Des Moines to Chicago (DSM–MDW) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

DSM Airport Page →
305 mi airlines charter/private 17/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 14 flights Verified 53m ago
Also flown by charter / private operators.
Nonstop Charter / private 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight Hide codeshares
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop
WN1558
WN Southwest
7S7
5:10 AM
CDT
6:30 AM
CDT
1h 20m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN1772
WN Southwest
73H
5:10 AM
CDT
6:30 AM
CDT
1h 20m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN463
WN Southwest
7S7
5:10 AM
CDT
6:30 AM
CDT
1h 20m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN1343
WN Southwest
7M8
5:10 AM
CDT
6:30 AM
CDT
1h 20m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN148
WN Southwest
7S7
1:15 PM
CDT
2:35 PM
CDT
1h 20m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN1524
WN Southwest
7M8
3:45 PM
CDT
5:05 PM
CDT
1h 20m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN1755
WN Southwest
738
4:40 PM
CDT
6:00 PM
CDT
1h 20m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN1771
WN Southwest
B38M
10:05 AM
CDT
11:25 AM
CDT
1h 20m
50%
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN1536
WN Southwest
738
10:15 AM
CDT
11:35 AM
CDT
1h 20m
50%
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN411
WN Southwest
7S7
10:15 AM
CDT
11:35 AM
CDT
1h 20m
50%
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN2187
WN Southwest
7S7
6:00 PM
CDT
7:20 PM
CDT
1h 20m
50%
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN41
WN Southwest
7S7
9:20 PM
CDT
10:45 PM
CDT
1h 25m
50%
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN4277
WN Southwest
7S7
10:05 PM
CDT
11:30 PM
CDT
1h 25m
50%
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN4279
WN Southwest
7S7
10:05 PM
CDT
11:35 PM
CDT
1h 30m
50%
M T W T F S S
Prices

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 10 hubs
MSP Minneapolis 3h 46m AFAMDL AFDLEJA Minneapolis (MSP) to Chicago flights
DTW Detroit 3h 49m DLKEVS AFDLKE Detroit (DTW) to Chicago flights
BNA Nashville 4h 4m G4 WN Nashville (BNA) to Chicago flights
ATL Atlanta 5h 5m AFAMDL AFAMDL Atlanta (ATL) to Chicago flights
DEN Denver 5h 11m ACF9UA WN Denver (DEN) to Chicago flights
PHL Philadelphia 5h 21m AAG4 EJAWN Philadelphia (PHL) to Chicago flights
DFW Dallas-Fort Worth 5h 22m AAASAY F9Y4 Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Chicago flights
DCA Washington 5h 26m AA WN Washington (DCA) to Chicago flights
CLT Charlotte 5h 34m AA WN Charlotte (CLT) to Chicago flights
LGA New York 6h 13m AADL WN New York (LGA) to Chicago flights
1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Des Moines to Chicago
1 carrier, 17 flights/week nonstop.
1 Airlines 305 mi 1h 20m nonstop

DSM–MDW is served by 1 airline with nonstop service. Southwest Airlines leads the route. The flight covers 305 miles in approximately 1h 20m. Beyond nonstop, 1-stop connecting options are also available.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop DSM–MDW service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
WN Southwest Airlines 16 738, 73H, 7M8, 7S7 1h20 88%
Aircraft on this route
738 Boeing 737-800 – WN
73H Boeing 737-800 (Winglets) – WN
7M8 Boeing 737 MAX 8 – WN
7S7 Boeing 737 MAX 7 – WN
Alliance coverage
Unaffiliated: WN (16 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, DSM to MDW direction.
Mon
2
flights
Tue
2
flights
Wed
2
flights
Thu
2
flights
Fri
2
flights
Sat
4
flights
Sun
2
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
7
Nonstop flights
17
Outbound / wk
19
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for DSM to MDW.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
35
Hubs
~3h
Fastest
~22h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
1,658
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 → MDW
88%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
88%
Arriving
85%
Return
MDW → DSM
28%
Frequent delays expected. Consider flexible booking.
Departing
28%
Arriving
67%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. DSM delays → MDW delays →

Other ways to reach Chicago from Des Moines

Nearby airports with service to Chicago Midway International Airport.
Metric DSM→MDW CID→MDW OMA→MDW
Distance from DSM 103 mi 117 mi
Nonstop airlines 1 3 7
Weekly flights 17 1 23
Flight time 1h 20m 0h 36m 1h 20m
Departure OTP 88%
Airports within 200 miles of DSM with service to Chicago Midway International Airport.

Travel Essentials

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

When it's 6:00 PM in Des Moines, it's 6:00 PM in Chicago.
Distance & Flight Time
305 mi / 491 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 1h 20m gate to gate.

DSM–MDW Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Des Moines to Chicago route.
Route details
Distance305 mi / 491 km
Flight time1h 20m
Time difference0 hours
Airlines (nonstop)1
Weekly flights17 out / 19 return
1-stop connectionsAvailable
Origin: DSM
IATA / ICAODSM / KDSM
TimezoneAmerica/Chicago
Passengers/yr3.1M
Elevation958 ft / 292 m
Destination: MDW
IATA / ICAOMDW / KMDW
TimezoneAmerica/Chicago
Passengers/yr20.7M
Elevation620 ft / 189 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about DSM to MDW flights.
Nonstop flights from Des Moines International Airport to Chicago Midway International Airport take about 1h 20m gate to gate. The route covers 305 miles.
1 airline operates flights from DSM to MDW: Southwest Airlines.
This route has daily service. Check the schedule above for departure days and times in each direction.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available, ranked by layover time. Common connecting points include Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County and Nashville.
Yes, return flights from MDW to DSM are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include CID and 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 MDW

Des Moines International Airport (DSM) and Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) are connected by nonstop service from Southwest Airlines. With 17 weekly departures, this is a well served route.

DSM to MDW Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from DSM to MDW is about 1 hours 20 minutes gate to gate. The route covers a distance of 305 miles (491 km). There are approximately 17 weekly flights outbound and 19 return, totaling 36 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

1-stop connecting options are also available, commonly via Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County and Nashville. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Cedar Rapids (CID) and Omaha (OMA).