Houston to Des Moines (IAH–DSM) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

IAH Airport Page →
804 mi airlines charter/private 36/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 14 flights Verified 40m 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
UA6166
UA United
E75L
11:55 AM
CDT TC
2:14 PM
CDT
2h 19m
58%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1780+2
Starts Sep 24
UA United
738
7:50 PM
CDT TC
10:15 PM
CDT
2h 25m
58%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA5291
UA United
E75L
8:05 PM
CDT TE
10:30 PM
CDT
2h 25m
58%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1887
UA United
739
8:05 PM
CDT TE
10:30 PM
CDT
2h 25m
58%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA6122
UA United
E7W
8:05 PM
CDT TC
10:30 PM
CDT
2h 25m
58%
M T W T F S S
Prices
CM1331cs
CM Copa
319
8:12 PM
CDT TE
10:35 PM
CDT
2h 23m
M T W T F S S
Prices
EK6104cs
EK Emirates
319
8:12 PM
CDT TE
10:35 PM
CDT
2h 23m
68%
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA1982+2
Starts Sep 24
UA United
738
6:00 AM
CDT
8:24 AM
CDT
2h 24m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA4793
UA United
E75L
6:15 AM
CDT
8:50 AM
CDT
2h 35m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA4031+1
UA United
E7W
6:15 AM
CDT
8:50 AM
CDT
2h 35m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA2207
UA United
739
6:15 AM
CDT
8:42 AM
CDT
2h 27m
M T W T F S S
Prices
NZ6545cs
NZ Air New Zealand
E75L
6:15 AM
CDT
8:50 AM
CDT
2h 35m
M T W T F S S
Prices
CM1337cs
CM Copa
319
6:20 AM
CDT
8:49 AM
CDT
2h 29m
M T W T F S S
Prices
UA6117
UA United
E75L
3:02 PM
CDT
5:25 PM
CDT
2h 23m
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
DFW Dallas-Fort Worth 4h 9m AAASAY AAASAY Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Des Moines flights
ATL Atlanta 5h 5m AFAMDL AMDLKE Atlanta (ATL) to Des Moines flights
DEN Denver 5h 11m 8CACAV F9UAWN Denver (DEN) to Des Moines flights
ORD Chicago 5h 13m AAASAV AAACAS Chicago (ORD) to Des Moines flights
DTW Detroit 5h 30m AFAMDL AMDLKE Detroit (DTW) to Des Moines flights
AUS Austin 5h 36m ACCMEK G4 Austin (AUS) to Des Moines flights
MSP Minneapolis 5h 49m AFAMDL AFDLKE Minneapolis (MSP) to Des Moines flights
CLT Charlotte 6h 7m AAEJAF9 AA Charlotte (CLT) to Des Moines flights
PHX Phoenix 6h 39m AAASF9 AAWN Phoenix (PHX) to Des Moines flights
DCA Washington 6h 43m AAEKNZ AA Washington (DCA) to Des Moines flights
1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Houston to Des Moines
1 carrier, 36 flights/week nonstop.
1 Airlines 804 mi 2h 25m nonstop

IAH–DSM is served by 1 airline with nonstop service. United Airlines leads the route. The flight covers 804 miles in approximately 2h 25m. Beyond nonstop, 1-stop connecting options are also available.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop IAH–DSM service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
UA United Airlines Also: CM, EK 22 738, 739, E75L, E7W 2h19-2h25 74% Star Alliance CM, EK
Aircraft on this route
319 Airbus A319 – CM, EK
738 Boeing 737-800 – UA
739 Boeing 737-900 – UA
E75L Embraer E175 Long Wing – UA
E7W Embraer E175 – UA
Alliance coverage
Star Alliance: UA (22 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, IAH to DSM direction.
Mon
5
flights
Tue
5
flights
Wed
6
flights
Thu
5
flights
Fri
5
flights
Sat
5
flights
Sun
5
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
7
Nonstop flights
36
Outbound / wk
35
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for IAH to DSM.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
23
Hubs
~4h
Fastest
~18h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
1,891
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
IAH → DSM
74%
Moderate delays possible. Allow buffer time.
Departing
74%
Arriving
63%
Return
DSM → IAH
87%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
87%
Arriving
98%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. IAH delays → DSM delays →

Other ways to reach Des Moines from Houston

Nearby airports with service to Des Moines International Airport.
Metric IAH→DSM HOU→DSM AUS→DSM
Distance from IAH 24 mi 140 mi
Nonstop airlines 1 3 3
Weekly flights 36 1 2
Flight time 2h 25m 2h 17m 2h 11m
Departure OTP 74%
Airports within 200 miles of IAH with service to Des Moines International Airport.

Travel Essentials

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

When it's 6:00 PM in Houston, it's 6:00 PM in Des Moines.
Distance & Flight Time
804 mi / 1,293 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 2h 25m gate to gate.
Getting to IAH

IAH has no direct rail link to downtown Houston. The IAH Express bus runs from Houston Amtrak/Greyhound station via Park & Ride to Terminal C (60–90 min, $1.25 with METRO Q card). This is the only transit option; Houston's rail network does not reach the airport.Taxis from downtown Houston cost $50–70 and take 40–60 minutes. Ride-hails (Uber, Lyft) are typically $35–55. IAH sits 23 miles north of downtown on the North Freeway (I-45); traffic is heavy during morning and evening rush. Remote economy parking lots serve all terminals via shuttle.

IAH–DSM Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Houston to Des Moines route.
Route details
Distance804 mi / 1,293 km
Flight time2h 25m
Time difference0 hours
Airlines (nonstop)1
Weekly flights36 out / 35 return
1-stop connectionsAvailable
Origin: IAH
IATA / ICAOIAH / KIAH
TimezoneAmerica/Chicago
Passengers/yr46.7M
Elevation97 ft / 30 m
Destination: DSM
IATA / ICAODSM / KDSM
TimezoneAmerica/Chicago
Passengers/yr3.1M
Elevation958 ft / 292 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about IAH to DSM flights.
Nonstop flights from George Bush Intercontinental Airport to Des Moines International Airport take about 2h 25m gate to gate. The route covers 804 miles.
1 airline operates flights from IAH to DSM: United Airlines.
This route has frequent 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 Dallas Fort Worth, Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta and Denver.
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.
Yes, return flights from DSM to IAH are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include HOU and AUS. 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 IAH to DSM

George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and Des Moines International Airport (DSM) are connected by nonstop service from United Airlines. With 36 weekly departures, this is a heavily served route.

IAH to DSM Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from IAH to DSM is about 2 hours 25 minutes gate to gate. The route covers a distance of 804 miles (1,293 km). There are approximately 36 weekly flights outbound and 35 return, totaling 71 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

1-stop connecting options are also available, commonly via Dallas Fort Worth, Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta and Denver. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Houston (HOU) and Austin (AUS).