m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1925
UA United
319
5:40 PM
MDT
8:27 PM
CDT
1h 47m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA549
UA United
319
5:43 PM
MDT
8:34 PM
CDT
1h 51m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN2404
WN Southwest
73H
6:15 PM
MDT
9:15 PM
CDT
2h
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN263
WN Southwest
7S7
7:35 PM
MDT
10:20 PM
CDT
1h 45m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN189
WN Southwest
7S7
7:58 PM
MDT
10:36 PM
CDT
1h 38m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1756
UA United
320
8:50 PM
MDT
11:35 PM
CDT
1h 45m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA5389
UA United
E75L
9:31 PM
MDT
12:56 AM+1
CDT
2h 25m
M T W T F S S
Prices

No flights match your filters.

No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

1-STOP
2-STOP Loading...
Des Moines to Denver
4 carriers, 87 flights/week nonstop.
4 Airlines 87 Flights/wk 588 mi 1h 55m nonstop -1h behind 42 1-stop hubs

DSM–DEN is served by 4 airlines with nonstop service. United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Air Canada lead the route. The flight covers 588 miles in approximately 1h 55m. Beyond nonstop, 42 hubs offer 1-stop connections.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop DSM–DEN service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
UA United Airlines 44 319, 320, E75L, E7W 2h08-2h21 100% Star Alliance
WN Southwest Airlines 25 7S7 1h55 100%
AC Air Canada 14 E75L 2h19-2h22 100% Star Alliance
F9 Frontier 4 321 2h09 100%
Aircraft on this route
319 Airbus A319 – UA
320 Airbus A320 – UA
321 Airbus A321 – F9
7S7 Boeing 737 MAX 7 – WN
E75L Embraer E175 Long Wing – AC, UA
E7W Embraer E175 – UA
Alliance coverage
Star Alliance: AC + UA (58 flights/wk, 67%)
Unaffiliated: F9 + WN (29 flights/wk, 33%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, DSM to DEN direction.
Mon
13
flights
Tue
12
flights
Wed
13
flights
Thu
12
flights
Fri
13
flights
Sat
13
flights
Sun
11
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
16
Nonstop flights
87
Outbound / wk
72
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for DSM to DEN.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
42
Hubs
~3h
Fastest
~25h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
2,141
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.

On-Time Performance

What to expect at each end of your journey.
Outbound
DSM → DEN
100%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
100%
Arriving
90%
Return
DEN → DSM
0%
Frequent delays expected. Consider flexible booking.
Departing
0%
Arriving
100%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. DSM delays → DEN delays →

Other ways to reach Denver from Des Moines

Nearby airports with service to Denver International Airport.
Metric DSM→DEN CID→DEN OMA→DEN
Distance from DSM 103 mi 117 mi
Nonstop airlines 4 2 6
Weekly flights 87 20 115
Flight time 1h 55m 1h 57m 1h 28m
Departure OTP 100%
Airports within 200 miles of DSM with service to Denver International Airport.

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
-1h
Denver is 1 hour behind Des Moines.
DSM: CDT · DEN: MDT

When it's 6:00 PM in Des Moines, it's 5:00 PM in Denver.
Distance & Flight Time
588 mi / 947 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 1h 55m to 2h 22m.
Getting from DEN

RTD A Line runs to Denver Union Station (37 min, $10.50) with connections to light rail and bus routes. Taxis have meters; expect $55–65 to downtown.DEN's tent-roof Jeppesen Terminal is a single building; all three concourses connect via the underground automated train. Rental cars are on level 5. For ski resorts, shuttle services depart from Ground Transportation.

Denver Climate

Semi-arid with 300+ days of sunshine. Summers are dry and warm (27–34°C) with afternoon thunderstorms that produce dramatic but brief delays. Winters bring cold temperatures (−8 to 5°C) and heavy blizzards that can shut down ground operations.

Spring snowstorms can be heavier than midwinter ones. Altitude (5,430 ft) means low humidity year-round; stay hydrated.

DSM–DEN Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Des Moines to Denver route.
Route details
Distance588 mi / 947 km
Flight time1h 55m to 2h 22m
Time difference-1 hour
Airlines (nonstop)4
Weekly flights87 out / 72 return
1-stop connections42 hubs
Origin: DSM
IATA / ICAODSM / KDSM
TimezoneAmerica/Chicago
Passengers/yr3.1M
Elevation958 ft / 292 m
Destination: DEN
IATA / ICAODEN / KDEN
TimezoneAmerica/Denver
Passengers/yr82.4M
Elevation5,431 ft / 1,655 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about DSM to DEN flights.
Nonstop flights from Des Moines International Airport to Denver International Airport take approximately 1h 55m to 2h 22m. The route covers 588 miles.
4 airlines operate nonstop service: Air Canada, Frontier, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
There are approximately 87 nonstop flights per week from DSM to DEN. The return direction has about 72 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through PUB, CID, RIL, HDN, MEM, MTJ, IND, STL, SLC, ELP, DAL, SCF, CVG, AZA, YYC, IAD, BWI, YVR, ATW, MSP, SNA, AUS, SAT, DTW, LGA, ORD, BOS, MDW, PHX, RSW, DFW, MIA, ATL, IAH, CLT, BNA, DCA, LAS, LAX, MCO, FLL and SRQ. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
Denver is 1 hour behind Des Moines.
Yes, return flights from DEN to DSM are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include CID, OMA and SUX. 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 DSM to DEN

Des Moines International Airport (DSM) and Denver International Airport (DEN) are connected by nonstop service from Air Canada, Frontier, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines. With 87 weekly departures, this is a heavily served route.

DSM to DEN Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from DSM to DEN ranges from 1 hours 55 minutes to 2 hours 22 minutes. The route covers a distance of 588 miles (947 km). There are approximately 87 weekly flights outbound and 72 return, totaling 159 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

42 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 3 hours via PUB. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Cedar Rapids (CID), Omaha (OMA) and Sioux City (SUX).