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.
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What actually flies DSM–MDW
Filed traffic dataIn May 2026, Southwest Airlines was the only carrier flying nonstop DSM–MDW; the Boeing 737-700 was the most common aircraft at 55% of departures; flights ran 66% full.
Departures
115
May 2026
Seats
17,731
both directions
Passengers
11,729
both directions
Load factor
66.1%
RPM ÷ ASM
Who flies DSM–MDW?
Southwest Airlines was the only carrier to fly nonstop DSM–MDW in May 2026 (115 departures).
- WN
115 departures · 17,731 seats
Share of departures100.0%66.1%
Load
What plane flies DSM–MDW?
In May 2026, the Boeing 737-700 flew 55% of DSM–MDW departures — more than any other aircraft type.
- Boeing 737-700
63 departures · 66.5% load
54.8% - Boeing 737-800
28 departures · 64.6% load
24.3% - Boeing 737 MAX 8
24 departures · 67.2% load
20.9%
How has DSM–MDW traffic changed?
Nonstop DSM–MDW departures rose from 3 in July 2025 to 115 in May 2026.
Monthly nonstop DSM–MDW traffic, trailing 12 months through May 2026. Bars scale to the busiest month; months with no filed service show as zero.
July 2025
3 departures · 465 passengers
88.6%
Load
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
By direction
Each direction is filed separately — they rarely match.
DSM → MDW
66.0% full
58 departures · 5,819 passengers
MDW → DSM
66.3% full
57 departures · 5,910 passengers
Nonstop DSM–MDW traffic has been filed since 2025.
Source: US DOT BTS Form 41 T-100 Segment (All Carriers). Data through May 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 May 2026, the Boeing 737-700 flew the largest share of departures (54.8%), followed by the Boeing 737-800 (24.3%).
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.
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