Los Angeles to Des Moines (LAX–DSM) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

LAX Airport Page →
1,444 mi airlines charter/private 7/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 2 flights Verified 52m 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
✓
→
AA4971
AA American
E75
1:41 PM
PDT
7:11 PM
CDT
3h 30m
49%
M T W T F S S
Prices
✓
←
AA4971
AA American
E75L
6:47 PM
CDT
8:45 PM
PDT
3h 58m
—
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
PHX Phoenix 5h AAACAF → AAASUA Phoenix (PHX) to Des Moines flights
LAS Las Vegas 5h 2m AAACAF → G4WN Las Vegas (LAS) to Des Moines flights
DEN Denver 5h 4m AAACAF → F9UAWN Denver (DEN) to Des Moines flights
SNA Santa Ana 5h 36m AADL → G4 Santa Ana (SNA) to Des Moines flights
MSP Minneapolis 5h 49m AFAMDL → AFDLKE Minneapolis (MSP) to Des Moines flights
DFW Dallas-Fort Worth 5h 54m 5YAAAM → AAASAY Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Des Moines flights
AUS Austin 5h 59m AAAMAS → G4 Austin (AUS) to Des Moines flights
PDX Portland 6h 32m AAAMAS → G4 Portland (PDX) to Des Moines flights
ORD Chicago 6h 37m AAACAY → AAACAS Chicago (ORD) to Des Moines flights
IAH Houston 6h 39m AAAFAS → CMEKUA Houston (IAH) to Des Moines flights
✦ 1-STOP More options, longer trips
✧ 2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Los Angeles to Des Moines
2 carriers, 7 flights/week nonstop.
2 Airlines 1,444 mi 3h 30m nonstop +2h ahead

LAX–DSM is served by 2 airlines with nonstop service. American Airlines leads the route. The flight covers 1,444 miles in approximately 3h 30m. Beyond nonstop, 1-stop connecting options are also available.

Also explore LAX Routes DSM Routes LAX Live Flights DSM Live Flights LAX Delays DSM Delays
All flights from Des Moines (DSM) Des Moines to Los Angeles flights
Carriers on this route

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop LAX–DSM service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
AA American Airlines 7 E75 3h30 70% Oneworld –
TWY TWY 1 – – 70% – –
Aircraft on this route
E75 Embraer E175 – AA
Alliance coverage
Oneworld: AA (7 flights/wk, 88%)
Unaffiliated: TWY (1 flights/wk, 13%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.
Schedule

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, LAX to DSM direction.
Mon
1
flight
Tue
1
flight
Wed
1
flight
Thu
1
flight
Fri
1
flight
Sat
1
flight
Sun
1
flight
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
1
Nonstop flights
7
Outbound / wk
7
Return / wk
Connections

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for LAX to DSM.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
30
Hubs
~5h
Fastest
~14h
Longest
PHX ~5h 0m LAS ~5h 2m DEN ~5h 4m SNA ~5h 36m MSP ~5h 49m
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
1,988
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
LAX → DSM
70%
Moderate delays possible. Allow buffer time.
Departing
70%
Arriving
78%
Return
DSM → LAX
27%
Frequent delays expected. Consider flexible booking.
Departing
27%
Arriving
80%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. LAX delays → DSM delays →
Alternatives

Other ways to reach Des Moines from Los Angeles

Nearby airports with service to Des Moines International Airport.
Metric LAX→DSM BUR→DSM SNA→DSM
Distance from LAX – 18 mi 36 mi
Nonstop airlines 2 1 3
Weekly flights 7 2 5
Flight time 3h 30m 3h 20m 3h 14m
Departure OTP 70% – –
Burbank (BUR) to Des Moines flights · Santa Ana (SNA) to Des Moines flights · Palm Springs (PSP) to Des Moines flights
Airports within 200 miles of LAX with service to Des Moines International Airport.
Know before you go

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
+2h
Des Moines is 2 hours ahead of Los Angeles.
LAX: PDT · DSM: CDT

When it's 6:00 PM in Los Angeles, it's 8:00 PM in Des Moines.
Distance & Flight Time
1,444 mi / 2,324 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 3h 30m gate to gate.
Getting to LAX

FlyAway bus runs from Van Nuys and Union Station ($9.75, 30–50 min depending on traffic). LA Metro C Line connects to Aviation/LAX station; a free shuttle covers the last mile to terminals. Ride-shares cost $20–50 from downtown. Long-term parking lots A/B are walkable; remote Lot E requires a shuttle.

Facts

LAX–DSM Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Los Angeles to Des Moines route.
Route details
Distance1,444 mi / 2,324 km
Flight time3h 30m
Time difference+2 hours
Airlines (nonstop)2
Weekly flights7 out / 7 return
1-stop connectionsAvailable
Origin: LAX
Full nameLos Angeles International Airport
IATA / ICAOLAX / KLAX
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr76.6M
Elevation125 ft / 38 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 LAX to DSM flights.
Nonstop flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Des Moines International Airport take about 3h 30m gate to gate. The route covers 1,444 miles.
2 airlines operate flights from LAX to DSM: American Airlines, and others.
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 Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid and Denver.
Des Moines is 2 hours ahead of Los Angeles.
Yes, return flights from DSM to LAX are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include BUR, SNA and PSP. 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 LAX to DSM

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Des Moines International Airport (DSM) are connected by nonstop service from American Airlines. With 7 weekly departures, this is a regularly served route.

LAX to DSM Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from LAX to DSM is about 3 hours 30 minutes gate to gate. The route covers a distance of 1,444 miles (2,324 km). There are approximately 7 weekly flights outbound and 7 return, totaling 14 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

1-stop connecting options are also available, commonly via Phoenix Sky Harbor, Harry Reid and Denver. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Burbank (BUR), Santa Ana (SNA) and Palm Springs (PSP).