Des Moines (DSM) to Chicago (ORD)

298mi
480 km259 nm

Flight time

≈ 1h 24m

Bearing

82° E

Des Moines (DSM) to Chicago (ORD) is 298 miles (480 km) as the crow flies — the great-circle baseline most distance-based mileage programs credit.

Route map: DSM → ORDDSMORD

Look up a route, or build a trip

Change the airports, or add stops for a multi-leg trip.

What actually flies DSMORD

Filed traffic data

In June 2026, SkyWest Airlines operated the most departures, one of 5 carriers flying nonstop DSM–ORD; the Embraer E175 was the most common aircraft at 36% of departures; flights ran 78% full.

Departures

573

June 2026

Seats

47,677

both directions

Passengers

37,206

both directions

Load factor

78.0%

RPM ÷ ASM

Who flies DSM–ORD?

SkyWest Airlines operated the most nonstop DSM–ORD departures in June 2026 (212), one of 5 carriers on the route.

  • OO

    SkyWest Airlines

    212 departures · 14,564 seats

    76.4%

    Load

  • UA

    United Airlines

    133 departures · 17,943 seats

    78.2%

    Load

  • YX

    Republic Airways

    113 departures · 8,588 seats

    85.4%

    Load

  • G7

    GoJet Airlines

    61 departures · 3,050 seats

    90.7%

    Load

  • MQ

    Envoy Air

    54 departures · 3,532 seats

    54.9%

    Load

What plane flies DSM–ORD?

In June 2026, the Embraer E175 flew 36% of DSM–ORD departures — more than any other aircraft type.

How has DSM–ORD traffic changed?

Nonstop DSM–ORD departures rose from 569 in July 2025 to 573 in June 2026.

Monthly nonstop DSMORD traffic, trailing 12 months through June 2026. Bars scale to the busiest month; months with no filed service show as zero.

  • July 2025

    569 departures · 43,918 passengers

    83.6%

    Load

  • August 2025

    581 departures · 44,941 passengers

    78.6%

    Load

  • September 2025

    530 departures · 41,558 passengers

    70.2%

    Load

  • October 2025

    591 departures · 44,991 passengers

    70.1%

    Load

  • November 2025

    488 departures · 30,799 passengers

    67.8%

    Load

  • December 2025

    526 departures · 33,875 passengers

    73.7%

    Load

  • January 2026

    440 departures · 29,146 passengers

    76.5%

    Load

  • February 2026

    476 departures · 31,735 passengers

    78.5%

    Load

  • March 2026

    581 departures · 38,418 passengers

    72.8%

    Load

  • April 2026

    719 departures · 42,740 passengers

    66.9%

    Load

  • May 2026

    736 departures · 46,762 passengers

    71.4%

    Load

  • June 2026

    573 departures · 37,206 passengers

    78.0%

    Load

By direction

Each direction is filed separately — they rarely match.

DSMORD

77.4% full

290 departures · 18,877 passengers

ORDDSM

78.7% full

283 departures · 18,329 passengers

Nonstop DSM–ORD traffic has been filed since 2025.

Source: US DOT BTS Form 41 T-100 Segment (All Carriers). Data through June 2026; filings from 2025. Public domain (US Government work).

The airports

DSM

US

Des Moines International Airport

Coordinates

41.53°N, 93.66°W

Hemisphere

N · W

ORD

US

Chicago O'Hare International Airport

Coordinates

41.98°N, 87.90°W

Hemisphere

N · W

Frequently asked

How far is Des Moines (DSM) from Chicago (ORD)?

DSM to ORD is 298 miles (480 km / 259 nautical miles) measured great-circle — the shortest path over the surface of the Earth.

How long is the flight from DSM to ORD?

A nonstop covers the 298-mile great-circle distance in roughly 1h 24m of block time, before winds. Actual schedules vary a few percent by direction and aircraft.

What plane flies DSM–ORD?

In June 2026, the Embraer E175 flew the largest share of departures (36.1%), followed by the Bombardier CRJ-700 (19.6%).

What mileage do I earn flying DSM–ORD?

Distance-based programs credit off the 298-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.