MDW → DSMChicago to Des Moines

live

Direct flights from Chicago (MDW) to Des Moines (DSM): 12 nonstop departures observed each week across 1 airline. 100% of the last 14 tracked flights arrived within 15 minutes of schedule. The median arrival is 23 minutes early. No cancellations were recorded across the 15 tracked flights. The nonstop covers 492 km, an estimated 1 hour 8 minutes in the air. Measured by Pro Flight Search from live flight boards at Chicago and Des Moines. Updated 1 November 2026 at 19:00 UTC.

Today, MDW → DSM

Sun 1 Nov · local times
WN457SouthwestIn the air, 23 min late

Left MDW at 10:28, 23 min after its 10:05 slot.

Landing
11:27DSM board estimate · sched 11:30
Track WN457 →
  1. 10:05 WN457Southwest Left 10:28 +23 DSM est. 11:27In the air · sched 11:30
  2. 21:35 WN2172Southwest Airlines On scheduleGate B16 ·

Checked MDW board 13:00 · DSM board 10:48

MDW Chicago smooth · +2
DSM Des Moines smooth · +0
492 km · ~1h 08m est.
dep bank 09:45–21:5012x weekly
Runs reliable · 1 airline · 12x weekly · nonstop
100% on time

of the last 14 tracked MDW → DSM flights arrived within 15 minutes

Median arrival delay is −23 min. 0 of 15 tracked legs cancelled in the sample. Will a delayed flight be cancelled? →

Median arrival−23 minacross the last 14 arrivals
Flight time~1h 08mestimated from route distance
Weekly departures12x1 direct airline on the leg
Cancelled0.0%recent route rate · 0 of 15

The week

scheduled departures · origin local time
06121824
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Southwest Airlines

Each mark is a scheduled departure at its origin-local time, observed operating in the last 7 days. Today is highlighted.

Who flies it

observed on the boards · 7 days
Southwest AirlinesWN100% on time

Flights WN649 09:45 Mo Th Fr · WN654 09:55 Su · WN1833 10:05 Tu We · WN3512 21:30 Su

History

operated legs · board outcomes
11-01WN457departed+23
10-31WN1172dep +5 → arr−8
10-31WN3312dep −8 → arr−24
10-30WN4569dep −10 → arr−17
10-30WN649dep +0 → arr−23
10-29WN4569dep −4 → arr−20
10-29WN649dep −2 → arr−24
10-28WN1833dep −8 → arr−35
10-28WN4569dep −7 → arr−36
10-27WN1833dep −6 → arr−29
10-27WN4569dep −9 → arr−37
10-26WN4569dep +19 → arr−7
10-26WN649dep −1 → arr−29
10-25WN3512dep +29 → arr+10
10-25WN654dep −2 → arr−9

Actual board outcomes rather than schedules, paired departure and arrival per flight and day.

Full board history, day by day →

Airports right now

live boards
MDWChicago +2 min smooth 🌤 overcast · ESE 9 kt Full MDW delay board →
DSMDes Moines +0 min smooth 🌤 overcast · ESE 12 kt Full DSM delay board →

Weather lens

Conditions are tightest at MDW and DSM: a 42% chance of a 15+ minute delay. In this weather, the more delayed of the two airports is typically about +10 min. Both figures come from the two airports' delay records in similar weather. See live delays → · Weather risk by airport →

How the Chicago to Des Moines route actually runs

Pro Flight Search records official board updates for nonstop MDW to DSM flights through the day: schedules, estimates, gate pushes and actual departures. The verdict above comes from operated flights, so it reflects what this route does rather than what the timetable promises.

Planning around a delay? Live airport delays · Weather delay risk map · Will a delayed flight be cancelled? · Do planes make up time in the air? · How we measure

Cite this data

Journalists, bloggers, and researchers may cite this page with attribution and a link to Pro Flight Search.

Suggested citation

Pro Flight Search: Chicago (MDW) to Des Moines (DSM) route reliability, measured from operated flights on official airport boards.

Canonical URL
https://proflightsearch.com/search-flights/MDW-DSM
How we measure this →

MDW to DSM questions

Is MDW–DSM running on time right now?

Smooth skies ahead. Both endpoints currently score the same, route health score 100/100. The airports section above carries the live status and delay window at both ends.

Morning or evening flight on MDW–DSM?

Operators schedule morning departures around 09:45 and evening departures around 21:30 from MDW. Earlier flights typically land before destination-airport delays accumulate later in the day; check the DSM delay card to confirm conditions when you'd arrive.

How long is the flight from MDW to DSM?

Great-circle distance is 492 km. With typical jet cruise speed plus taxi, climb and descent, expect roughly 65–72 min gate-to-gate on this route.

How often does MDW–DSM fly?

Southwest Airlines runs the route with about 12 flights a week (sun, mon, tue, wed, thu, fri). Since one carrier owns the route, a single disruption tends to ripple through the day.