Des Moines to Lincoln (DSM–LNK) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

DSM Airport Page →
168 mi airlines charter/private 1/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Connecting Flight Schedule 4 1-stop flights Verified 1w ago
Nonstop Charter / private 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight Hide codeshares
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop

No flights match your filters.

No scheduled airline flights on this route — it's flown by charter / private operators (). No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

✦ 1-Stop connections via 4 hubs
DEN Denver 4h 23m ACF9UA → CMUA Denver (DEN) to Lincoln flights
ORD Chicago 4h 25m AAACAS → AACMEK Chicago (ORD) to Lincoln flights
DFW Dallas-Fort Worth 5h 59m AAASAY → AA Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Lincoln flights
LAS Las Vegas 16h 16m EJAG4WN → MX Las Vegas (LAS) to Lincoln flights
✦ 1-STOP More options, longer trips
✧ 2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Des Moines to Lincoln
Connecting service available through multiple hubs.
1 Airlines 168 mi 0h 58m nonstop

DSM–LNK had nonstop service from United Airlines, last on the schedule in July 2026. There's no nonstop on it right now, so today you'd fly it with one stop. The connecting options below are sorted by layover. Nonstop, it's about 168 miles in 0h 58m.

Also explore DSM Routes LNK Routes DSM Live Flights LNK Live Flights DSM Delays LNK Delays
All flights from Lincoln (LNK) Lincoln to Des Moines flights
Carriers on this route

Airline Landscape

Carriers that operated nonstop DSM–LNK service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
UA United Airlines 1 – – 72% Star Alliance –
Alliance coverage
Star Alliance: UA (1 flights/wk, 100%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.
Connections

Connection Landscape

1-stop and 2-stop options for DSM to LNK.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
4
Hubs
~4h
Fastest
~16h
Longest
DEN ~4h 23m ORD ~4h 25m DFW ~5h 59m LAS ~16h 16m
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
124
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.
Reliability

On-Time Performance

What to expect at each end of your journey.
Outbound
DSM → LNK
72%
Moderate delays possible. Allow buffer time.
Departing
72%
Arriving
100%
Return
LNK → DSM
67%
Moderate delays possible. Allow buffer time.
Departing
67%
Arriving
91%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. DSM delays → LNK delays →
Alternatives

Other ways to reach Lincoln from Des Moines

Nearby airports with service to Lincoln Airport.
Metric DSM→LNK OMA→LNK
Distance from DSM – 117 mi
Nonstop airlines – 3
Weekly flights – 1
Flight time 0h 58m 2h 43m
Departure OTP 72% –
Omaha (OMA) to Lincoln flights
Airports within 200 miles of DSM with service to Lincoln Airport.
Know before you go

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
0h
Lincoln is 0 hours the same as Des Moines.
DSM: CDT · LNK: CDT

When it's 6:00 PM in Des Moines, it's 6:00 PM in Lincoln.
Distance & Flight Time
168 mi / 271 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 0h 58m gate to gate.
Facts

DSM–LNK Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Des Moines to Lincoln route.
Route details
Distance168 mi / 271 km
Flight time0h 58m
Time difference0 hours
Airlines (nonstop)1
1-stop connectionsAvailable
Origin: DSM
Full nameDes Moines International Airport
IATA / ICAODSM / KDSM
TimezoneAmerica/Chicago
Passengers/yr3.1M
Elevation958 ft / 292 m
Destination: LNK
Full nameLincoln Airport
IATA / ICAOLNK / KLNK
TimezoneAmerica/Chicago
Passengers/yr0.3M
Elevation1,219 ft / 372 m
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about DSM to LNK flights.
Nonstop flights from Des Moines International Airport to Lincoln Airport take about 0h 58m gate to gate. The route covers 168 miles.
1 airline operated the nonstop from DSM to LNK: United Airlines. The last scheduled nonstop was in July 2026. There's no nonstop right now, so today you'd fly it with one stop. See the connection options above, ranked by layover.
Not right now. The last scheduled nonstop was in July 2026. You can still fly it with one stop, and the connecting options above are sorted by layover. Nonstop, the hop took about 0h 58m.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available, ranked by layover time. Common connecting points include Denver, Chicago O'Hare and Dallas Fort Worth.
Yes, return flights from LNK to DSM are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include OMA. 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 LNK

Des Moines International Airport (DSM) and Lincoln Airport (LNK) had nonstop service from United Airlines, last on the schedule in July 2026. The nonstop is dormant right now, so the way to fly it today is one connection, and the options above are sorted by layover.

DSM to LNK Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from DSM to LNK is about 0 hours 58 minutes gate to gate. The route covers a distance of 168 miles (271 km).

Connecting Options and Alternatives

1-stop connecting options are also available, commonly via Denver, Chicago O'Hare and Dallas Fort Worth. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Omaha (OMA).