Lexington to Des Moines (LEX–DSM) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

LEX Airport Page →
538 mi airlines charter/private
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Connecting Flight Schedule 15 1-stop flights Verified 2mos 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.

Last scheduled nonstop: Jun 2026.

✦ 1-Stop connections via 10 hubs
ORD Chicago 4h 5m AAASAV → AAACAS Chicago (ORD) to Des Moines flights
ATL Atlanta 4h 39m AFAMDL → AMDLKE Atlanta (ATL) to Des Moines flights
CLT Charlotte 4h 56m AA → AA Charlotte (CLT) to Des Moines flights
DFW Dallas-Fort Worth 5h 16m AAAYG3 → AAASAY Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Des Moines flights
SFB Orlando 5h 34m G4 → G4 Orlando (SFB) to Des Moines flights
PHL Philadelphia 5h 39m AAQR → AAG4QR Philadelphia (PHL) to Des Moines flights
DEN Denver 5h 44m UA → F9UAWN Denver (DEN) to Des Moines flights
PIE Pinellas Park 6h 5m G4 → G4 Pinellas Park (PIE) to Des Moines flights
MSP Minneapolis 6h 23m DL → AFDLKE Minneapolis (MSP) to Des Moines flights
FLL Fort Lauderdale 6h 40m G4 → G4 Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Des Moines flights
✦ 1-STOP More options, longer trips
✧ 2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Lexington to Des Moines
Connecting service available through multiple hubs.
538 mi 1h 27m nonstop -1h behind

While no nonstop service exists between LEX and DSM, 1-stop connecting options are available.

Also explore Browse available seat maps LEX Routes DSM Routes LEX Live Flights DSM Live Flights LEX Delays DSM Delays
All flights from Des Moines (DSM) Des Moines to Lexington flights
Connections

Connection Landscape

1-stop and 2-stop options for LEX to DSM.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
15
Hubs
~4h
Fastest
~18h
Longest
ORD ~4h 5m ATL ~4h 39m CLT ~4h 56m DFW ~5h 16m SFB ~5h 34m
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
265
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
LEX → DSM
70%
Moderate delays possible. Allow buffer time.
Departing
70%
Arriving
72%
Return
DSM → LEX
88%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
88%
Arriving
75%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. LEX delays → DSM delays →
Alternatives

Other ways to reach Des Moines from Lexington

Nearby airports with service to Des Moines International Airport.
Metric LEX→DSM SDF→DSM CVG→DSM
Distance from LEX – 62 mi 70 mi
Nonstop airlines – 1 2
Weekly flights – – 1
Flight time 1h 27m 1h 5m 1h 27m
Departure OTP 70% – –
Louisville (SDF) to Des Moines flights · Cincinnati / Covington (CVG) to Des Moines flights · Dayton (DAY) to Des Moines flights
Airports within 200 miles of LEX 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 Lexington.
LEX: EDT · DSM: CDT

When it's 6:00 PM in Lexington, it's 5:00 PM in Des Moines.
Distance & Flight Time
538 mi / 865 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 1h 27m gate to gate.
Facts

LEX–DSM Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Lexington to Des Moines route.
Route details
Distance538 mi / 865 km
Flight time1h 27m
Time difference-1 hour
Airlines (nonstop)0
1-stop connectionsAvailable
Origin: LEX
Full nameBlue Grass Airport
IATA / ICAOLEX / KLEX
TimezoneAmerica/New_York
Passengers/yr1.6M
Elevation979 ft / 298 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 LEX to DSM flights.
Nonstop flights from Blue Grass Airport to Des Moines International Airport take about 1h 27m gate to gate. The route covers 538 miles.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available, ranked by layover time. Common connecting points include Chicago O'Hare, Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta 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 Lexington.
Yes, return flights from DSM to LEX are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include SDF, CVG and DAY. 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 LEX to DSM

Blue Grass Airport (LEX) and Des Moines International Airport (DSM) are connected through multiple connecting hub airports.

LEX to DSM Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from LEX to DSM is about 1 hours 27 minutes gate to gate. The route covers a distance of 538 miles (865 km).

Connecting Options and Alternatives

1-stop connecting options are also available, commonly via Chicago O'Hare, Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta and Charlotte Douglas. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Louisville (SDF), Cincinnati / Covington (CVG) and Dayton (DAY).