Raleigh/Durham to Des Moines (RDU–DSM) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

RDU Airport Page →
890 mi airlines charter/private 1/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Connecting Flight Schedule 24 1-stop flights Verified 2w 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

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
MDW Chicago 4h 10m EJAWN → WN Chicago (MDW) to Des Moines flights
DTW Detroit 4h 22m AFAMDL → AMDLKE Detroit (DTW) to Des Moines flights
ATL Atlanta 4h 30m AFAMDL → AMDLKE Atlanta (ATL) to Des Moines flights
CLT Charlotte 4h 36m AAIB → AA Charlotte (CLT) to Des Moines flights
ORD Chicago 5h AAASCX → AAACAS Chicago (ORD) to Des Moines flights
PHL Philadelphia 5h 15m AAASBA → AAG4QR Philadelphia (PHL) to Des Moines flights
LGA New York 5h 29m AAAFAM → AADL New York (LGA) to Des Moines flights
MSP Minneapolis 5h 40m CNSDLKE → AFDLKE Minneapolis (MSP) to Des Moines flights
BOS Boston 5h 55m AFAMB6 → G4 Boston (BOS) to Des Moines flights
DCA Washington 6h 7m AAASDL → AA Washington (DCA) to Des Moines flights
✦ 1-STOP More options, longer trips
✧ 2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Raleigh/Durham to Des Moines
Connecting service available through multiple hubs.
1 Airlines 890 mi 2h 14m nonstop -1h behind

RDU–DSM had nonstop service from Breeze Airways, 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 890 miles in 2h 14m.

Also explore Browse available seat maps RDU Routes DSM Routes RDU Live Flights DSM Live Flights RDU Delays DSM Delays
All flights from Des Moines (DSM) Des Moines to Raleigh/Durham flights
Carriers on this route

Airline Landscape

Carriers that operated nonstop RDU–DSM service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
MX Breeze Airways 1 – – 72% – –
Alliance coverage
Unaffiliated: MX (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 RDU to DSM.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
24
Hubs
~4h
Fastest
~28h
Longest
MDW ~4h 10m DTW ~4h 22m ATL ~4h 30m CLT ~4h 36m ORD ~5h 0m
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
1,440
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
RDU → DSM
72%
Moderate delays possible. Allow buffer time.
Departing
72%
Arriving
82%
Return
DSM → RDU
80%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Departing
80%
Arriving
81%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. RDU delays → DSM delays →
Alternatives

Other ways to reach Des Moines from Raleigh/Durham

Nearby airports with service to Des Moines International Airport.
Metric RDU→DSM ILM→DSM
Distance from RDU – 122 mi
Nonstop airlines – 1
Weekly flights – –
Flight time 2h 14m 2h 9m
Departure OTP 72% –
Wilmington (ILM) to Des Moines flights
Airports within 200 miles of RDU 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 Raleigh/Durham.
RDU: EDT · DSM: CDT

When it's 6:00 PM in Raleigh/Durham, it's 5:00 PM in Des Moines.
Distance & Flight Time
890 mi / 1,433 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 2h 14m gate to gate.
Getting to RDU

No rail connection exists. GoTriangle Route 100 (RDU Express) runs from the Durham Station Transportation Center and downtown Raleigh to the airport for $2.25; takes 35–50 minutes but service is limited in the evenings and does not run all night.Ride-shares (Uber/Lyft) from downtown Raleigh: $20–30, 20–25 minutes. From Durham: $18–25, 15–20 minutes. Taxis: $30–40. Long-term parking from $7/day in Economy lots with shuttle service. I-40 provides direct access to both Raleigh and Durham.

Facts

RDU–DSM Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Raleigh/Durham to Des Moines route.
Route details
Distance890 mi / 1,433 km
Flight time2h 14m
Time difference-1 hour
Airlines (nonstop)1
1-stop connectionsAvailable
Origin: RDU
Full nameRaleigh-Durham International Airport
IATA / ICAORDU / KRDU
TimezoneAmerica/New_York
Passengers/yr15.2M
Elevation435 ft / 133 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 RDU to DSM flights.
Nonstop flights from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to Des Moines International Airport take about 2h 14m gate to gate. The route covers 890 miles.
1 airline operated the nonstop from RDU to DSM: Breeze Airways. 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 14m.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available, ranked by layover time. Common connecting points include Chicago Midway, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County and Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta.
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 Raleigh/Durham.
Yes, return flights from DSM to RDU are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include ILM. 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 RDU to DSM

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and Des Moines International Airport (DSM) had nonstop service from Breeze Airways, 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.

RDU to DSM Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from RDU to DSM is about 2 hours 14 minutes gate to gate. The route covers a distance of 890 miles (1,433 km).

Connecting Options and Alternatives

1-stop connecting options are also available, commonly via Chicago Midway, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County and Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Wilmington (ILM).