Des Moines to Oakland (DSM–OAK) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

DSM Airport Page →
1,536 mi airlines charter/private 1/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Connecting Flight Schedule 8 1-stop flights Verified 2w ago
Also flown by charter / private operators: NetJets Aviation.
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 8 hubs
DEN Denver 5h 17m ACF9UA → ASWN Denver (DEN) to Oakland flights
LAS Las Vegas 5h 30m EJAG4WN → F9WNXE Las Vegas (LAS) to Oakland flights
SNA Santa Ana 5h 50m G4 → EJAWN Santa Ana (SNA) to Oakland flights
PHX Phoenix 5h 50m AAASWN → WN Phoenix (PHX) to Oakland flights
LAX Los Angeles 6h 27m AA → JRELXJWN Los Angeles (LAX) to Oakland flights
MDW Chicago 8h 15m EJAWN → WN Chicago (MDW) to Oakland flights
AUS Austin 9h 37m G4 → WN Austin (AUS) to Oakland flights
HOU Houston ~8h 1m G4 → WN Houston (HOU) to Oakland flights
✦ 1-STOP More options, longer trips
✧ 2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Des Moines to Oakland
Connecting service available through multiple hubs.
1 Airlines 1,536 mi 3h 54m nonstop -2h behind

DSM–OAK had nonstop service from Southwest Airlines, last on the schedule in August 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 1,536 miles in 3h 54m.

Also explore Browse available seat maps DSM Routes OAK Routes DSM Live Flights OAK Live Flights DSM Delays OAK Delays
All flights from Oakland (OAK) Oakland to Des Moines flights
Carriers on this route

Airline Landscape

Carriers that operated nonstop DSM–OAK service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
WN Southwest Airlines 1 – – 79% – –
Alliance coverage
Unaffiliated: WN (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 OAK.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
8
Hubs
~5h
Fastest
~9h
Longest
DEN ~5h 17m LAS ~5h 30m SNA ~5h 50m PHX ~5h 50m LAX ~6h 27m
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
404
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 → OAK
79%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
79%
Arriving
31%
Return
OAK → DSM
52%
Frequent delays expected. Consider flexible booking.
Departing
52%
Arriving
82%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. DSM delays → OAK delays →
Alternatives

Other ways to reach Oakland from Des Moines

Nearby airports with service to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport.
Metric DSM→OAK MCW→OAK OMA→OAK
Distance from DSM – 114 mi 117 mi
Nonstop airlines – 1 4
Weekly flights – – 1
Flight time 3h 54m 3h 36m 3h 26m
Departure OTP 79% – –
Mason City (MCW) to Oakland flights · Omaha (OMA) to Oakland flights
Airports within 200 miles of DSM with service to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport.
Know before you go

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
-2h
Oakland is 2 hours behind Des Moines.
DSM: CDT · OAK: PDT

When it's 6:00 PM in Des Moines, it's 4:00 PM in Oakland.
Distance & Flight Time
1,536 mi / 2,471 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 3h 54m gate to gate.
Facts

DSM–OAK Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Des Moines to Oakland route.
Route details
Distance1,536 mi / 2,471 km
Flight time3h 54m
Time difference-2 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: OAK
Full nameSan Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport
IATA / ICAOOAK / KOAK
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr10.6M
Elevation9 ft / 3 m
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about DSM to OAK flights.
Nonstop flights from Des Moines International Airport to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport take about 3h 54m gate to gate. The route covers 1,536 miles.
1 airline operated the nonstop from DSM to OAK: Southwest Airlines. The last scheduled nonstop was in August 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 August 2026. You can still fly it with one stop, and the connecting options above are sorted by layover. Nonstop, the hop took about 3h 54m.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available, ranked by layover time. Common connecting points include Denver, Harry Reid and John Wayne Orange County.
On a single ticket, yes. Your bags are checked through to OAK and move between planes without you. On two separate tickets you collect your bags at the connecting airport and recheck them, so build in extra layover time.
Oakland is 2 hours behind Des Moines.
Nearby alternatives include MCW 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 OAK

Des Moines International Airport (DSM) and San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport (OAK) had nonstop service from Southwest Airlines, last on the schedule in August 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 OAK Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from DSM to OAK is about 3 hours 54 minutes gate to gate. The route covers a distance of 1,536 miles (2,471 km).

Connecting Options and Alternatives

1-stop connecting options are also available, commonly via Denver, Harry Reid and John Wayne Orange County. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Mason City (MCW) and Omaha (OMA).