Des Moines (DSM) to Los Angeles (LAX)
Flight time
≈ 3h 41m
Bearing
257° W
Des Moines (DSM) to Los Angeles (LAX) is 1,444 miles (2,324 km) as the crow flies — the great-circle baseline most distance-based mileage programs credit.
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What actually flies DSM–LAX
Filed traffic dataIn July 2026, SkyWest Airlines was the only carrier flying nonstop DSM–LAX; the Embraer E175 was the most common aircraft at 100% of departures; flights ran 83% full.
Departures
63
July 2026
Seats
4,788
both directions
Passengers
3,997
both directions
Load factor
83.5%
RPM ÷ ASM
Who flies DSM–LAX?
SkyWest Airlines was the only carrier to fly nonstop DSM–LAX in July 2026 (63 departures).
- OO
63 departures · 4,788 seats
Share of departures100.0%83.5%
Load
What plane flies DSM–LAX?
In July 2026, the Embraer E175 flew 100% of DSM–LAX departures.
- Embraer E175
63 departures · 83.5% load
100.0%
How has DSM–LAX traffic changed?
Nonstop DSM–LAX departures rose from 53 in October 2025 to 63 in July 2026.
Monthly nonstop DSM–LAX traffic, trailing 12 months through July 2026. Bars scale to the busiest month; months with no filed service show as zero.
October 2025
53 departures · 3,016 passengers
74.9%
Load
November 2025
63 departures · 3,170 passengers
66.2%
Load
December 2025
62 departures · 3,201 passengers
68.3%
Load
January 2026
61 departures · 3,288 passengers
70.9%
Load
February 2026
56 departures · 3,035 passengers
71.3%
Load
March 2026
63 departures · 3,829 passengers
78.4%
Load
April 2026
59 departures · 3,269 passengers
73.6%
Load
May 2026
63 departures · 3,716 passengers
77.6%
Load
June 2026
59 departures · 3,727 passengers
83.1%
Load
July 2026
63 departures · 3,997 passengers
83.5%
Load
By direction
Each direction is filed separately — they rarely match.
LAX → DSM
86.1% full
32 departures · 2,094 passengers
DSM → LAX
80.8% full
31 departures · 1,903 passengers
Nonstop DSM–LAX traffic has been filed since 2025.
Source: US DOT BTS Form 41 T-100 Segment (All Carriers). Data through July 2026; filings from 2025. Public domain (US Government work).
The airports
Frequently asked
How far is Des Moines (DSM) from Los Angeles (LAX)?
DSM to LAX is 1,444 miles (2,324 km / 1,255 nautical miles) measured great-circle — the shortest path over the surface of the Earth.
How long is the flight from DSM to LAX?
A nonstop covers the 1,444-mile great-circle distance in roughly 3h 41m of block time, before winds. Actual schedules vary a few percent by direction and aircraft.
What plane flies DSM–LAX?
In July 2026, the Embraer E175 flew the largest share of departures (100.0%).
What mileage do I earn flying DSM–LAX?
Distance-based programs credit off the 1,444-mile great-circle figure, then apply your fare-class earning rate. Revenue-based programs credit off the fare instead.
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