Chicago to Des Moines (MDW–DSM) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

MDW Airport Page →
305 mi airlines charter/private 19/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 14 flights Verified 36s 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
WN1771
WN Southwest
B38M
10:05 AM
CDT
11:25 AM
CDT
1h 20m
50%
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN1536
WN Southwest
738
10:15 AM
CDT
11:35 AM
CDT
1h 20m
50%
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN411
WN Southwest
7S7
10:15 AM
CDT
11:35 AM
CDT
1h 20m
50%
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN2187
WN Southwest
7S7
6:00 PM
CDT
7:20 PM
CDT
1h 20m
50%
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN41
WN Southwest
7S7
9:20 PM
CDT
10:45 PM
CDT
1h 25m
50%
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN4277
WN Southwest
7S7
10:05 PM
CDT
11:30 PM
CDT
1h 25m
50%
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN4279
WN Southwest
7S7
10:05 PM
CDT
11:35 PM
CDT
1h 30m
50%
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN1558
WN Southwest
7S7
5:10 AM
CDT
6:30 AM
CDT
1h 20m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN1772
WN Southwest
73H
5:10 AM
CDT
6:30 AM
CDT
1h 20m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN463
WN Southwest
7S7
5:10 AM
CDT
6:30 AM
CDT
1h 20m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN1343
WN Southwest
7M8
5:10 AM
CDT
6:30 AM
CDT
1h 20m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN148
WN Southwest
7S7
1:15 PM
CDT
2:35 PM
CDT
1h 20m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN1524
WN Southwest
7M8
3:45 PM
CDT
5:05 PM
CDT
1h 20m
M T W T F S S
Prices
WN1755
WN Southwest
738
4:40 PM
CDT
6:00 PM
CDT
1h 20m
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
MSP Minneapolis 3h 49m DLKEVS AFDLKE Minneapolis (MSP) to Des Moines flights
DTW Detroit 3h 54m AFDLKE AFAMDL Detroit (DTW) to Des Moines flights
ATL Atlanta 4h 51m AFAMDL AMDLKE Atlanta (ATL) to Des Moines flights
DEN Denver 5h 11m UAWN F9UAWN Denver (DEN) to Des Moines flights
BNA Nashville 5h 19m WN G4 Nashville (BNA) to Des Moines flights
CLT Charlotte 5h 45m WN AA Charlotte (CLT) to Des Moines flights
LGA New York 5h 53m WN AADL New York (LGA) to Des Moines flights
PHL Philadelphia 5h 59m EJAWN AAG4 Philadelphia (PHL) to Des Moines flights
AUS Austin 6h 4m EJALXJWN G4 Austin (AUS) to Des Moines flights
DCA Washington 6h 17m WN AAAS Washington (DCA) to Des Moines flights
1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Chicago to Des Moines
1 carrier, 19 flights/week nonstop.
1 Airlines 305 mi 1h 20m nonstop

MDW–DSM is served by 1 airline with nonstop service. Southwest Airlines leads the route. The flight covers 305 miles in approximately 1h 20m. Beyond nonstop, 1-stop connecting options are also available.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop MDW–DSM service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
WN Southwest Airlines 19 738, 7S7, B38M 1h20-1h30 26%
Aircraft on this route
738 Boeing 737-800 – WN
7S7 Boeing 737 MAX 7 – WN
B38M Boeing 737 MAX 8 – WN
Alliance coverage
Unaffiliated: WN (19 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, MDW to DSM direction.
Mon
3
flights
Tue
2
flights
Wed
2
flights
Thu
3
flights
Fri
3
flights
Sat
4
flights
Sun
2
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
7
Nonstop flights
19
Outbound / wk
16
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for MDW to DSM.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
34
Hubs
~3h
Fastest
~27h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
1,692
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
MDW → DSM
26%
Frequent delays expected. Consider flexible booking.
Departing
26%
Arriving
100%
Return
DSM → MDW
63%
Moderate delays possible. Allow buffer time.
Departing
63%
Arriving
81%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. MDW delays → DSM delays →

Other ways to reach Des Moines from Chicago

Nearby airports with service to Des Moines International Airport.
Metric MDW→DSM ORD→DSM SBN→DSM
Distance from MDW 15 mi 74 mi
Nonstop airlines 1 12 1
Weekly flights 19 324
Flight time 1h 20m 1h 20m 1h 8m
Departure OTP 26%
Airports within 200 miles of MDW 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 Chicago.
MDW: CDT · DSM: CDT

When it's 6:00 PM in Chicago, it's 6:00 PM in Des Moines.
Distance & Flight Time
305 mi / 491 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 1h 20m gate to gate.

MDW–DSM Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Chicago to Des Moines route.
Route details
Distance305 mi / 491 km
Flight time1h 20m
Time difference0 hours
Airlines (nonstop)1
Weekly flights19 out / 16 return
1-stop connectionsAvailable
Origin: MDW
IATA / ICAOMDW / KMDW
TimezoneAmerica/Chicago
Passengers/yr20.7M
Elevation620 ft / 189 m
Destination: DSM
IATA / ICAODSM / KDSM
TimezoneAmerica/Chicago
Passengers/yr3.1M
Elevation958 ft / 292 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about MDW to DSM flights.
Nonstop flights from Chicago Midway International Airport to Des Moines International Airport take about 1h 20m gate to gate. The route covers 305 miles.
1 airline operates flights from MDW to DSM: Southwest Airlines.
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 Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County and Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta.
Yes, return flights from DSM to MDW are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include ORD, SBN and MKE. 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 MDW to DSM

Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) and Des Moines International Airport (DSM) are connected by nonstop service from Southwest Airlines. With 19 weekly departures, this is a well served route.

MDW to DSM Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from MDW to DSM is about 1 hours 20 minutes gate to gate. The route covers a distance of 305 miles (491 km). There are approximately 19 weekly flights outbound and 16 return, totaling 35 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

1-stop connecting options are also available, commonly via Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County and Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Chicago (ORD), South Bend (SBN) and Milwaukee (MKE).