Dulles to Des Moines (IAD–DSM) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

IAD Airport Page →
872 mi airlines charter/private 1/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Connecting Flight Schedule 23 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 10 hubs
DTW Detroit 4h 21m AFAMAV → AMDLKE Detroit (DTW) to Des Moines flights
ORD Chicago 4h 37m ACAVAZ → AAACAS Chicago (ORD) to Des Moines flights
CLT Charlotte 4h 50m AAACAT → AA Charlotte (CLT) to Des Moines flights
ATL Atlanta 4h 53m AFAMCM → AMDLKE Atlanta (ATL) to Des Moines flights
PHL Philadelphia 4h 57m ACAVCM → AAG4QR Philadelphia (PHL) to Des Moines flights
LGA New York 5h 17m AVDLUA → AADL New York (LGA) to Des Moines flights
BOS Boston 5h 44m AVAZCM → G4 Boston (BOS) to Des Moines flights
MSP Minneapolis 5h 52m AFAMCM → AFDLKE Minneapolis (MSP) to Des Moines flights
DFW Dallas-Fort Worth 6h 5m AAASAT → AAASAY Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Des Moines flights
DEN Denver 6h 31m AVAZCM → F9UAWN Denver (DEN) to Des Moines flights
✦ 1-STOP More options, longer trips
✧ 2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Dulles to Des Moines
Connecting service available through multiple hubs.
1 Airlines 872 mi 2h nonstop -1h behind

IAD–DSM had nonstop service from United 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 872 miles in 2h.

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

Airline Landscape

Carriers that operated nonstop IAD–DSM service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
UA United Airlines 1 – – 100% 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 IAD to DSM.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
23
Hubs
~4h
Fastest
~24h
Longest
DTW ~4h 21m ORD ~4h 37m CLT ~4h 50m ATL ~4h 53m PHL ~4h 57m
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
1,773
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
IAD → DSM
100%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
100%
Arriving
100%
Return
DSM → IAD
100%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
100%
Arriving
84%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. IAD delays → DSM delays →
Alternatives

Other ways to reach Des Moines from Dulles

Nearby airports with service to Des Moines International Airport.
Metric IAD→DSM DCA→DSM BWI→DSM
Distance from IAD – 23 mi 45 mi
Nonstop airlines – 2 5
Weekly flights – 20 –
Flight time 2h 2h 42m 2h 10m
Departure OTP 100% – –
Washington (DCA) to Des Moines flights · Baltimore (BWI) to Des Moines flights · Lancaster (LNS) to Des Moines flights
Airports within 200 miles of IAD with service to Des Moines International Airport.
Know before you go

Travel Essentials

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

When it's 6:00 PM in Dulles, it's 5:00 PM in Des Moines.
Distance & Flight Time
872 mi / 1,403 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 2h 0m gate to gate.
Getting to IAD

WMATA Silver Line Metro now reaches Dulles directly; take Silver Line to Washington Dulles Airport station (about 65 min from Metro Center, ~$7). The connection opened in late 2022.Ride-shares from downtown DC run $35–60 and take 35–50 minutes via I-66 (longer during peak hours). Washington Flyer coach to Wiehle-Reston East Metro costs $6. The airport is 27 miles from downtown; taxis are expensive ($60–80).

Facts

IAD–DSM Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Dulles to Des Moines route.
Route details
Distance872 mi / 1,403 km
Flight time2h
Time difference-1 hour
Airlines (nonstop)1
1-stop connectionsAvailable
Origin: IAD
Full nameWashington Dulles International Airport
IATA / ICAOIAD / KIAD
TimezoneAmerica/New_York
Passengers/yr26.0M
Elevation312 ft / 95 m
Destination: DSM
Full nameDes Moines International Airport
IATA / ICAODSM / KDSM
TimezoneAmerica/Chicago
Passengers/yr3.1M
Elevation958 ft / 292 m
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about IAD to DSM flights.
Nonstop flights from Washington Dulles International Airport to Des Moines International Airport take about 2h gate to gate. The route covers 872 miles.
1 airline operated the nonstop from IAD to DSM: United 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 2h.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available, ranked by layover time. Common connecting points include Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County, Chicago O'Hare and Charlotte Douglas.
On a single ticket, yes. Your bags are checked through to DSM 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.
Des Moines is 1 hour behind Dulles.
Yes, return flights from DSM to IAD are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include DCA, 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 IAD to DSM

Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Des Moines International Airport (DSM) had nonstop service from United 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.

IAD to DSM Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from IAD to DSM is about 2 hours gate to gate. The route covers a distance of 872 miles (1,403 km).

Connecting Options and Alternatives

1-stop connecting options are also available, commonly via Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County, Chicago O'Hare and Charlotte Douglas. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Washington (DCA), Baltimore (BWI) and Lancaster (LNS).