Des Moines (DSM) to Chicago (MDW)
Flight time
≈ 1h 25m
Bearing
85° E
Des Moines (DSM) to Chicago (MDW) is 305 miles (491 km) as the crow flies — the great-circle baseline most distance-based mileage programs credit.
Look up a route, or build a trip
Change the airports, or add stops for a multi-leg trip.
What actually flies DSM–MDW
Filed traffic dataIn July 2026, Southwest Airlines was the only carrier flying nonstop DSM–MDW; the Boeing 737-700 was the most common aircraft at 49% of departures; flights ran 64% full.
Departures
123
July 2026
Seats
19,245
both directions
Passengers
12,358
both directions
Load factor
64.2%
RPM ÷ ASM
Who flies DSM–MDW?
Southwest Airlines was the only carrier to fly nonstop DSM–MDW in July 2026 (123 departures).
- WN
123 departures · 19,245 seats
Share of departures100.0%64.2%
Load
What plane flies DSM–MDW?
In July 2026, the Boeing 737-700 flew 49% of DSM–MDW departures — more than any other aircraft type.
- Boeing 737-700
60 departures · 61.7% load
48.8% - Boeing 737 MAX 8
44 departures · 64.8% load
35.8% - Boeing 737-800
19 departures · 69.0% load
15.4%
How has DSM–MDW traffic changed?
Nonstop DSM–MDW departures rose from 2 in August 2025 to 123 in July 2026.
Monthly nonstop DSM–MDW traffic, trailing 12 months through July 2026. Bars scale to the busiest month; months with no filed service show as zero.
August 2025
2 departures · 200 passengers
69.9%
Load
September 2025
0 departures · 0 passengers
—
Load
October 2025
0 departures · 0 passengers
—
Load
November 2025
0 departures · 0 passengers
—
Load
December 2025
0 departures · 0 passengers
—
Load
January 2026
0 departures · 0 passengers
—
Load
February 2026
0 departures · 0 passengers
—
Load
March 2026
102 departures · 9,326 passengers
62.5%
Load
April 2026
113 departures · 9,769 passengers
56.7%
Load
May 2026
115 departures · 11,729 passengers
66.1%
Load
June 2026
121 departures · 13,941 passengers
73.6%
Load
July 2026
123 departures · 12,358 passengers
64.2%
Load
By direction
Each direction is filed separately — they rarely match.
DSM → MDW
63.4% full
62 departures · 6,418 passengers
MDW → DSM
65.1% full
61 departures · 5,940 passengers
Nonstop DSM–MDW 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 Chicago (MDW)?
DSM to MDW is 305 miles (491 km / 265 nautical miles) measured great-circle — the shortest path over the surface of the Earth.
How long is the flight from DSM to MDW?
A nonstop covers the 305-mile great-circle distance in roughly 1h 25m of block time, before winds. Actual schedules vary a few percent by direction and aircraft.
What plane flies DSM–MDW?
In July 2026, the Boeing 737-700 flew the largest share of departures (48.8%), followed by the Boeing 737 MAX 8 (35.8%).
What mileage do I earn flying DSM–MDW?
Distance-based programs credit off the 305-mile great-circle figure, then apply your fare-class earning rate. Revenue-based programs credit off the fare instead.
Keep exploring
Every route below is its own page.
Popular long-haul routes